ERIC ED362712: Skills and Knowledge in Lifelong Learning.

60 Pages·1992·1.3 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
ED 362 712
CE 064 743
AUTHOR
Coplin, Jennifer
TITLE
Skills and Knowledge in Lifelong Learning.
INSTITUTION
Vance-Granville Community Coll., Henderson, NC.
SPONS AGENCY
North Carolina State Dept. of Community Colleges,
Raleigh.
PUB DATE
92
.NOTE
65p.; Also sponsored by CertainTeed Corp., Oxford,
NC.
PUB TYPE
Reports
Descriptive (141) -- Tests/Evaluation
Instruments (160)
EDRS PRICE
MF01/PC03 Plus Postage.
DESCRIPTORS
*Adult Basic Education; Adult Reading Programs;
*Community Colleges; Computer Literacy; Educational
Cooperation; *Functional Literacy; Industrial
Training; Learning Strategies; *Lifelong Learning;
*Partnerships in Education; *Program Effectiveness;
Questionnaires; Retraining; School Business
Relationship
IDENTIFIERS
Workplace Literacy
ABSTRACT
In a pilot project, Vance-Granville Community College
in North Carolina and a local roofing manufacturer jointly developed
the SKILL (Skills and Knowledge in Lifelong Learning) training
program. The 63 employees enrolled in the voluntary program thus far
have received weekly instruction in functional, learning, and
computer skills, as well as technical training in job-specific skill
areas. Manuals focusing on literacy requirements have been developed
for each job and used as a basis for developing curricula for the
various program courses. According to interviews conducted with 5-10
participants every 6 weeks, most participants feel that the program
has been beneficial to them and demonstrates the company's personal
interest in its employees. Plant management is currently working to
help more employees see the link between the basic $kills training
being offered and their jobs, and SKILL staff members are working to
include more functional contextual curriculum materials in the
program. (This report includes job task analyses, program promotion
materials, a program evaluation report detailing participant gains
during the first year, and the program evaluation instrument.)
(MN)
**************************************.4AI.AAAAA********************
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the original document.
SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE IN LIFELONG LEARNING
sponsored by
Vance-Granville Community College
and
CertainTeed Corporation
Oxford, North Carolina
Special Project Report to NC Department of Community
Colleges
S. K. I. L. L.
IIK ILLS
by Jennifer Coplin
S.
Coordinator of Workplace Literacy
KNOWLEDGE
IN LIFELONG
Project Year 1991-1992
LEARNING
"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS
U S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATFON
Office of Educatronsi Research and Improvement
MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
EDUêATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
CENTER (ERIC)
ThS document has been rePrOducerl ii
rece..ed born the person or organization
oup.nattng
r N4,nor Changes have been mac* lo .1W:wove
teproduchon Quailty
TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
Poults of 'new or ornmons stated m !hos dOCu-
ment do not necessanly represent offload
INFORMATION CENTER IERIC1
OE RI posthrtn or pohty
CertainTeedB
2
MUMS
;ZST COPY
SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE IN LIFELONG LEARNING
Origins of the Program
36% of
Current census data available identified from 33% to
adults in Vance-Granville Community College's four-county service
The college serves a small
area as "functionally illiterate."
portion of these adults eligible for Adult Basic Education
through its programs on the main campus and three satellite
in
campuses and through a sprinkling of community-based programs
such places as public schools, churches, and community centers.
Industry leaders have expressed the need to the college for
Changing technology means
literacy programs for their employees.
that many of the menial jobs are being automated, and companies
need workforces who can use today's technology to acheive the
best possible quality, speed, and efficiency on the shop floor.
Reading technical manuals, calibrating delicate instruments,
figuring means, measuring, reporting in oral and written formats,
keying information into computers, understanding computer
readouts, and communicating as part of a group are some of the
specific functions industry leaders say they need of their
employees, yet workers are not often abie to carry out these
tasks because of low reading, math, problem solving, and
The worksite seems an ideal medium for the
communication skills.
college's literacy program to reach more of its eligible population.
CertainTeed Corporation, a roofing manufacturer in Oxford,
NC, employing 200 workers, came to the college to seek help in
The company was willing
solving their basic education problems.
to invest a sizeable amount of money into a pilot project drawn
up by a literacy specialist from the U.S. Department of Labor.
Their contribution would include the building of a learning lab
and furnishing it with state-of-the-art computers and CD Rom
hardware and software designed to individualize basic skills
Furthermore, they would offer incentives to
instruction.
employees to attend the lab by linking promotion opportunities
and by paying attendees one hour of regular pay for every two
They would also
hours of their own time they spent in the lab.
employ a literacy consultant for the duration of the pilot to
From the college, the
integrate and evaluate the program.
company sought instructional and technical assistance in setting
They sought instructional
up and implementing their program.
materials development assistance in adding functional contextual
materials (curriculum based on specific job tasks) and other
supplemental literacy materials.
The program was to be part of the company's total training
effort, entitled S.K.I.L.L., or Skills and Knowledge in Lifelong
Another component of S.K.I.L.L. would be functional
Learning.
skills training, such as learning to learn, computer skills,
The third component would be technical training or
and teamwork.
specific job skills.
Each employee was to be retrained for his
or her job and cross-trained for jobs within his or her family of
jobs.
3
2
Vance-Granville Community College wrote to the NC Department
of Community Colleges, asking for grants to cover instruction and
The money was
curriculum development for the pilot period.
granted, and in September, 1991, instruction began in basic
skills at the CertainTeed S.K.I.L.L. Center.
Assessing the Need
An indepth analysis of literacy tasks required of each of
the 17 jobs in the plant was conducted and thoroughly documented.
In addition, over 90% of workers volunteered to take the TABE in
order to assess their own grade level equivalents in academic
The results of the individual scores were kept
skills.
A thorough
confidential between college staff and workers.
search was then conducted of learning systems, curricula, and
The advice and guidance of the
instructional methodology.
country's leading workplace literacy experts was sought in
carrying out these activities.
It was found that more than half (61%) of hourly workers
assessed were not able to read at the 9th grade level while full
performance in their jobs required read.i.ng materials averaging a
10.8 grade level of reading difficulty.
The math requirements of production workers are also
increasing due to the introduction of computer integrated tasks
Overall hourly workers scored
and statistical process control.
only 7.8 in math.
Program Implementation
The CEO of CertainTeed, Michael Besson, approved the project
based on the needs analysis.
A steering committee was formed
made up of two workplace literacy consultants with national
experience, college literacy staff, training professionals with
the company, the plant manager and group vice president, and
They determined policies for the
several production workers.
program, defined participation for purposes of eligibility for
promotion, and worked to market the program to workers.
The
advisory committee meets monthly to revise, refine, and determine
ways to market the program to workers.
Staffing includes the retention of a workplace literacy
consultant, the marketing and administrative services of the
plant's training director, and two part-time instructors from the
college, as well as the services of the college's workplace
literacy coordinator who administers instructional serviceF and
curriculum development.
In cooperation with the Focused Industry Training program,
manuals are being developed for each job which focus on literacy
requirements.
These manuals are used to develop curriculum, such
as that used in a recent fractions class.
34
Most basic skills instruction is conducted on the computer
system, matching students' current skill levels with job
requirements.
All employees participated in 1 1/2 hours of orientation to
the S.K.I.L.L.S. program, visiting the center in groups of 8-12.
To date, 63 employees are enrolled in the program, and are
Attendance
attending an average of 1 hour, 40 minutes each week.
is voluntary, although nonparticipants are restricted from
Many other incentives are offered, such
bidding for promotions.
and
as wages, steak dinners, caps, jackets, pens, certificates
No student has
placques for various levels of accomplishment.
yet completed all requirements of the program which include
retraining and cross-training on the job, since this component
Some participants,
was only introduced in the spring of 1992.
however, have either tested out or completed basic skills
requirements.
Company officials are unsure of the total number of
employees who do not possess high school diplomas or the
However, S.K.I.L.L. staff members have recently
equivalent.
launched a drive to recruit for GED classes and have had 7 people
sign up.
Evaluation of the Program
The program is being evaluated based on its objectives.
1) Ensure that all employees possess
They are as follows:
2) Provide a xost
predefined levels of basic literacy skills;
effective means by which employees can acquire higher level
functional and technical skills; 3) Improve employee performance
by upgrading skills.
Grade level gains as of April, 1992, and a complete
description of evaluation plans are attached.
As coordinator of workplace literacy and as a designated
internal evaluator for the program, this author has interviewed
participants and nonparticipants who are plant workers to find
out strengths and weaknesses of the program as well as attitudes
Interviews are conducted of between 5-10
towards the program.
Plant management has been able to use the
workers every six weeks.
results of these interviews to answer common questions at crew
meetings, to schedule classes and lab hours, to market the
program, to correct misinf.)rmation, and to evaluate policies
governing the program.
Overall, workers feel the establishment of the S.K.I.L.L.
program is very positive and shows a personal interest in
Some, however, do not see the
employees by the company.
Management is
relationship between basic skills and their jobs.
working to help them see the link, and the S.K.I.L.L. staff is
working to include more functional contextual curriculum
The fact that the program is voluntary
materials in the program.
has proved frustrating in some ways since those who need basic
5
4
at
skills the most are also the most hesitant to come to the lab.
If the company had the developmental stage to do over, they would
They are not willing to
probably make participation mandatory.
go back on their word, though, and make it mandatory at this
stage of the pilot project.
se
PROGRAM AND CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
JOB TASK ANALYSIS
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opTIONAL/SUPPLEVEDITAL TRAJNING
BASIC
FUNCTIONAL
TECHNICAL
LEARNING SKILLS
LIFE SKILLS (Invest) (CBI)
Geometric Dimensioning
Test Taking Strategics (Invest) (CM)
Being a Good Consumer
and Tolerance
Learning Styles Inventory (Educational
Choosing Financing
Fundamentals (Drake)
Activities) (CBI)
Buying a Used Car
(CBI)
Car Contraca, Insurance and
READING
Family of Jobs Training
Registration
Intensive Phonics (HEC) (CBI)
Budgeng
Manuals (OTD)
I Want to Read (Educational Activities) (Video)
Smart Buying Habits
(Print) -
PC Globe (CBI)
Setting Spending Goals
PC USA (CBI)
Choosing and Using a Checking
Effective Reading (Xerox) (audio) (Speed
Account
Reading)
Credit, Credit Canis and Credit
Applications
WRITING (Invest) (CBI)
Advertising Truth and Deception
Writing Letters
Warranties and Guarawees
Addrets an Envelope Correctly
Health and Safety
Write a short Personal Letter
Emergency First Aid
Write Business Letters
Child and Home Safety
Write a Later of Application
Bicycle, Traffic, Fire and Water Safety
Write a Thank You Letter for an Iwerview
Community Resources
Write a Lester of Resignation
How to Get a Driver's License
Filling Out a Simple Job Application
Finding the Goods and Services You
Forms
Need
Preparing a Personal Data Sheet
Contacting Emergency Services
Filling Ow a Job Application
Personal Development
Language Experience
Self-Esteem
Read Personal Experiences
Listen to Experience Based Stories
COMPUTER LITERACY
Work With Syntax and Composition
WordPelea 5.1
Work With Alphabetical List of Words
Mulfimate
Creating, Editing and Printing
Process Writing
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Write a Paragraph of Opinions
Listening and Notetaking (Educational
Write Paragraphs Describing Personal
Activities) (Vi deo)
Experiences
RESEARCH SIGLLS (Invest)
MATHEMATICS
Using the Dictionary
Basic Algebra (Invest) (CBI)
Using Other References
Algebra (Invest) (CBI)
Types of Materials Available' in a Public
Algebra (Video Tutorial Services)
Library
Fractions, Decimals, Operations (Video Tutorial
Using the Card Catalog
Serrices) (Video)
Using a Dictionary/Encyclopedia
Using a Thesaurus
Using an Encyclopedia
Using a Reader's Guide
Parts of a Book
Using the Library
Using an Atlas
Computerized Card Catalog
"xxxx.:"
Courses in bold face type are intended to supplement the principal
learning materials.
"yyyyy" -- Courses in italics are optional that can be taken
on the learner's own time.