2019 Annual Conference

Adult Basic Education and Literacy Education

Shared Concurrent Session (Approx. 12 or 20 minutes)

The “Save the Last Word for Me” online remedial vocabulary class was designed to address a lack of adult literacy learner reading skill improvement at a local literacy organization. Teachers and tutors determined that adult literacy students were challenged in reading due to a lack of vocabulary knowledge.

The target audience for my presentation related to the “Save the Last Word for Me” an online remedial vocabulary course for adult literacy learners would be teachers, tutors, volunteers, and anyone that works with adult literacy learners. This remedial course was designed to accommodate both native-speaking and ESL students within a diverse student population.

1) Increase vocabulary knowledge in adult literacy students to improve literacy reading skills
2) Educate adult literacy learners in remedial vocabulary skills using digital literacy techniques in an online remedial vocabulary course
3) Increase class participation by using a free learning management system that is accessible to students via personal laptops, mobile technology, and public computers in libraries
4) Promote proper writing skills using correct grammar through student creation of sentences using newly learned words
5) Encourage the use of interactive online discussion sessions with the two-fold purpose of increasing digital literacy as well as enhancing vocabulary knowledge

The “Save the Last Word for Me” presentation will enlighten attendees in the use of an online remedial vocabulary course designed to improve adult literacy learners’ vocabulary knowledge. The “Save the Last Word for Me” online remedial vocabulary class was designed to address a lack of adult literacy learner reading skill improvement. It was determined through observation by teachers and tutors at a community literacy organization that adult literacy students were challenged in reading due to a lack of vocabulary knowledge, word meanings, and proper word use within a sentence. This session will discuss the digital literacy techniques used to educate adult literacy learners in researching unfamiliar words, their spelling, and their use in a sentence by using technology. Participating in online interactive discussions with class members increases the ability of students to use technology. The use of a free learning management system allows remote access by students from personal laptops, mobile devices, and public computers in libraries. Assignments within the “Save the Last Word for Me” online remedial vocabulary class educates adult literacy students in vocabulary, technology, and interactive online class participation.

The presentation organization will enlighten the audience on the history and reasons for creating this online remedial vocabulary course for adult literacy learners within a diverse population. The format of the presentation on the “Save the Last Word for Me” online remedial vocabulary class will be through the use of technology to demonstrate the course design, learning outcomes, and course assignments. The course was created using Schoology as the learning management system. I will access the course using a laptop for my presentation.