Informal Learning and Media Perceptions of Adults
With Low Literacy Skills

Introduction

It has been well established that far too many adults in this country have difficulty with basic literacy tasks and that this has serious negative impacts on not only our economy but our entire social fabric. Governments in Canada realized that investing in literacy education was needed, but despite all the investment, research and development, the problems of low literacy levels remain relatively persistent. This is not to say that literacy and basic education programs are not helping people, they most certainly are. The problem is that many of the people with low literacy problems never make it into a literacy program.

Research has shown various patterns of non-participation in current models of basic education programming. These patterns are often related to program design and policy factors that unwittingly represent barriers to participation. It could be argued that these models are valid and effective in what they contain and account for, but it is what they don’t contain and account for that gives rise to problems. These models often neglect to account for the socio-economic, cultural, cognitive, and emotive factors that adult literacy learners are facing, thereby creating barriers to participation.

Any good model or policy requires and permits revisions as new information comes to light. Recent research shows that it is now possible to view literacy learning through the lense of social and cultural relationships, especially in a way that recognizes how adults with low literacy engage in informal learning practices in their homes, communities, and workplaces. This may be key to increasing patterns of participation for those who have not been able to access literacy programming as well as for speeding the progress for those who are enrolled.

This document provides a summary of a National Literacy Secretariat funded research project entitled, “Informal Learning and Media Perceptions of Adults With Low Literacy Skills”. This project investigated adult literacy learning from two perspectives: an insider view of the informal learning practices of adult literacy learners; and the point of view from the mainstream media.

This summary of the research findings will forego many of the usual academic conventions in order to provide its readers with an easy-to-read digest of the work. As such, it will outline the key findings of the research accompanied by a possible range of policy implications at the local, provincial, and federal level.