Evaluating Digital Learning for Adult Basic Literacy and Numeracy

seniors sitting in classroom with laptops, participating in a computer course

The magnitude of the problem of unskilled labor for the U.S. workforce is known. More than
36 million adults in the United States do not have the basic literacy and math skills needed for many entry-level jobs and even less so for the types of jobs expected to dominate in the future. We also know that our federal- and state-funded adult basic education (ABE) programs, the main providers of skill development and training programs for this population, do not have the resources, facilities, or trained staff to serve all those adults in need of further education to improve their basic skills and job prospects. The purpose of this research was to understand the potential role of technology as a significant part of the solution to address the needs of ABE programs and these low-skilled adult learners. Specifically,

Can digital learning technologies increase the capacity of ABE programs by providing more efficient and effective learning opportunities to better serve the adult learning needs in their communities?