title: Adult dyslexia in New Zealand: The professional development needs of adult literacy educators

authors: van Lamoen, Annette

subjects: adult dyslexia

abstract: The needs of New Zealand adults with dyslexia are typically not sufficiently catered for in the tertiary education system (Rowan, 2010a; Tunmer & Greaney, 2010). In recent years efforts have been made to increase training opportunities for adult learners with literacy needs and to enhance the quality of teaching (Tertiary Education Commission, 2010b).  This challenge can only be met if New Zealand adult literacy educators are adequately prepared in teaching learners with dyslexia. Research suggests they are not (Benseman, Sutton & Lander, 2005b; Dymock & Nicholson, 2012; Leach, Zepke & Haworth; 2010).  

The purposes of the study were (a) to investigate the need among adult literacy educators in New Zealand to engage in training or professional development (PD) in order to improve their capability to cater for the needs of adult dyslexic learners; (b) to measure their perceived confidence as well as their perceived and actual knowledge levels in three areas: language, reading development, and dyslexia; and (c) to measure the effectiveness of targeted training and professional development. 

An online survey was conducted with 137 staff at tertiary organisations, including PTEs, ITPs and Wānanga. Post-survey, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 4 adult literacy educators. The online survey included a questionnaire and a knowledge assessment.  The questionnaire measured educators’ confidence levels in meeting the needs of dyslexic learners, their perceived training need, and their perceived levels of knowledge in the areas of language, reading development and dyslexia.  The knowledge assessment measured the actual levels of knowledge in these three areas.  

The results suggested that there is a high need among New Zealand adult literacy educators to engage in training or professional development in dyslexia, that they feel less than confident in meeting the needs of dyslexic learners, and have insufficient knowledge in areas relevant to the teaching of dyslexic learners.  Perceived knowledge levels exceeded actual knowledge levels, indicating unrealistic self-evaluations of knowledge. A comparison of the test results of educators who had and those who had not engaged in dyslexia training indicated that targeted training and professional development is effective in raising educators’ awareness and understanding of dyslexia.

Implications support the development and reform of training and PD opportunities in dyslexia to better prepare, inform and educate New Zealand adult literacy educators.

text: Adult dyslexia in New Zealand: The professional development needs of adult literacy educators The needs of New Zealand adults with dyslexia are typically not sufficiently catered for in the tertiary education system (Rowan, 2010a; Tunmer & Greaney, 2010). In recent years efforts have been made to increase training opportunities for adult learners with literacy needs and to enhance the quality of teaching (Tertiary Education Commission, 2010b).  This challenge can only be met if New Zealand adult literacy educators are adequately prepared in teaching learners with dyslexia. Research suggests they are not (Benseman, Sutton & Lander, 2005b; Dymock & Nicholson, 2012; Leach, Zepke & Haworth; 2010).  

The purposes of the study were (a) to investigate the need among adult literacy educators in New Zealand to engage in training or professional development (PD) in order to improve their capability to cater for the needs of adult dyslexic learners; (b) to measure their perceived confidence as well as their perceived and actual knowledge levels in three areas: language, reading development, and dyslexia; and (c) to measure the effectiveness of targeted training and professional development. 

An online survey was conducted with 137 staff at tertiary organisations, including PTEs, ITPs and Wānanga. Post-survey, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 4 adult literacy educators. The online survey included a questionnaire and a knowledge assessment.  The questionnaire measured educators’ confidence levels in meeting the needs of dyslexic learners, their perceived training need, and their perceived levels of knowledge in the areas of language, reading development and dyslexia.  The knowledge assessment measured the actual levels of knowledge in these three areas.  

The results suggested that there is a high need among New Zealand adult literacy educators to engage in training or professional development in dyslexia, that they feel less than confident in meeting the needs of dyslexic learners, and have insufficient knowledge in areas relevant to the teaching of dyslexic learners.  Perceived knowledge levels exceeded actual knowledge levels, indicating unrealistic self-evaluations of knowledge. A comparison of the test results of educators who had and those who had not engaged in dyslexia training indicated that targeted training and professional development is effective in raising educators’ awareness and understanding of dyslexia.

Implications support the development and reform of training and PD opportunities in dyslexia to better prepare, inform and educate New Zealand adult literacy educators.

year: 2013

title: Generating group agreement in cooperative computer-mediated groups: Towards an integrative model of group interaction

authors: Whitworth, Brian

abstract: This study addresses the problem of generating agreement in computer-mediated groups.
The key entities of group interaction are proposed to be the task, the other individuals, and the group. Extending this three way categorisation across the input-process-output framework suggests an integrative model with three processes (task resolution, interpersonal relating, and group representation), three levels of social influence (informational influence, personal influence, and normative influence), and three types of output (task results, relationships, and agreement).
The background upon which these processes operate is the communication setting. A proposed taxonomy of communication settings suggests the natural setting for generating electronic group agreement is asynchronous, many-to-many interaction.
Describing non-task group activities as "process losses" denies group combining behaviour, and raises the "group effectiveness paradox", where groups expend more effort to produce less. The integrative model accounts for group activities without paradox.
The generation of agreement in cooperative groups is attributed to the "identification" of individuals with the group. Members who identify with a group, tend to accept the group's decisions as their own. This process may use relatively simple position information embedded within multi-threaded communications, rather than complex "social" information. If so, computer-mediated groups can enact agreement across plain text networks.
Software was written to simulate asynchronous, many-to-many exchange of position information. Anonymous computer-mediated groups sat multi-choice tests under blind, group aware and confidence aware conditions. The exchange of position information alone produced a significant change in agreement, although neither medium nor exchanged information were "rich", no reasons were given, and there was no personal "presence" or discussion.
It was concluded that computer-mediated groups can enact agreement. The method adopted, of isolating one process within a single communication setting, is recommended for research. However for practical implementation, a balance of all three processes is suggested, as all have a role in group interaction.

text: Generating group agreement in cooperative computer-mediated groups: Towards an integrative model of group interaction This study addresses the problem of generating agreement in computer-mediated groups.
The key entities of group interaction are proposed to be the task, the other individuals, and the group. Extending this three way categorisation across the input-process-output framework suggests an integrative model with three processes (task resolution, interpersonal relating, and group representation), three levels of social influence (informational influence, personal influence, and normative influence), and three types of output (task results, relationships, and agreement).
The background upon which these processes operate is the communication setting. A proposed taxonomy of communication settings suggests the natural setting for generating electronic group agreement is asynchronous, many-to-many interaction.
Describing non-task group activities as "process losses" denies group combining behaviour, and raises the "group effectiveness paradox", where groups expend more effort to produce less. The integrative model accounts for group activities without paradox.
The generation of agreement in cooperative groups is attributed to the "identification" of individuals with the group. Members who identify with a group, tend to accept the group's decisions as their own. This process may use relatively simple position information embedded within multi-threaded communications, rather than complex "social" information. If so, computer-mediated groups can enact agreement across plain text networks.
Software was written to simulate asynchronous, many-to-many exchange of position information. Anonymous computer-mediated groups sat multi-choice tests under blind, group aware and confidence aware conditions. The exchange of position information alone produced a significant change in agreement, although neither medium nor exchanged information were "rich", no reasons were given, and there was no personal "presence" or discussion.
It was concluded that computer-mediated groups can enact agreement. The method adopted, of isolating one process within a single communication setting, is recommended for research. However for practical implementation, a balance of all three processes is suggested, as all have a role in group interaction.

year: 1997

title: Breaking the browsing barrier for historic search of newspaper texts

authors: Keegan, Te Taka Adrian Gregory

subjects: computer science

abstract: Traditionally, to find information in a newspaper collection it has been necessary to painstakingly browse through the individual issues hoping that relevant words will catch your eye. Researchers of New Zealand’s encounter history received a boost when, in 1996, the Alexander Turnbull Library produced a collection on microfiche totaling almost 18,000 pages and covering a printing period from 1842 to 1933. While having all the newspapers in a single collection was a large step forward, browsing or searching for information in this microfiche collection was still time consuming.
By incorporating the collection into a digital library with an Internet interface, and by enabling full-text search, we have broken this browsing barrier. Making the information available this way is even more significant as the majority of the collection is written in the Māori language; we have created a Māori language resource that is sorely needed by education and research institutes, and one that provides quick and accurate access to the previously obscure source. The process involved in developing this unique digital library collection, the advantages of traditional newspaper stored in this medium, and the possibilities that we intend to investigate in the future, will be discussed in this paper.

text: Breaking the browsing barrier for historic search of newspaper texts Traditionally, to find information in a newspaper collection it has been necessary to painstakingly browse through the individual issues hoping that relevant words will catch your eye. Researchers of New Zealand’s encounter history received a boost when, in 1996, the Alexander Turnbull Library produced a collection on microfiche totaling almost 18,000 pages and covering a printing period from 1842 to 1933. While having all the newspapers in a single collection was a large step forward, browsing or searching for information in this microfiche collection was still time consuming.
By incorporating the collection into a digital library with an Internet interface, and by enabling full-text search, we have broken this browsing barrier. Making the information available this way is even more significant as the majority of the collection is written in the Māori language; we have created a Māori language resource that is sorely needed by education and research institutes, and one that provides quick and accurate access to the previously obscure source. The process involved in developing this unique digital library collection, the advantages of traditional newspaper stored in this medium, and the possibilities that we intend to investigate in the future, will be discussed in this paper.

year: 2001