Literacy, Language, and Technology Research (LLTR)

This 4-year study sought to identify the factors that support frontline service workers to engage in workplace-sponsored learning activities that promote the development of 21st-century skills, including specific workplace skills, digital literacy, English language and literacy, problem-solving, and adult foundational skills.

This ongoing project is a partnership with the Oregon WIC program which offers supplemental nutrition, education, breastfeeding support, and lactation consultant services to low-income women and children. The research project seeks to describe Oregon WIC participants' and staffs' readiness to use telehealth for WIC services.

This mixed-methods, 3-year research project, in collaboration with Multnomah County Library, found that library website use was a strong predictor of problem-solving in technology-rich environment scores and that digital problem solving needs to be seen as a set of contexts and events that are dynamic across different situations.

To address the national dearth of materials for literacy tutors who are working with adult learners, this project produced two websites and accompanying illustrative videos organized around tutor questions.

On-Ramps to e-Health Portals sought to reduce barriers to health portal access by targeting low digital literacy and Spanish-speaking populations.

This research effort focused on examining the digital literacy acquisition process among vulnerable adult learners who participated in digital literacy programming offered through partnerships in the Broadband Technologies Opportunities Program (BTOP) grant.

This 9-year project followed adults who did not complete high school, addressing essential questions about literacy development, learning, and life experiences over time. 

The Lab School was designed to strengthen programs serving adult ESOL learners across the country through systematic research and experimentation within the context of an existing ESL program.

English Language Learner University (ELL-U) was a free, innovative and interactive national professional development network for practitioners who teach English as a second language to adults.

Learner Web: Digital Learner Support System (2003-2021) helped adults target unique learning objectives such as job preparedness, basic skills, and improving digital literacy. By the end of the 18-year program, 172 sites were able to offer such learning opportunities.