Using Skillswise in Scotland

This information has been compiled with help from 'Learning Connections' Scotland.

What's been happening in Scotland?

'The Adult Literacy and Numeracy in Scotland' report, published by the Scottish Executive in 2001, provides a standard definition of literacy and numeracy, identifies the key Scottish targets and provides the principles by which Scotland will address literacy and numeracy issues.

In Scotland, Adult Literacies are defined as:
'The ability to read and write and use numeracy to handle information, to express ideas and opinions, to make decisions and solve problems, as family members, workers, citizens and lifelong learners.'

In January 2003, 'Learning Connections' was set up within Communities Scotland to support Scottish adult literacies practitioners and partnerships. Further details about the work of 'Learning Connections' can be found at www.lc.communitiesscotland.gov.uk

The Scottish approach to adult literacies adopts a social practice model, which sees literacies as a key dimension of community regeneration and a part of the wider lifelong learning agenda. Such an approach recognises that:

• literacy and numeracy are complex capabilities rather than a simple set of basic skills
• learners are more likely to develop and retain knowledge, skills and understanding if they see them as relevant to their own problems and challenges.

Using Skillswise materials in this social practice context:

In Scotland, the 'Literacies in the Community' resource pack provides a good practice framework for adult literacies provision where it is recognised that 'literacy and numeracy practices are not learned in the abstract but are social practices'. This encourages a teaching approach which tries to place learning within everyday situations.

Skillswise contains a range of material which can be used in such a thematic way with learners, from sport, to health, to information on BBC TV and radio programmes. Learners can use the resources within Skillswise to practice skills; tutors can adapt them to link with learners’ particular goals within Individual Learning Plans as well as grounding them in everyday situations.

• In the Skillswise Spelling section, for example, a social practice approach might mean adapting worksheets so that the spelling words being practised are generated around the learner’s interests such as health words or work-related words. This is particularly possible where blank versions of sheets are provided or where learners can contribute their own words to a game, as in the 'Look, say, cover' module.
• In the Skillswise Vocabulary section, the approach taken fits in well with the social practice model as it uses work themes, such as 'care' and 'childcare' to generate vocabulary.
• In the Skillswise Grammar section, many of the worksheets have been developed round themes and these are particularly useful as possible elements in an individual learning plan.
• In the numbers section of Skillswise, the worksheets, factsheets and quizzes provide approaches to calculations which learners can use for practice. Where problem solving tasks are provided in these pages, however, the number tasks are put into a context which fits more neatly into the social practice model.
• Within the tutors' area of Skillswise there are two particularly useful areas which dovetail with the social practice module. In 'Teaching Inspirations' content from all over the BBC website (like EastEnders and recipes) is used as inspiration for class material, whilst in the 'Lesson plans' section you will find lesson plans and worksheets that have been sent in by other tutors from around the UK.

N.B. Skillswise has a search facility that will search by keyword on Skillswise first and then offer you results for the rest of the BBC website, BBC News and the rest of the web. If you are looking for materials by context, therefore, do try typing your keyword (e.g. childcare) into the search box first. The search box is at the very top right of every page.

Relating the skills levels to Scotland:
The worksheets used in Skillswise relate to the literacy and numeracy curriculums for England and Wales. Scotland is developing its own curriculum framework, but as a rough guide to levels, the following equivalencies to the Scottish Core Skills Levels, as set out in the Scottish Qualifications Authority website, are provided below. It should be noted, however, that the England and Wales curriculum outcomes and performance criteria do not necessarily equate fully with the Scottish Core Skills units. In addition, many literacies learners in Scotland do not have certification of their learning as part of their short-term individual learning goals.

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