Adult Numeracy in the Digital Era (ANDE)

Numeracy and digital literacy skills are essential for navigating in and contributing to society. Yet, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), nearly a third of adults in the U.S. lack basic numeracy skills and even fewer have the basic digital literacy skills to complete important tasks in their daily lives.  

Purpose

Adult Numeracy in the Digital Era (ANDE) aims to address this challenge with an innovative course design and instructional supports. In partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Education and World Education, Inc., WestEd is developing and evaluating ANDE, a 10-week technology-based numeracy course for adult learners. The project is part of the  CREATE Adult Skills Network, a national initiative dedicated to building knowledge about using technology effectively to support adult learning.   

The goal of ANDE is to generate knowledge and tools that benefit the field of adult learning at large. 

Audiences Served

ANDE provides a personalized learning experience for adult learners developing numeracy and digital literacy. While the existing audience is researchers and practitioners who work on interventions for adult learners, the application of the project benefits adult learners broadly, including adult English and multilingual learners.

Project Activities

Through user-centered design cycles and usability and feasibility testing, WestEd and its research partners work with adult numeracy instructors to create and refine a technology-based numeracy course and professional supports. A  quasi-experimental study examines the impact of the intervention on adult learners’ math and digital literacy outcomes and instructors’ capacity and self-efficacy. 

Project Director

Ann R. Edwards

Ann R. Edwards is Senior Director of Mathematics Education. She is a nationally recognized leader in mathematics education with over 30 years of experience in research and development in mathematics learning, instructional practice, teacher learning, curriculum development, and policy.

Funder

This project is funded in full by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) at the U.S. Department of Education through award number R305N210029. 

Project Duration

4 years (9/1/2021-8/31/2025)