ALRNNV HISTORY
Background to the establishment of National Research Networks
The establishment of the Adult Literacy Network Node for Victoria
What does the Adult Literacy Network do in Victoria?
How can you contribute to the Network?
Background to the establishment of National Research Networks
In 1990 the Coordinating Agency for the Training of Adult Literacy Personnel in Australia (CATALPA) was established with International Literacy Year funding. It was a project shared jointly by La Trobe University and University of Technology, Sydney; management for the project resided with both universities and tasks were divided between them. The CATALPA project was always firmly focused on issues of training and professional development, related specifically to professional development opportunities and courses available in universities which had an adult literacy focus. The promotion of research was only one of many of the CATALPA Project's objectives. The time span of the project was from August, 1990 to May, 1992 and with the complementary visions of the two universities involved about the role and functions of the CATALPA project, its achievements were significant in such a short space of time.
The final CATALPA Report (1992) named these as the major objectives of the CATALPA Project:
to give professional development a central role in the adult
literacy/basic education/continuing education field;to promote the contribution of tertiary teacher training institutions to ensure greater quality of professional training, research, curriculum and materials development in adult literacy;
to encourage co-operation and co-ordination across institutions and agencies conducting such courses. (CATALPA Final Report, 1992:2)
The end of the CATALPA project coincided with the development of the Federal Government's White Paper, The Australian Language and Literacy Policy and the establishment of the National Languages Institute of Australia (NLIA), later to become the National Languages and Literacy Institute of Australia (NLLIA). Although there had been some lobbying to retain the function of CATALPA with suggestions of different models being adopted, the White Paper named the NLLLIA as the body responsible for developing a successor to CATALPA. This time however there would be a focus on research rather than on professional development per se.
The White Paper named the following as an area for future development.
LANGUAGE AND LITERACY RESEARCH AND AWARENESS
A number of national agencies based in higher education institutions are undertaking research and information coordination and dissemination activities relevant to language and literacy. There are, however, some significant gaps, epsecially in the children's literacy and ESL areas and adult literacy.
To encourage a more comprehensive effort in language and literacy research, the Commonwealth will:
provide funding to the National Languages Institute of Australia - to be renamed the National Languages and Literacy Institute of Australia (NLLIA) to enhance its role in stimulating and coordinating research into language and literacy. Total funding for the NLLIA will be $1.75 million in 1991-92, rising to $2.25 million in subsequent years;
ask the NLLIA to establish two new centres to host research networks, which will address needs in children's literacy and ESL, and adult literacy. Up to $250,000 will be made available to each network from within the NLLIA's annual allocation.
(Australia's Language: The Australian Language and Literacy Policy 1991:21)
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The establishment of the Adult Literacy Network Node for Victoria
In 1992 and 1993 the NLLIA proceeded to establish networks in each state for Child Literacy/ ESL and Adult Literacy, under the coordination of a national coordinator for each Network. The Adult Literacy Research Network Node for Victoria was the last to be established in October, 1993. The successful bid was awarded to a consortium, consisting of Victoria University of Technology, Broadmeadows College of TAFE (now Kangan Institute of TAFE and Western Metroplitan College of TAFE (now Western Melbourne Institute of TAFE). In December, 1993 the Adult Literacy Research Network Node for Victoria in conjunction with the Victorian Adult Literacy and Basic Education Council held a forum to launch the new Network, Researching Literacy: A New Context.
In his opening remarks welcoming the 80 participants Professor John Wilson, Network Dirctor, explained that the Network Node is a means of providing a context in which practitioners, researchers and policy makers can get together to share perspectives, to identify what research needs to be done, to identify what research already undertaken can contribute to development of practice, and how practitioners who wish to get involved in research can be helped to do so. Above all, the Network is about encouraging more practitioners, and others with an interest in adult literacy, to appreciate the contribution that research can make in improving practice. (Report on Forum, p3)
An interpretation of Professor Wilson's remarks make explicit future intentions for the development of the Network:
