Analysis of Integrated Learning Systems and Their Use in Adult Basic Education Programs in British Columbia.

The use of six integrated learning systems (ILS) in adult basic education (ABE) programs in British Columbia was analyzed. The systems studied were as follows: Autoskill, Computer Curriculum Corporation (CCC), Jostens (INVEST), Pathfinder, Principle of the Alphabet Literacy System (PALS), and Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations (PLATO). Three instruments were developed for interviewing instructors and students using the systems as well as some students who were not using an ILS. Twenty sites were visited across the province. Twenty-one instructions and 60 students were interviewed. Generally, the project team felt positive about what they saw and experienced, and the students interviewed seemed enthusiastic about their work with an ILS. None of the systems were found to be perfect, and administrators and instructors were cautioned to determine their needs and the characteristics of the systems carefully before purchasing a system. (Thirty tables provide detailed analysis of student characteristics and responses. Appendixes to the report include the following: guidelines for acquiring computer-based adult literacy systems, analysis of ILS, and interview questionnaires developed for the project. Contains 33 references.) (KC)