The TALK Podcast

In this special episode of the TALK Podcast, we had a chance to connect in-person with several of the Research Teams affiliated with the CREATE Adult Skills Network at the COABE 2026 conference which was held April 12th through the 15 th in Indianapolis, Indiana. Here are some highlights from conversations with Research Team members.

In this episode, I'm talking with Stephanie Cronen from the American Institutes for Research and Jen Vanek from World Education, two of the principal investigators for the CREATE Adult Skills Network.

In this episode, we will hear from Aydin Durgunoglu and Erin Carey from the University of Minnesota Duluth and Theresa Sladek from Northstar Digital Literacy about their work on Content-Intergrated Language Instruction for Adults with Technology support (or CILIA-T) which focuses curriculum which focuses on civics, U.S. history, English, and digital skills.

In this episode, we hear from Stephen Sireci from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Malena Oliveri from Purdue University about their work on the Adult Skills Assessment Program , also called ASAP, and how it is advancing the field of adult education.

In this episode, we will hear from John Sabatini,  Research Professor and Principal Investigator for the AutoTutor-ARC project at the University of Memphis. AutoTutor-ARC is an intelligent tutoring system that supports adults who read at 3rd- to 8th-grade levels as they learn and practice reading comprehension strategies. It provides students additional reading practice and embeds instruction-base...

The Writing in Adult Secondary Education project aims to address the problem that writing instruction for adult learners is hindered by the lack of evidence-based curricula and tools available to practitioners. It also addresses the limited preparation and guidance given to practitioners for writing instruction. The project's aim is two-fold: One aim is to design and evaluate a technology-supporte...

The Adult Numeracy in the Digital Era (ANDE) aims to develop a technology-supported adult education course to improve numeracy and digital literacy learning. Alongside these efforts, the ANDE team is creating a professional learning system to help instructors teaching the course implement effective mathematics instructional practices to support learners. In this episode, we will hear from Ann Edwa...

The Teaching Skills That Matter-SkillBlox Instructional Support Pilot is developing and piloting expanded supports for integrating the Teaching Skills That Matter (TSTM) framework into adult foundational skills instruction. The framework focuses on many of the skills, topics, and teaching approaches most relevant to adult learners. It includes nine intra/interpersonal skills (such as communication...

In this, the first of a two-part series, we will hear how professional development supports the use of technology in adult foundational education (AFE).  We will hear from professional development professionals to learn how they support instructors and other staff in the application of technology to their AFE programs and what support is needed for practitioners who are implementing the technology...

In this episode, you'll hear on-the-ground reactions from attendees at the 2024 Coalition on Adult Basic Education National Conference, or COABE, held March seventeenth through twentieth in Nashville, Tennessee. Interviewees include: Anthony Burik, Kathy Harris, Marnie Huff, Ramon Cardenas, Stephanie Moore, and Wanda Govan.

In this episode of the CREATE Adult Skills TALK Podcast , we dive into the dynamic world of hybrid learning models, a blend of traditional face-to-face classroom experiences with the flexibility of online education. We explore how this innovative approach is reshaping the educational landscape, offering unique opportunities and challenges for students, educators, and institutions alike. Join us as...

In this episode, we focus on developing data literacy in adult learners. As technology including AI drives increased use of data in all aspects of our lives, the need for teaching information and data literacy also deepens. How can we support educators to teach these foundational skills while also developing learners' digital literacy? Many of you know that these foundational skills are at the cen...

This episode is the second in a series focusing on generative AI and implications of this emerging technology on the adult education field. We explore practical use cases of generative AI, including assessment and research applications. The guests for this episode are Javier Suarez-Alvarez, Associate Professor from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Project Director of the Adult Skills...

ChatGPT is one of the most talked about technologies. This episode explores this new technology and how it may impact adult education. The guests for this episode are Rachel Riggs, Technical Advisor at World Education and Dr. Katie Brown, Chief Education Officer and Founder of the company EnGen.

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Meredith Larson, Education Research Analyst and Program Officer from the Institute of Education Sciences (or IES) at U.S. Department of Education. Meredith shares her thoughts on the investment IES has made exploring the intersection of research and practice in adult education.

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Mark Schneider, Director of the Institute of Education Sciences (or IES) at U.S. Department of Education. Mark shares his thoughts on the 20th anniversary of IES and the investment IES has made in the area of adult education.

The CREATE Adult Skills Network , funded by the Institute of Education Sciences at the U.S. Department of Education, is excited to announce our new podcast, Technology in Adult Learning through Knowledge-Building . Join our host Paul Giguere as he updates you on the latest research and best practices in technology-enabled adult skills instruction. Paul will also interview experts and practitioners...