The teaching and learning research agenda is part of the Social Innovation pillar at Holland College and supports evidence based decisions about teaching and learning processes, and how these processes support learner success. Holland College’s Institute for Adult and Community Education (ACE) is in a unique position to tap into a vast array of adult learners from a variety of demographic backgrounds seeking a wide range of educational credentials. Researchers at ACE explore aspects of teaching and learning to build evidence about best practice models. Research to date has focused on literacy and literacy development. Adult literacy is a critical concern to federal, provincial, and municipal governments, given the clear connection between low literacy levels and negative outcomes for individuals, the communities in which they live, and the impact on prosperity for the region.

Research projects have included studies that have explored:

• The efficacy of classroom based phonological reading programs with adult learners who experience low literacy levels;
• The relative effectiveness of classroom-based versus computer-based reading instruction with adult learners;
• The cost and effectiveness of Adult Developmental Education in relationship to prose, document and numeracy literacy;
• The influence of computer-based literacy training on English language learners.

ACE has an excellent reputation for research areas of Canadian adult literacy, and the institute’s research has received local, national and international attention. Partners in this research include:

• Learning Policy Directorate, HRSDC
• National Literacy Secretariat
• Atlantic Canadian Opportunities Agency
• Canadian Council on Learning
• Adult Knowledge Learning Network