American Institutes for Research to Lead National Research Network on Improving Adult Skills Through Technology
Arlington, Va. – The American Institutes for Research (AIR) will lead a federally funded network designed to strengthen adult literacy, numeracy and other foundational skills through the development, adoption and evaluation of technology-supported interventions. AIR will serve as the network lead in collaboration with its partners, Abt Associates, Jobs for the Future (JFF), and the EdTech Center @ World Education, Inc.
The Building Adult Skills and Attainment Through Technology Research Network (Adult Skills Network) is funded through the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the non-partisan research and statistics arm of the U.S. Department of Education. As the Network Lead, AIR and its partners will:
- Engage a diverse community of stakeholders representing adult foundational education, workforce development, and postsecondary education in interactive activities that result in research findings translated in a way that can be readily applied to practice;
- Expand the adult skills research base and knowledge of resources for using technology to address critical knowledge gaps and maximize the network’s value for stakeholders;
- Develop a learning agenda to increase support for conducting and using rigorous research in adult skills and engender longer-term growth of the research base; and
- Carry out communications and dissemination to attract stakeholders to the network and facilitate use of the knowledge generated.
Stephanie Cronen, a managing researcher at AIR, will serve as the principal investigator for the five-year grant. Judith Alamprese, principal scientist at Abt Associates, and Jen Vanek, director of digital learning and research at the EdTech Center at World Education, Inc., will serve as co-principal investigators.
About AIR
Established in 1946, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance both domestically and internationally in the areas of education, health and the workforce. AIR’s work is driven by its mission to generate and use rigorous evidence that contributes to a better, more equitable world. With headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, AIR has offices across the U.S. and abroad. For more information, visit www.air.org.