Online tuition

Since 2000, NALA has been using the internet to provide distance education opportunities to literacy learners through learning websites such as www.literacytools.ie and www.rug.ie.

www.writeon.ie is a new interactive web site to help people improve their reading, writing and numbers skills. The content is pitched at FETAC Level 2. Users can study at the own pace and in their own time to improve their skills or get a national qualification. Users of the site can have their skills assessed across a number of areas and then be prescribed an individual learning plan to improve these areas. At the end of the learning phase, users are presented with an opportunity to have their skills assessed and request a national qualification. This is the first time that accreditation at this level has been offered in Ireland using the Internet.

While this support is available in traditional face-to-face situations through the Vocational Educational Committees, 92% of those adults identified as in need of support are currently not availing of this support. There are various reasons for this lack of involvement, many of which are associated with provision of adult learning in school building-based centres and in face-to-face interventions. NALA believes www.writeon.ie will address many of these barriers to participation and help to provide learning opportunities for those people not currently engaged in lifelong learning.

www.makingcents.ie is a new website for anyone interested in learning about money and financial matters. It was developed by EBS Building Society and the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) who have worked together since 2004 to address the issue of access to financial services for those with literacy difficulties. It includes online exercises that will help people understand how to use and manage money better, a handy A-Z guide to financial terms and many other resources to help people make sense of money and finance.