ACAL International Conference

Connecting voices in adult mathematics and numeracy: practitioners, researchers and learners

3 to 7 July 2005

Melbourne

ACAL is delighted to be co-hosting the first national and international adult numeracy conference to be held in Australia. The international group, Adults Learning Mathematics (ALM) is the other host of the conference.

What is ALM?
ALM is an international research forum which brings together practitioners and researchers in adult mathematics and numeracy teaching and learning in order to promote and disseminate knowledge, awareness and understanding of adults learning numeracy and mathematics at all levels.

ALM is a forum for experienced and first-time researchers to come together and share their ideas and their reflections on the process as well as the outcomes of research into hitherto neglected area of adults learning mathematics. ALM puts people in touch with each other, providing a framework for collaboration and helping to stimulate and develop research plans. ALM is especially keen to encourage practitioners to undertake research.

Each year ALM hosts an international conference. This will be the 12th international conference and the first such conference to be held in the southern hemisphere.

Website: http://www.alm-online.org

Why a numeracy conference?
Along with literacy, numeracy is acknowledged as a key skill. However, numeracy is often seen as an add on or an extension of literacy and as such gets less exposure and support. ACAL has a commitment to promote and support numeracy alongside literacy.

The conference will create the opportunity for literacy and ESL practitioners and researchers to look at issues surrounding the boundaries and cross over between literacy and numeracy. Many adult literacy and ESL practitioners incorporate some aspects of numeracy in their practice and this conference will provide participants with the opportunity to focus specifically on numeracy.

Just as importantly it will provide a forum for people whose interest is mainly in numeracy and mathematics, enabling them to explore issues surrounding numeracy and maths in adult and lifelong education.

You can browse through our archive of meeting, seminar and workshop notices to see the range of activities QCAL organises.