ACCU

Development of literacy materials is a key for the success of literacy promotion. Preparation of attractive, easy-to-understand and useful materials, reflecting people's daily needs, is crucial. In ACCU's material development projects, literacy experts, contents experts and illustrators closely work together for developing such learner-centered materials.

(1)

PALM: Package for developing Adult Learning Materials

How to Order

One of the best ways to produce materials fully reflecting local needs is for each community to develop its own custom-made material. PALM, produced to meet this crucial need, consists of a "handbook", a set of "exemplar materials" and a "clip art", all produced by the joint efforts of experts in Asia and the Pacific, as follows:

[1]

Handbook for Adult Learning Materials Development at Community Level

Designed for field workers such as literacy class teachers and community learning centre (CLC) facilitators at district level or higher, the Handbook explains in simple language and with many visuals how to produce various kinds of learning materials with locally available materials. It explains all steps for material production, from needs assessment to evaluation. In addition, useful information, exercises for practice and guides for trainers are included. This handbook may also be used for training on material development.

[2]AJP Materials Kit

The most popular AJP (Asian/Pacific Joint Production Programme of Materials for Neo-Literates in Rural Areas) materials are packed into four categories: Health & Sanitation; Income Generation; Environment; Women's Empowerment. Each set contains 4 to 11 printed booklets/posters. This Kit is intended to serve as exemplar materials for users to produce their own materials on similar subjects. (For AJP materials, see more details below.)

[3]Literacy Clip Art

A collection of 942 illustrations covering eight subjects areas common in Community development, such as Health & Sanitation, Income Generation, Education, and Civic consciousness. It is available both in CD-ROM (Windows) and book format. Users can directly find relevant illustrations for their own material. In the CD-ROM, 16 AJP materials without text are available in PDF.

(2) AJP Materials - Prototype Versions

AJP materials are the learning materials produced under the Asian/Pacific Joint Production Programme of Materials for Neo-Literates in Rural Areas. The AJP Materials are first developed in English as regional prototypes through the cooperative efforts of literacy and subject experts in the Asia-Pacific countries and UNESCO.

Areas covered in AJP Materials are categorised as (1) health and nutrition, (2) income generating programmes, (3) environment and science, (4) women's empowerment and (5) social and general issues. These contents reflect the most crucial learning needs and problems observed through several field surveys and tests in rural villages in the region.

		List of AJP Materials
	AJP Prototype Materials

(3) AJP Materials - Local Versions

Learners are the focal point for both development and utilization of materials. Responding to the conditions of each target group, AJP prototype materials are adapted into local versions with necessary modifications and improvements for more suitability and relevancy to actual life situations and learning environment in each country. Not only translating into a local language, but also making changes to the content, illustrations, format, and size is essential when preparing the local versions of AJP.

		Chart of Local Versions
	Local versions of AJP booklet "Baby's Food"

(4)

PLANET: Package Learning Materials on Environment

Environmental issues have become serious problems affecting the global community. Many literacy and environment experts stress the importance of environmental education in challenging this world-wide concern. To meet these urgent needs, ACCU launched in 1997 the Joint Production Programme of Package Learning Materials on Environment, so as to stress the importance of environment and the harmonious relationship between humans and nature.

PLANET is a multi-media package consisting of a poster, an animation video and a booklet, designed for neo-literates and school children. PLANET 1 featuring "Water Pollution" was completed in 1998 and distributed to the countries in and out of the region. Twenty local versions have so far been produced for wider utilization. PLANET 2 on "Forest Conservation" was completed in 2000 and 21 local versions were produced. PLANET 3, the planning of which has just started, deals with "Waste Management".

List of Local Versions of PLANET 1 & 2

(5)Literacy Video Programmes
Video programmes are greatly appreciated as one of the most effective educational/instructional media to convey compre-hensive messages to the learners. In view of this, ACCU has produced, in co-operation with UNESCO and experts in the region, the following video programmes:

1.	Mina Smiles - Literacy Promotion Animation (16 minutes)
1.	List of National Versions
2.	How to Develop Literacy Materials for Women (25 minutes)
2.	List of National Versions
3.	Street Children and Literacy (27 minutes)
4.	Water in Everyday Life - AJP material (16 minutes)
5.	Poultry for Additional Income - AJP material (11 minutes)

[Capacity Building]
[Networking]
[ICT Application to NFE Programmes]

[Updated in January 2003]

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