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The Learning Toolkit (known affectionately as the LTK) is designed to support the development of literacy, inquiry and other cross-curricular competencies within an environment that encourages self-regulated learning, an essential strategy for effective, lifelong learning.

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The Learning Toolkit (known affectionately as the LTK) is designed to support the development of literacy, inquiry and other cross-curricular competencies within an environment that encourages self-regulated learning, an essential strategy for effective, lifelong learning.

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Tools to explore and useful for online teaching

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Tools to explore and useful for online teaching

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Teach Online with Zoom - Beginners Tutorial

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2. Virtual white board - Jamboard, Microsoft White board

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2. Virtual white board - Jamboard, Microsoft White board

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How to Use Google Jamboard for Remote Teaching

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How To: Quick Tutorial of New Google Docs

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Easy Screen Recording with Screencastify

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Concordia, Univerisity. “Learning ToolKit .” Concordia University, 0AD, www.concordia.ca/research/learning-performance/tools/learning-toolkit.html.

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Concordia University
https://www.concordia.ca/content/concordia/en/research/learning-performance/tools/learning-toolkit.html

×LATEST INFORMATION ABOUT COVID-19
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June 2020: To learn about our response to the CoVid-19 school closures, the results of our most recent LTK+ research projects and recent grants and publications, please consult the latest edition of our LTK+ Newsletter

June 2019: The Spring 2019 edition of the LTK+ Newsletter is out! Read it to find out more about LTK+ Releases, Teacher Resources, developments in ABRA français and ePEARL 4.0 as well as news from the LTK+ international research projects.

September 2018: Anne Wade, CSLP Manager and Information Specialist, has written a guest article for the Aga Khan Academies Newsletter. Read it to find out more about our partnerships and vision for the future.

June 2018: Our Spring 2018 LTK newsletter is now available. Download it to discover new developments to the LTK tools as well as updates on our research projects.

September 2017: Infomation about the French adaptation of ABRACADABRA can be found on the CTREQ Website.

September 2017: Fondation pour l'alphabétisation has a link to the French adaptation of ABRACADABRA. See their Facebook page.

September 2017: The CSLP is very pleased to announce the release of the new LTK+ version (4.3), which contains the following additions and revisions:

ABRACADABRA (English): Integration of the HTML 5 version of the Student module into the LTK+, replaces the FLASH version.
ABRACADABRA (French): Addition of an assessment module.
ELM: Complete interface re-design and addition of five new activities (three new themes).
ePEARL: Linkage between ELM and ePEARL level 1.
READS: Linkage to READS from ABRACADABRA.
Send us an email (demo.ltk@concordia.ca) if you wish to receive the upgrade notice.

September 2017: Using Educational Technology to Develop Essential Educational Competencies in Sub-Sharan Africa. Winer of the the UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize for the initiative. Video presentation

September 2017: L'alphabétisation dans un monde numérique. Radio Canada talks to Graham Carr, Provost and Vice-President, Academic Affairs, for its program, 'L'heure du monde' (at the 1:25 mark) concerning the work of Concordia's Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance (CSLP) on the creation and implementation of the Learning Toolkit (LTK+) for use in schools in Kenya. The reporter notes that the CSLP has been awarded the UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize for the initiative. The prize is reported also by India Today, Yahoo! News India, Africa Hot News and Web Wire.

June 2017: Our Spring 2017 LTK newsletter is now available at ( Spring, 2017 issue). Download it to discover new developments to the LTK tools as well as updates on our research projects.

April 2017: Bailey, B., Arciuli, J., & Stancliffe, R.J. (2017). Effects of ABRACADABRA instruction on spelling in children with autism spectrum disorder. Scientific Studies of Reading. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10888438.2016.1276183

December 2016: Using ABRACADABRA in Kenyan Classrooms. Anne Wade conducted an interview with Mary Nyale, a teacher at Ganjoni Primary School in Kenya, regarding the success she has had using ABRA in her classroom. Full interview

December 2016: Long, M.-J., & Brodeur, M. (2016). ABRACADABRA : apprendre à lire et à écrire en jouant! Canada Education, 56(4). Retrieved from http://www.cea-ace.ca/fr/education-canada/article/abracadabra-apprendre-%C3%A0-lire-et-%C3%A0-%C3%A9crire-en-jouant

August 2016: Brodeur, M., & Long, M.-J. (2016). Pratiques prometteuses ABRACADABRA : J'apprends à lire et à écrire en jouant! [Manuscript submitted for publication]. ACE. Read the article.

August 2016: Phil Abrami, director of the CSLP, was interviewed about ABRACADABRA on the Barry Morgan show on CJAD. Listen to the broadcast.

August 2016: ABRACADABRA helps autistic children read. ABRACADABRA, a free children's literacy software developed by researchers at Concordia's Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance (CSLP), has received another validation of its impact - this time for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To read more please see the article in Concordia News

Aug. 17, 2015: The CSLP is very pleased to announce the release of the Learning Toolkit Plus. Our latest enhanced version of the LTK+ contains the following new additions and revisions:

All users: Redesign of the LTK Login and Lobby pages (French and English)

Level 1 and 2 users: Launch of the French adaptation of ABRACADABRA; launch of ELM (Emerging Literacy in Mathematics) software in French and English; and additions to READS, our Repository of EBooks and Digital Stories

Level 2 users only: Revisions to IS-21 including the addition of a Flexible mode; some new features in Guided mode, and the launch of the French version. Send us an email (demo.ltk@concordia.ca) if you wish to receive the upgrade notice.

June 7, 2015 - We are very pleased to announce the release of the LTK+ coming in the Fall 2015. This release will include access to READS: A Repository of Digital Stories, the French Adaptation of ABRACADABRA, and ELM: Emerging Literacy in Mathematics. Be sure to watch for our release notice in August 2015. Developed in PhP, the LTK uses a MySQL database and is installed on a school board/division/district's server. It is available at no charge to the educational community. For further information on the LTK, please contact Anne Wade at wada@education.concordi.ca or visit each tool's website and click on Contact Us.

Each year the CSLP recognizes a teacher, principal or pedagogical consultant who is an active supporter/implementer of the Learning Toolkit software.

Criteria

Uses the LTK as an integral part of their teaching sustained over time.

Demonstrates an understanding of the underlying pedagogy of the LTK.

Encourages access to the software from home.

Engages in professional development through attendance at various LTK workshops.

Actively participates in the LTK community by sharing experiences and/or teaching/learning materials.

Values and contributes to evidence on LTK effectiveness and implementation.

Past Recipients

2014: Mr Thomas Stenzel, Consultant, LEARN 2013: Ms Mary Ellen Lynch, Cycle 1 teacher , St-Johns Elementary school, RSB 2012: Ms Irene Tsimiklis, Cycle 1 teacher, Hillcrest Academy, SWLSB 2011: Ms Tanya Beccat, Cycle 1 teacher, Leonardo da Vinci Academy, EMSB

If you would like to explore our demo version of the LTK, require installation instructions or have further questions, please complete the following form.

The Centre for Enhancing English Learning and Teaching, the TWGH Tang Shiu Primary School, and the CSLP are collaborating on an exciting new project using ABRACADABRA to teach early literacy skills within Hong Kong classrooms.

Led by Drs. Barley Mak, Alan Cheung (Centre for Enhancing English Learning and Teaching at the Chinese University of Hong Kong), and Phil Abrami (CSLP) ABRA will be piloted in three grade two classrooms within TWGH Tang Shiu Primary School from September 2013 to February 2014.

Abrami and Anne Wade visited Hong Kong in September to provide professional development to participating teachers and to learn about the classroom context.

Following implementation, the literacy achievement of these students will be compared to those of the control classes. Pending funding, this pilot project will provide the groundwork for an expanded literacy project.

A pilot study was recently conducted at the Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa (AKAM) in partnership with the Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance (CSLP) at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. The purpose of the study was to explore the feasibility and effectiveness of using the ABRACADABRA early literacy software (ABRA) developed by the CSLP and its related print-based materials with emerging readers in Kenyan schools. The results were very positive, indicating a significant improvement not only in literacy, but also in math, science and social studies. They also indicated an extraordinary level of engagement from participating teachers, students, principals and parents. The project has generated tremendous local enthusiasm for the continued use of ABRA and has yielded important insights for the second phase of the study now underway in Mombasa.

Promoting young Kenyans' growth in literacy with educational technology: A tale of two years of implementation. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2019.02.013
Effects of the ABRACADABRA Software on the Learning of Kenyan Grade/Standard 3 Elementary Students: A Report on the 2016 Study 2016 Report Using educational technology to develop early literacy skills in Sub-Saharan Africa The Effects of ABRACADABRA Early Literacy Software on the Learning of Kenyan Elementary School Students: A Brief Report on the 2015 Study 2014 Study of the ABRACADABRA Literacy Software in Government Schools (Mombasa, Kenya)*A Study of ABRACADABRA Early Literacy Software in Mombasa, Kenya: Phase One Report 2013 Pilot Study 2014 Pilot Study 2015 Results 2016 ABRA Article
Effects of the ELM Software on the Math Learning of Kenyan Grade/Standard 1 Elementary Students: A Report on the 2016 Pilot Study 2016 ELM Pilot Study

2020, March: 2019 Kirindon Literacy study: Using ABRACADABRA and READS Read more here

2019, July: The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) created the video Improving literacy through digital learning in Kenya, which shows the implementation of ABRA in Kenyan classrooms. video: English version, French version and read more about it.

2019, July: A report on the 2018 Feasibility Study of ePEARL conducted in Mombasa secondary schools was prepared by researchers Larysa Lysenko, Anne Wade, Philip C. Abrami and Vivek Venkatesh (from the CSLP, Montreal, Canada), Maina WaGioko and Enos Kiforo (from Aga Khan Academy, Mombasa, Kenya) and Anne Gatende (from I Choose Life, Kenya). The report is available here.

2019, July: Two recent articles talk about our literacy work in Kenya. Read more about the visit of the LTK+ team to the Trans Mara region as well as about the different initiatives at Concordia to spur innovation in Africa.

2019, January: New opportunities, at their fingertips. Tracey Evans' (Program Manager at Aga Khan Foundation Canada) article on the use of the LTK+ in Mombasa classrooms. Read more here

2018, September: Anne Wade, CSLP Manager and Information Specialist, has written a guest article for the Aga Khan Academies Newsletter. Read it to find out more about our partnerships and vision for the future.

2017, August: UNESCO honours Concordia's Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance. Read more here

2017: Using ABRACADABRA in Kenyan Classrooms: Testimonials from teachers

2016, December: Anne Wade, manager of the CSLP, conducted an interview with Mary Nyale, a teacher at Ganjoni Primary School, regarding the success she has had using ABRA in her classroom. Full interview

2016, November: The Canadian High Commissioner, Sara Hardecky, Tweeted about the use of ABRACADABRA in Mombasa! Link to Tweet

The CSLP has prepared a set of principles for Research; Design; Ethics and Community. These are used to guide the design and development of our educational software.
Download CSLP Software Design Principles

Literacy within the Learning Toolkit+: A Guide for Regional Trainers and Teachers [England Edition 2018]
This Teacher Guide [England edition] has been modified by the CSLP under funding by the Education Endowment Foundation as part of a research project awarded to Coventry University and Nottingham Trent University. It is designed to provide basic explanatory information on the literacy tools within the LTK+ to help teachers and teaching assistants implement the software in classrooms in England.

Self-regulated Learning and Information Literacy within the LTK+Teacher Guide [Kenya Edition]

The CSLP has been involved in the design, development, validation, and dissemination of knowledge tools for teaching and learning, bundled together in the LTK+, including several that support the development of literacy and numeracy skills. The tools in the LTK+ are designed according to evidence-based principles gleaned from theory and research, including systematic reviews of research, and refined with input from practitioners. The tools are also validated in field-based, longitudinal experiments to the highest standards of methodological quality. They are available at no charge to the community.

This Teacher Guide has been published as part of a collaborative initiative led by the Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance (CSLP) and the Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa designed to teach the foundational skills of literacy, numeracy, and information literacy to Kenyan children using technology. Cross-curricular competencies such as self regulated learning, critical thinking and digital literacy are also addressed. Our approach is to provide ongoing professional learning support in order to develop local expertise in the use of the Learning Toolkit+ specifically, and more generally in the effective integration of technology into teaching and learning.

Please go to the CreateSpace estore to purchase your copy:

Literacy and Numeracy within the Learning Toolkit+: Teacher Guide [Kenya 2nd Edition]

Literacy and numeracy are the foundations of a child's education. To help young people develop these important skills, the Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance (CSLP) has created a suite of educational software tools called the Learning Toolkit+ (LTK+) which encourage children to acquire, practice and use literacy, math, and self-regulated learning skills.

This second edition of the Kenya guide focuses on the use of the LTK+ tools ABRACADABRA (A Balanced Reading Approach for Children Always Designed to Achieve Best Results for All), READS (Repository of eBooks and Digital Stories), and a more indepth look at ELM (Emerging Literacy in Mathematics) along with a guided curriculum related to the Kenyan syllabus. Links to the electronic portfolio ePEARL, are also included for ABRACADABRA Level 1. Material to assist teachers in incorporating cooperative learning techniques into their classrooms are made inclrporated where applicable.

The material has been developed in close partnership with teachers in Kenya to support and reflect their specific teaching context. The guide provides teachers with:

Clear, detailed information on using the ABRACADABRA, READS, ELM, and EPEARL.

Lesson plans for incorporating the tools into the classroom.

Teacher aids for quick reference and support.

Information and tools for using cooperative learning techniques.

Please go to the CreateSpace estore to purchase your copy:

Literacy and Numeracy within the Learning Toolkit+: Teacher Guide [Kenya Edition]

Literacy and numeracy are the foundations of a child's education. To help young people develop these important skills, the Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance (CSLP) has created a suite of educational software tools called the Learning Toolkit+ (LTK+) which encourage children to acquire, practice and use literacy, math, and self-regulated learning skills.

This guide focuses on the use of the LTK+ tools ABRACADABRA (A Balanced Reading Approach for Children Always Designed to Achieve Best Results for All), READS (Repository of eBooks and Digital Stories), and ELM (Emerging Literacy in Mathematics), along with links to the electronic portfolio ePEARL. Also included is material to assist teachers in incorporating cooperative learning techniques into their classrooms.

The material has been developed in close partnership with teachers in Kenya to support and reflect their specific teaching context. The guide provides teachers with:

Clear, detailed information on using the ABRACADABRA, READS, ELM, and EPEARL.

Lesson plans for incorporating the tools into the classroom.

Teacher aids for quick reference and support.

Information and tools for using cooperative learning techniques.

The Learning Toolkit: A Teacher's Guide

The Learning ToolKit (LTK) is designed to support the development of literacy, inquiry, self-regulation and other cross-curricular competencies within an environment that encourages self-regulated learning, an essential strategy for effective, lifelong learning. All three tools provide just-in-time multimedia and scaffolded feedback to support student learning and teacher professional development. This book is comprised of teacher guides (manuals) and resources that will guide the user towards the proper use and implementation of the LTK tools in a classroom setting. A bibliography of the substantive body of research, which exists to support the development, as well as the effectiveness of each of the tools, is also included.

Please go to the CreateSpace estore to purchase your copy:

Other

Abrami, P.C., Savage, R.S., Deleveaux, G., Wade, A., Meyer, E. & Lebel, C. (2010). The Learning Toolkit: The Design, development, testing and dissemination of evidence-based educational software (pp.168-187).Â In, P. Zemliansky & D.M. Wilcox (Eds.). Design and implementation of educational games: Theoretical and practical perspectives. Hershey, PA: IGI Global. doi: 10.4018/978-1-61520-781-7.ch012

Abrami, P.C., Wade, A.C., Savage, R.S., Deleveaux, G.& Meyer, E. (2009 May). The Learning toolkit (LTK): Evidence-based educational software. Presented at the Canadian Association of Educational Psycholoy (CAEP) conference during the Canadian Society for the Study of Education (CSSE) Conference, Ottawa, ON

Abrami, P. C., Savage, R., Wade, A., Hipps, G. & Lopez, M. (2008). Using technology to assist children learning to read and write. In T. Willoughby & E. Wood (Eds.), Children's learning in a digital world. ( pp.129-172). Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing. doi: 10.1002/9780470696682.ch6

See also our list of papers and publications under Resources on the ePEARL, ABRACADABRA and IS-21 pages.

The LTK is available without charge to the educational and academic communities, however it is recommended that prior to using our tools, educators consult their Educational Services or the CSLP to discuss professional development opportunities.

Pedagogical and IT support is offered at no charge to research sites. Please see under: Pedagogical or IT support to learn the fee structures for non-research sites. See also professional development.

RESEARCHERS: I am from an academic or research institution who wishes to use the Learning Toolkit for research purposes:
Should you intend to use the CSLP Learning Toolkit, or any or all of the English or French software tools and support materials contained therein such as ABRACADABRA, READS, ELM, ePEARL, IS-21 and so on, for research purposes, you must (1) obtain prior written consent from the researchers at Concordia University who developed the Toolkit, through aRequest for Permission to use the LTK and (2) sign a Learning Toolkit Licensing Agreement .

ARequest for Permission to use the LTK should include: 1) a description of the proposed project; 2) evidence of prior or planned training in the use of the tool(s); 3) proposed strategies for implementation fidelity; and 4) the nature and extent of the CSLP's planned involvement and collaboration including authorship arrangements.
Please send these completed documents to Anne Wade. Following approval, instructions for download of the LTK+ will be sent to you.

TEACHERS: I am from a school board or a non-profit organization who wishes to implement the Learning Toolkit throughout the organization.
Should you intend to use the CSLP Learning Toolkit, or any or all of the English or French software tools and support materials contained therein such as ABRACADABRA, READS, ELM, ePEARL, IS-21 and so on, throughout your organization, we request that you first sign aLearning Toolkit Licensing Agreement.
Please send this completed document to Anne Wade. Following approval, instructions for download of the LTK+ will be sent to you.

INDIVIDUALS: I am a single school or an individual (e.g. a home schooler) who wishes to use the Learning Toolkit.
Please send your request to Anne Wade and instructions for download of the LTK+ will be sent to you.

Contact Anne Wade ( info.ltk@concordia.ca) for further information.

© Concordia University

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Skip to main content Concordia University https://www.concordia.ca/content/concordia/en/research/learning-performance/tools/learning-toolkit.html × LATEST INFORMATION ABOUT COVID-19 READ MORE June 2020: To learn about our response to the CoVid-19 school closures, the results of our most recent LTK+ research projects and recent grants and publications, please consult the latest edition of our LTK+ Newsletter June 2019: The Spring 2019 edition of the LTK+ Newsletter is out!