2026 Iowa Adult Education & Literacy Conference

This session focuses on user-friendly, "low-threshold" tools that enhance—rather than replace—traditional teaching methods. We will provide easily replicable examples designed to build confidence for both the instructor and the student, ensuring that everyone can thrive in a digital environment regardless of their starting point.

In this session, the presenters will describe the Learning Upgrade platform and how this online learning system has benefitted a variety of learners at Iowa Valley during the 2025-2026 academic year. They will offer tips and tricks for effective use in multilevel in-person and online HSED classrooms, as well as with English Language Learners. They will demonstrate the product and what learners experience when studying with it. Attendees will have the opportunity to have a free 90-day pilot program with Learning Upgrade at their institutions or organizations.  

A strong HiSET program begins with understanding what learner data reveals about access, performance, and outcomes. This session reviews the HiSET Statistical Report to highlight participation trends, pass rates, subject‑level strengths and challenges, and retesting patterns. Participants will consider what the data suggests about learner demand, where individuals may be encountering barriers, and which supports most effectively strengthen persistence and completion. The focus is on moving from “data awareness” to “data‑informed action” by identifying practical improvements across preparation supports, referral workflows, and test center operations. The session will also share any program updates and introduces the HiSET Workforce Hub, which connects credential attainment to career pathways and streamlines coordination among partners.

Professionals in adult education and other helping professions are often called upon to support individuals facing significant challenges, hardships, and life transitions. While this work is deeply meaningful, it can also take a toll on those who do it. This session introduces the concept of Trauma Stewardship—a framework for understanding and addressing the impact of witnessing the suffering of others while maintaining a sense of purpose, resilience, and well-being.
Participants will explore the 16 trauma exposure responses and learn how repeated exposure to the struggles of others can influence their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Through reflection and discussion, attendees will gain practical strategies for recognizing these responses, preventing burnout and compassion fatigue, and reconnecting with the values and purpose that brought them to this work.

HiSET classes require academic language that our non-native speakers of English may lack. In this session, we will present crucial techniques that instructors in HiSET classes can use to support all learners. We will focus on scaffolding instruction, sheltering content, modeling, and utilizing multimodal learning.

Today’s program directors navigate persistent challenges — staff burnout, enrollment declines, and digital inequities. This interactive session introduces design thinking as a powerful, human-centered framework for generating practical solutions.