Throughout these last few years the Literacy Unit of the Faculty of Education of the University of Malta has carried out ground-breaking research in the area of literacy through the use of multi-level statistical models. Also, it has organised innovative programmes in child, family and adult literacy. In recent years the Unit has received various requests for collaboration and attachment by international scholars. Funding and capacity limitations have up to now restricted such attachments. However, throughout the coming academic year the Literacy Unit will have its first international visiting scholar: Professor Carole Meshot of Hawaii Pacific University, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.

Professor Carole J. Meshot is Director of the Teaching and Learning Center and Coordinator of Service Learning at Hawaii Pacific University (HPU) in Honolulu, Hawaii USA. She has been an academic for 21 years in the North Carolina University System and 10 years in the Hawaii University System. Dr Meshot has developed a Learning Strategy Assessment (LSA) tool, a non-threatening, objective way to collect student feedback by directed discussion. She is also Project Director for the Service-Learning Partnership at Hawaii Pacific University.

During the next academic year Professor Meshot will be attached to the Literacy Unit of the Faculty of Education of the University of Malta. In addition, she will take time to be a Rotary Ambassador of Goodwill assisting the Malta Rotary with various projects.

November 2001