Hybrid and Blended Models in Transitions Programs
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Assessment Colleagues,
I have some questions for the guest experts and for others who work in transition from adult secondary (GED/ADP/EDP) to post-secondary education:
What is the range of models of current transition programs? Are they all separate transition classes? Are some ASE/GED classes that are beefed up with transition content? Does anyone use a blend of online instruction and face-to--face mentoring (for example 2- 3 hours/week of one-on-one or small group mentoring accomianied by 6-10 hours a week of online transition self-study)? Does anyone use a pure distance learning transition model? Are there other models?
Given the thin resources available to support separate transition classes, how can adult secondary education programs add an affordable transition component? What strategies are you thinking of?
I have been thinking about a design for a blended transition model -- face-to-face mentoring in combination with a highly-structured online transitions curriculum. How does that idea strike you? Does it already exist someplace? Is anyone using it now? How is it working?
Thanks.
David J. Rosen
djrosen@theworld.com
Hello All,
The GED-i project is currently working on a Transitioning Guide to help programs and instructors move students from the adult education distance learning or hybrid learning classroom to either the workforce or higher education environment. The topic of transitioning the GED-i student was a presentation at several regional conferences and professional development conference calls so that we could base our guide on practical applications from the field.
Our experience and lessons-learned in this endeavor indicate that program / administrative leadership is critical to the success of the student. A program must have a documented set of processes and procedures related to transitioning expectations that every staff member is familiar with.
There are two different, and distinct, areas that need to be considered. These include both the academic skills and the 'soft' skills. These soft skills require exposing students to the culture of either the workforce or the college classroom. The student needs to develop organizational, time management, and conflict resolution skills. Academically, a student must score high enough on the college placement test to 'land' in college courses as opposed to developmental education.
So - what are some specific strategies:
Distance Learning Education: Most colleges now have courses online so the barriers for transportation, childcare, and work schedules can be minimized. However, students must be exposed to technology integration and distance learning while in the adult education classroom.
Placement tests: Many of the college placement tests are online or computer based. Students need to know how to take a computer-generated test. This can be a strong part of the distance learning integration.
Time management: Classroom instructors or intake staff members can work with a student in order to develop a learning plan. This plan could be "I will study on Monday evening from 7 -9. My sister will watch my children." The learning plan is evaluated as to its effectiveness on a regular basis by the adult education teacher and the student. This move the students thinking towards planning to study and how to plan to study and how to re-evaluate if a study plan is not working.
Culture: Exposing students to the workplace or higher education culture was another transition strategy shared. Our students oftentimes do not have the life experience to know how to have an appropriate dialogue with a co-worker, instructor, or supervisor. This experience can be provided in the traditional or online classroom through discussion or writing. For example, in a distance-learning environment, a scenario can be placed on the discussion board and students can be required to write responses to how the situation should be handled. Or, the teacher can email the student the scenario - and the student can write a reflection on how to best address the problem. This strategy is building background knowledge and life experience that the student can draw from in order to be successful either in employment or college.
These types of strategies can easily be integrated into any adult learning environment not just the at-a-distance or hybrid. We would be interested in fielding questions and also hearing what others are doing to transition their adult education students who are learning online to the workplace or to higher education.
Crystal Hack
GED-i Project Director
David,
Funny you should ask. Here in RI we are in the planning stages of designing an integrated model for Transitions to College (TTC) and External Diploma Program (EDP). Participants will be earning a high school diploma along the pathway to preparing for college through our Pawtucket TTC program. These two programs have been working along side each other, but exclusively, we require the learner to complete the EDP before participating in TTC. In an effort to be more efficient in preparing the learners for academic college readiness, we will integrate the academic part of the TTC with the demonstration of skills needed to earn the high school diploma. The academic secondary reading, writing, math, and metacognitive skills need to be demonstrated (competency-based assessment) for EDP will prepare the participants to be college ready. Since EDP uses all the components of competency-based assessment, learners are more motivated to learn what is needed to learn and see immediate results of the learning. (As an aside, let me say, this approach works particularly well with ELL since it is not a timed test and the learning is scaffolded) They will have earned a high school diploma and completed TTC at the same time.
Since this pilot will combine both programs we already know we need to be creative in determining how much actual time is required to be in class, and at the same time we do not want to cut corners for either program. Many of our participants' schedules do not allow them to spend more than about eight hours in class and for some this is even too much. It is expected that most participants will need to remediate their basic academic skills. With all this in mind, we know it will require a blending of online self-study with face-to-face class instruction and assessment time.
This is still in the planning stages, but since we have already been working with the processes of these two programs, I am very optimistic about the results. I believe we will end up with an effective model combining high school completion and transitions to college.
Donna Chambers
RI EDP Coordinator
One thing we have found to be true for most of our GED Ss is that a purely online program does not work-if they could have learned on a computer alone, they would have done an online HS completion program. Our students face such a myriad of obstacles that with the rare exception of the true computer-loving-student, our students need us to help them navigate higher-level coursework. A hybrid course may work, but only if it meets f2f (face-to-face) about as often as not.
David's #2 question is a great one for us all to consider because the transition grant we have has made developing curriculum easier to manage.
Stephanie Moran
As a teacher in an onsite/online program I have had very little success with online programs. As a rule, GED students have had academic struggles. Reading and math are the two subject areas that they have difficulty with. That is the general reason for non- completion of high school. To put a GED student in an online only program is risky at best. They need MORE one-on-one and face-to-face instruction. Not less...
Kathy Ellithorpe
Absolutely-thanks for extending my line of thinking, Kathy.
Stephanie Moran
In seeing much of what's currently available online for GED students, I wholeheartedly agree with you. However, I do believe that as educators get better at online course delivery and instructional technology, things will change for the better.
I'm currently teaching an online class for Adult High School students using the learning management system Blackboard as the backbone for delivery and communication, but we also use instant messaging, video conferencing, Facebook, Google Docs, VoiceThread, etc. as a means of creating a viable online learning community, as a means of presenting collaborative and individual projects, as a means of peer review, and as a way of enhancing communication among students and instructors alike. Unlike f2f classes, I can communicate with my students any time, any where and they with me. (It's amazing the number of 16-25 year old literacy students who are totally connected in a digital world!) I have had many more conversations with my online students than I would have been able to with the same group f2f. Even though the course has parameters necessitated by program audit issues, performance measures, learning objectives, etc., I use social constructivism as the primary impetus behind teaching and learning. It's working very, very well and we hope to replicate it as soon as we gather the resources necessary for curriculum development and other related costs.
I need to add that it's imperative that online students are assessed properly and determined to be "distance learning ready". Even students whose placement tests scores are high will not fare well if not also distance learning ready.
Melinda M. Hefner
Director, Literacy Support Services
Basic Skills Department
I hope that I didn't come off sounding totally against online learning; several years ago, I taught an adult ed course here in Colorado designed for adult educators new to the field, and I think it's a fine way to learn for those who relate to the format, are highly motivated, and are independent learners. Your course also sounds highly interactive, and that's a big plus with younger students in particular. For students who don't fit the model I mentioned, though, I think that many online courses wind up being moneymakers for a company and don't serve our students as well as the 1:1.
The SUN program that we're working through has a two-hour study session M-R (Monday through Thursday), and it is hugely important to help students work through issues that they need 1:1 or peer tutoring to grasp more fully. I know that online classes also offer this and sometimes even require it, but the bonding/cohort factor has been quite phenomenal; many of the students who were cohorts last term are still taking classes together and working together outside of class. Do you see that happening with your online students?
Stephanie Moran
Part of a successful transitions program prepares the student for the new environment, weather it be workplace or college related. With most colleges offering a diverse set of courses in an online format, developmental education included, providing students with experience in an online course could provide them with valuable experience and skills for higher education.
I think the distinction needs to be made about the type of online instruction being provided. Purely online education has been found to be effective for many adult learners. It depends, often, on how the online curriculum is being integrated in the overall adult education program.
Does the online curriculum meet the needs of the student?
Is the online content appropriate for the students math and reading level?
Is it a self-study or a teacher facilitated course?
Adult education students will have much more success with a teacher-facilitated course and that success could be a stepping stone for college courses.
Kathy Olesen-Tracey
If you know of any GOOD online GED courses I would appreciate the info! Our site has looked for several years and tried a few with no success...thanks!
Kathy Ellithorpe
Selecting an online course for adult literacy students depends on your program's goals and the delivery method. For example:
Do you want an online course where the students will be accessing on site in a computer lab environment where a teacher is present?
Will it be used with students accessing via a distance?
Is the curriculum appropriate to both meet your instructional goals and transition the students from one level to the next -ABE to GED, GED to Higher Education or the workforce?
What are the features and tools in the online course that will help students take ownership of their own learning?
What are the features and tools that will allow you as the instructor to guide the student through the learning process and prepare them for new environment in higher ed?
What form of professional development is available for instructors and program administrators?
What are the types of user support (help desk) that are available?
These are some of the important questions to consider when integrating -or developing- an online course for adult learners.
As far as a GOOD curriculum, I taught in the adult education classroom for over 10 years and then had a transition of my own when I began working with the GED-i project. [1]
Kathy Olesen-Tracey
The Del Mar College GED Program does not offer on-line classes. In my opinion, the majority of GED students are not disciplined enough to carry out an on-line class and the fact that many of them do not own or have access to computers is another obstacle. There is no better instruction than sitting in class and be able to communicate with your teacher face to face. I believe once students get into college and have a more structured academic plan an on-line course may be something they can commit to and handle.
Charlene Salazar
Hi Charlene:
My favorite way to learn is face-to-face in a classroom, but that's me... Right now I teach a reading/writing/study skills course online for nurses' aids getting ready for college. And these students have to go through another "narrow door" called the TEAS test (don't get me started).
It has been a big surprise. Many of the students have computer expertise and many don't. Some of the students (including those with the least experience online) clearly see the advantage of being able to go over information again and again, send their questions to me via email...without asking in front of an entire class. This has been particularly true for students in the math course. Some students prefer a hybrid, so we have face-to-face orientation and are working on study groups/tutors at their nursing facility. Others will try developmental education because they are looking for a classroom experience, with a better awareness of what college requires. We'll see how it turns out.
As many people have mentioned, it's the match we all are looking for, including matching both the ability to access the learning environment and learning supports...online or face-to-face or both!
Cynthia Zafft
Charlene,
Sometime back in the 1970's I was on an airplane sitting next to a Caucasian gentleman reading a book in Japanese. I greeted him in that language in which I am somewhat functional. He said, "Oh I don't speak Japanese, I just read it." Of course, in a pictographic language, he could look at the script and read it directly into English. We got in a conversation with the usual American first questions, "What do you do." I told him that I taught English as a second language. He replied to the same question from me, "I work for IBM and it makes me sad to tell you that you will be replaced before too long by computers."
Here it is, almost 40 years later and I'm back in the classroom after some administrative adventures, teaching English as a second language to immigrants. I absolutely believe that for the majority of people, particularly language students, their teachers will never be replaced. The direct human interaction between teachers and students, as well as students with their classmates, still seems to be far more of a successful learning adventure than people with machines. In over four decades in this field I have only met three non-linguists who have actually learned English on their own. One was a Buddhist monk in a temple in Thailand with lots of time to think and learn. This is not a question of "discipline," whether we are talking about computers, audio devices or whatever. It is humans working with other humans.
Ted Klein
www.tedklein-ESL.com
Group,
I firmly believe that as we plan transitional strategies for our adult learners, they need to experience in our classrooms the same educational environment they are going to find in higher education. The integration of technology in a planned, efficient, and organized manner helps students both obtain their GED credentials AND develop the skills required to transition to higher education.
One of the barriers I saw in my 10 years in the classroom and advising students who are first year college students is that they do not understand the expectations required to be successful college students. I felt my role in the adult education classroom was to provide the best classroom experience possible - and these classroom experiences were both traditional face to face and at a distance.
The key here is selecting the right curriculum that matches the needs and skills of the learner. If we don't teach them the skills to have a structured academic plan (even in a face-to-face classroom) then the students are extremely under-prepared for college.
Also - I have to disagree with the 'no better instruction than sitting in class and be able to communicate with your teacher face to face.' Often times, our students need to learn the skills to communicate in both an educational and professional environment through the use of technology. They will be communicating with supervisors in the workplace through email or webinars. They will be communicating with college teachers through email, discussion boards, instant messaging software - and if we don't prepare them to use these resources in the adult education classroom, then all of the best transition plans may fail as our students enter the next level of their education or professional life unable and unprepared to meet the challenges.
The problem is not online learning - it is how online learning is being used. Some students thrive in an online environment who may not succeed in the traditional program.
Kathy Olesen-Tracey
Good point-How are we learning right now-from each other? Maybe a hybrid of onsite/online would achieve the best results?
Kathy Ellithorpe
Kathy, I wholeheartedly agree with you. It is vital that our students learn a variety of technology skills in the classroom not only to prepare them for the education environment in higher education but in the 21st century workforce. Using email with the teacher to send homework, learning to attach documents is important, (my niece is taking a pre-calculus class at one of the community colleges here and all the homework is online), having students email discussion, using pod casts, creating YouTube videos, create a class Facebook page, class presentations using PowerPoint, etc.
We need to move beyond just teaching our students basic computer literacy. Our students need to become comfortable word processing their papers, I found that students passed in handwritten papers, I returned them to let them know that in college handwritten papers were not accepted and to resubmit a word processed document. One transitions skill they need to know is to be proficient in self editing their papers.
Toni Borge
I agree with Kathy, and we do address technology in our Transition program by having Students first navigate our community college email system and doing really simple tasks/assignments in an online course environment. They also do basic research on careers via the internet because there are several really phenomenal .gov and .org sites. We are a computer-based world with very few businesses remaining off the grid.
That said, it would help greatly if technology were more fully supported at the state level and a tech piece expected as part of a GED curriculum; it's not currently, yet being technologically versed if not proficient is certainly a standard for most graduating seniors.
Stephanie Moran
All -
Every classroom at the Del Mar College GED Program is equipped with a computer for each student. We also have a computer lab. They are introduced to all kinds of technology. For example, one classroom assignment was to create a pamphlet about the GED Program at DMC. The students did such a wonderful job. In fact, that student pamphlet is used by our program as an advertising tool. If you can't get a student to commit to coming to class everyday, how are you going to make them commit to an on-line class that they know can be blown off or ignored. Our upper level students (Track III) are all prepped for college because we have integrated college level material into our curriculum. Every classroom is equipped with a cart of books from the college bookstore. We teach to obtain a GED certificate and beyond. We strongly emphasize that a GED certificate does not have to be the end of one's educational journey.
Charlene Salazar
Transitions Liaison
Del Mar College
Department of GED Instruction
Hello All,
I am so glad to see this part of the discussion taking place. I had serious concerns earlier with the negative comments related to online learning's effectiveness in teaching our students and in transitioning them. I am glad others are sharing their views of online learning as a vehicle for the successful transition of students from adult ed to higher ed or the workplace.
I am in the process of drafting a response to what I saw posted on online learning on this discussion prior to now. I think I will finish my draft and share it after I see what others have to say on this topic. I don't want to restate what Kathy, Toni, and a few others have said so well.
I can breathe a big sigh of relief...I am glad to see posts in support of online learning skill building as a necessary piece in the transitioning for our adult education students.
Warm regards,
Crystal Hack
Hello All,
As we close this very active discussion, I would like to discuss technology integration and online learning as it relates to successfully transitioning the student to either higher education or the workforce. Distance Learning is a viable solution for many adult learners who are balancing education with work and family. I recently had a discussion with a young man who was not able to attend traditional face-to-face classes. He searched the Internet and found a program that charged him over $500.00 to take his GED classes online. Unfortunately, this was not any type of reputable company. He was out a great deal of money to receive a worthless piece of paper that said, 'Congratulations, You now have your GED.'
Distance learning has a place in the adult education classroom, and our students are actively seeking this alternative. So, how can we get distance education initiatives to be successful and provide the skills necessary for a student to transition to higher education.
First and foremost, there need to be processes and procedures in place that help intake staff members and instructors appropriately place a student into a distance- learning environment. A student who is not motivated to come to a traditional class will not be motivated to be an online learner. We help our students succeed when we provide the learning opportunity that best fits their skills and ability. Students who are not ready to be GED students are not the target audience for distance education. However, students who have transportation barriers, child care barriers, or even work barriers that don't allow for the time to come to class can, and do, succeed in an online environment.
Here are some things to consider.
There is an audience actively seeking distance education because they need to have this alternative. I do not support pulling successful students out of the traditional classroom where they are learning and growing to put them in online. I think that is a recipe for disaster. I do support marketing to this audience that you have not reached before. As shared in my example above- our students are actively looking for this alternative. As the job market and economy continues to face uncertain times, there are many people who will be looking for options to their GED courses. These students may thrive in an online environment, and we need to get them to our programs so that we can help them transition to higher education or other job opportunities.
Processes and procedures need to be in place for implementing distance education. You have to know what you are doing so you can lead your students. Programs must decide the criteria and guidelines for student participation, identify alternative plans for students who don't meet the criteria, and plan the orientation to distance learning. One of the screening questions or criteria could be that the student plans to go into higher education or into a workplace that involves use of technology.
Learning online does not mean learning alone. Programs need to determine who will teach the course. Teaching via distance education is a different skill set than teaching a traditional classroom. The online teacher has to be someone that believes students can have success online and also see the connection between the skills the student is building and how they can be incorporated into higher education or the workplace so transitioning can become an intrinsic part of the students overall online learning plan.
Expectations for teaching online need to be developed. Teachers need to know that using discussion boards, having online office hours, engaging students through online chats are all expectations of the distance learning environment. Additionally, the teacher needs to know how to make the connections between what is occurring in the online environment and how it connects to higher education or the workplace.
An orientation process needs to incorporate both the technical aspects (navigating the system) and instructional (learning plans) plan that connects how your program's approach to online learning fits with the student's desire to continue beyond the GED.
Enrichment activities need to be integrated into the online environment. These include online discussions with college or career counselors, Internet exploration with sites like [2], writing prompts that deal with daily life skills such as time management, team-work, and goal setting.
All of these elements about provide an overview of the processes and procedures that need to be integrated in order for online and distance learning to be successful. To understand how critical the integration of technology with instruction, and integrating online / distance learning with our students, check out the following: [3]
This was shared on the national professional development listserv last month.
I want to wrap up by stating GED-i is a not for profit curriculum that is written by teachers for teachers. Its training staff is a group of teachers who use GED-i effectively with students everyday. This is not a post to promote GED-i. This is a post to promote a distance learning option at your program, as it will serve both you and your students well as they make transitions in education and in life.
Kathy Olesen-Tracey
Our college is moving to electronic communications and the big task is to get all employees and students to use it. All students are given access (login and password) when they register. They are tasked to add and drop classes online as well as check for news, announcements, student enrollment status and participate in class discussion through a class homepage. In the first week of class, we bring in the IT instructor to go over online navigation and assist individual students. Faculty are asked to include use of the homepage (we call it course studio) in their syllabi. When I noticed that students did not fully participate in the use of the homepage, I shared with them the YouTube video on pay attention that was offered by one of the NIFL discussion members. I think the importance of using digital communication is gradually sinking in their minds. We hope we are preparing our students not just for our island needs but for the world.
Barbara Jacala
Guam Community College
