June 1

From LiteracyTentWiki

Return to OnlineLearningAdultUserNewFindingsApps
Return to Technology

[edit]

Let's start the online learning discussion

Warning, this is a long post! Scroll all the way down to see the request.)

First of all, let me say that I am really looking forward to this week's discussion and that I am honored to be asked back to the Tech List. It has been two years since I moderated and listened to practitioners share their experiences teaching with technology. Those rich discussions informed the section of the NIFL paper called Listening to the Field and provided a significant third viewpoint which allowed me to triangulate the data and my findings with more confidence. I can't thank the listserv participants enough. Nell shared the link to the full paper (posted on www.nifl.gov), but let me take some space here to post the executive summary with the key findings.

Executive Summary
This investigation was funded by the National Institute for Literacy in order to understand the online learning environments and opportunities of adult learners. The effort was funded to investigate the threshold levels of literacy and language proficiency necessary for adult learners to use the Internet for independent learning. As the investigation unfolded, it became apparent that the interaction among the learners' skills, the opportunities they encounter, and the supports available determines those thresholds. Understanding how to balance those elements can create new options and opportunities for learning, instruction, program planning, and content development. This report is structured around three distinct sections that contribute to the investigation: learning from large-scale surveys, learning from the literature, and learning from the field. Triangulating from the three major data sources affords this report solid footing on which to draw key findings from the guiding research questions. The search for thresholds revealed that such thresholds did not exist: Learners at even the lowest levels of literacy and language proficiency can engage with online learning content. Moreover, all reports indicate that they are eager to do so and that they benefit in important ways, such as self-confidence, self-directedness, and independence. Adult learners across the literacy and language spectrum show strong motivation to gain computer literacy skills, perceived as key to work advancement. Limitations of this report include the gap between the rapid pace of change in technology trends, access patterns among American adults, and delivery platform options develop and the relatively slower pace of data collection, published evaluations, and program planning, rendering guidance from literature difficult. And while this report is not an attempt at an exhaustive literature review, it is clear that the literature base is broad rather than deep, hampering efforts to draw clear conclusions. The report concludes with the following key findings and the hope that it can join other voices moving the field toward a discussion of evidence-based technology-enhanced solutions.

  • Understanding the interrelatedness of the task, skill, and supports necessitates research and development to guide the design of learning environments and activities that are flexible and that can differentiate on all three dimensions. Experimenting with flexible supports, both human and technological-the variable most accessible to adjustments by educators, program managers, and Web designers-is likely to yield a wealth of information to guide further development.
  • The centrality of work readiness-what the British call "upskilling"-to adults' learning lives provides a key leverage point for programming and content design to address this goal more directly and, through it, more basic literacy and language skills.
  • Adults' existing family and social networks that have proven critical to learning pursuits with technology provide another leverage point that could be tapped with community-based, authentic learning environments, activities, and products.
  • Self-directed skills valued in lifelong learners can be nurtured by providing facilitated access to online, independent learning environments. The studies converge on the findings that engagement with these environments fostered the skills associated with successful self-directed learning.
  • The large numbers of visitors to the freely available online sites such as English for All, TV 411, and California Distance Learning Project Online indicate that users are finding them. However, evaluation data are needed to determine how users are interacting and learning with the material and whether these sites are or could be stepping stones into more formal courses of study.
  • Rates of access and connectivity in the low-income community are definitely growing, yet high-quality equipment and broadband or wireless access are far from ubiquitous. This reality constrains development and dissemination of online learning portals and sites. Findings from the United Kingdom (Selwyn, Gorard, & Furlong, 2006) do not support an expanded use of public Internet terminals by the low literacy and language proficiency population as a solution to this problem.
  • The use of emerging technologies to deliver learning content is only beginning to be reported in the research literature (for example, Kambouri, Mellar, & Logan, 2006). Nevertheless, technology enthusiasts believe strongly that consumer electronics (such as cell phones and personal digital assistants [PDAs]), interactive Web 2.0 platforms (such as blogs, videoconferencing, and immersive environments), and the convergence of media (such as television and radio delivered over the Internet) have the potential to reach new populations and provide authentic learning and communication. Online environments engage and inspire adults, serve the common adult goal of improving workforce readiness, provide authentic communication channels that tap into adults' family and community involvement, and supply an opportunity to engage in self-study and informal learning. We have confirmation that we are headed in the right direction with the inclusion of online technologies for the instruction and engagement of adult learners, even those with the most limited skills and language proficiencies. What is missing is research and evaluation that could provide guidance on content design and flexible supports to serve users' needs and create new options and opportunities for learning,instruction, program planning, and content development.

What I would like to discuss during this week in addition to responding to your questions is: - what changes have occurred in our world since the paper was written in 2007 that impact the implications, - how does the field of adult and family literacy go forward with online learning, and - what does it take? Taking the first question first, I'll start and throw the question back to you all on the list. A few changes are obvious: the economic downturn and subsequent deep budget cuts in education are real and a major challenge for any conversation about technology. The economic downturn is causing more adults to realize they need to improve their skills, language proficiencies, and job readiness. Meanwhile, the new U.S. Administration is tech-savvy. The U.S. Dept of Ed is very interested in what technology can offer teaching, learning, student and data management, and research. Let's make a graffiti poster today with thoughts about how the world/your world has changed in the last two years and what is impacting our work. Post words and phrases to add to the list started below. We'll use this to anchor our further discussions so when we get to "what does it take?" we can be realistic. Graffiti poster: - Economic downturn - Budget cuts - New administration

Heidi Silver-Pacuilla (Guest Moderator)

I'd like to add the following to the graffiti poster:

- rapid changes in technology - expanded uses of cell phones, PDAs and other mobile devices - greater need for services, fewer resources


I'm looking forward to learning from everyone who participates in this discussion.

Leslie Petty

Heidi, here are some items for the graffiti poster:

  • The policy proposal by the adult learner organization,VALUE, that adult education programs help adult learners who have difficulty reading to use technology for "auding", that is, to have text read out loud so they can get information from text, even if they cannot (yet) read it
  • Continued proliferation of mobile phones, especially more web-accessible cell phones
  • Contineud (slow) expansion of online learning for adults and online professional development for adult ed teachers
  • More young adults in adult ed classes, many of whom are (more) comfortable with technology than their teachers

David J. Rosen

In my world there has been a big increase in demand for occupation specific Spanish language training.

English as a second language demand has always been very high in my area with long waiting lists at the more than 200 low-cost ESL classes in our libraries, community centers and churches. Dallas' community colleges average 40,000 ESL and ESOL students per semester.

I am curious about the stat that fewer than 1% of those interviewed were studying ESL. Were the surveys in English thus probably not easily understood by the people in basic level classes. A thought.

Maureen Jones

  • digital divide alive and well
  • lack of affordable access to tech
  • increase in social networking

Lisa Bailey

For the graffiti poster:

There is a very wide range, among adult education program managers and adult ed teachers, in levels of buy-in towards & encouragement of online opportunities / online development expansion

Mercedes Pichard

Hello all,I am very happy to see this topic!

I've taken the liberty of demonstrating a tech tool, Glogster, by creating our graffiti wall in a different visual way, please see:

http://smilin7.glogster.com/graffiti-poster/

and on it I've added my suggestions:

...the coming of Google Wave http://wave.google.com and PLNs and SLNs (personal and social learning networks).

I thought it might add to the 'power' of the conversation by demonstrating how "different" online learning can be, how empowering, how individualized, how engaging, with quick clicks.

But I'll also add these conflicting thoughts/questions: 1) It took me so little time to create this Glogster poster. 2) Would I (or any adult learner) have more pride in it, for different reasons, if I'd spent considerably more time carefully creating it by hand? Why or why not? 3) Is either "better"? Why or why not? 4) Is either one more effective than the other? Why or why not?

Thank you SO much for this discussion!

Holly Dilatush

The one statement that I will add to the poster is: Elimination of technology trainers (and other trainers as well) in the FIRST round of cuts at a time when that technology training (and other training)is most needed.

With conference travel being cut way back if not completely, and face-to-face trainers being eliminated, online delivery of training will become more critical, yet the technology trainers who would be 1) most likely to deliver that instruction and 2) be the ones to train teachers to be able to access that instruction are the first to go!

Barry Bakin

The digital divide is growing for our adults. If you are rural and have mountains, unless you invest in a satellite dish, you can't get a signal regularly. I have a wireless card that is occasionally good. I'm awaiting, and have been for several years, broadband over power lines(BPL). It is a new technology that is starting here in Nelson county, Virginia. If it works there will be a viable alternative for the mountainous rural people. It will be half the monthly cost of a wireless card - affordable for our students.

Gail Troy

In West Virginia, the public has free access to broadband computers in their public libraries. Check with your public librarian about this option in other states.

Susan Hayden

In my world there has been a big increase in demand for occupation specific Spanish language training.

English as a second language demand has always been very high in my area with long waiting lists at the more than 200 low-cost ESL classes in our libraries, community centers and churches. Dallas' community colleges average 40,000 ESL and ESOL students per semester.

I am curious about the stat that fewer than 1% of those interviewed were studying ESL. Were the surveys in English thus probably not easily understood by the people in basic level classes. A thought.

Maureen Jones

There are ca. 15,000 Hispanics on Maui (of whom, I'd say, at the very least 10,000 have quite limited if any English proficiency). From my familiarity with Maui, at least, I'd say the 1% figure is in the ballpark.

Michael Gyori

Hello Everyone,

I am not as tech savvy as some of you, so if I do something that isn't right, please let me know.

I'd like to add the following to the graffiti poster

1. i-everything: iWeb, iPhone, iMac, iWork, iLife, i-next? 2. technology that grants instant gratification (good?) 3. smart-era: smart board, smart classroom (can it make smart too?) 4. staying connected any where/any time, great but exhausting


I really like the graffiti poster that Holly made.

Bo Huot

(Warning: another long post! Scroll down to the question.)

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the graffiti poster and to the various ways to display such collaborative brainstorming.

We came up with:

- Wordle.net; here's ours: http://www.wordle.net/gallery/wrdl/904955/NIFL_Tech_Listserv

- Glogster

- http://wordsift.com/

I'm going to post the full list separately for those who like to read (semi) connected text. (Might make a nice activity with students - see if they can extend it or prioritize the elements of our changing world.)

Just looking at these phrases show what/how much work we have to do in adult ed including making sure that our legislators understand the depth and breadth of the need and the incredible human capital return value an investment in adult education is.

This was a fun start to some of the questions posted on the topic in the lead up last week.

For tomorrow, let's see if we can explore PERCEPTIONS of students. A couple questions were:

- Many teachers believe that beginning level ESOL or low-skilled students cannot use technology, and especially not online/distance learning....what does the research say??

- Building off the definition in the report of "independent", what do we know about online/distance learners working with friends, family members or others to accomplish their goals?

One of the main findings I came to was that even low-skilled adults CAN and WANT to learn and learn WITH technology. There are stats in the report from established websites geared to adult learners that are just staggering - people ARE finding them and ARE using them. The most clearly described learning with family and friends come from the UK, especially Selwyn, N., Gorard, S., & Furlong, J. (2006). Adult learning in the digital age. London: Routledge. But ask students and see for yourself - who do you turn to when you are stuck with something techie?? Technology is part of our lives and we naturally reach out to those around us for help in the moment. Additionally, from the research I read and the tech listserv participants, the message loud and clear was that adults saw technology literacy/proficiency as absolutely critical to their work advancement. In this time of economic downturn, one can expect that sense of urgency to increase.


In fact, John Fleischman of OTAN graciously sent me google analytics from the newly launched USA Learns English learning portal launched in November. Basic stats are below.

Total visits: 1,527,959

Total pageviews: 97,049,124

Average pages viewed per visit: 63.52

Average time on site: 27:29 minutes

Bounce rate: 19.43%

Those are impressive numbers given that the outreach and promotional budget is, I think, less than $1. He feels that this basic point, that low skilled adults can and will use and learn with technology if it is available and accessible (topic for tomorrow!), is supported by these numbers and I agree. John, jump in if you want to add or adjust my dollar amounts!

What is still missing is back-end data collection and evaluations. Funders have not insisted nor budgeted for these critical data collection mechanisms, so we cannot track learners' use and progress reliably. It wouldn't be hard. All the technology exists to do this. It is a major trend in K-12 educational technology to build in the student management and progress monitoring so that reports are provided automatically to parent or teacher. We need to convince funders that this is a critical piece of missing knowledge for future tech-based learning development.

My question back to you all for Tuesday is:

Clearly we can see the benefits of infusing technology into teaching and learning for low skilled adult students and are excited about the possibilities for our own teaching. Represented on this listserv are people who are doing it every day in a variety of ways and means. What will it take to help our colleagues (teachers and administrators) try technology infused teaching and learning, too??

Heidi Silver-Pacuilla

Retrieved from "http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/June_1"