June 5
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Questions for Day 5
We need more research, data collection, and shared knowledge such as the above lessons learned to understand how and how much learners learn in different online environments. We need such research to:
- compile practice guides,
- offer best practice examples to share,
- inform technical assistance,
- collect user data and progress monitoring from adult learning sites,
- inform programs' use of new accessible technologies,
- inform developers' use of digital support mechanism,
- guide future investments and policy, etc.
Please weigh in on the burning questions that research could address in terms of all we've discussed this week. Another "what would it take" question...
Heide Silver-Pacuilla
In addition to these four obstacles, I would like to add a fifth, one that I consider the major obstacle. The learner does not think that he or she can improve.
I often hear that some people just have a talent for languages and others do not. This is not true in my opinion, or at least it is not an important factor. Most Swedes and Dutch and Singaporeans speak at least one other language. Most Americans do not. Most aristocrats in Russian and Germany in the 19th century spoke flawless French. A majority of Ethiopians are fluent in more than one language. At various times in history it has been normal for people of certain classes or groups to be fluent in several languages. It is not a matter of a gene for language learning. It is a matter of considering speaking another language to be a normal thing to do, nothing special.
Whether in a classroom or on the internet, the learner has to be persuaded that he or she can do it, that it is normal, nothing special, but it does take a considerable commitment of time with the language. That time commitment is easier to fulfill today with technology.
Steve Kaufman
Heidi, I'd like to see more action research on persistence in online learning. I am not sure the key to success is always in the skills of the learner or in the content (or even quality per se) of the course, but the things it takes to persist. (I am not saying it is all on the learner's shoulders here, but I would love to see what educational psychologists would do with this topic.) I know many have looked to discussion boards etc to help create community support. But I am not convinced that forums work for everyone. Perhaps it comes down to that self study and online learning is not for everyone. (I suppose classroom learning might not be for everyone either.)
Or maybe success means just bringing it all together well. If more and more learners are going to be expected to perform in this new online environment, can we develop strategies that will help persistence as we might in our regular programs?
The New England Literacy Resource Center at World Education designed an action research study that drew on existing research, from NCSALL and associated promising strategies, and engaged adult education programs as research partners in adapting and testing those strategies for their program contexts. Perhaps there could there be the same kind of study but as it relates to online learning? In fact, of the 18 programs, one program studied the use of Quia and another Moodle. In case you'd like to see those parts or the whole study you can in this pdf [8MB] found at http://nelrc.org/persist/report09.pdf
Thanks for an excellent week of discussion. Best, Steve Quann
I work in a computer lab at a college, giving academic support. Mostly I help with the developmental reading, writing and math, but some students come in here to work on online classes (especially if they've got dialup at home). Just as in the classroom, there's a vast array of styles of delivery. Some of the things I've seen students respond well to (which correspond to what they'd respond well to in face-to-face situations) are:
-- Assignments appropriate to their skill level. This is harder to judge in an online setting, of course; you can't watch 'em work. -- reasonably quick teacher feedback about things. (As you'd expect, some students are simply amazed when a teacher gets back to them within a day or two, and otehr students are shocked and appalled that when they sent an email at 2 a.m. they didn't get a reply immediately, because after all, the paper was due the next day and they needed an answer...) -- structure. For example -- Guided questions in those forums. -- Those cute little icons for each week that link the student to the assignments and activities and everything that's due -- Accurate, current grades.
Some teachers have amazingly animated, organized courses; others can't be bothered to fix their broken links but still hold students responsible for that information...
Susan Jones
Heidi asked: Please weigh in on the burning questions that research could address in terms of all we’ve discussed this week. Another “what would it take” question…
Here are 5 of my burning technology questions for which we have little or no evidence from research:
1. What are effective models for teacher training/professional development that help adult education teachers to effectively integrate the use of technology in their classrooms? Anyone know of any research that answers this question?
2. Does integrating technology in the classroom provide improved learning gains? We do have some pre-post evaluation research that using supplementary videos outside class (videotapes, dvds and/or online) enables adult ESL students, at least in California, to make better progress than students who only attend class. For more information see: http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/ResearchOnTech#What_do_research_and_professional_wisdom_tell_us_about_the_use_of_Distance_Learning_.28DL.29_in_the_classroom.3F or, for short, http://tinyurl.com/9pq4d However, we need a lot more research in order to answer this question with confidence.
3. Specifically, is there good evidence that using CAI or CALL with adults results in improved learning gains? This is the only evidence-based study I am aware of that shows gains for adults who used supplemental CALL software. Computer-Supported ESL Instruction For Adults: A Quasi-Experimental Study Of Usability, Listening Skill Gains And Technological Literacy, a study by Dawn Hannah, Ricardo Diaz, Lynda Ginsburg, and Christine Hollister, NCAL (2004) "was conducted with a group of adult English language learners at the intermediate level (although a 'relatively well-educated sample,' based on years of schooling, who valued independent learning and technological literacy skills), nearly half of whom had never used a computer to learn English before. A quasi-experimental design was used, and though substantial data were collected, the sample size was small enough to limit this to what would be termed an exploratory study." The findings from the study by Hannah et. al show that those ESOL students who used any of the three listening software programs (whose costs ranged from high-end to free) made greater gains than those who only went to class.)
4. With what groups of learners, under what conditions, is adult basic education/ESOL distance learning effective? A study I conducted with Paul Porter in Massachusetts showed that adult learners in a blended model, with lots of face-to-face and telephone support was as effective or more effective (measured by retention and learning gains as reported by standardized pre-post tests) than classroom learning. However, the cost of providing these services as distance learning was greater than providing classroom learning. We didn't have the opportunity to study what the minimum level of support might be to make these gains.
5. What are effective strategies for introducing adult learners to assistive technology that result in their using the technology on their own, and their making progress toward reaching their goals such as h.s. completion or attaining work related certificates? VALUE, the national adult learner organization is advocating for funding for demonstration projects in which adult learners learn how to use assistive technology such as text to speech to help them get meaning from text (what researcher, Tom Sticht, calls "auding" text, listening to text (from hard copy documents and/or electronic text) read out loud.
David J. Rosen
