Learning

Building the Skills
Adult Learners Need
to Succeed as
Online Learners
Presenters
• Heidi Silver-Pacuilla,
Sr. Researcher, AIR
• John Fleischman,
Asst. Supt., SCOE
• Matthias Sturm and
Nancy Friday,
AlphaPlus Centre,
Ontario, Canada
• Heather Robinet and
Courtney McGee, The
Learning Hub,
Ontario, Canada
On Their Own: Adult
Learners and Online
Learning
Heidi Silver-Pacuilla
American Institutes for Research
Investigating the language and literacy skills
required for independent online learning
Published at
www.nifl.gov
National Institute for Literacy
Key Definitions
• Online: activities for which web-based content and
Internet connection and interactivity are integral to the
experience for at least a portion of the engaged time
• Independent: activities that are engaged in by users
outside of class time, including supplemental
activities…; not necessarily alone
• Learning: activities that are either self-directed
inquiries and pursuits (searches, leisure/hobby
perusals) or self-study toward an academic or
credentialing goal
• Success: activities that left the user feeling satisfied
that he or she had fulfilled a question or search, found
helpful information, or advanced target skills
NIFL Report: Overall Key
Findings
On threshold levels:
– No threshold levels of literacy and language proficiency
necessary found for adult learners to use the internet for
independent learning were found.
– All reports indicate that low level literacy and language
learners are eager to engage with online content.
When engaging in online content:
– Adult learners report increased self-confidence, selfdirectedness and independence
– Meets adult learners strong motivation to gain computer
and literacy skills perceived as key to work advancement
NIFL Report: Overall Key
Findings
Overall:
– Successful learning requires a balance between the
task, learner’s skills, and available supports.
– Social networks (family and friends) have proven critical
to learning with technology.
– Targeted sites such as English for All, TV411,
CDLPonline, and USA Learns are being found and used.
What is lacking is evaluation and usability data.
– Rates of access and connectivity are growing but far from
ubiquitous.
– The use of emerging technologies is gaining interest.
• Image of CDLP
English for All
Image of EfA
English for All
Image of EfA
Implications for Practice
It is the interaction between learners’ skills, the
opportunities they encounter, and the supports
available that determines the thresholds for
independent online learning.
– How to assess this?
– How to match learners to opportunities?
– How to inform learners about opportunities and strategic
supports?
– How to train instructors to support learners in various
ways?
– How to plan and prioritize a programs’ opportunities,
content, supports, platforms, outreach, etc.?
USA Learns
John Fleischman, SCOE & OTAN
U.S.A. Learns Background
• A Web site designed to teach English to adult
immigrants (http://www.usalearns.org)
• Launched on November 7, 2008
• Primarily for learners not enrolled in formal
programs
• For learners functioning at NRS Levels 2 (low
beginning) through Level 5 (high intermediate)
U.S.A. Learns by the Numbers
• Since launch:
– Total number of visits: 2.7 million
– Average number of pages viewed per visit: 63
– Average time on the site per visit: 28 minutes
U.S.A. Learns by the Numbers
U.S.A. Learns by the Numbers
U.S.A. Learns by the Numbers
USAL Learns by the Numbers
• Bounce rate: 19%
• Loyalty
– 15th to 25th visit: 230,457
– 26th to 50th visit: 214,459
– 51st to100th visit: 128,401
– 101st to 200th visit: 54,511
– 200th + visit: 28,888
USA Learns by the Numbers
• USA Learns cost per hour of instruction – 6.3 cents
– Based on annual maintenance of $76K per year
• Cost for per hour of classroom ESL instruction - $10
– From: Adult English Language Instruction in the United
States (July, 2007) Margie McHugh and Michael Fix.
Migration Policy Institute
What Factors Contribute to USA
Learns Site Loyalty?
• Site design
• Relevant
content
• Flexible
access
USAL Site Design
• Simple screen
designs with
clear navigation
• Consistent user
interface
USAL Site Design
• Multiple levels
of help
• Minimal
computer skills
required
U.S.A. Learns Content
• Focus on life
skills
• Engaging
multimedia
• Variety of
activities
–
–
–
–
Listening
Reading
Speaking
Writing
USAL Flexible Access
• Users can use
the site:
– Without
registration
– Registered
independent
users
– Registered
users
w/teacher
Are Users Learning English?
• They are completing activities, units and
courses in vast numbers with good scores.
• Many, many messages of praise from learners,
tutors and teachers.
• Research is desperately needed to validate
USAL as a useful curriculum for independent
and supported learning.
Building the Skills Adults Need….
• The common notion, validated by research, is
that distance learning works best when it is
supported or blended.
• Recent ED publication: Evaluation of EvidenceBased Practices in Online Learning found that:
“on average, students in online learning
conditions performed better than those receiving
face-to-face instruction.”
http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/tech/evidence-based-practices/finalreport.pdf
Building the Skills Adults Need….
• Is it possible, and does the technology exist to
create an online learning environment where
adults with limited language and literacy skills
can learn in a “lesser supported” mode?
Yes! U.S.A. Learns demonstrates that it is
possible. But until we have the resources to
develop the appropriate learning environments it
will be necessary to provide an array of supports
to help learners succeed
How Do We Help Learners Build the
Skills….
• Use or create Web-based instruction designed
appropriately for adult learners
• Incorporate a variety of asynchronous and
synchronous communication and collaboration
tools
• Encourage learners to take control of their
learning by using an environment that offers
blended (supported) and unsupported
instructional modes
AlphaPlus Centre
Matthias Sturm, Distance Learning
Coordinator
Nancy Friday, AlphaRoute
Coordinator & eLearning Trainer
AlphaPlus
AlphaPlus Centre actively supports research and promotes best practice in
adult basic education for adult educators and literacy and upgrading programs
in the Deaf, Aboriginal, Francophone and Anglophone communities in Ontario.
Committed to advancing adult basic education through the effective use of
readily-available Web-based technology, AlphaPlus Centre researches and
evaluates new technologies and tools and provides professional development
and networking opportunities supporting the integration of technology use into
adult basic educator practice.
What difference does online learning make?
Research Reports
http://distance.alphaplus.ca
http://www.resources.alpharoute.org/pdfs/Whatdifferencedoesitmake.pdf
Is online learning for me?
The Learning Hub
Heather Robinet, Coordinator of
Literacy and Basic Skills Program
Courtney McGee, Project Coordinator
for the e-Channel Literacy Initiative,
aka LearningHub
The LearningHub – Who we are!
• The LearningHub is a division of e-Channel Literacy for
the province of Ontario, offered by the Centres for
Employment & Learning of the Avon Maitland DSB.
• The LearningHub serves the Anglophone stream of eChannel, providing learners with the opportunity to
upgrade reading, writing, math, computer and other
workplace essential skills online.
• The LearningHub hit the ground running in August 2007,
and has been booming ever since!
The evolution of e-Channel
•
Over the years, the Avon
Maitland DSB has been
involved with online learning
projects that have prepared us
to be where we are today:
2
1
e-Channel
Pilot Phase
AlphaRoute
– AMDEC
– myspokes
– LearningHub
•
The e-Channel literacy
strategy is strongly connected
to the history of AlphaRoute
3
e-Channel
Sustainable
Delivery Model
Learner Benefits
• Learners benefit from our flexible online programming by
signing up for one of our three learning options:
– Synchronous Learning (Saba Centra 7.6)
– Asynchronous Learning (Plato, LearnScape & Moodle)
– Blended Learning (Any combination of the above listed
programs)
• In addition to accessing upgrading that would
traditionally not be available to them, learners also
experience increased confidence of working and
communicating online with their practitioners and peers.
Orientation & Learning Process
•
Step 1 – Learner fills out registration form on the LearningHub
website
•
Step 2 – Learner competes assessment form to assist with the
development of their individualized training plan
•
Step 3 – Learner is assigned an online practitioner/mentor.
Practitioner and learner collectively develop training plan (via
email)
•
Step 4 - Learner is directed to appropriate learning platform to
start their upgrading
•
Step 5 - Ongoing communication and learner support takes place
between learner and practitioner (email)
•
Step 6 – Course evaluation/Learner Satisfaction Survey
information is collected to ensure learners are meeting their goals
and programming is both current and relevant
Best Practice
Learner Supports
• Respond to new
registrations within 3
business days (or less)
• LogMeIn Rescue
• Utilize introductory
courses to ease learners
into online upgrading
• Group/Individual sessions on
Centra
• Email/Phone
• Use a variety of multimedia programs and
keep programming ‘fresh’
• Mentors monitoring progress
and connecting with learners
weekly to provide
assistance/encouragement
• Create a sense of “Online
Community” with learners
• Timely response to inquiries
to keep learners engaged
Research Projects & Lessons
Learned
•
SUPPORTING INDEPENDENT LEARNERS TOOLKIT
– Tim Nicholls Harrison, OSNG Union Public Library ALC Grey Bruce
Region
•
WORKPLACE LEARNING IN A PIONEERING ENVIRONMENT
– John Thompson, DRJ Consulting
•
REACHING REMOTE LITERACY LEARNERS IN ONTARIO,
TRENDS, TOOLS AND SUCCESSES
– Michelle Eady, Eady Consulting
•
SYNCHRONOUS VS. ASYNCHRONOUS LEARNING
– Jim McTavish Ed.D., Assessment Assistance Plus
•
Summary papers of the above listed research are available
upon request.
Questions?
Thank You!
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a new window after we close this meeting
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