[Technology 1150] Re: pre assessments for online learningnancy.friday at alphaplus.ca nancy.friday at alphaplus.caThu Jun 28 09:26:31 EDT 2007
Hi Everyone, What a discussion pace! But so rich and engaging. I am a few days behind so bear with me. I agree with you Heidi that any form of external or self-assessment of students should draw them in rather than screen them out. AlphaRoute was created initially to be distance learning resource for adult literacy students in Ontario whose reading, writing and numeracy skills were below what at the time was grade 9 level. Over the years the largest number of students using AlphaRoute have come in at or below the grade 6 level and have used AlphaRoute onsite in their programs more than at a distance from their home. The idea behind AlphaRoute was to create a secure place online for this audience where students, even those at the earliest stages of reading, could explore and gain basic computer and online learning skills. So within AlphaRoute there are very simple mouse manipulation and clicking games, drag and drop jigsaw puzzles, learning activities that save work to a portfolio that students can review, audio supported text, basic email (no attachments) without the bells and whistles and without spam or fear of introducing a virus, discussion forums, chat rooms, online courses using Moodle which introduces a messaging system, and a short online assessment tool for reading, writing and numeracy. The idea is to give students a place to try out and if they are interested in so doing, master some of the basic tools and skills required in external online learning environments that are more sophisticated and complex. We have never developed an exit assessment for AlphaRoute that determines if in fact a student has achieved competency in all these areas. That would be something an instructor or program coordinator may have developed. It seems that many people engaged in this discussion are working with students at much higher levels than we are. The highest end of literacy and basic skills delivery in Ontario falls at the pre-GED preparation level and or grade 12 equivalency delivered through the colleges. My response here is to insert AlphaRoute as an entry place for gaining computer competency skills and online learning skills for students across the literacy and basic skills spectrum in Ontario. I will add that AlphaRoute doesn't include a keyboarding competency component and over the years this kind of content piece has been requested by practitioners and students. We believe there are many very good educational software programs available, the Mavis Beacon Typing Program being a very popular one in literacy programs, that can provide a curriculum and paced-keyboarding instruction, so we haven't integrated keyboarding into AlphaRoute. Nancy "Silver-Pacuilla, Heidi" <HSilver-Pacuilla at air.org> on 06/26/2007 01:02:40 PM Please respond to The Technology and Literacy Discussion List <technology at nifl.gov> To: "The Technology and Literacy Discussion List" <technology at nifl.gov> cc: (bcc: Nancy Friday) Subject: [Technology 1128] Re: pre assessments for online learning Hi everyone - great to see the conversation keeping up at such a robust level! I just wanted to raise a point from my research review as well as my personal work and research with students. I would caution against pre-assessments that screen people out of classes. Pre assessments in our literacy and ESOL world should screen people *into* the right environments for their skills, otherwise we will lose them - again. Students who responded to evaluations of their online learning experience unanimously say that they learned computer skills AND self-directed learning habits *by* participating. This is a very fine line in service delivery, I know, but I think the key is to encourage students to try and then have supports on hand as/when they need them. We also have to keep pushing to produce and use better, more responsive instructional materials that teach the skills necessary to learn from them. Good luck to all of us! Heidi Silver-Pacuilla, Ph.D. American Institutes for Research 1000 Thomas Jefferson Street NW Washington, DC 20007 202.403.5218 (Phone) 202.403.5454 (Fax) ________________________________ From: technology-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:technology-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Melinda Hefner Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2007 12:27 PM To: The Technology and Literacy Discussion List Subject: [Technology 1126] Re: Tryout periods I'm so glad to hear that your students' computer literacy skills are assessed. We've found that students often think that the computer skills they have are sufficient for a DL course, when they aren't. (They may e-mail and use the internet, but not know how to save files, upload files, use discussion boards, use digital drop boxes, use virtual classrooms, etc., etc.). You didn't mention this, but I assume that the assessments also measure sefl-management skills, learning styles, lifestyle considerations, hardware and software requirements, etc. Measuring students' perceptions of DL courses is also helpful since many first-time DL students think that DL courses are easier than seated or hybrid courses. I've seen lots of DL readiness assessments, but often they only address computer skills rather than also addressing the areas I mentioned above. As DL courses become more and more common and as student learning and student satisfaction data are analyzed, I believe that the importance of comprehensive distance learning readiness will emerge. Melinda M. Hefner Director, Literacy Support Services Basic Skills Department Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute 2855 Hickory Blvd. Hudson, North Carolina 28638 Office: (828) 726-2245 FAX: (828) 726-2266 >>> "Susan Jones" <SUJones at parkland.edu> 06/26/07 11:09 AM >>> I have seen exactly such readiness assessments. I'm pretty sure I had to take one before I took an online course here in 2000... but it wasn't a grad program. Starting recently, *all* our students have to take a "computer competency" assessment and course placement is recommended from that. (We have several levels of basic computer competency classes.) Susan Jones Academic Development Specialist Academic Development Center Parkland College Champaign, IL 61821 sujones at parkland.edu Webmastress, http://www.resourceroom.net http://bicyclecu.blogspot.com >>> Melinda Hefner <mhefner at cccti.edu> 6/25/2007 2:41 PM >>> I'm jumping in here mid-stream so this may have been discussed previously. I have rarely seen in DL courses, especially for DL literacy courses, any kind of distance learning readiness assessment. You're so right when you say that "...it seems reasonable that we help them find the instructional method or class that best fits their needs and learning styles." I'm in a 100% online grad program and several of the folks have dropped out because their technical skills simply weren't adequate. I've found too many educators who have discounted the DL readiness piece and go on to blame the students for not being successful. Melinda M. Hefner Director, Literacy Support Services Basic Skills Department Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute 2855 Hickory Blvd. Hudson, North Carolina 28638 Office: (828) 726-2245 FAX: (828) 726-2266 >>> Leslie Petty <lpetty at twmi.rr.com> 06/25/07 10:40 AM >>> I agree. Some of the states in Project IDEAL have found that students who have an extensive orientation to the distance material - including plenty of time to "play" and get a feel for this instructional approach - tend to persist longer. If we want students to be successful, it seems reasonable that we help them find the instructional method or class that best fits their needs and learning styles. It's hard for them to make an informed decision about distance if they're unfamiliar with it, so the idea of try-out periods makes a great deal of sense. Leslie Petty Wendy Quinones wrote: I'm a little late getting back to this, but I love the point you made, Nancy, about the try-out being a learning experience even if the course isn't completed. I've found that to be the case with PD online as well, with teachers trying out the online experience and deciding they definitely don't like it and leaving; others finding that the material or the participant interaction to be so valuable that they persist in the face of all kinds of technical and personal difficulties. Not too different from our students, I think. In this age of accountability we focus perhaps to much on outcomes and not enough on process and what can be learned from it, regardless of outcome. Wendy Quinones ----- Original Message ----- From: <nancy.friday at alphaplus.ca> To: "The Technology and Literacy Discussion List" <technology at nifl.gov> Sent: Friday, June 15, 2007 2:03 PM Subject: [Technology 1073] Re: Tryout periods Hi, Nancy from Toronto here again in response to the issue of learner retention. Recruitment and retention have been the focus of much discussion during the distance delivery research we have been engaged in at the AlphaPlus Centre with the four sites that have been exploring distance delivery. Retention has also been a noted interest in what happens in short online courses that we have developed and delivered as part of AlphaRoute for the past three years. Our emerging and currently only form of new content for AlphaRoute this year is online courses. Our courses are four weeks long. For the first two years they were delivered in a discussion forum - Web Board (supported by an external course web site) as part of AlphaRoute. This year we are offering the courses in Moodle. You can take a look at the course topic list and external course web sites at: www.resources.alpharoute.org > Resources > Online courses for adult literacy students What we have found in terms of retention is that for the first two weeks, students are gung-ho, and then we see a drop-off in week three that is sustained through week four. Generally we have found that a third of the students that enroll in a course complete it and receive a course certificate of participation. Interesting what you share David about a two-week period being perhaps the right amount to try-out time. I should note that we acknowledge there is a continuum of learning for us all, and so for a student to take the step and enroll in an AlphaRoute online course is in fact a learning step. Trying it out for a week or two to see how it works and then not continuing is also learning. Committing to take the course and complete the work to achieve the certificate at the end (and learning some cool stuff along the way) is a goal for us. And in the world of demonstrating literacy learning and a range of skills, can make for a great demonstration. But we would like to think that our courses are so valuable to learners and engaging that they will all move from start to finish. It isn't realistic that they will though - because of that continuum of learning. >From the stats and knowledge of the programs that the students enrolled in the courses come from, the highest retention rates come from students whose instructor has included the AlphaRoute online course within their instruction and where students are in a computer lab at the same time taking the course. So motivation and support (instructor and peer) are onsite. However, the course facilitator is at a distance and does contribute to a motivating and retention aspect of student support. The development of online courses in AlphaRoute has not been done within a research project or model. We are learning as we go and writing articles and sharing information as we learn. Our challenge at this point is to focus on that three week drop-off reality and see what we can do from the course content and development side to attempt to support learners in sustaining their involvement past that drop-off point. Any suggestions or ideas from the range of instructors and researchers participating in this discussion are more than welcome! Nancy Friday "David J. Rosen" <djrosen at comcast.net> on 06/15/2007 09:01:41 AM Please respond to The Technology and Literacy Discussion List <technology at nifl.gov> To: The Technology and Literacy Discussion List <technology at nifl.gov> cc: (bcc: Nancy Friday) Subject: [Technology 1064] Tryout periods Distance Learning Technology Colleagues, Earlier this week, in response to a message Heidi Silver-Pacuilla had posted, Holly Dilatush wrote: "too many learners register, show up one week, then drop before/ without completing 12 hours/first episode. Follow-up (to attempt to determine WHY) has been challenging -- guesswork more than documented responses. There are SO many extenuating circumstances." For many adult learners, especially those who choose online options, and for many reasons, we need to design/include/expect a "tryout period" a short online learning experience -- perhaps two weeks -- sampling the material, process and technology used in the longer, online learning. At the end of the tryout, participants can stop (if they were experimenting with the medium, are not happy with the content, can't make the longer commitment, or for any other reason). Those who are ready to commit, can do so, and at that point begin to be counted in the DOE-funded system. Does an example of this already exist somewhere? If so, how is the tryout period funded? (State and local funders and private funders need to pick up the costs of this "tryout") I believe we need the same sort of tryout period for teachers doing online professional development. Does a model of this exist somewhere? Your thoughts? David J. Rosen djrosen at comcast.net ---------------------------------------------------- National Institute for Literacy Technology and Literacy mailing list Technology at nifl.gov To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/technology Email delivered to nfriday at alphaplus.ca =========================================================== Nancy Friday AlphaRoute Coordinator AlphaPlus Centre (http://alphaplus.ca) Telephone: (416) 322-1012 x.305 Fax: 1-800-788-1417 TTY: 1-800-788-1912 nancy.friday at alphaplus.ca ============================================================ ---------------------------------------------------- National Institute for Literacy Technology and Literacy mailing list Technology at nifl.gov To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/technology Email delivered to wbquinones at comcast.net ---------------------------------------------------- National Institute for Literacy Technology and Literacy mailing list Technology at nifl.gov To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/technology Email delivered to lpetty at twmi.rr.com -- ********************************* Leslie Petty Associate Director, Project IDEAL University of Michigan Institute for Social Research 734-425-0748 ---------------------------------------------------- National Institute for Literacy Technology and Literacy mailing list Technology at nifl.gov To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/technology Email delivered to mhefner at cccti.edu -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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