Return-Path: <nifl-technology@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id h6H2PG712227; Wed, 16 Jul 2003 22:25:16 -0400 (EDT) Date: Wed, 16 Jul 2003 22:25:16 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <58C6DE12-B7FD-11D7-8EA8-00039381D39E@theworld.com> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-technology@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-technology@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-technology@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "David J. Rosen" <DJRosen@theworld.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-technology@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-TECHNOLOGY:2936] Re: Tech21 Project X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.552) Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed Status: O Content-Length: 5369 Lines: 117 Marian, Thanks for sharing this information about the Tech21 Project. I am very interested in English for All. As a free, online course with video segments (also available on videotape) I think it deserves our attention here. Tell us more about it if you wish. Or if other subscribers have questions, feel free to ask them and perhaps Marian -- or others who have used English for All -- will be able to answer them. I want to check out our understanding of "supported distance learning for adult basic skills students." Here's mine: The term "distance learning (DL)," for many people, suggests correspondence courses, video broadcasts, or more recently independent web-based courses. This is what some, Jere Johnston for example, call "pure distance learning." Hybrid distance learning or "supported distance learning (SDL)" (Lennox McLendon used "supported distance learning" in a discussion on the NLA e-list a couple of years ago and I have used it since) is something different. It is a combination of real-time learning, usually face-to-face but not always in the same room (e.g. videophone has been used in Delaware's adult high school diploma program,) and independent, asynchronous learning, which is provided by videotape, TV broadcast, the Web, computer software, and/or print materials. The face-to-face instruction with a teacher or tutor provides the "support," makes pure distance learning into a hybrid model. Supported distance learning is, of course, for people who cannot, for a variety of reasons attend classes. But it is also for those who do attend classes but want more instruction (greater "intensity of instruction") than is available through their class-based learning. Supported distance learning can be provided by schools, education programs, and higher education but it can also be offered by companies and other employers, organized labor, libraries, and other organizations. Given the long ESL/ESOL waiting lists in many parts of the U.S. (L.A., Boston, New York, and in other cities and towns) it seems to me that we should consider ESL/ESOL which may be provided in this innovative way as one way to help us reduce waiting lists. But we also need to look at how effective DL or SDL is -- for whom, and under what circumstances it is and is not effective, and how much it costs to deliver it effectively. David J. Rosen Guest Moderator, NIFL-Technology DJRosen@theworld.com On Wednesday, July 16, 2003, at 01:32 PM, Marian Thacher wrote: > Thanks, David, good topic! > > I've been involved in a project for the last year, the Tech21 Project, > which has provided us here in Sacramento with an opportunity to > experiment > with a particular curriculum, English for All, in a variety of delivery > models. English for All is a free online course for adult ESOL > students, > low intermediate and above. It includes a lot of video, so it can be > done > in the traditional classroom, showing videos and doing the activities > on > paper. We did this, as well has having the students do the online > course > in a lab setting, and in an online model from their homes, as well as > showing the videos on a cable TV broadcast with wrap-around > instruction. > The TV students were able to call in to the program to practice with > the > teacher, and mail in their workbook pages. > > One of the most interesting things, to me, was the popularity of the > online course. We thought it might be hard to recruit the students, but > when we visited the on-site classes to recruit, students were > enthusiastic > and we got so many applicants that we filled our class, 25 students, > and > had more on a waiting list. The students were from quite a variety of > countries, but tended to be better educated, on average, than the > average > student at the school. Many, but not all, had professional backgrounds > and > professional goals in this country, but needed to improve their English > first. Their motivation was high, and many completed all or most of the > episodes in the time allotted. > > One of the issues we are focusing on for next year are how to make the > online course more interactive. We had a bulletin board where the > students > posted their writing assignments, but they didn't really get into > discussions with one another. They did form relationships with each > other, > but this was partly observed by their onsite teachers, since they were > all > also attending face-to-face class in the morning. > > We're looking at having a live chat class "meeting" once a week, or > something like that. Has anyone done this with ESOL students? And does > anyone have tips for making bulletin boards more "conversational"? > > The other issue we're looking at is about assessment. This was > especially > problematic for the students in the TV course. They were mostly taking > a > course on TV because they don't go out of their homes much, for a > variety > of reasons including having small children at home, illness, age or > physical disability. So it was problematic to get these students to > come > in for testing, required by the school. > > Is anyone else dealing with this assessment issue? We're looking for > creative solutions! > > Marian Thacher, OTAN > www.otan.us > > P.S. You can see the English for All course at www.myefa.org
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