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 iA9HdPM20879; Tue, 9 Nov 2004 12:39:25 -0500 (EST) Date: Tue, 9 Nov 2004 12:39:25 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <fc.004c56fb01ed64283b9aca00c1d6857f.1ed650f@scoe.net> 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: "Marian Thacher" <mthacher@otan.us> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-technology@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-TECHNOLOGY:3341] Re: Distance learning X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Status: O Content-Length: 3997 Lines: 79 Hi Steve and others, Sorry for the slow response, I'm behind, as usual! nifl-technology@nifl.gov writes: >Mariann and others, >I'd like to respond to the questions,"What do you all think makes for a >successful DL experience for learners? >What learners are best served through DL?" > >Right now I am teaching," Reading for ESL" at a local community >college. I am experimenting with WebCT, which is offered to all courses >there, to see what features might be worthwhile for the class. I know >some have commented that Blackboard has a better interface, but I >wanted to see if I could use it by adapting my teaching methods. This is >not an online course, but I am attempting to do geared down hybrid, >using the interface with the class and giving them assignments so they >can work on their own. I think this is a really good place to start with our students, because online learners aren't necessarily born, but they can develop with support and direction. All of us probably do a lot of our learning online now, so this is an important "learning how to learn" skill. > > >In thinking about what makes the experience successful or not, I found >myself starting to evaluate this method on my terms of success. However, >I realized I need to also look at it from their perspectives and >expectations. I would have said that it wasn't going all that well since >we have had major problems getting all students by the college log in >and then through the Web CT passwords. (By the time we passed the >security hurdles on log ins/passwords, a good number had confused or >lost their them. I knew I should have written them down, but I didn't >want to treat them as children. I guess had I thought, I'd probably need >someone to save my number just in case, too.) I know, the whole password thing is difficult. I have seen teachers take a variety of approaches to this, but you really need a way to keep track of student passwords. In English for All we ended up adding a feature in the class management system that allows the teacher to look up a student password. Otherwise you are constantly creating new accounts for the same student because they can't remember their password, or they mistyped it the first time, or whatever. It would be great if we could eliminate the need for a password, but then how would we track student work and results? > > >I often feel that computer comfort is essential to success, and I would >have said that these experiences would make learners uncomfortable, but >nevertheless, they asked to spend more time online. I am not sure that >means success exactly, but it is a step in the right direction. Well, it means some kind of success - they are having some kind of positive experience with online learning if they want more time. > > >It seems that in this particular class there are, for the most, part >two groups. Some that are able to do the work alone or at home and >others that are struggling. Those experienced with computers, with >academic backgrounds and my guess, higher socioeconomics levels have the >"advantage" and are moving through activites well.These learners >complete the work rapidly and with greater ease. Others do seem to get a >lot out of the process,(as I said, wanting to stay longer) but are not >able to take advantage of all aspects of this venture, even with a fair >amount of scaffolding and assistance. (But I guess that defeats the >purpose of DL.) I don't think scaffolding and assistance defeat the purpose. Probably a lot of online learners who are beginners are getting that scaffolding and assistance from someone, a spouse, relative, friend who is helping them function online until they get the hang of it. Maybe it's just not always the teacher. I certainly needed help and support until I got the hang of it. I haven't seen a lot of successful models of purely online learning with adult ed students -- yet. But I think this hybrid model is the next step in that direction. Marian Thacher, OTAN
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