Selecting an online course for adult literacy students depends on your program's goals and the delivery method. For example: 

    • Do you want an online course where the students will be accessing on site in a computer lab environment where a teacher is present? 
    • Will it be used with students accessing via a distance? 
    • Is the curriculum appropriate to both meet your instructional goals and transition the students from one level to the next -ABE to GED, GED to Higher Education or the workforce? 
    • What are the features and tools in the online course that will help students take ownership of their own learning? 
    • What are the features and tools that will allow you as the instructor to guide the student through the learning process and prepare them for new environment in higher ed? 
    • What form of professional development is available for instructors and program administrators? 
    • What are the the types of user support (help desk) that are available? 

These are some of the important questions to consider when integrating -or developing- an online course for adult learners. 

As far as a GOOD curriculum, I taught in the adult education classroom for over 10 years and then had a transition of my own when I began working with the GED-i project. http://www.ged-i.org 


-- 
Center for the Application of Information Technologies 

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kathy Ellithorpe" <KathyE at monte.k12.co.us> 
To: "The Assessment Discussion List" <assessment at nifl.gov> 
Sent: Tuesday, February 3, 2009 4:03:55 PM GMT -06:00 US/Canada Central 
Subject: [Assessment 1620] Re: Transition models 


If you know of any GOOD online GED courses I would appreciate the info! Our site has looked for several yuears and tried a few with no success...thanks! 


From: assessment-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:assessment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Kathy Olesen-Tracey 
Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2009 2:58 PM 
To: The Assessment Discussion List 
Subject: [Assessment 1618] Re: Transition models 



Part of a successful transitions program prepares the student for the new environment, weather it be workplace or college related. With most colleges offering a diverse set of courses in an online format, developmental education included, providing students with experience in an online course could provide them with valuable experience and skills for higher education. 

I think the distinction needs to be made about the type of online instruction being provided. Purely online education has been found to be effective for many adult learners. It depends, often, on how the online curriculum is being integrated in the overall adult education program. 



    • Does the online curriculum meet the needs of the student? 
    • Is the online content appropriate for the students math and reading level? 
    • Is it a self-study or a teacher facilitated course? 

Adult education students will have much more success with a teacher-facilitated course and that success could be a stepping stone for college courses. 










-- 
Center for the Application of Information Technologies 

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Stephanie Moran" <stephanie at durangoaec.org> 
To: "The Assessment Discussion List" <assessment at nifl.gov> 
Sent: Tuesday, February 3, 2009 3:30:43 PM GMT -06:00 US/Canada Central 
Subject: [Assessment 1610] Re: Transition models 




One thing we have found to be true for most of our GED Ss is that a purely online program does not work—if they could have learned on a computer alone, they would have done an online HS completion program. Our students face such a myriad of obstacles that with the rare exception of the true computer-loving-student, our students need us to help them navigate higher-level coursework. A hybrid course may work, but only if it meets f2f about as often as not. 



David’s #2 question is a great one for us all to consider because they transition grant we have has made developing curriculum easier to manage. 





From: assessment-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:assessment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of David J. Rosen 
Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2009 8:44 AM 
To: The Assessment Discussion List 
Subject: [Assessment 1581] Transition models 




Assessment Colleagues, 





I have some questions for the guest experts and for others who work in transition from adult secondary (GED/ADP/EDP) to post-secondary education: 





1) what is the range of models of current transition programs? Are they all separate transition classes? Are some ASE/GED classes that are beefed up with transition content? Does anyone use a blend of online instruction and face-to--face mentoring (for example 2- 3 hours/week of one-on-one or small group mentoring accomianied by 6-10 hours a week of online transition self-study)? Does anyone use a pure distance learning transition model? Are there other models? 





2) Given the thin resources available to support separate transition classes, how can adult secondary education programs add an affordable transition component? What strategies are you thinking of? 





3) I have been thinking about a design for a blended transition model -- face-to-face mentoring in combination with a highly-structured online transitions curriculum. How does that idea strike you? Does it already exist someplace? Is anyone using it now? How is it working? 





Thanks. 



David J. Rosen 


djrosen at theworld.com 
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