[NIFL-TECHNOLOGY:2945] Re: National Reporting System Assessment for DL students

From: David J. Rosen (DJRosen@theworld.com)
Date: Thu Jul 17 2003 - 19:08:32 EDT


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From: "David J. Rosen" <DJRosen@theworld.com>
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Subject: [NIFL-TECHNOLOGY:2945] Re: National Reporting System Assessment for DL students
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Fran, Marian and others,

There may be many solutions to this problem.  In SDL, as compared with 
pure DL, it might not be a big problem.  If students come for a 
face-to-face orientation, and periodically for face-to-face 
instruction, they could also take the same standardized pre- and 
post-assessments that classroom-based students take. This could be made 
clear as a requirement when students choose to enroll. This is the 
model we have used in the pilot sites in the Massachusetts Anywhere 
Anytime ABE DL program.  Also, it's worth noting that the British Open 
University, the grandmother of pure DL, offering college courses to 
adults all over the world, requires students to pass a proctored 
face-to-exam at the end of the course for credit.

Another possibility might be to use the NRS Project-based learning 
option.  Has anyone offering SDL (or DL) done that?

David J. Rosen
NIFL-Technology Guest Moderator
DJRosen@theworld.com


On Thursday, July 17, 2003, at 06:42 PM, Marian Thacher wrote:

> Fran Keenan writes:
>> I'm interested in whether anyone has ideas for how the NRS can take DL
>> into account. If adult learners are doing all or some of their 
>> learning
>> outside of the classroom, how is it getting tracked? What do these
>> states who are investing in DL for adult education do? How are peope
>> measuring the effect of distance learning?
>
> Well, that's the magic question. If anybody has an answer, I want to 
> hear
> it! Assessment for DL is the big issue. I know here in Sacramento in 
> San
> Juan Unified they have an extensive TV broadcast DL program. They track
> the equivalent of "seat time" by a formula of so many minutes for each
> lesson completed, so many for coming to orientation, so many for a 
> phone
> call, and email etc. A similar formula is being used for the online
> students.
>
> But as far as measuring learning gain, the only way they have right 
> now is
> mailed in student work and portfolio assessment. The students are 
> learning
> via TV because they can't come to school, and they can't come for 
> testing
> either. Some will come in if invited, and offered an incentive such as 
> a
> bus pass, but many won't. What's the solution?
>
> Marian Thacher, OTAN
> www.otan.us



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