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 j9BGlqG02119; Tue, 11 Oct 2005 12:47:53 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Tue, 11 Oct 2005 12:47:53 -0400 (EDT)
Message-Id: <B8CE89198577E948A8AEA73BF41E2091C8E0A6@cotrmail.cotrnet.cotr.bc.ca>
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: "Bennett, Gina" <BENNETT@cotr.bc.ca>
To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-technology@literacy.nifl.gov>
Subject: [NIFL-TECHNOLOGY:3810] RE: (How) can low-level readers/speakers (of English and other languages) use distance learning effectively?
X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
Content-Type: text/plain;
Status: O
Content-Length: 4719
Lines: 103
Hi David,
Not sure if this constitutes 'professional wisdom' or just 'practitioner
experience' (probably the latter). Our College has been offering a
certified Licensed Practical Nursing program for the past 4 years to a
learner group which might fit your criteria. We offer the theory part of
our LPN program (approx. 8 months) entirely by distance delivery, to a
rather special learner audience. Most of the students in this program
are foreign-trained healthcare professionals, seeking licensure in
Canada, and living about 1000 km from our campus. For the most part, the
students have a somewhat limited facility with English (spoken &
written) and often VERY limited computer skills. We have learned a few
things over the years about making the program work & at this point, our
retention rate is about 90%. Some notes on what we do & how we do it:
-- early on, we switched learning management systems to something easier
for the students to use. We started with WebCT the first year & found
that almost none of the students would use it: they simply communicated
with the instructor by mail (mostly) or telephone (sometimes). For the
past 2 1/2 years, we have been using Moodle which the students find much
easier to use. They need a course management system in which it is
impossible to get lost & also a limited number of basic tools (we use
mostly linear resources for reading, lots of discussion forums, &
on-screen writing assignments).
-- we provide an on-site orientation to the learning management system &
the online program.
-- we schedule frequent, short assignments & maintain tight deadlines
-- the instructor for the program schedules a regular (once per month)
on-site workshop to keep in touch with students
-- we make ample use of non-technical support systems. For example, we
provide a toll-free phone number for students to call us with technical
problems.
Of course, there is still plenty of room for improvement. If we could
assign more money & time to this program, I would recommend:
-- increase the on-site orientation significantly. At the moment, we
provide one full day of technical orientation. Most students would
benefit from at least twice that amount. Students with next-to-no
computer skills (many of these students are in the 40s-50s age
range)would benefit from 3 or 4 days to improve their basic computer
competencies: opening & closing programs, super-basic file management,
getting familiar with the keyboard, basic troubleshooting.
-- add some kind of easy-to-use desktop-sharing or application-sharing
facility (e.g. Shinkuro). This would make our lives so much easier! As
the primary person responsible for supporting the instructor & the
technical needs of the students, I spend HOURS talking on the phone with
distraut, frustrated students. I have a hard time understanding their
spoken English sometimes & they have a hard time understanding my
computer directions. If I could see what they're doing, & demonstrate
on-screen how to do it the right way, I think we'd all be happier.
Sooo... I guess our approach could be summed up as 'high-touch,
low-tech'. I can't stress the importance of the high-touch part. In my
experience, low-literacy students need a warm body who is approachable &
patient. Of course, it would be best if that warm body were available
on-site to help (such as an on-site tutor or mentor)... The high-touch
can be provided at a distance but it is harder & it does take time.
Hope this helps,
Gina
-------------------
Gina Bennett
eLearning Support & Coordination
College of the Rockies
Box 8500
Cranbrook, BC V1C 5L7
250.489.8287
-----Original Message-----
From: nifl-technology@nifl.gov [mailto:nifl-technology@nifl.gov] On
Behalf Of David Rosen
Sent: October 11, 2005 9:46 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: [NIFL-TECHNOLOGY:3808] (How) can low-level readers/speakers (of
English and other languages) use distance learning effectively?
NIFL-Technology Colleagues,
One of the questions posted on the Adult Literacy Education Wiki, in
the Technology area,
http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/AleTechnologyQuestions is
(How) can low-level readers/speakers (of English and other languages)
use distance learning effectively?
I wonder if you have, or aware of, professional wisdom or research
which addresses this question. If you are on another electronic list
where there may be practitioners or researchers who could answer
this, please forward this post to that list and ask that replies be
made to the nifl-techology list or to me. (To subscribe to nifl-
technology, go to http://www.nifl.gov/lincs/discussions/nifl-
technology/technology_literacy.html)
David J. Rosen
djrosen@comcast.net
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Mon Oct 31 2005 - 09:50:17 EST