Whew!  Yes, thank you for this start.  I had other questions as well that I
submitted, but David also stated some of my questions, especially those
related to telephone help.  I've not had tremendous success with this since
first, many learners are not fluent enough to communicate their questions
and second, they are shy about actually USING the language.  Students in
live classes are pretty much put on the spot and MUST speak English, but
it's easy to avoid calling a stranger.  I suspect this would add to
retention problems.

I'm also wondering if this program is a Federal program, the one President
Bush suggested last year.

On Mon, Nov 17, 2008 at 5:27 AM, David J. Rosen <DJRosen at theworld.com>wrote:


>  Thanks, Steve, for this thorough introduction. Those who would like to

> see a screen capture video showing what the Learner Web looks like from a

> learner or from an administrator point of view, could go to

> http://learnerweb.org (Select "View Demonstration" to request a password

> to view the video.)

>

> One series of questions that I am sure many people have concerns telephone

> helpers. Who are they, what kinds of help do they provide, how are they

> recruited, how often do they do telephone helping, how do they differ from

> (face-to-face or online) tutors, and how is the privacy of the learner and

> the online helper protected?

>

> Now would be a good time for others to post their questions about the

> Learner Web, too. What would you like to know?

>

> David J. Rosen

> Special Topics Discussion Moderator

> djrosen at theworld.com

>

>

>

>

>

> ----- Original Message -----

> *From:* Steve Reder <reders at pdx.edu>

> *To:* specialtopics at nifl.gov

> *Sent:* Sunday, November 16, 2008 9:09 PM

> *Subject:* [SpecialTopics 1076] initial response to questions about

> Learner Web

>

>  Hello, everyone.  We're delighted to have this opportunity to discuss the

> Learner Web this week and to answer questions you have.  And, indeed, you've

> already posed some excellent questions.  Before turning to specific

> questions, however, let's briefly review what the Learner Web is, as it's

> quite different in intent from other online or distance learning systems.

>

>

>

> The Learner Web is a *learning support system* intended to help adults

> reach important learning goals they may have, such as obtaining a GED,

> improving their English, transitioning to college, preparing for a

> particular career, etc.  A learner can access the system through the

> Internet. In addition to on-line resources, the Learner Web integrates

> support services from existing local education programs, community based

> organizations, tutors, and telephone helpers. The Learner Web consists of a

> Web-based software system that is implemented regionally. The System is

> organized around Learning Plans. A Learning Plan is a set of steps

> structured around achieving an identified goal. For example, if the goal is

> to get a GED, the steps might include finding out more about the tests,

> identifying what skills one needs to brush up on, learning new skills and

> knowledge, taking practice tests, etc. Each step is matched with online and

> community based resources and a workspace where Learners can take

> assessments or save their work in an e-portfolio. The Learner creates a

> personal profile, may take a short reading assessment and interest

> inventory, chooses a goal from the available list and follows the learning

> plan independently or with a tutor or a teacher. The Learning Plan is

> dynamically matched by the software to both the learner profile and

> educational resources. The Learner's progress is saved and can be returned

> to at any time via the internet. Learners can choose to share their

> workspace with a tutor or teacher.

>

>

>

> The Learner Web is being demonstrated in a number of sites across the

> country over the next two years.  We plan to use the experiences of the

> local communities and organizations involved in the demonstration to help us

> design a sustainable national rollout starting in the fall of 2010.  It may

> be possible for interested programs, organization or communities to join the

> project and begin using the Learner Web before that time.  At the moment,

> there are Learner Web implementations is Portland OR, St. Paul MN, Boston

> MA, Providence RI, Westchester NY, Union County NJ and Washington DC.

>

>

>

> Now for some of your questions.  A couple people asked if LW could be used

> by free-standing adult learners, that is, by adults who are not enrolled in

> formal programs.  The answer to that depends on the Region implementing it.

> During our demonstration project, some of our Regions are limiting its use

> initially during the piloting period to students in their classes.  Other

> regions are allowing learners to create their own accounts and use the

> system independently.  Once Learners have accounts, they log in to the

> system, select their goals, and start working on related Learning Plans

> (which provide assessments and appropriate placements into Learning Plans).

>

>

>

> Several questions asked about the reading, math, and computer skill levels

> required to use the system.  We will have good answers to those questions

> after we complete the piloting period currently underway.  For now, I would

> say that we've seen adults with little previous education or native language

> literacy struggle with the navigation within LW, while other adult students

> find it relatively easy to use.  The difficulty experienced depends not just

> on the Learner Web software itself (which we frequently revise to make

> friendlier to a broader range of adult learners) but on the content of the

> Learning Plans and Resources developed for the system.  Learning Plans can

> be targeted to adults at different skill levels.  It is straightforward to

> incorporate multilingual and multimedia content, prompts and assessments

> into Learning Plans.

>

>

>

> The LW design was based on research about adult learning that indicated

> that adults with quite low levels of skill can and often do engage in

> self-directed efforts to improve their basic skills.  But this research did

> not focus specifically on the self-directed use of online tools, so it is

> important to wait for the experience of our pilot sites with a range of

> learners before answering the question.  We hope the integrated help systems

> we have built into LW (including telephone based helpers) will scaffold its

> use by low-skilled adults so that a broader skill range of adults may be

> able to use the system than if they had to do it totally on their own.  We

> plan to use videos, podcasts and other multimedia to provide initial

> orientation to users.  A simple Learning Plan is being developed that will

> teach users how to use the system.

>

>

>

> Several questions asked about specific features of the LW system and how

> they relate to features of web-based classroom platforms such as Moodle,

> WiZiQ, etc.  Although there are some overlaps between LW and other such

> systems, and indeed LW could be used as just a platform for an online

> course, it is really designed for supporting a range of self-study and

> blended learning models, working hand-in-hand with and coordinating

> collaboration among community resources, programs and services to support

> learners.  LW can also be used to add functionality and enhance other online

> products; for example, a Learning Plan could wrap around an online product

> and add telephone-based volunteers who help learners working with the other

> online product.  Another example: using telephone-based volunteers as

> conversation partners in an ESOL Learning Plan.  We see the LW as enhancing

> and supplementing rather than replacing live teachers and classroom

> interaction.  Tutors – either online or face-to-face – have roles in LW and

> where available are easily integrated into Learning Plans.  Relatively

> little social networking functionality is built directly into LW but it is

> straightforward to add social networking sites/software as Resources in

> Learning Plans.

>

>

>

> Assessment of progress in LW is measured directly in terms of learners'

> completion of key steps and goals within particular Learning Plans.

> Learning Plans may be designed so that the completion of some steps is

> determined by learners themselves, whereas other steps require a teacher or

> tutor using the LW to determine whether the step is completed by looking at

> an assessment or assignment submitted by the learner.  Steps have workspace

> items associated with them, which may be automatically scored tests or

> assessments or assignments that must be graded by a teacher or other LW user

> who views the learner's work.  If programs negotiate proxy hour equivalents

> with their states for completion of key steps or goals in a Learning Plan,

> those equivalents can be directly entered into the Learning Plan design and

> automatically reported for NRS purposes.

>

>

>

> We'll stop here.  We weren't able to respond here to all of the questions

> initially posed, but I'm sure they'll come up as we continue the discussion

> this week.  We're looking forward to it.

>

>

>

> ------------------------------

>

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-- 
Katherine Mercurio Gotthardt
www.LuxuriousChoices.net
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