Special Topics Colleagues, 

For those who have just joined us and want to catch up, and for others who may want to find a particular post, you will find an archive of this discussion (and all Special Topics discussions) at http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/specialtopics/2008/date.html

We welcome your questions and comments on both the Learner Web (LW) and USA Learns (USAL).

A couple of people have asked how USA Learns and The Learner Web may be used to count NRS distance learning equivalents to class time. For the benefit of those who are not familiar with this, perhaps Sheryl Adler from the U.S. Department of Education could explain the Department's policy on counting Distance Learning for NRS reporting. Then perhaps someone from USA Learns and someone from the Learner Web could describe how parts of each model's curriculum (or in the LW Model, "Learning Plan") might be awarded equivalent class time -- referring to policy at a national or at a state level. If this isn't clear yet in the model, what is the process you envision for getting NRS approval of distance learning equivalency?

Several people are interested in how the Learner Web or USA Learns might be used, perhaps in a closed internal system, inside corrections facilities. If this were possible, it could be a terrific service for those incarcerated in corrections institutions or county jails. It would enable inmates to begin to use the model inside and, when released, to continue their learning on the outside. I imagine there might be a challenges in transfering the progress records from the closed inside to the open web-based versions, but perhaps with additional resources this problem could be solved, I wonder if funding from the recently passed Second Chance Act could support developing the inside versions and a transition interface to the open web-based version for released inmates. (See Special Topics Discussion on transitions from transitions to community, message 918,
http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/specialtopics/2008/000930.html
for a description of the Second Chance Act.)

Several people have commented on the Learner Web's ability to be regionally (locally) tailored and to include face-to-face as well as online learning resources. One person has observed that this sounded complicated, involving  local effort and costs. I wonder if Steve or Clare, or those who are working in Leraner Web regional pilots, might like to comment on the opportunities and challenges of this _regional_ learning support model.

Does anyone see ways in which the Learner Web and USA Learns might be used together, where they add value to each other? Perhaps our guests would also care to comment on that.

David J. Rosen
Special Topics Discussion Moderator
djrosen at theworld.com


 
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