(Frank’s own question)

What factors should be taken into account when deciding whether or not - or to what extent - to incorporate Web 2.0 tools and online learning into adult LLN tuition?

As with all types of learning, the main factors determining just what methodology and resources are to be harnessed will be governed by the intended learning outcomes. To do otherwise would mean that the teaching/learning would be necessarily random and probably not particularly relevant to the students’ true learning needs. Establishing agreed learner goals and priorities, then, will be the first step in establishing the form and content of the programme itself, and whether or not online interactive learning and tools should be a part of that process. Ally, amongst others, also recognises the need for appropriate student ‘support’. Where feasible, this support may take the form of the tutor and learners being to occasionally meet and interact face-to-face. Despite the many learning tools available through digital technology, few would deny the effectives of face-to-face tuition in certain circumstances. It is another matter, though, if online learning is the only option, in which case – if, all things being equal, it is not necessarily going to be the most effective learning context, then it just becomes a matter of making the most of the situation.

 (A distinction is usually drawn between the accessing of what may be described as the more ‘passive’ aspects of online information and sites, and participation in the more ‘active’, or ‘interactive’, online tools  such as Blogging, Skyping, Tweeting or the myriad of other options available. The latter of course are the ones normally more associated with Web 2.00 technologies, but I regard the former as equally valid learning online resources inasmuch as even relatively basic activities such as accessing Wikipedia articles or newspaper sites, or practising online road code quizzes or Army or Police practice entry tests, involves key literacy/numeracy activities such as Reading for Comprehension, Using Numbers to Solve Problems, Interpreting Shape and Space, and the like.)

While digitally based social learning is usually centred around group learning (Chen and Bryer), it can equally legitimately be utilised in 1:1 tuition. Again, the appropriateness and effectiveness of this format will depend on the learning needs of the individual concerned. (Kanuka p2)

However, as mentioned, the decision to incorporate digital and online technologies into the learning programme will be determined by the establishing of agreed learning goals, which will in turn determine the appropriateness or otherwise of incorporating such technologies. In this, goals may legitimately overlap inasmuch as it may be considered desirable to concentrate on improving specific numeracy skills and awareness together with increasing student facility with the technologies that will facilitate the student into more effective independent learning. Initial and formative assessments will help establish just what in fact the learning goals are, and from that then how may they  best be advanced.

Other considerations of a more practical nature will also enter the equation, though:

-Will the desired technological and reliable net access facilities actually be available and able to be maintained for the duration of the learning programme.

-Does the tutor have the necessary personal and pedagogical skills to facilitate and deliver the course outcomes – particularly where the class may not necessarily have high degrees of self-motivation. (Paechter p. 228)      (Ally p 16)

-As discussed by Chen and Bryer (…….), will there be cyber-security and privacy issues that may compromise the course activities.

-If it is a group situation, will the individual participants be at such relatively homogenous skill levels so that the tutor will not be required to spend undue time trying to bring individual students up to speed in order to be able to meaningfully take part in collective activities.

And underlying the decision as to whether – and to what extent - to incorporate digital technologies into an individual learning programme will be the fundamental question asking if this type of learning will actually achieve more than use of the less resource-intensive non-online  activities in terms of delivering the desired learning outcomes.

Ally, M Foundationos of educational theory in T. Anderson  Ally Foundations of educational theory for online learning chp01 of Anderson.pdf 

Kanuka, H. (2008). Understanding e-learning technologies-in-practice through philosophies-in-practice. The theory and practice of online learning, 91–118.

Martin, A., Madigan, D., (Eds.). (2006). Digital Literacies for Learning.London: Facet Publishing.

Paechter Maier and Macher Students' experiences of, and experiences in e-learning....

Chen, B and Bryer, T. Investigating Instructional Strategies for Using Social Media in Formal and Informal learninghttp://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/rt/printerFriendly/1027/2073

(Martin’s Question)

How can we overcome the barriers that impact the effective use of on-line tools in adult learning?

This will of course depend to a large extent on what the actual barriers are, which will vary from situation to situation and individual to individual. For someone in my situation, for example, where I’m working in a low socio-economic, widespread relatively isolated and rural district (the Far North), with limited communication networks and electronic hardware infrastructure, then  most of the main initial barriers simply revolve around lack of access to the digital wherewithal. Many households – even if they are able to afford and maintain the hardware, are simply not within the broadband and cell phone broadcast and reception areas. Additionally, many of the students we encounter seeking some sort of literacy/numeracy assistance at our literacy centre are quite often having to seek that assistance because of poor school experiences, often precipitated by the physical and social issues listed above. For many learners in this category, school will have been one of the few places where they would have been able to have some degree of interaction with the online media, so low attendance rates and limited in-class engagement will have stymied opportunities to build expertise and confidence in these areas.

Overcoming these considerable barriers, therefore, is a matter of doing what you can, when and where you can, and hoping incremental gains will somehow accumulate to the extent that they can make a difference. For instance, for quite a few students in our district, gaining a learner’s driving licence will be considered a major achievement. For those students able to make it to our literacy centre, we can offer (limited) access to a computer and therefore access to the online Road Code practice tests now available. If they have literacy issues limiting their ability to engage with the online material, then we are also able to offer tutor support, facilitate peer support, and the like. For those unable to attend the centre for logistical or financial reasons, we have a certain amount of capacity to have a tutor (with laptop) visit that student at their home or at a mutually convenient neutral venue. However, often these places would not have broadband or even landline connection to be able to access the practice test. In response to this situation one of our tutors spent a considerable amount of his own time developing our own interactive Road Code instruction  programme that doesn’t require the net. (Similar programmes are commercially available, but expensive.)

However, where these types of mainly infrastructure related issues are not pressing, then a range of strategies can be adopted to address barriers specific to digital learning (as opposed to learning barriers common to learning in general):

-Minimise learning anxiety by ensuring programming and formatting is suited to the computer literacy level of the  learners concerned.

-Ensure that students have very open lines of communication to the tutor/s through provision of direct personalised email addresses (or phone numbers) in order that  students are able to contact the tutor/s on a one-to-one basis, should they prefer, regarding enquiries or concerns. Having to do so only through  the course online links may be inhibiting for the student for fear of perhaps being seen to be a bit of a ‘goof’ by other students.

-Where appropriate, without divulging the initial source, respond to those individual student concerns with feedback to the whole group. Chances are, if one student has those concerns and anxieties, others do too.

-Where possible and appropriate, tutors should attempt to integrate face-to-face tuition sessions with the distance online learning components. Often, a few minutes ‘live’ demonstration, exampling or individual student support may cut through anxieties and technical shortcomings that have been unnecessarily inhibiting the student’s progress.

-For the tutor to provide consistent and regular feedback, together with ongoing formative assessment of how the students are generally progressing. Distance learning has many potential advantages, but, as the term suggests, for the student, ‘distance’ learning can leave the student feeling just that – ‘distant’ and somewhat isolated or removed.. Whatever means that can alleviate that perception are to be pursued where and when possible.

Ally, M. Foundations of educational theory in T. Anderson  Ally Foundations of educational theory for online learning chp01 of Anderson.pdf 

Kanuka, H. (2008). Understanding e-learning technologies-in-practice through philosophies-in-practice. The theory and practice of online learning, 91–118.

Martin, A., Madigan, D., (Eds.). (2006). Digital Literacies for Learning.London: Facet Publishing.

Paechter Maier and Macher Students' experiences of, and experiences in, e-learning....

Chen, B and Bryer, T. Investigating Instructional Strategies for Using Social Media in Formal and Informal learninghttp://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/rt/printerFriendly/1027/2073

Digital Philosphy

My philosophy regarding the application of digital technologies to adult literacy tuition centres around the premise that, while these technologies can be highly effectively employed in this field, primary outcomes derive from the structure, content, context and instructional strategies of the lesson itself. In other words, the digital technologies are the medium, not the message.  However, having said that, there can be a nevertheless a tangible element present also of Marshall McLuhan’s famous dictum regarding the development of electronic media as far back as half a century ago (already) , that, yes, in many situations the medium is the message, too. Basically I feel that most effective results will be achieved with these technologies through application of appropriate balance and context within a student-centred framework of what the intended primary learning goals actually are.

According to Bonk and Reynolds (1997), ‘online learning must create challenging activities that enable learners to link new information to old, acquire meaningful knowledge, and use their metacognitive abilities.’ These precepts can hardly be argued with, but equally, in some circumstances the sheer Practice & Usage element of digital technology utilities (with all the implicit literacy and numeracy that is part of that process) will constitute valid and valuable learning in itself. In many cases, then, several learning goals may comfortably co-exist and together constitute all manner of highly effective embedded literacy and numeracy tuition.

 Ring and Mathieux (2002) suggest that online learning should have high authenticity (i.e., students should learn in the context of the workplace), high interactivity, and high collaboration. I do not particularly see why the learning should be in the context of the ‘workplace’, unless it is specifically work-based tuition. I would much prefer that it be in the context of the ‘fun-place’, or the ‘interesting-place’. Having said that, though, the incorporation of digital technologies into everyday life  has become so pervasive in recent times for a significant (and ever growing) sector of the population that any degree of engagement with the digital media at all can lead to many and varied forms of upskilling -both intended and intended - that can potentially build marketable skills in terms of future possible workplace situations.

Web 2.0 technologies, with their emphasis on sharing, networking, user production, and the like, are all very well and good, and may serve all manner of useful personal imperatives. But in terms of identified learning goals, their usefulness can only be measured to the extent these media help achieve those goals. Simply being engaged with (and perhaps even spectacularly proficient with) these technologies may be meaningless – given the stated intentions of specific learning aspirations – if engagement with these technologies is not necessarily advancing fulfilment of the explicit learning priorities.

Hi all...

I did 3 papers last semester (including the double credit Maori Literacy), so look forward to finishing off this year... I recently stepped down as Manager (and Tutor) from Far North Adult Literacy after a whole decade in the position - very interesting and challenging, but time for some new energy in Te Poupou. I'm still involved in Adult Literacy in various capacities, though, and look forward to being able to explore a few other options as well as having a bit more time for study as well.

We ran several computer/on line courses in my time at the Far North Poupou- including a fairly advanced Inter-Active Media one - but mainly under the direction of tutors much more skilled than me.. so looking forward to upping the ante a bit in that regard.

Cheers

Frank G