1.
2.
3.
4.
Develop common definition for D.E.
Review AE research related to learner
intensity.
Identify barrier of D.E. and the necessary
steps for implementation.
Identify tools for implementing effective
D.E. program.
Circle Up
Circle Up

Who are you and why are you here?
Distance Education
Distance Education—Formal learning
activity where student and instructors are
separated by geography, time or both for
the majority of the instructional period.
What thoughts or questions arise from this
definition?
DWD Distance Education Policy
Intensity
The data tells us we need:
◦ intensity (hours/month) and
◦ duration (months/year)
for many adults learners to succeed.
Learner Persistence Study, NCSALL (2004)
6
Program Improvement

When programs improved services,
◦ Months of engagement did not increase but
hours of participation did.
Learner Persistence Study
Comings et al., 2004
7
Hours of Instruction

How important are hours of instruction?
100.00
Indiana EGR 11 Data
90.00
AVG Hrs.
Gains %
80.00
70.00
60.00
50.00
40.00
30.00
20.00
10.00
0.00
2009-10
2009-10
2009-10
2009-10
2010-11
2011-12
2012-13
VU
LEA/Pike/WEC
ACE
EGR11
EGR11
EGR11
EGR11
The longer it takes, the more life gets in the
way of success.
From: “Time is the Enemy”
Complete College America (September, 2011)
Time is the Enemy
Time is the Enemy cont.
Hours of Instruction

Do you place an equal value on classroom
time versus distance learning time? Why
or Why Not?
Why is persistence so important?
Learner Persistence Study, NCSALL (2004)
GLE Increase
100 hours
required for
a 1 GLE
increase
Duration and
Intensity
EFL Gains
75 percent
chance of
making a 1+
GLE increase
at 150 hours
Another
gain after
250 – 300
hours
McLendon and Polis
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?
It depends on:
 Your starting point.
 Your ability to focus on the prize. (How
engaged you are when attending or
studying.)
 Your intensity. (The hours of time you
devote towards learning.)
 Your persistence. (How well you navigate
the barriers that are a part of life.)
Why is persistence so important?
Learner Persistence Study, NCSALL (2004)
GLE Increase
100 hours
required for
a 1 GLE
increase
Duration and
Intensity
EFL Gains
75 percent
chance of
making a 1+
GLE increase
at 150 hours
Another
gain after
250 – 300
hours
McLendon and Polis
Questions for Discussion
What is your standard reply to the
question: How Long Will It Take?
What impact might it have if you
could provide each student with a
projected date, based on their
intensity, that he/she would be test
ready?
How long will it take to get my GED or High School Equivalency?
Hyperlink to excel file.
Distance Education
Necessary Steps to Success
Identify goals
 Manage time
 Become part of a team
 Develop technology skills
◦ MS Excel
◦ Email
◦ Word Processing
◦ Web Browsing
◦ Online Learning Resources

Indicators of Persistence

Which of these do you think characterize the
“persistors” in the NCSALL (2004) study?
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Gender
Immigrant status
Age of children
Employment status
Working hours
Goal
Negative school experience
Parent’s education
Involvement in previous training
Single parent status
Identify Goals
McLendon and Polis
21
Email

Address (for everyone)
◦ Required for most job applications
◦ Need to check and use
 Gather addresses of friends and family
 Share their address with others
◦ Develop skills
 Composing
 Replying
 Forwarding
 CC:ing, BC:ing
 Managing
Email cont.

Planned and Intentional Use of Email
◦ Daily
1. Use learning activities that require a reply.
2. Expand the student’s contact list.
◦ Weekly Summaries or Celebrations
◦ Shared documents



Writing activities (add links)
Educational videos (add links)
Group Email
◦ Create an email support team.
◦ Provide group learning activities.
Web Browsing Resource
How to Be a Good Online Learner
The Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center
http://www.valrc.org/tutorials/onlinelearner/browser.htm
Becoming More Web Search Savvy
Barbara Schloman (bschloma@kent.edu, x. 21665)
http://www.library.kent.edu/files/Web_Savvy.pdf
Online Learning Resources







ITTS
Achieve
Open Book
Kahn Academy
Purdue OWL
YouTube
Others…
Kahn Academy





Whole class progress summary
Individual progress reports
Track daily activity
 Verify exact total time spent on the site
 See exercises worked on and videos watched
Check skill and topic area mastery
 Shows total problems worked and number correct
 Details which specific problems were incorrect
 Records how much time spent on each problem
 Add assignments
Students set their own learning goals
https://www.khanacademy.org/
Purdue OWL



The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University
houses writing resources and instructional material.
Students, members of the community, and users
worldwide will find information to assist with many
writing projects.
Teachers and trainers may use this material for in-class
and out-of-class instruction.
http://www.youtube.com/user/OWLPurdue#p/u/5/jflXIR2CbjY/
Final Reflection

Think about one thing that you learned in
this session that will have the greatest
impact as a back home application.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Develop common definition for D.E.
Review AE research related to learner
intensity.
Identify barrier of D.E. and the necessary
steps for implementation.
Identify tools for implementing effective
D.E. program.
Kevin W. Hunter
Adult Educator
kevinwaynehunter@gmail.com
812-686-7929