The Shifting Digital
Environment
What we knew yesterday
won’t be adequate tomorrow
Tom Cytron-Hysom, Renada Rutmanis, Janet Sparks
Agenda
• Warm-up
• The shifting digital environment
• Distance learning and digital literacy
• What works?
• DL Basics/Integrating Digital Literacy into the ABE classroom
• The use of DL with the Minnesota Adult Diploma; career pathways; higher ed.
• MABE/MARCS
• Looking forward
Warm-up Quiz
• Which distance learning platform will be unavailable past December 31, 2016?
• What online professional development course is a requirement for all programs
providing distance learning programming in the state of MN?
• Which set of digital literacy standards have been adopted by MN as one of
three sets of core standards?
• What is the SAFE model of integrating digital literacy into the ABE classroom -and if you don’t know, what online Moodle course can you take to find out?
• Why is it crucial to build digital literacy skills in ABE learners?
The shifting digital environment
•What we knew yesterday won’t be adequate tomorrow
•We can fail our students with the best intentions if we stay
in our comfort zones!
Skills students need are changing
“There has been a growing recognition that ABE students who want to be
college and career ready need many more skills than those required to pass the
GED... They need to become independent learners, identifying gaps in their
knowledge and finding online resources to fill the gaps. They need fluency with
the computer and Internet if they are going to apply for college or a job, and to
succeed in a college or career environment that is increasingly built around
computer transactions.”
(New Models for Distance Classes in Adult Education, Project IDEAL, 2015)
What skills are required?
“Increasingly in adult education, post-secondary education, and in the
workplace, students are expected to have or acquire digital readiness skills, and
skills in problem solving in technology-rich environments. Many employers and
post-secondary institutions already expect employees and students to do much
of their training and education online.”
(Blended Learning for the Adult Education Classroom, David Rosen and Carmine
Stewart, 2015)
Low digital literacy skills create barriers
“Digital literacy itself…remains a hurdle for many low-literate adults. The OECD
Survey found that of adults with below Level 1 literacy, 44 percent report having
no computer experience and 16 percent failed a simple digital literacy screening
assessment. For adults with Level 1 literacy, the percentages were 15 and 10
percent, respectively. A survey of how services are delivered through American
Job Centers found that the lack of technological literacy is still a significant
barrier to delivering more services to job seekers virtually or through blended
models.“
(Making Skills Everyone’s Business, U.S. Dept. of Education, 2015)
Distance learning and digital literacy
• Digital literacy is being integrated into distance learning
• The Minnesota ABE office has adopted the Northstar Digital Literacy Standards
as core content for ABE in Minnesota
• Passing the Northstar Assessment is required for the new Minnesota Adult
Diploma
• “A growing supply of excellent digital learning content is becoming available as
open education resources (OER), meaning they can be used, shared, and
modified to fit various learning scenarios free of charge.” (ibid)
• Many of these resources respond dynamically to individual learner needs
WIOA implications
• Digital literacy skills and the ability to utilize online learning are core
expectations of colleges and employers
• The ability to use such skills determines ability to obtain and retain
employment, and to succeed in postsecondary training
• ABE will need to further emphasize teaching of digital literacy and
computer skills, and the ability to use these skills to access and benefit
from online/distance learning
• DL and digital literacy are specifically noted in the WIOA statute
What is needed
•Access: All students and educators must have access to personal
technology and the Internet, both at school and at home.
•Participation: All learners and educators must have sufficient digital
literacy to participate fully and responsibly in a connected world.
•Empowerment: All learners and educators must be empowered to use
technology to solve complex, real-world challenges.
(Digital Promise, 2014 Annual Report)
What makes a successful DL teacher?
Some common qualities
• Used one core DL Curriculum
• Used a Content Management System (often a simple website)
• Careful adaptation of technology to pedagogical and content needs
• Hybrid model
• Onsite computer lab
• Teachers were lifelong learners
(TESOL International Newsletter, Jen Vanek/Jerome Johnson)
Blended learning works!
Blended learning may be more
effective for adult learners than only
face-to-face learning or only online
learning. Data from the Texas
Educating Adults Management
System (TEAMS) show that adult
learners who engage in blended
learning outperform learners who
only attend a traditional classroom,
and learners who receive more
than 50% of their contact hours at a
distance.
The data
•In 2009-2010, 66% of hybrid learners completed at least one level,
compared to 53% each for distance and traditional classroom
learners.
•“In 2010-2011, 76% of hybrid learners had level completions,
compared to 60% each for distance and traditional learners.
•In 2011-2012, hybrid learners “still had the highest percentage of
completion (73%), but distance learners outperformed traditional
classroom learners for the first time (60% for traditional classroom
learners; 66% for primarily online learners).
Changes in state ABE DL policy
•Computer use policy being
updated to include/allow use of
PPT and Excel instruction in
ABE
•Digital literacy recognized as
core skill area
•Proxy vs. clock hours
DL Basics and Integrating Digital Literacy
into the ABE Classroom
•Online resources for managers, teachers, and support staff
•DL Basics is an online, self-paced Moodle course available on the
Minnesota Literacy Council’s online training site. There are different
modules available for teachers, administrators, and support staff. Three
to five CEUs are available for completion depending on your role. It is
required that staff from every program providing DL in MN complete
this introductory course.
Learn how
To embed digital literacy into ABE through the online course!
The world we live in…
How do you use computers in your life?
Commonly online:
–monitoring medical information
–renewing your driver’s license
–banking
–tracking your child’s school assignments
Digital literacy in today’s world…
•79% of students are required to submit or access lessons online, and
29% of teachers report that they integrate social media into their
coursework—a number that rises to 80% for college professors1
•Four of the seven fastest growing jobs directly require technology
skills, and 80% of Fortune 500 companies only accept online
applications. 2
1 & 2 United
Way, 2014
Digital literacy in today’s world…
3
U.S. Department of Commerce, 2008
GED and Adult Diploma students must have digital
literacy skills!
Do your students regularly use computers
under your guidance?
Turn to a partner and share:
•One way your students have used computers under your
guidance
•What was the activity? What preparation did you do? How did
it go?
•Challenges and successes that occurred
What stops you from having your learners use
computers (or use them more frequently?)
Would you like to learn more, but don’t have
the time?
Why take an online course?
•Learn from work, home, or anywhere you have Internet
access
•Learn at your own pace – you can start/stop as you need
•Earn CEUs
•Keep up with MN state standards
What does the course cover?
•Northstar Digital Literacy Standards and Assessments (take before or
during online course)
•Best methods for digital literacy integration as shown by research
•Examples from ABE, ELL, GED and math teachers on how they embed
digital literacy into their teaching; resources including websites and
activities are given
•Evaluating a sample lesson plan that incorporates digital literacy
Let’s take a look:
• Go to online.themlc.org
• Login or create a new account (only requires email and password)
• Find the course:
Take a look at the actual course…
Digital Literacy in the ABE Classroom
Thank you!!! Any questions?
The next step in PD
• If you complete DL Basics and you want more distance learning professional
development, DL 101 is your next step.
• DL 101 helps programs who are newer to DL programming look at best
practices and problem-solve challenges. It is a year-long course that includes a
face-to-face meeting in the fall and a series of online discussions and webinars.
• DL 101 success story:
- In 2014-2015, the Minnesota Literacy Council participated in DL 101 and
increased their distance learning hours by 33% over the prior year.
The role of DL in the Minnesota Adult Diploma
•This remains a bit of a question mark, but it is something both the
Adult Diploma working group and this supplemental service grant will
be looking at. Some possibilities:
–Using distance learning platforms in general to raise student skills so that
they are able to perform at the D and E CCRS levels
–Using parts of DL platforms such as Mindquest, i-pathways, and Learner
Web and using student work or assessment material from these programs
as evidence toward completion of an Adult Diploma competency
Adult Diploma and DL - continued
•DL platforms could be especially important for Adult Diploma students
who need just one small area of a competency or for those where
regular attendance is difficult.
•As we look for something to replace Skills Tutor, one criteria will be
how well the program is aligned to and can support Adult Diploma
programming.
DL – Essential for Career Pathways and
Higher Ed
• Computer skills essential for both
• Needs to be integrated into
instructional delivery
• Should focus on developing and
encouraging technology related
skill development
MABE/MARCS – Supporting DL
•Databases are being rebuilt, but it will be a year before major changes
take place
•Ongoing reminders:
–Label DL classes as DL
–Use the name of the DL platform in the class name
–be careful not to double count hours -- either DL proxy hours or
contact hours, not both
Looking forward - 2015 DL Supplemental Services goals
•Find replacement(s) for Skills Tutor, and other outmoded platforms
•Deal with proxy hour vs. online student time - dynamic matching of
resources
•Review approved DL platforms for alignment with CCRS adult diploma
•Continued integration of digital literacy within ABE
•‘How to” video regarding use of Northstar
Questions and discussion
DL Supplemental Services Staff
• Renada Rutmanis, Grants Manager: General information; assistance in
submission of PD applications; scheduling Professional Development
• Tom Cytron-Hysom, Consultant: Website, Policies and Procedures, Virtual Task
Force
• Jen Vanek, Facilitator: DL 101 and 102 for instructors
• Adam Kieffer, and Eric Lind: Co-facilitators, DL 101 and 102 for instructors
• Susan Wetenkamp Brandt, Consultant: Skills Tutor, i-pathways, GoToTraining
support, and technology training