Setting the Stage for Successful Distance and Blended Learning Programs

1. Setting the Stage for Successful Distance and Blended Learning Programs IDEAL Consortium Handbook Series Webinar 1

3. Jen_Vanek@WorldEd.org Director of Digital Learning & Research EdTech Center @ World Ed

4. Agenda • Who’s here? • Some definitions. What is distance? What is blended learning? • Blended learning models • Examples from different states. • How to make it work: Key findings from IDEAL Consortium research

5. Who’s here? • Teacher • Researcher • State ABE staff • Teacher educator • Program administrator • Technologist specialist

6. Read the blog post https://edtech.worlded.org/setting-the-stage-for-distance-and-blended-learning/

7. Ensuring quality: An intentional process Reflect – understand the needs of your learners and the resources you have available to you. Investigate – make sure you know state policy that will guide implantation and reporting; understand what your capacity is to implement programming; know where to find support Experiment – choose a model (blended or distance), a targeted group of learners, a core online curriculum, and start gathering and evaluating resources

8. What is distance education? Distance Education — Formal learning activity where students and instructors are separated by geography, time, or both for the majority of the instructional period. Distance learning materials are delivered through a variety of media, including but not limited to, print, audio recording, videotape, broadcasts, computer software, Web-based programs, and other online technology. Teachers support distance learners through communication by mail, telephone, e-mail, or online technologies and software. https://nrsweb.org/sites/default/files/NRS-TA-January-2018-508.pdf

9. More research- based definitions Murphy, et al.. (2017). Evaluating digital learning for adult basic literacy and numeracy. https://www.sri.com/sites/default/files/publications/evaluating-digital-learning_1.pdf

10. Online learning Online learning “Online refers to use of a product as the primary mechanism of instructional content and delivery for the course. Students’ use of the product was required; it took place in the program, school, or college computer labs monitored by instructors or on students’ own time with individual support from instructors available on request. When instructors provided direct instruction, it was in response to student needs they identified while reviewing progress reports provided by the product or on student request.” https://www.sri.com/sites/default/files/publications/evaluating-digital-learning_1.pdf

11. Supplemental learning “Supplemental models are product uses that are scheduled outside regular class time (e.g., during lunch or before or after class). Students often perceive these add-on sessions as extracurricular, and instructors often do not require attendance since the activity is outside core instructional time. Typically, programs choose this use model because it does not interfere with the existing core curriculum and does not require instructors to plan for and adapt to potentially new ways of teaching.” Supplemental learning https://www.sri.com/sites/default/files/publications/evaluating-digital-learning_1.pdf

12. Hybrid learning “Hybrid models also combine the use of the product as a core instructional activity in combination with instructor-led instruction during regular class time. However, in this use model, the students’ work in the product, although required, is not necessarily connected to instructor-led lessons and does not directly influence what instructors do in the classroom. To a casual observer, blended and hybrid models may appear alike. Online activities are not coordinated with the face-to-face instruction. Instructors do not regularly review product dashboards, nor do they use their direct instruction time to cover topics that were revealed as potentially problematic for students based on their performance in the product. Instructors using a hybrid model often do so for several sound pedagogical reasons, namely (1) to provide students at different skill levels an instructional opportunity to fill in skill gaps at their own pace so they can better engage in the instructor-led lessons, (2) give more advanced students an opportunity to go beyond the current pace of the curriculum, and (3) to give all students an opportunity to become more comfortable learning with digital resources.” Hybrid learning https://www.sri.com/sites/default/files/publications/evaluating-digital-learning_1.pdf

13. Blended learning “Blended use models require tight integration of the product into a broader curriculum and instructional program. When we characterized product use as “blended,” instructors had planfully integrated product use with face-to-face instruction, so the whole program of study was partly online and partly face to face. Instructors attempted to link the content in their lectures to the content that students were assigned in the product, or they closely monitored student progress in the product and modified instruction in the classroom accordingly and/or used students’ performance in the product to identify those in need of individual attention.” Blended learning https://www.sri.com/sites/default/files/publications/evaluating-digital-learning_1.pdf

14. What is Blended Learning? “…formal education program in which a student learns: at least in part through online learning, with some element of student control over time, place, path, and/or pace; at least in part in a supervised brick-and-mortar location away from home; and the modalities along each student’s learning path within a course or subject are connected to provide an integrated learning experience.” http://www.christenseninstitute.org/blended-learning-definitions-and-models/

15. Blended learning – basic definition 1. Blended learning - Tight integration of an online curriculum and/or resources into a broader curriculum. • Instructors link in-class content and online content • Instructors monitor student progress online and use info to identify learning needs; adjust in-class instruction 2. Hybrid learning – Online resources used “as a core instructional activity”; assigned in addition to instructor-led, in-class instruction • Online work NOT connected to in-class lessons and does not directly influence what instructors do in the classroom. Murphy, R., Bienkowski, M., Bhanot, R., Wang, S., Wetzel, T., House, A., … Van Brunt, J. (2017). Evaluating digital learning for adult basic literacy and numeracy. Menlow Park.

16. Blended Learning Models A D B C Station Rotation Lab Rotation Flipped Classroom Individual Rotation Rotate through stations on individual schedules set by teacher or algorithm. Students do not necessarily rotate to every station. Coursework and lectures at home via online; teacher uses f2f class time for guided practice and projects Rotate through stations on a fixed schedule with at least one station being online learning Rotate on a fixed schedule, making use of a computer lab for online learning E F G A La Carte Enriched Virtual Flex Majority of coursework completed online asynchronously with required f2f class. In person class component is less than C. Online course with teacher of record in addition to other f2f classes. Used when other learning opportunities unavailable. Online learning is the backbone. Teacher provides support and instruction while students work through course material *Shared by our partners at Arizona ABE

17. Key Questions: YOUR ANSWERS = YOUR PROGRAM *Shared by our partners at Arizona ABE

18. RI - English Now! Learning Circles • 6- 12 weeks • 1.5 - 2 hours • ESOL • Citizenship • English Language Arts • Coding • Data Visualisation • Web Literacy • Contextualized: Health Careers June 2017 Citizenship Learning Circle, Providence Public Library

19. Adult Education in Northwest Michigan’s American Job Centers

20. Reflect & Share • What issue are you hoping to address with blended, hybrid or distance education? • Which of these models is a good fit or goal for your programming?

21. Next webinars This series of three, one-hour webinars is offered on Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m.—11:00 a.m. • Opening Your Doors: Recruitment, Screening, and Orientation in Distance and Blended Learning Programs (June 5) • Assessment and Instruction in Distance and Blended Learning Programs (June 19)

22. How can we help? https://edtech.worlded.org/professional-development/ideal-consortium/