I share other posters concerns about access to up-to-date internet
technologies, and I think that radio should be integrated into the
outreach/delivery process. This is for several reasons (and not just
because I think radio is just about the coolest technology ever). 

1) For people who do not have internet access at all, the radio is still
a common way of getting information. In advance of, or in the midst of,
an epidemic it would probably be easier to develop radio specific
content than to identify and distribute computers to people that don't
have them, presuming you already have wifi everywhere (which is a big
assumption). 

2) Even if they have a computer and internet access, you may have people
unaccustomed to going online for education. They would not be regularly
checking the net, and phone calls to let them know about courses might
be too time consuming. Broadcasts on the radio about when and where
things will be available online might be more productive, and could
include some helpful hints about how to get started. 

3) English language learners listen to ethnic radio stations in a wide
variety of languages. For example, rather than trying to find somebody
who speaks Kurdish to make phone calls, broadcasts on Kurdish community
radio programs would cover much of the community. In addition, materials
could be adapted for radio lessons for that community - this would
probably be cheaper than trying to retrofit websites or web lessons
(say, in Kurdish). 
It would also help students whose English literacy skills might make
internet-based courses difficult. 

Erik 




-----Original Message-----
From: technology-bounces at dev.nifl.gov
[mailto:technology-bounces at dev.nifl.gov] On Behalf Of David Rosen
Sent: Tuesday, November 22, 2005 8:03 AM
To: The Discussion List Technology & Literacy
Subject: [Technology] Distance learning -- an option or a necessity?

Technology Colleagues,

Indulge me.  This post may seem a bit of a stretch, but that's what a  
discussion forum is for -- a place to try out ideas. It also follows  
from a discussion here earlier this year on adult education distance  
learning.

I have been thinking about Asian Bird Flu.  I hope the predicted  
epidemic does not come to pass, or if it does, that its scope is  
tiny; but many experts claim that it is inevitable, and at a scale  
that could be between 5 and 50 million people afflicted.  In earlier  
world epidemics, for safety reasons public gathering places were  
closed or limited to only those that were essential.  Schools were  
closed.

Suppose schools in North America or in other parts of the world  
actually were all closed, including all adult education schools and  
programs.  Suppose adult education could only take place by Internet,  
TV broadcast, radio broadcast, CDROM or DVD,  and telephone. Those  
with experience in delivering adult education at a distance -- many  
of you on this list -- would be asked to step forward and think  
through how to organize this adult education distance learning  
delivery system.

I have been thinking about this, and would like to invite you to  
think about it, too.  What would be needed to deliver all adult  
literacy education (including English language learning) by  
Internet?  What would the issues be?

* Access from home, including broadband access
* Good content online in all areas, all levels: ELL, basic literacy,  
ABE, ASE, Transition to higher ed, etc.
* Counseling
* Online training for participants using online learning -- including  
technology skills
* Online teachers/facilitators recruitment and initial training
* Ongoing professional development and training for online facilitators
* An online assessment system
* An online MIS
* How to provide services to low-literate adults and beginning level  
English language learners

What else?

How should this be organized? By community? By state? Nationally?  
Internationally? Some other way?

What pieces of such a distance learning system do we have now?  Can  
some of the Project IDEAL states -- and Florida, California and other  
states which may be doing distance learning -- do some of this -- or  
all of it now?  If so, tell us what is in place in these states.   
Could Alpha Plus or other Canadian models point the way? What about  
Australian and Irish (NALS) distance learning models?

Let's think together on this one, hoping we never have to use such as  
system under such calamitous conditions, but through the thinking and  
planning being prepared.  It may also suggest some things we should  
be doing whether there is an epidemic or not.

David J. Rosen
djrosen at comcast.net



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