GED Online, Cont'd

Once oriented to the online environment, students were quick to tailor the learning experience to fit their individual situations and needs. Because the content was modularized, students could skip areas that they already knew well. Hypertext content made it easy to go back and review when necessary. The asynchronous design meant that students could progress as quickly or as slowly as they wished, and could work at times (and places) that best fit their schedules. Homework could be exchanged by email very conveniently.

The GED Online experience has been a mixed success. Most students say that they enjoyed the program, and that learning to use the computer (and the online delivery) was a plus. Some have completed the entire curriculum and written GED exams, while others have used the program to meet different educational goals. However, this type of delivery does present some drawbacks. Asynchronous delivery is not for everybody: some learners need the more structured programming and social support that only face-to-face delivery can provide. For the instructor, the time commitment is a serious issue. Marking assignments by email is a small challenge, but providing the comprehensive “soft” support, by distance, that new learners need is very time-consuming.

Will the GED Online project continue? The website content, now almost three years old, needs revision. The national GED program itself will undergo a radical change at the end of this year. Currently, we have enough GED enrollments to offer a face-to-face class this semester. Nevertheless, it is clear: online learning is both a desirable and feasible option for adult basic learners.

Gina Bennett is a curriculum designer/learning centre coordinator/computer instructor at College of the Rockies, BC. For more information about the GED Online project, you can contact Gina at bennett@cotr.bc.ca or 250-489-2751, local 402.

The Computer Learning Evaluation Project

Angela Tessier with funding from the Prior Learning Assessment Centre in Winnipeg and the National Literacy Secretariat recently completed research into how adult literacy learners acquire further knowledge when working with a computer. Her research explored how different learning styles affect this type of learning.

Fifty-one adult literacy students took part in the research. Participants’ learning styles were determined using a Learning Style Inventory. Each participant’s prior knowledge of a chosen topic was also assessed. They were then given the opportunity to increase their knowledge of this topic using a website on the Internet. Participants were observed while using the website and afterwards, they were asked to complete a post-test and a questionnaire.

The study found that different strategies were employed by each of the various learning style groups. Although visual and tactile learners preferred learning on the computer, auditory learners preferred to learn from the teacher.

Overall, 76% of the participants felt that the computer made the information presented to them much more interesting or somewhat more interesting. One factor contributing to this may have been the fact that computers allowed students to work independently and receive help specifically when they needed it. All of the learning groups expressed a preference for this type of learning environment. In this setting it was observed that the teacher continued to play a major role clarifying information when necessary.

Over 90% of the participants felt that learning new information on a computer helped them to improve their overall computer skills. An even more significant observation was that over 83% of the participants felt that learning on a computer helped improve their confidence in themselves.

For more information, copies of the entire research report can be obtained from Angela Tessier at a cost of $20.00 per copy. Requests should be mailed to Angela Tessier, 396 Laxdal Road, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3R 0W5.