Questions for Program Administrators

Hello Program Manager colleagues,

I am interested in learning how the LINCS Program Management group might meet your interests and needs in 2020-2021.

Here are a few pandemic program management topics that I think might be of interest, but it would be helpful to hear directly from you about whether they are, and also what other needs or interests you might have:

  • Student Recruitment, especially entirely remote or virtual recruitment
  • Online Student intake
  • Online initial assessment
  • Online synchronous instruction (videoconference platforms like Zoom, GoToMeeting, etc.)
  • Online asynchronous instruction (Learning Management Systems such as Schoology, Edmodo, Moodle, Canvas, D2L, and others, or Content/Course/Curriculum Management Systems such as USA Learns, Burlington English, ReadTheory, ReadWorks, GED Academy, HiSET Academy, etc.)
  • Online formative (learning progress) assessment
  • Online standardized pre-post assessments
  • Professional development for teachers who are doing remote/virtual/distance or hybrid/blended/hyflex instruction
  • Community partnerships such as those found in Collective Impact models
  • Helping students with affordable, reliable broadband Internet access
  • Digital literacy skills for students and/or teachers
  • Other interests or needs?

Thanks!

David J. Rosen, Moderator

LINCS CoP Program Management group

 

Comments

Thanks David-

Our program would benefit from asynchronous instruction for teachers and students to utilize Moodle more effectively, and teachers are always looking for ideas too add to their hybrid and online instruction toolkit. Sharing resources to support students with a variety of needs that may come up related to online learning (including digital literacy support for some of our refugee students) and the mental health/ economic needs related to CoVid is always welcome.  

I posted about this in a separate discussion, but I am also interested in the process of creating or changing admissions requirements at various programs- how do people decide who makes those decisions. how are we holding ourselves accountable from an academic standards standpoint and an equity standpoint? And then, if anyone has anything to say about how they're adapting requirements in light of the interrupted education many of our students have been experiencing for the past seven months, I'd be interested in that discussion- or resources around that- as well.  

Thanks Rachel. These are great topics. I would like to hear from other program administrators, too. Are there topics that Rachel or I suggested that resonate with you? What other topics would you like to see us discuss here?

David J. Rosen, Moderator

LINCS CoP Program Management group

Programs are challenged to do intake assessments with learners. Rhode Island primarily uses the CASAS, but remote proctoring and proctoring in general is very challenging for all the obvious COVID-related issues. Programs need to know skill and grade levels without solely depending on using an NRS approved test. CASAS offers a reading test that is not NRS approved, but it is only free for eCASAS users. Many programs are using the paper/pencil version of the CASAS test. I would appreciate hearing what others are using to assess learners at intake. Thanks. 

Thanks Joan for asking what other programs are using to do intake assessments.  I hope we hear from everyone on this. Remote proctoring appears to be a big issue in the field now.

David

David J. Rosen, Moderator

LINCS  CoP Program Administrators group