Reporting of distance education hours

 

In the management system of the computer-based instruction program you use, how do you separate classroom use time (contact hours) from distance learning time (proxy hours)? For reporting purposes, the data needs to be differentiated to avoid claiming classroom hours twice. If there is a time/date stamp with each lesson, you can pinpoint whether the work was done during class time, but that gets arduous for teachers/staff. Do any of your programs have a mechanism in place for ensuring that you're only pulling only proxy hours for a report?

--

Jason Guard, MPA
Account Manager and GED and Distance Education Specialist
GED Academy and Essential Education
Direct:(800)390-9307
Fax:(541)230-1171
jason@passged.com
Twitter: @jkguard

 

Comments

I just saw this reposting, so not sure if you are asking about a particular site or program, but this is an issue I've been grappling with in the Adult Basic Education math section I teach at Berkeley Adult School (Berkeley, CA). I use both IXL (a for-profit subscription-based math practice website) and NROC's Developmental Math online course (currently in pilot stage).

Neither is ideal with respect to this issue.

With IXL I can easily run usage reports that allow me to see the actual hours students were actively logged in, so I can (manually) determine how many "distance" hours they worked outside of scheduled class time and credit those hours towards their class hours totals. I do this once a week, but I'm only dealing with about 25 students, and any given week only a handful put in distance hours. One feature of IXL that I like is that if a person is logged in, but not submitting any answers for more than 3 minutes or so, it goes into Pause-mode, which does not count in the total minutes of practice time it records. So people can't just log in, then make dinner, and end up with a lot of "distance hours."

I haven't found a satisfactory way to get the same info from the NROC site and have asked about it, but they haven't been able to provide a good solution (or workaround). They responded that "grades shouldn't be based on hours"--although that isn't what I'm trying to do, exactly.

Having a good reporting mechanism that allows a teacher to specify an hours- based filter would be a real plus for tools that hope to be used in hybrid classroom/distance learning environments! Does anyone else know of a system that offers this?

Like other adult education programs, we need a time and budget efficient solution to separate classroom from distance instructional hours when using online resources. The increased reliance upon program data to evaluate student, classroom and program performance has turned all eyes upon metrics to guide our decisions and verify our performance. The online resource that develops a really robust reporting mechanism will be popular with instructors and program managers alike.   

In South Carolina we certainly understand your issue.   Our database system is LACES and it is very important for us to enter hours for our students.   #1 we need 40 hours before we can posttest our students on TABE;  #2 we need 12 hours before we can even consider them a student;   #3 hours are calculated for funding.     I don't know if you are familiar with WorkKeys from ACT.    The program actually provides the students with a portable certificate for employment.   We focus on the areas of REading, Math, and Locating Information and we use WIN software for training.   We have found the program to be so valuable that we require each student (except the low functioning ESL) who enters our program to be placed on WorkKeys and to use WorkKeys.    The WorkKeys programs has high correlations with most other tests so students really benefit.   We use the training software as a resource (same as a textbook).   Students are learning computer skills along with math skills or reading skills.   Just an idea

 

Hi all, 

The i-pathways project has two models of attendence. Many states  have different policies for time on task. For example, some states award a specific amount of time for lesson mastery. Other states need actual time on logged on the computer. The key is to find a program that allows you the flexibility to report out both lesson mastery and time on task. Beyond this, what other types of reports do you find useful as a teacher or program administrator? 

Kathy 

 

There are so many issues with integrating technology and new technology is challenging us every day.   I have posted under events a very important conference that you might be interested in attending.   It is TLC at the Beach 2013, held March 13 - 16, 2013 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.   It is a national conference and last year we had presenters from 19 states and Canada.   These are practitioners that are sharing best practices in this field and it doesn't matter what age group or your present teaching environment.   If you are trying to integrate technology into the teaching of literacy this is a great conference for you.   Keynote speakers:

Dr. Milton Chen - senior fellow and executive director, emeritus at the George Lucas Foundation

Dr. Deborah Delise - Assistant Secretary for the U.S.Office of Elementary and Second Education - for State Superintendent for Ohio and e-school news named her a Tech-Savvy Superintednet

Dr. Geerrita Postlewait - consultant for the Council of Chief State School Officers national Innovation Lab Netowrk.   Former district Superintendent and Chief K-12 Officer for the Stupski Foundation.

Want more information:   www.edtheturtle.com