Integrating the use of Technology in Rural Adult Education Programs

Submitted by David Rosen on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 10:36
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Integrating Technology and Program Management  CoP colleagues,

This is a new and I hope ongoing discussion topic. Let's hear from rural adult basic skills programs (including ESL/ESOL, adult basic and secondary education, and transition to higher education) programs and schools.  If you have a rural education program that integrates technology:

  • How are you integrating technology in learning? Are you using:
    • Distance learning?
    • Blended learning?
    • Real-time interactive two-way televised classes?
    • Something else?                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
  • Do you have a partnership with a library or community computing center that provides your students with Internet access by computer?
  • Do your students rely on their BYO portable digital devices?
  • Are there charitable or corporate foundations that are supporting your integrating technology work? If so, which ones?
  • Are there national, state or local intermediaries that you have found helpful in increasing or improving the use of technology in your rural area?

Here's an example from Southwest Minnesota to get the discussion rolling. I read about it in a recent World Education The Well blog article by Ellen Hewett that you might find of interest, entitled Using Distance Learning to Strengthen Access to Rural Healthcare Career Pathway Programs .

....A unique aspect of this Pre-Healthcare Bridge program is that it engages the students at the point when they show interest in Certified Nursing Assistance (CNA) training without their needing to wait for a cohort to begin their study. The program uses Northstar Digital Literacy Assessment to ensure that students can benefit from online learning. Once enough students are participating in the online Pre-Healthcare Bridge program, a CNA training cohort is formed. Southwest ABE uses the Learner Web, a State-approved site. (Students’ time on the Learner Web is considered as “seat time” for classroom instruction.) The Pre-Healthcare Bridge program includes self-paced online coursework with additional independent learning activities to prepare students for CNA training, support from a Navigator to provide assistance with personal and financial barriers, and college readiness support from the community college.

this makes me wonder if other rural adult basic skills programs use asynchronous distance learning to help prepare adult learners who, when they are sufficient in number, can be offered a face-to-face or blended learning cohort model. Do you know of other rural adult basic skills programs or schools that do this?

Let's hear from you about other examples of how rural adult education programs are integrating technology for adult learning.

David J. Rosen, Moderator

Integrating Technology CoP

djrosen123@gmail.com

 

 

 

Comments

Colleagues,

As we discuss integrating the use of technology in rural adult basic skills programs, it would be useful to have a picture of the disparities in broadband technology availability for those who live in rural America. Want to know where the worst Internet access is in America? Hint: it's a county in Colorado. Here's a link to a FiveThirtyEight article with the details. FiveThirtyEight analyzed every county’s broadband usage using data from researchers at the University of Iowa and Arizona State University. They found that in this particular county only 5.6 percent of adults were estimated to have broadband. This county, however, isn't alone. "According to the Federal Communications Commission, 39 percent of rural Americans — 23 million people — don’t have access. In Pew surveys, those who live in rural areas were about twice as likely not to use the internet as urban or suburban Americans."

In a separate post I will upload a graphic that makes it clear what the broadband internet access disparities are for those in rural America.

What's Internet access like for students in the rural area where your program is located? Has it improved or stayed the same (Is it worse than it was?)  Are your students who are experiencing technology disparities also despairing that they will not be able to achieve their education or career pathways goals? What can be done about this?

David J. Rosen, Moderator

Technology Integration, and Program Management CoPs

djrosen123@gmail.com

 

Although the area I live in shows that 50% plus of adults have Internet access, I am concerned about the cost of that access. Living in a very rural county in Indiana, I'm privileged to be able to afford a plan that is sufficient for my telecommuting needs. It's not unlimited so I need to be cognizant that I can't stream video, participate in webinars, or Skype without boundaries. Would like to hear about other rural experiences as my Internet connectivity has varied from dial-up, radio, and bundled w/ TV and/or cell phone.