INCORPORATING MOODLE INTO AN EXISTING MODEL FOR DISTANCE DELIVERY OF LITERACY TRAINING

• 1. INCORPORATING MOODLE INTO AN EXISTING MODEL FOR DISTANCE DELIVERY OF LITERACY TRAINING Linda Wright Sioux Hudson Literacy Council Moodlemoot 2009 Edmonton, AB April 2, 2009

2.

• Sioux Hudson Literacy Council

• would like to acknowledge all of the

• First Nations Elders, Learners and Practioners

• who have opened their hearts and minds to the idea of e-Channel Literacy Learning.

3.

• Background information

• Existing Model

• Integration of Moodle

4. Sioux Hudson Literacy Council

• Sioux Lookout, ON

• Operated onsite learning program in Sioux Lookout

5. Literacy

• Provide adult learners with the opportunity to upgrade their skills such as math, reading and writing and other essential skills

• In the province of Ontario the government funds four separate streams through MTCU

• Native Anglophone

• Francophone Deaf

6. Native Stream

• By government definition Aboriginal people include Status and Non Status Indian, Mtis, and Inuit

• We use the terms Aboriginal, First Nation and Native interchangeably

7. Native Stream

• 26 MTCU funded Native literacy programs across Ontario

• All these programs are community-based agencies

• They are located across the province from Kenora, on the Manitoba border, to Windsor and Moosonee, on James Bay, to Peterborough

• Some operate on reserve, some work with Friendship Centres in urban locations and some are stand-alone independent programs

• Programs are represented and supported by the Ontario Native Literacy Coalition

8. Native Programs

• Create and use culturally sensitive material

• Respect traditions and beliefs of the aboriginal culture

• Many times the instructor becomes the learner

9. History

• Treaties 1689 - 1920

• • Grossly one sided

• • Believed that the Aboriginal leaders who signed these treaties on behalf of their people didnt fully understand what they were signing

• Residential Schools

• Until 1951, the Indian Act of Canadaforbade Aboriginal persons from attending university unless they voluntarily relinquished their status as an Indian under a process called enfranchisement.(The Indian Act, 1876)

10. The Result

• Mistrust and fear in education and in government

11. Statistics

• 31% of Aboriginal people living on reserve in Ontario have less than Grade 9 or no formal education at all, compared to 10% in the non-Aboriginal population - more than triple the rate.

• Registered Indian Population by Region and Type of Residence, December 31, 2005 . , Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development 2006

• Aboriginal high school graduation rates reports a 33% successful high school graduation rate compared to the mainstream population rate of 66% (Stats Can, 2001).

12. History of Project

• Responded to call out for proposals by Ministry of Training Colleges and University in Spring 2003

• Sioux Hudson Literacy Councils Good Learning Anywhere proposal and business plan accepted December 2003

• Project was coordinated by AlphaPlus Centre in Toronto

• Four organizations approved at this time for pilots to run from January 2004 to March 2005

• Project continues and is funded through to March 2009

• Initially focused on the area North of Sioux Lookout, but as of 2007 service all of Ontario

13. 14. 15. Good Learning Anywhere

• Mandate to provide programs to learners:

• • who live in isolated or remote areas and do not have access

• • Cannot access regular onsite programs for other reasons

• It is also a supplementary aid for onsite programs

16. The Traditional Distance Learner

• Grill, 1999 speaks of predisposed characteristics of distance learners -these learners tend to bemotivated ,well educated ,middle-class ,Caucasianindividuals who want to continue their education

17. Good Learning Anywhere learners

• • 67% grade 7-12 highest level of schooling

• • 24% unemployed

• • 57% aged 27-39

• • 34% English is second language

• • 86% female

• • 87% want to be able to stay in their own community and still take courses

• • 67% need study time that can be arranged around their work/family schedule

18. What is the digital divide ?

• is the growing global phenomenon that is creating greater distance between those having access to information and communications technology (ICT) and those who do not due to geographical and social isolation, poverty and political factors(AISR, 2006; Brescia & Daily, 2007; CBNC, 2006; Hunt, 2001; Miller, 2006)

• Employment statistics for the global Indigenous population indicate that as employment skill requirements reflect the growing technology trends of the global market, the gap will widen between those with technology and those without; imposing a significant threat to under-skilled Indigenous people who will be excluded from new economic and employment opportunities(Greenall & Loizides, 2001; Miller, 2006)

19. Reaching Our Learners

• Mail

• Telephone

• Floatplanes and Airplanes

• Fax

• Video and DVDs

20. Existing Model

• Static Website

• Centra synchronous online platform

• Textbooks and materials are mailed out to learners

• Courses:

• • 1 to 2 hours long twice a week

• • 6 12 weeks in length

• Assignments and homework are emailed or faxed

• All courses are free

21. Courses

• Teachers Assistant Career Training (TACT)

• First Nations Management Training

• Empowerment Through Learning Math, Reading, Social Studies, Science and Writing

• English Upgrading

• Essential Skills for Heavy Equipment Operators

22. Learning from home communities 23. Pros of this model

• Live time

• Builds community

• Interactive

• Visual

• Recording and playbackfeature

• Learners learn from home community

24. Math.Fractions!!! 25. URLs 26. Text Chat 27. 28. Having some fun! 29. Goodbyes 30. Limitations of existing model for SHLC

• No tech staff on site with website design knowledge

• Materials for courses are on individual instructors computers

• Emailing websites and homework after each class can be tedious

• Some learners do not want email addresses

• $/course for instructor limits number of courses that can be run

• Learners are at various levels and have specific needs

31. Moodle and literacy in Ontario

• Alphaplus in Toronto, ON offered a course to literacy practitioners in Ontario

• Offered opportunity to develop and instruct entire courses on Moodle

32. SHLC and Moodle

• A five stage process

33. 1 ststage

• Course Page

• Link to Centra

• Registration form

34. 2 ndstage

• Used to hold information for GLA instructors

• Encourages instructors to get familiar with the platform

• Easy access to forms

35. 3 rd stage

• Use for existing Centra courses

36. 3 rd stage 37. 4 thstage

• Plato asynchronous platform

• Existing pathways and material that is unable to be modified

• Does not have the capacity for community building or peer support

• Moodle can be used to support Plato:

• • Additional activities

• • A place for information to be posted

• • Forums for interaction with others

38. 5 thstage

• Develop entire moodle courses for learners

• This will allow us to:

• • Offer independent learning for higher level learners

• • Ability for courses to be available anytime

• • Create our own content

39. Lessons learned

• Learners get comfortable with one way of learning

• Make the changes slowly

• Asynchronous learning takes more motivation from the learner

• With both platforms, a lot of support is needed by the instructor

40. Miigwech

• Linda Wright

• [email_address]

• 905 6