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Sylvia Ramirez is a professor at Mira Costa College, where she coordinates the large noncredit program. She has more than 30 years of experience in adult ESL including multi-level and vocational ESL, family literacy, distance learning, teacher training, and textbook authoring. |
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VENTURES IN ADULT EDUCATION: Technology BACKGROUND The prominence of technology in our lives poses interesting issues for adult educators. Studies continue to show that adults with less education are also less likely to own computers and have Internet access. However, life demands make the use of technology an important survival skill. For example, adults are being asked to enter data online, register for services online, submit applications online, communicate with childrenís schools online, even make requests for appointments with government agencies online. Several factors make this a sizable challenge for adult educators:  The rapidity of change in technology
Sufficient up-to-date computers and Internet access to meet students' needs
New staff for increased technology (technicians, and instructional support in labs)
Appropriate software to support classroom textbooks and curriculum
Teachers trained to use the new technologies
Teachers fearful of technology and unwilling/unable to change instructional methods in the new
technology-enhanced environment
Professional development to promote meaningful integration of instruction with technology
Funding formulas that encourage programs to use the new technology to promote access
(distance learning)
CHALLENGES AND IMPLICATIONS FOR CLASSROOM MATERIALS Because of the issues mentioned above, the development of appropriate classroom materials for technology is problematic. Some of the questions for materials developers are: (1) What is the primary role of technology-enhanced materials? In other words, should these materials be used to promote the sale of print materials, or can they be effective and
profitable in their own right?
(2) How do developers balance the needs of high-tech agencies with low-tech agencies? (3) How do developers discover what students really want and need to know as opposed to what teachers say students want and know?
(4) How do developers produce materials that are intuitive -- easy to use for teachers and students?
(5) How do developers determine the future of distance education in adult education programs? FUTURE DIRECTIONS An important challenge is the development of materials that promote the use of technology to gather and use information effectively. There is a need for materials that support higher-level problem solving, conceptual learning, and project-based learning. Many of the current materials support repetitive drill on low-level skills. During 2002-2003 NCAL (National Center for Adult Literacy) surveyed adult education teachers in five states. Two particular survey questions provide information to inform materials development. Teachers described their level of comfort with computers and how their learners currently use technology in classes. |
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Even though this isn't a large sample size, the results correspond to larger K-12 studies that indicate experience and comfort with technology affect the types of activities teachers use with students. A more surprising result from the same study was how teachers responded to a list of technology topics and their interest for professional development. The survey question was "What topic most appeals to you for your own learning?"
The results show teachers are interested in exploring more meaningful use of technology, even though in actual practice, many are not using these activities. |
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REFERENCES Cuban, L. Kirkpatrick, H. & Peck, C. (2001). High access and low use of technology in high school classrooms. Explaining an apparent paradox. American Educational Research Journal. 38(4), 813-834 Ginsburg, L. (2004). NCAL Policy Report: Adult Literacy Practitioners' Readiness To Use Technology In the Classroom: A Five State Survey in 2002 - 2003, University of Pennsylvania. National Telecommunication and Information Administration (NTIA). (2002). A nation online: How Americans are expanding their use of the Internet. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Commerce. |
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Ventures Community
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