Hear Jen Vanek, PhD, and Jamie L. Kreil, PhD, discuss observations and use scenarios in adult English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) and basic education programs across the United States gathered from field testing of the Learning Upgrade mobile app. Through this research, they aim to improve our understanding of how and with whom Learning Upgrade is being used will improve. You can also read the corresponding article, Field Testing Learning Upgrade: Use Scenarios For This Unique Mobile App found in the Fall 2021 "Technology and Adult Learning: Digital Literacy for All" edition of the COABE Journal.

Join the New England Literacy Resource Center this Thursday, January 13th from 2:00-3:00PM EST for The 70/70 Quiz: A Pause for Critical Reflection presented by Carmela Ochoa, Lauren Zajac, Patrick Lohan, and Christian Torres of  Moraine Valley Community College. The 70/70 Quiz is designed not to focus on the preparedness of students, but rather on the intuitive capabilities of the instructor. The instructors develop a review quiz that they are confident that at least 70% of their students could pass at a 70% proficiency level, given the instructors’ intuitive sense of the first few weeks of instruction. When the instructors process the results, they can better plan the rest of the academic journey.

This Friday, January 14th at 1PM EST, the EdTech Center @ World Education will host a Distance Education Strategy Session focused on equity in distance learning classes and programs. Cynthia Peters, Editor of The Change Agent, and Kamala Red, Instructor at the Mid-Manhattan Learning Center, will share how racial equity can be addressed in distance education classes. Penny Pearson, Outreach and Technical Assistance Network’s (OTAN’s) Distance Learning Projects Coordinator, and Neda Anasseri, OTAN’s Coordinator of Technology Projects, will focus on how accessibility features can support equity for programs, instructors, and learners. Following the lightning talks, each presenter will be available for informal small group discussion. 

In adult education, there is a strong focus on supporting adult learners in the acquisition of digital skills. At the EdTech Center, we see how this opportunity for growth applies just as much to adult educators. On Friday, February 11th at 1PM EST, for our first lightning talk, we’re excited to have Ginette Chandler, Director of Professional Development Services of NH Adult Education, who will share the New Hampshire Digital Literacy Skills Assessment and Individualized Professional Development Plans. In the second lightning talk, Alison Asher Webber, the EdTech Center’s Director of Strategic Initiatives, and Jamie Harris, Digital Skills Senior Technical Advisor, will share relevant findings from the Digital Resilience in the American Workforce Project. Following the lightning talks, presenters will be available for informal small group discussions.

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