Literacy Volunteers of the Eastern Panhandle A Future Vision of Education Case Study Shannon M. Creamer Post University

Educational context of the lvep organization Based in Martinsburg, WV Helps adults over the age of 18 in Basic Literacy, Math, high school equivalency exam preparation, English as a Second Language (ESL), and/or citizenship classes. Tutoring offered on one-on-one or group basis Services are provided by LVEP certified and trained tutors free of charge, regardless of income All books and materials are supplied The LVEP program is a non-profit organization and a registered charity that is partnered with United Way, an affiliate of Literacy WV and ProLiteracy America (Literacy Volunteers of the Eastern Panhandle Inc., n.d.).

Using adaptive learning technology to individualize learning All students attending the Adult Learning Center have free and open access to the following: Computer lab GED distance education program accessible from home Distance education component adapts instruction based on student’s areas of strength and weakness ESL students have been distributed iPads to support vocabulary acquisition, allowing for: Learning outside of the class The opportunity to study independently Focus on their individual and specific needs with apps that use adaptive learning technology Increased study time.

Integrating blended learning in the literacy and esl components Blended learning involves “courses that integrate online with traditional face-to-face class activities in a planned, pedagogically valuable manner; and where a portion (institutionally defined) of face-to-face time is replaced by online activity” (Picciano, 2009, pg. 10). According to the NMC Horizon Report, “flexibility, ease of access, and the integration of sophisticated multimedia and technologies” have gained mass appeal (Johnson, Adams, Estrada & Freeman, 2015, pg. 16). Studies show that blended learning models increase learning by 11% compared to classroom instruction alone (Siltzmann & Ely, 2009, pg. 7).

Futuring techniques in education: scanning “Scanning focuses mainly on trends—changes that occur through time" (World Future Society, n.d., para 1). By studying these changes that occur over a period of time, futurists become informed with data-driven intelligence that enables them to make useful and relevant forecasts and predictions (Sobrero, 2004, para 5). Institutions incorporate observational data acquired through scanning to construct real-world scenarios relevant to their institution to inform their planning processes. PROS CONS Large amounts of data are valuable in making forecasts and predictions Data helps inform the planning process Large amounts of data can be overwhelming and time consuming

Futuring techniques in education: scenarios Scenarios are defined as “consistent and coherent descriptions of alternative hypothetical futures that reflect different perspectives on the past, present, and future developments, which can serve as a basis for action” (van Notten, as cited in OECD, 2006, pg. 13). PROS CONS catalyst for strategic planning and innovation aid in the preparation for critical uncertainties Time consuming Requires specialized, expert knowledge that may be hard to fulfill

Technology trends in education Blended Learning Rapidly gaining momentum in the field of adult ESL education Uses a combination of online and face-to-face classroom instruction The online component contains exercises and/or supplemental content that complement in-class instruction Flipped Classroom Form of blended learning Instructional content is delivered prior to and outside of class through videos In- class time is used for discussion and application of the content

Economic & public policy trends Immigrants represent a faster growth rate in the work force than native born U.S. citizens Immigrants who speak English earn 46% more in wages than those who don’t speak English (Martinez & Wang, 2005, as cited in Schaetzel, Young, & Center for Adult English Language, 2010, pg. 8) Level of education and immigration status are two other major factors influencing income level of immigrants (Schatezel, Young, & Center for Adult English Language, 2010, pg. VIII)

Economic and public policy trends cont. Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 initiated programs for basic adult education through federally funded instructional services, including those for English language learners Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA). AEFLA was originally signed into law in 1998 under Title II of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (Department of Education, 2013, para 1) AEFLA formalized the role of adult education related to the assistance of English language learners and immigrants in learning to read, write, and speak English and expanded this focus by also adding a civics component (Department of Education, 2014, pgs. 2-3).

Demographic trends In addition to being among the nation’s lowest high school graduation/equivalency rate, according to statistics, "West Virginia adults are the least likely in the nation to have at least an associate's degree"; and, only 18.5% of West Virginians have a bachelors degree or beyond, which is 10 percent lower than the national average (Sauter & Hess, 2012). Adult immigrants represent a substantial portion of America's adult education population, and represent the majority of the student population at the LVEP’s Adult Learning Center. There has been a steady incline in the immigrant population in the United States since the 1970’s, and the majority of these individuals (71%) are adults between 25 and 64 years of age (Schaetzel, Young, & Center for Adult English Language (2010, pg. 4) These immigrants are a very diverse population with widely various English language proficiency and educational levels

Vision for the future of the lvep organization Simon, 2011

Vision for the future of the lvep organization cont. Provide personalized, engaging, and flexible learning that accommodates the diverse needs of all students. Teachers and tutors that are well-trained and confident in delivering digitally rich instruction Collaboration with the community and with technological experts to ensure success and support of the educational goals of the LVEP.

Plan for action ThrivingTiger, 2013

Plan for action cont. Conduct a change readiness survey of students and teachers Conduct efforts to build support with stakeholders including the launching of several pilots to ease the shift to blended learning. Revise the budget and phase in changes over a period of time to ease transition financially and boost affordability. Classrooms at the adult learning center will be offered as a blended learning environment Technological skills as they relate to effective use in the classroom will be included as a part of required teacher and tutor preparation Create a digitally rich learning environment using simple, user-friendly, and cost-effective tools that are compatible with the existing infrastructure of the adult learning center as well as the devices students bring from home.

Call to action Melenita, n.d.

Call to action cont. Improve the delivery of instruction to be more flexible, dynamic, and individualized Blended learning be added to improvement strategies of the LVEP Systemic planning focused on achieving educational goals with the effective use of technology and digitally rich learning environments. Tutor and teacher training and support for the implementation of technology in classrooms

references Department of Education. (2013, September 17). Adult Education and Family Literacy Act of 1998. Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/policy/adulted/leg/legis.html Department of Education. (2014, August 19). Session II: Overview of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgeQBG0OJ1A Johnson, L., Adams, S., Estrada, V., Freeman, A. (2015). NMC Horizon report: 2015 higher education edition. : The New Media Consortium. OECD. (2006). Think Scenarios, Rethink Education. Retrieved from http://www.oecd.org/education/school/36702582.pdf

References cont. Picciano, A. (2009). Blending with Purpose: The Multimodal Level. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 13(1), 7-18. Retrieved from http://www.york.cuny.edu/academics/academic-affairs/assets/Blended%20Learning.pdf Sauter, M. B., & Hess, A. E. (2012, October 15). America’s Best (and Worst) Educated States | Fox Business. Retrieved from http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal- finance/2012/10/15/americas-best-and-worst-educated-states/ Schaetzel, K., Young, S., & Center for Adult English Language, A. (2010). Education for Adult English Language Learners in the United States: Trends, Research, and Promising Practices. Center for Adult English Language Acquisition, Sitzman, T., & Ely, K. (2009, June 3). Web-Based Instruction: Design and Technical Issues which Influence Training Effectiveness [pdf]. Retrieved from https://www.moresteam.com/presentations/download/adl2009slides.pdf

References Cont. Sobrero, P. (2004). The Steps for Futuring. Journal of Extension, 42(3). Retrieved from http://www.joe.org/joe/2004june/comm2.php World Future Society. (n.d.). Scanning | World Future Society. Retrieved from http://www.wfs.org/node/400

Photo credits Melenita2012. [photograph]. Retrieved from https://thrivingtiger.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/untitled-1.png Simon, C. (2011, August 3). [photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/opensourceway/6005580301 Thrivingtiger. (2013, September 4). [photograph]. Retrieved from https://thrivingtiger.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/untitled-1.png