Stephen Reder, Jill Castek, Elizabeth Withers & Drew PizzolatoPortland State University

Tutor-facilitated Digital Literacy Acquisition: An Overview

Its a Strand!

Project Purpose

Address primary barriers to broadband use in vulnerable & digitally excluded populations

Primary target populations include:– Low-income adults– Adults without a high school education– Immigrants and non-native English speakers– Seniors– Incarcerated adults and ex-offenders

Who Are We?

• Action research team at Portland State University:– Steve Reder - Jill Castek– Elizabeth Withers - Drew Pizzolato

• Hub of a national network of community partners doing digital literacy work with vulnerable populations

• This session introduces a strand of presentations by our community partners

Who Are You?

• What are your roles in adult education?– Teacher?– Program administrator?– Policy maker?– Researcher or evaluator?

• What settings/systems do you work in?– K-12?– Community college?– CBO?– Government?– University?

Who Are You?

• Does your work involve closing the digital divide?

• Are you aware that a major national campaign to close the digital divide was launched last week?

Public ServiceAnnouncement

• Let’s take a look at a public service announcement from that campaign, Everyone On, powered byConnect2Compete

• Show C2C video

Turn and Talk

• What are the limitations in C2C’s approach given the needs of the adults we serve in our communities?

Things We’ve Heardat Project Sites

• Know where to begin• Keep up with the pace of change• Find ongoing support to grow a

range of skills• Put skills to use to achieve goals• Network with others• Overcome fears• Stay relevant in today’s digital

world

To cross the digital divide adults need affordable technology and be able to:

What’s the Problem?

• 1 in 5 Americans are not Internet users

• Research on the digital divide has revealed a complex picture of digital exclusion and close connections with issues of poverty, education and cultural diversity

• Several major barriers have been to achieving universal access:– Affordability– Digital literacy– Perceived relevance

What Are We Doing About It?

• Designed and implemented program under Broadband Technologies Opportunities Program (BTOP), U.S. Department of Commerce

• Use Learner Web platform to deliver blended learning support for digital literacy

• Tutor-facilitated, self-paced learning• Learners and community tutors use same platform• Served 11,500+ adults in 6 states, more to come

– California, Louisiana, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Texas– 500+ community tutors engaged, 100+ public computer labs

• 70% have completed one or more Learning Plans

Learner Web Partnership:A Multi-state Support System for

Broadband Adoption for Vulnerable Adults

Funding

• American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)

• U.S. Department of Commerce (NTIA), Broadband Technology Opportunities Program

• Our project: $3.3 million federal funds + $2.6 million matching funds

Partners

• Portland State University: project lead & Learner Web host• Minnesota Literacy Council: content developer for learners• ProLiteracy Worldwide: content developer for tutor training• Subrecipients with networks of community partners:

– Richmond Public Library (Richmond CA)– Goodwill of Southeast Louisiana (New Orleans)– Minnesota Literacy Council (4 cities in MN)– Cayuga Community College (18 Literacy Zones across NY state)– Literacy Coalition of Central Texas (3 counties in Austin TX area)– South Texas College (2 counties in McAllen TX area)

• 100+ community anchor institutions: schools, libraries, workforce centers, community-based organizations

• Blended learning supportLearner Web interfaceCommunity tutors

• Customizable to learners’PlaceGoalsPreferred language Resources

• Self-paced

Our Model

Blended learning support

Learner Web interface Community tutors

Our Model

Place based content - McAllen, TX

Our Model:Customizable

Place based content – Austin, TX

Our Model:Customizable

Our Model:Customizable

Place based resources- McAllen, TX

Place based resources– Austin, TX

Our Model:Customizable

Preferred Language

Our Model:Customizable

Learner-specific goals

Our Model:Customizable

• Learner completes interest inventory

• Interests trigger relevant learning plans

Customizable content

Experiences withOur Model

Tutor Facilitated

Experiences withOur Model

Self Paced

Experiences withOur Model

Louisiana

California

New York Minnesota

Texas

Oregon

Collaboration with Partners in Multiple States

Flexible Implementation

Louisiana

California

New York Minnesota

Texas

Oregon

Q & A

• What are the venues for teaching vulnerable adults digital literacy in your community?

• How might elements of this model fit into the range of things happening in your community?

• How might you build elements of this model into a workforce center, ABE classes, or forge community partnerships?

Want to Learn More?

Strand Sessions (details on handout)

• Engaging Community Organizations in Digital Literacy

• Incorporating Digital Literacy into Traditional Literacy Classrooms and in Support of Wait-Listed Students

• Digital Literacy On-Ramps to Career Pathways

• Tutor-Facilitation and Blended Learning for Digital Literacy; a Discussion of Key Issues and Future Directions in Digital Literacy

Want to Learn More?

Visit our exhibit booth #209

A Taste of New Orleans: Sign up for a free field trip to see our digital literacy model in action