EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
BUILDING SKILLS FOR ADULTS IN SMALL REMOTE COMMUNITIES
T
he
Building Basic Skills for Adults in Small Remote Communities
Research Project, a project made possible with funding support
from the Office of Learning Technologies, examined the feasibility
of developing and assessing literacy and numeracy skills at a
distance using audiographics and teleconferencing technology.
Contact
North/Contact Nord’s commitment to small and remote
communities is well illustrated in this unique project. The study
highlights new possibilities for improving access to basic
education for residents of Northern Ontario.
Residents
of many rural and remote communities throughout Canada are not
within realistic reach of face-to-face basic skills training, yet
they are often in the most acute need of such training. Literacy
programs and tutor support are rarely available in these
communities. To help answer these needs, project partners Contact
North/Contact Nord, the Balmoral Centre for Adult Studies
and the Thunder Bay District Social Services Administrative Board
joined forces to design the Building Basic Skills research
project, a distance learning study that was facilitated through
Contact North/Contact Nord’s audiographics and
teleconferencing Network.
The
target group for this project was primarily adults, either
currently employed or not, whose opportunities were severely
limited by their current need for literacy upgrading. Program
participants were either clients of Ontario Works Programs or
residents who sought out a program through the local Contact
North/Contact Nord Distance Education & Training Access
Centre. All learners participated in 2 assessment sessions, which
were administered by the literacy instructors via the audiographic
technology (telewriter and speakerphone system); a large group of
the learners also participated in a 6-8 week program of classes
using the same technology.
The
research study revealed that both the adult learners and the
literacy instructors found the audiographic technology to be a
valuable tool in basic skills training and assessment. The
majority considered the telewriter easy to use, becoming adept
after only a few minutes practise. The immediacy of the technology
was also appreciated. The telewriter offered visual cues to both
the participant and the instructor and provided opportunities for
the learners to receive feedback during the process. By being able
to talk with the participants while they were completing
assessments and see directly what they were doing on the computer
monitor, the administrator could glean valuable information. The
audiographic technology also enabled a rapport between the
learners and the instructors, a rapport that was considered
important to the participants. The only modification requested was
to make the telewriter ‘page’ larger, thus providing the
learners with more space to write and work through numerical
calculations. Overall, the Building Basic Skills research
project was a positive experience for all participants.
This
project has demonstrated that online literacy instruction and
assessment can be conducted, and conducted well, with the use of
audiographic and teleconferencing tools to learners in remote
regions. Results of the Building Basic Skills for Adults in Small
Remote Communities Research Project will further enhance
the ability to provide access to education and training to the
residents of the North.
The
Building Basic Skills project has been continued as a program at
the Balmoral Centre for Adult Studies. Contact Ruth Baker for
registration details at 807 622-6642 or rbaker@lhbe.edu.on.ca.
Visit
olt-bta@hrdc-drhc.gc.ca
for the complete final report of the Building Basic Skills For
Adults in Small Remote Communities Research Project or request a
copy of the pdf file as per the procedures in publications.
Contact
us at 1-800-561-2222
Northeast
Regional Coordinating Centre
410 Falconbridge Road, Unit 1
Sudbury, Ontario P3A 4S4
Phone: 705-560-2710
Fax: 705-525-0136
Northwest
Regional Coordinating Centre
1139 Alloy Drive, Suite 104
Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 6M8
Phone: 807-344-1616
Fax: 807-344-2390
