Rian Immigrant Center
Education and Career Services Department
Rian's Education and Career Services Department provides culturally responsive, holistic and accessible English and computer classes as well as one-on-one citizenship tutoring and career advising; to expand immigrants’ access to opportunities and to reach goals for themselves and their families.
Routines
Conduct a Digital Literacy Pre-Assessment with Students
Boston Uncornered, JVS - Bridges to College and Careers, Rian Immigrant Center, Suffolk County Sheriff's Department, X-Cel Education
TAGS: #DigitalLiteracy #Assessment #GoogleForms #BostonUncornered #JVSBoston #RianImmigrantCenter #XCelEducation #SCSD
WHAT | One effective way to understand the digital literacy levels of learners is to conduct a pre-assessment: Once the results are collected, they can be analyzed to identify the areas that require attention. By understanding the learners' needs early on, we can effectively move forward and provide them with the support they need to succeed. Assessments may be administered upon intake using the Northstar Digital Literacy platform (paper or digital), custom-made Google Forms, or other resources that work for the agency.
WHY | As educators, we strive to save learners' time by identifying their specific needs and crafting our edtech routines accordingly: Our goal is to assess and build digital literacy skills for students, providing additional support where needed to help them achieve their education goals and/or transition smoothly to higher education or the workforce. Assessing digital literacy skills can motivate students to improve their academic skills and reduce anxiety and frustration during instruction by empowering students with the knowledge to use digital platforms.
Connected Evidence-Based Strategies | This strategy connects to the following evidence-based strategies:
Clear Structure and Presentation
Learner Choice
Check-ins
Error Analysis
Formative assessment
Goal setting and monitoring
HOW | Google Forms: During the intake/orientation process, new students are provided information about and access to a pre-assessment to self-assess their digital literacy skills. Students log into the pre-assessment and review the directions with instructors and staff. Students then answer questions that determine their digital literacy and knowledge of the platforms and programs they will use within the program. This may include, but is not limited to: Zoom, Google Classroom, Google Drive, Google Docs, Moodle, Chat (WhatsApp), Canvas, navigating college websites and financial aid websites, and more.
The students are given a time limit to answer the pre-assessment questions. At the end of the allotted time, students will be given an opportunity to review their answers with instructors. Instructors will review the answers as a team and determine which students need additional digital literacy support as they begin their classes. Digital literacy instruction will be integrated across subject areas with a focus on improving technological skills with formative assessments, goal setting, and a final summative assessment.
DIGITAL SKILLS | Implementing this strategy connects to the following digital skill(s):
IS.4: Self-assess Your Skills: Identify info needs and competence/knowledge gaps
LL.2*: Adapt to New Technology: Adaptability [e.g. open to learning new tech, reapply/build on tech experiences]
Fostering Inquiry on a Remote Video Meeting
Rian Immigrant Center
TAGS: #DigitalLiteracy #Assessment #Survey #Slido #RianImmigrantCenter
WHAT | Using a QR code, students can access a variety of teacher-curated polls. Students can develop inquiries in a low-stakes environment by asking and answering questions anonymously through a variety of different polls, surveys, and quizzes.
WHY | The anonymity of the polls and surveys will allow students to engage with the content while maintaining a low-stakes environment.
Connected Evidence-Based Strategies | This strategy connects to the following evidence-based strategies:
Self-monitoring: When adults monitor their comprehension, performance, and use of strategies when learning they become more invested in their work, build their Metacognition, and actively participate in the process. Helping learners self-assess their behavior helps develop their Self-regulation, monitor their comprehension during reading, and think through strategies during math tasks. Self-monitoring also supports critical thinking and Problem Solving skills.
Formative Assessment: Formative assessment is "assessment for learning" rather than "assessment of learning". In terms of lifelong and lifewide learning, it is often called "learning-oriented assessment", since the focus is on fostering a Learner Mindset by providing feedback, reflection, and revision opportunities rather than evaluation. Embedding assessments throughout instructional activities for feedback and growth opportunities rather than evaluation of achievement, serves a variety of purposes in instructional settings. Learners have the opportunity to make mistakes in a low-risk environment, receive meaningful feedback from the instructor to understand their progress, and revise their work to support a cycle of learning. Formative activities and assessments also help to inform instruction as instructors also gain meaningful information about learner progress. These activities can positively boost learner Emotion and intrinsic Motivation, helping to ease academic anxiety as the emphasis is placed on the learning process rather than final achievement.
HOW | Slido: With Slido, students can submit questions through a regular web browser using a unique event code. Questions that appear on the presenter’s screen can be upvoted by other participants, moving the most popular questions to the top. Once a question has been answered, the presenter or teacher can remove it from the queue. Slido also offers audiences polling with multiple-choice and word cloud options.
Word cloud poll - A word cloud poll is a visual representation of your audience’s thoughts. You simply ask your participants a poll question, and their submissions create a word collage.
Multiple choice poll - A multiple choice poll allows your audience to select one or multiple options. You can also mark one of the options as a correct answer if you want to quiz your colleagues or event attendees.
Rating poll - A rating poll lets your audience give a star rating in the same manner that we use when rating our Uber drives, meal deliveries, or hotel accommodations.
Open text poll - An open text poll gives your audience the freedom to formulate their own answers via an open text field.
Ranking poll - A ranking poll lets your participants rank multiple options based on their preference or any other desired order.
DIGITAL SKILLS | Implementing this strategy connects to the following digital skill(s):
CO.2: Digital collaboration: Students will use Slido as a medium for interpersonal communication and collaboration between students and instructors.
MO.6: Collaborate Using Mobile Tools: Students will utilize their mobile phones to access surveys and polls through QR codes on their mobile devices.
Use Voice Messages and Photo Messages to Implement Formative Assessments
Rian Immigrant Center
TAGS: #FormativeAssessment #Assessment #VoiceMessages #PhotoMessages #TextMessaging #WhatsApp #RianImmigrantCenter
WHAT | The student can share voice messages and photo messages with teachers via a secure group chat to share pictures of class assignments, homework assignments, and class written assessments. Additionally, using the voice recording feature, students can share his/her answers in an audio format.
WHY | Instructors can use this routine for immediate formative assessment on in-class prompts, using this routine for homework checks
Connected Evidence-Based Strategies | This strategy connects to the following evidence-based strategies:
Formative Assessment: Formative assessment is "assessment for learning" rather than "assessment of learning". In terms of lifelong and lifewide learning, it is often called "learning-oriented assessment", since the focus is on fostering a Learner Mindset by providing feedback, reflection, and revision opportunities rather than evaluation. Embedding assessments throughout instructional activities for feedback and growth opportunities rather than evaluation of achievement, serves a variety of purposes in instructional settings. Learners have the opportunity to make mistakes in a low-risk environment, receive meaningful feedback from the instructor to understand their progress, and revise their work to support a cycle of learning. Formative activities and assessments also help to inform instruction as instructors also gain meaningful information about learner progress. These activities can positively boost learner Emotion and intrinsic Motivation, helping to ease academic anxiety as the emphasis is placed on the learning process rather than final achievement.
Immediate Feedback: Immediate feedback can improve a learner's confidence, self-awareness and enthusiasm for learning, which leads to increased Motivation. Feedback that is provided at the time of learning helps improve understanding, address misconceptions, reinforce strategies, and support retention in Long-term Memory. Effective, immediate feedback includes the following characteristics: it is timely, ongoing, formative, actionable, specific to the learner, and reflects a positive tone.
Speech-to-text: Speech-to-text takes the input from voice recognition and produces text. It recognizes the user's voice and translates it into digitized text, which is different from voice recognition that could produce actions. Speech-to-text can support adult learners with and without physical impairments, especially in Composition, while also increasing independence, decreasing anxiety, and developing a Learner Mindset with the error correction process embedded in the software. Voice interfaces can support asynchronous online communication and expression, immediate feedback, and Social and Relationship Skills.
HOW | WhatsApp: Students can use WhatsApp as a free, cross-platform messaging service. Students can use the attachment feature and voice recording feature in the mobile or computer app to send and share photos, videos, text, and voice message documents in secure chat groups.
DIGITAL SKILLS | Implementing this strategy connects to the following digital skill(s):
CO.8 Use Messaging tools: Use a messaging app to communicate with others (WhatsApp, Messenger)
IS.4: Self-assess Your Skills: Identify info needs and competence/knowledge gaps