Digital Learning Lab 2022-23 Midpoint Event
scaleLIT’s Digital Learning Lab (DLL) began in 2017 as part of our work to advance digital literacy among adults. DLL participants are dedicated educators who come together to problem solve, share resources, and develop solutions and innovations for the learning communities they work with. Each year, subject matter experts (SMEs) lead teams through 3 “sprints,” which provide collaborative, in-depth learning opportunities based on educational hypotheses and research.
On February 24th, over 40 adult educators from across Illinois gathered for the Digital Learning Lab midpoint event hosted by Google. During the event, scaleLIT’s EdTech Director Michael Matos led cohort members and SMEs in reporting on their collaboration and findings through the first half of this year’s sprints.
Read on to learn more about DLL and February’s Midpoint Event!
What is the Digital Learning Lab?
We kicked off the lab in October 2017 with an interactive workshop in Bloomington, Illinois. This workshop provided a space for educators and partners to discuss problems learners face in the classroom and ways to leverage new technology and digital literacy to help solve these problems. In 2018, these discussions were expanded into three “sprints,” where educators took a deeper dive into digital literacy and technology solutions.
The purpose of the DLL is “to help educators differentiate instruction and accelerate learning, and improve the use of technology to communicate and solve problems while increasing learner’s digital literacy, access, and 21st-century skills.”
To serve this purpose, we promote three core elements in each aspect of the DLL:
1. Support for adult educators and their programs on how to effectively incorporate learning technology into the classroom, with SMEs and curated resources.
2. A facilitated learning community for educators and administrators to support, advise, and learn from each other and from the resources they find valuable.
3. Capturing insights about the most effective digital tools, delivery models, support strategies, which can then be shared across the state of Illinois.
Since the start, the DLL has been a collaborative effort, where subject experts and educators share their experiences, knowledge, and experiment together to create the best learning opportunities for their program participants. The DLL functions as a community of adult educators focused on integrating new technology into their classrooms. Educators explore a variety of opportunities for student learning that are independent, personalized, and sustainable. Educators also have opportunities to experiment with tech tools and a variety of learning resources including digital literacy, blended learning, hybrid learning, flex learning, M-learning, U-learning and others
2022-23 Midpoint Event
For this year’s DLL cohorts, the SMEs are adult education expert Rebecca Eller-Molitas; instructional design consultant Jennifer Maddrell, Ph.D.; educator and data reporting specialist Joy Pak, J.D.; technology integration consultant David Rosen, Ed.D., and e-learning specialist Michelle Schallmo, M.Ed.
The event began with an introduction from Matos, centering the event on the importance of digital literacy for adult learners and the opportunity that integrating technology into the classroom provides for educators. Then, three presenters furthered the conversation with insights from their respective fields.
First, Dr. Jennifer Maddrell discussed developments in AI and their implications for adult education. Participants shared their own experiences with AI as educators, and brainstormed ways to use AI to benefit their learners.
Jourdan Sorrell, Senior Manager of External Affairs at Comcast, then briefed participants on the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and how it helps many - including adult learners - become more connected to their communities and elevates opportunities for digital literacy learning. Sorrell shared how Comcast has created events and promoted digital navigators to help enroll Chicago residents in ACP, and the high impact that the program has already had.
After that, Amelia Boggess and Lane Steiner from Burlington English shared about their company, and how it leverages technology and digital literacy to advance academic and career success for ESL learners. They shared that Burlington English’s lessons are also aligned with Northstar’s four core parts and aimed toward proctored & non-proctored Northstar assessments.
Finally, under the guidance of the 5 SMEs, each of this year’s 5 cohorts presented their findings so far, with innovative ideas and solutions touching on class format, using games to bridge the digital divide for older adult learners, and much more.
A few of the rich resources shared during the event included:
and many more!
We’re grateful to all who joined to share their work and expertise, and all who participated in the DLL to make it the impactful, innovative program it has become.
Join us!
Now, more than ever, adult educators must be equipped to support digital literacy and distance education. If you are innovative, experimental, and want to meet the challenges of the educational landscape while adopting cutting-edge technology and best practices for your classroom, consider becoming a scaleLIT member and championing digital literacy with us.
