AlphaPlus

Program use of AlphaRoute was measured over many years.

2000-2001

The September 2000 launch of Francophone and Anglophone AlphaRoute, and the February to April 2001 site pilots of program delivery in six LBS agencies in Ontario (Thunder Bay Literacy Group, Confederation College in Thunder Bay, Learning Centre for Georgina, Dryden Literacy Association, Kingston Read Write Centre, and J’aime apprendre Inc in Cornwall prompted the following questions:

• How does AlphaRoute affect LBS services and clients?
• What tools, systems, and processes are needed to offer AlphaRoute as an enhanced alternative mode of delivery?
• How does AlphaRoute enhance the skills of adult literacy students with different goals and how can this be evidenced?
• How can an agency document LBS activity in an AlphaRoute environment?

Adult literacy students, instructors, and tutors agreed AlphaRoute was a valuable tool to encourage learning, a tool that had important potential for use in LBS agencies.

Results from the launch and pilots included valuable recommendations for improving the AlphaRoute environment, such as varying levels of student support, improvements to AlphaRoute design and content, and various technical considerations. Results also suggested the need for a strategic implementation plan outlining the various modes of AlphaRoute delivery and addressing possible barriers to participation.

2001-2002

In fall 2001, two new AlphaRoute environments were officially launched to the Deaf and Native literacy communities in Ontario.

From then to March 2002, three LBS agencies piloted AlphaRoute for the Native community in Ontario:  Nokee Kwe Occupational Skills Development Inc in London, Sioux Hudson Literacy Council in Sioux Lookout, and Peterborough Native Learning Program.  From January to April 2002, one LBS agency piloted AlphaRoute for the Deaf community, Durham Deaf Services Literacy Program for Deaf Learners in Oshawa.

AlphaPlus Field Consultants for the Deaf and Native streams served as AlphaRoute educators, working with adult literacy students online throughout the pilot phase.

Pilots site provided on-site support for adult literacy students and were asked to explore a number of questions, including the following:

• Did AlphaRoute specifically enhance the skills of adult literacy students who have different goals?
• Is there evidence AlphaRoute facilitates adult literacy student achievement and success?
• How can an agency document LBS activity in an AlphaRoute environment?
• Did student levels of computer knowledge affect usage of AlphaRoute?
• What activities, features and functions worked well and which did not?

Recommendations resulting from the piloting with the Native community were to:

• Add more content that teaches about Native culture and contemporary issues
• Expand content to include the domains of Communication and Numeracy
• Expand upon the cultural diversity of content to reflect the range of First Nation cultures, including Mohawk, Cree, and Metis
• Link to the Anglophone AlphaRoute environment to accommodate student choice in clutire-based focus

Resulting from the Deaf community piloting were recommendations to revise the activities and site interface before giving full access to this community.  It was also found that:

• Adult literacy students require one-to-one or one-to-two person support initially, and that on-site support was critical
• High speed Internet connection was essential
• The bulk of learning activities should be developed for LBS levels 1 and 2
  
  

2002-2003

AlphaPlus conducted online and telephone surveys of Native, Francophone and Anglophone agencies using AlphaRoute.  Research focused on:

• How are LBS programs using AlphaRoute?
• What issues, challenges, and concerns are evident?
• Which issues are related to program capacity, training and interest in elearning and which issues are related to the AlphaRoute environment itself?

Results were incorporated into Evaluation of AlphaRoute 2002-2003: Report on a survey of AlphaRoute use in Literacy and Basic Skills delivery agencies