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Ocotillo Spotlight on Instructional Technology... is a monthly electronic newsletter that highlights an innovative use of technology at one of the Maricopa Community Colleges.

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Ocotillo Spotlight on Instructional Technology

Note: The Ocotillo Spotlight is no longer published, but all previous issues will remain on this site.

spotlight for November 2001
This month the Ocotillo Spotlight shines on the successes of a Title V grant at Phoenix College that is bringing technology into the success stories of ESL and developmental level students. This grant has brought wireless networked laptop computers into the classroom and supported a number of programs to improve the teaching and learning in English, Math, and Science courses.

Doug Sawyer
Ocotillo Faculty Chair
doug.sawyer@scmail.maricopa.edu

Phoenix College Title V Grant Integrates Technology into ESL and Developmental Learning

written by Nancy Matte (Ocotillo Chair)
photos by Pam Rogers and the Title V Project Administration Staff

In October 2000 Phoenix College joined over 100 other colleges and universities nationwide in implementing the Title V Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program grant. The grant is designed to strengthen existing college systems so that underrepresented minorities and low-income students can be better served.

Phoenix College students using technology provided by Title V grant

Every feature of this project will improve the college's assistance to minority students, students enrolled in ESL and low-income individuals. Hispanic students are overenrolled in developmental coursework and tend to have lower completion rates than the regular population. Further, Hispanic students are under-enrolled in higher-level math and science courses that are required for many of today's high tech jobs and for transfer to four-year institutions.

Studies show that introducing technology into the classroom, especially into the ESL program, will be effective in helping these students succeed in developmental courses. Since many of these students are using technology for the first time, this learning experience will increase their confidence to use it as a regular part of their learning process, increasing their lifelong learning skills and their computer literacy.

Part of the Title V mission is the creation of a Math/Science Center. This will provide encouragement and support for underrepresented students and allow them to consider careers they might not otherwise have considered. The on-going support will help all students to succeed in higher level science while we promote long term economic and academic success among Hispanic students and achieve higher numbers of university transfer among Hispanic students.

The main goal of the Title V grant at PC is to develop an integrated instructional model for ESL and developmental students using technology to enhance their success rates in mainstream college courses with an emphasis in math and science. The long-term outcomes for this project are to use technology with ESL and developmental students to teach them to become successful by promoting a sense of self-sufficiency will eventually lead these students to finish a degree program and become leaders in their chosen fields.

Technology is a major component for implementing the Title V grant at Phoenix College. This year alone the grant project has purchased 40 computers to be used for implementing the program's objectives. Ten desktop computers are housed in the newly remodeled Learning Assistance Center.

Students using new computers in the Learning Assistance Center

The remaining 30 computers are laptops that are transported to the classrooms in a wireless electronic classroom cart. These laptops are currently being used in classroom instruction in ESL, MATH and RDG courses. The use of technology in all courses will promote a sense of self-sufficiency and eventually lead these students to finish a degree program and become leaders in their chosen fields.

Wireless networking brings computer technology to the classrooms.

Some of the software being used includes:

• Rosetta Stone Language Library for ESL courses
• Math XL for Mathematics courses,
• Novanet for ESL and Reading courses
• Wordsmart for Reading courses
• ACE II for ESL and Developmental English courses

One feature of the intensive faculty training for Title V will be the thoughtful discussion of issues such as how familiar a teacher's cultural references are. Through an on-going intensive course offered by the Foreign Language program training will promote the faculty's understanding of Hispanic culture. A major goal is that instructors' in-class references will include more things that Hispanic and other minority students are familiar with. Strategies for improving communication to Hispanic and other minority students will be an on-going strand of faculty development during the training activates of this grant.

Phoenix College has several collaborations and partnerships with local educational agencies and community institutions that will complement this project. Several of these partnerships directly respond to Title V Priority for institutions that have "entered into a collaborative arrangement with at least one local educational agency . . . in reducing drop-out rates for Hispanic students, improves rates of academic achievement for Hispanic students and increase the rates at which Hispanic secondary school enroll in higher education."

These partnerships include a re-entry program on campus for high school drop-outs - the majority of which are low - income and well over half of whom are Hispanic in parental involvement in children's education is boosted through a bilingual computer skills and beginning ESL program, a bridge program with Arizona State University West to encourage college retention and transfer rates, and selected mentoring and encouragement projects that work with inner-city children to encourage them to stay in school and go on to college.

Phoenix College's Title V Project Grant to infuse instructional technology into ESL and developmental classes is just beginning its second year. Already the use of technology is proving successful, according to instructors.

Pam Rogers, Coordinator of the ESL program, underscores the value of using computers in the ESL classroom:

The Title V grant has provided a unique learning opportunity for ESL students to gain from the use of specific, dynamic course content via wireless computers. Thus students are supplementing their classroom based instruction as well as navigating laptops, all the while experiencing the excitement and power of both language learning and technology on the cutting edge.

Nancy Meyers using wireless computers in her classroom

Another ESL instructor, Nancy Meyers, pinpoints the value of the classroom laptops:

Using the wireless laptops have added interest to our ESL listening and speaking class. There are challenges in getting students and the teacher to use the computers effectively, but my students are motivated to learn what they know will help them in the future. It would be difficult to find a group who is more appreciative of the opportunity to use such up-to-date technology.

Finally, Joseph Kimbuende, also an ESL instructor, comments on the effects of using technology with his ESL students:

I've had a very positive experience with the use of technology in my ESL classes this semester. Students' surveys and test scores show an increase in students' abilities. Their motivation has increased as well. Considering the success of the technology pilot program, I'm working to fully integrate technology use in all my classes.

Overall, the instructors in this program report that all ESL students respond positively to the use of computers. The opportunity for students to learn English grammarÑwhich sometimes has the reputation of being boringÑusing interactive technology has increased student learning and motivation. Joseph Kimbuende reports that in a two course study (one traditional content delivery and the other computer-based instruction) he found that students' abilities and motivation increased and grade averages in the computer-based class was 10% higher than the traditional content delivery classroom. For many of the students in the program this is the first and only experience using computers. However, the students recognize the importance of acquiring computer skills, often asking to take the laptops home for more practice.

People Involved in Title V at Phoenix College

• Tom Adamson, Math Instructor and Curriculum Developer
• Judy Boschult, Faculty Liaison
• Monica Castaneda, Computer lab technician
• Linn Dowd, Curriculum Developer
• Debbie Emoian, Math Instructor and Curriculum Developer
• Betsy Frank, Reading Instructor and Curriculum Developer
• Claudia Herrera, Office Coordinator
• Joseph Kimbuende, ESL Instructor and Curriculum Developer
• Steve Lucas, Reading Instructor and Curriculum Developer
• Cleopatria Martinez, Math Instructor and Curriculum Developer
• Nancy Meyers, ESL Instructor and Curriculum Developer
• Cindy Ortega, Reading Instructor and Curriculum Developer
• Pamela Rogers, ESL Coordinator, Instructor and Curriculum Developer
• Trino Sandoval, Project Director
• Davin Traylor, Hardwire Technician
• Ginny Simmon, ESL Instructor and Curriculum Developer
• Marian Tadano, Dean of Instructor, Title V Grant Writer, and supporter extraordinaire
• Judy Walsh, ESL Instructor and Curriculum Developer