Janet Saman's ePortfolio
Cognitive Reflection
Artifact: Initial Analysis of Problems and Opportunities - Adapting to Life in the United States: Helping Immigrants Achieve the American Dream from ED TEC 544
Analysis
Project Description / Situation:
In ED TEC 544, we were asked to submit a design concept for a learning product. My team chose to create a tool that would help recent immigrants adapt to their new life in the U.S. The learning product recommended was an online tutorial or CD-ROM, developed in various languages with optional audio instructions and English translation. It would provide education and outreach services by teaching immigrants how to use the internet to find adequate living space, search for jobs, learn English and more. Individually, my assignment was to draft an Initial Analysis of the problems and opportunities for our team project.
Challenges:
One of the challenges we faced was that we could not interview the actual learners due to the language barrier and availability. Instead, our interviews were with individuals who had close contact with the learners and could speak on their behalf:
· A teacher at a night school specializing in teaching English as a second language to immigrants
· A supervisor for Immigration Services
· A researcher specializing in immigration issues
These individuals were interviewed by phone on their experience and expertise in immigration issues. They verbally provided research and evaluation results about individuals who sought assistance from their services. This information provided us with a basis for determining what recommendations we would make for the material and format of the learning tool.
Outcome:
My analysis focused on the data collected from the interview results and was supported by previous research done by the Little Hoover Commission in a 2002 report. The Commission found that “Adult immigrants with less than a high school education, over their lifetime, draw more from public services than they pay in taxes at a cost of about $13,000 each. In contrast, more educated immigrants each contribute about $198,000 more than they cost.” The majority of immigrants in the community analyzed were from Mexico and Latin America. Our sources confirmed that it can be very difficult for immigrants to find good jobs, a decent place to live and improve their education without assistance from outside resources. Yet, when given the opportunity and encouragement, their chances for establishing themselves as contributing members of the community could be greatly improved. The interviewees also indicated that more than half of the immigrants had experience with computers and using the internet.
Our learning tool would need to provide an Introduction to PC course for those who needed it and an opt-out option for those who already knew how to use the internet. Based on my analysis, I drafted the following instructional goals for the learning product:
Learners will:
1. Be able to use the internet more effectively to search for job opportunities.
2. Enhance their communication skills by improving their English language comprehension.
3. Be able to use the internet to search for affordable housing.
4. Improve their chances for achieving success!
Growth:
Working for a corporate employer, I have not had the opportunity to look at learning from the public education perspective. It was enlightening to find that by simply providing some basic assistance and information to immigrants, our society can help them adjust quicker and become more productive members of the community and that in the long term everyone benefits.
Little Hoover Commission, State of California. We the People: Helping Newcomers Become Californians. June 2002.
Analysis
Project Description / Situation:
In ED TEC 544, we were asked to submit a design concept for a learning product. My team chose to create a tool that would help recent immigrants adapt to their new life in the U.S. The learning product recommended was an online tutorial or CD-ROM, developed in various languages with optional audio instructions and English translation. It would provide education and outreach services by teaching immigrants how to use the internet to find adequate living space, search for jobs, learn English and more. Individually, my assignment was to draft an Initial Analysis of the problems and opportunities for our team project.
Challenges:
One of the challenges we faced was that we could not interview the actual learners due to the language barrier and availability. Instead, our interviews were with individuals who had close contact with the learners and could speak on their behalf:
· A teacher at a night school specializing in teaching English as a second language to immigrants
· A supervisor for Immigration Services
· A researcher specializing in immigration issues
These individuals were interviewed by phone on their experience and expertise in immigration issues. They verbally provided research and evaluation results about individuals who sought assistance from their services. This information provided us with a basis for determining what recommendations we would make for the material and format of the learning tool.
Outcome:
My analysis focused on the data collected from the interview results and was supported by previous research done by the Little Hoover Commission in a 2002 report. The Commission found that “Adult immigrants with less than a high school education, over their lifetime, draw more from public services than they pay in taxes at a cost of about $13,000 each. In contrast, more educated immigrants each contribute about $198,000 more than they cost.” The majority of immigrants in the community analyzed were from Mexico and Latin America. Our sources confirmed that it can be very difficult for immigrants to find good jobs, a decent place to live and improve their education without assistance from outside resources. Yet, when given the opportunity and encouragement, their chances for establishing themselves as contributing members of the community could be greatly improved. The interviewees also indicated that more than half of the immigrants had experience with computers and using the internet.
Our learning tool would need to provide an Introduction to PC course for those who needed it and an opt-out option for those who already knew how to use the internet. Based on my analysis, I drafted the following instructional goals for the learning product:
Learners will:
1. Be able to use the internet more effectively to search for job opportunities.
2. Enhance their communication skills by improving their English language comprehension.
3. Be able to use the internet to search for affordable housing.
4. Improve their chances for achieving success!
Growth:
Working for a corporate employer, I have not had the opportunity to look at learning from the public education perspective. It was enlightening to find that by simply providing some basic assistance and information to immigrants, our society can help them adjust quicker and become more productive members of the community and that in the long term everyone benefits.
Little Hoover Commission, State of California. We the People: Helping Newcomers Become Californians. June 2002.
Copyright © 2010 by Janet L. Saman for the Department of Educational Technology at San Diego State University. All Rights Reserved.
