Are your students ready for Web-based learning? (adapted from the READI Web site)
READI is a web-based tool which assesses a learner's likelihood for succeeding in an online learning program. READI indicates the degree to which an individual student possesses attributes, skills and knowledge that contribute to success in online learning, including:
- Self-motivation
- Time-management skills
- Self-discipline
- Reading comprehension
- Persistence
- Availability of time
- Ability to use a laptop, printer, software, and the Internet.
- Typing speed and accuracy
READI does not rely on simple self-assessment questions with obvious "right" and "wrong" answers. Rather, READI uses a sequence of activities to measure the degree to which students possess the traits needed for success in studying at a distance.
READI provides an immediate score and diagnostic interpretation of results to the student and to their prospective school.
READI includes five major assessment components that measure:
- Reading comprehension
- Technical competency
- Individual attributes
- Preferred learning styles
- Typing speed and accuracy
Benefits of using READI
Research literature shows that maintaining high retention rates in distance education programs is a significant challenge. READI serves as an early warning device to identify students who may be deficient in the skills and attributes necessary for successful distance learning and who may, therefore, be at risk of dropping out of distance education programs.
Educational institutions invest heavily in attracting and recruiting students. However, there is little return on the investment when students quickly drop out of the program. READI not only helps schools to identify the students who are likely to drop out, it also provides resources for remediation so that at-risk students can improve.
As individuals, students also invest thousands of dollars in their education and may be hesitant to study at a distance for fear that they might not do well. READI helps students to recognize their strengths and provides resources to strengthen their weaknesses. Students who are confident of their READIness are much more likely to enroll in a distance learning course.
Integrated Features
Reporting: Each student who takes READI receives immediate feedback in the form of an individualized report that shows his/her score for each of the various READI components. The scores are presented in textual and graphical formats. Licensed institutions receive a summative report detailing overall usage, as well as the individual READI scores of their students. Click here to view a sample report.
Solutions: If the instrument determines that a user is not ready to study at a distance, links to potential remediation resources are provided. At this point the participating institution may also provide additional resources.
Ease of Interpretation: Results are presented in easy-to-interpret charts and graphs instead of confusing columns of numbers and figures. The on-screen report consists of colorful charts that indicate the participant's level of READIness in reading speed & comprehension, technical competency, individual attributes, typing speed & accuracy, and preferred learning styles.
How to use
READI is being pilot tested through August 2007. Five faculty have agreed to have an icon placed on the home pages of their Web-based courses and will remind their students to complete the READI assessment during the first week of Summer I classes. A link to the Del Mar College READI assessment page is also included in the Welcome Letter sent to all students registered for Web-based courses for Summer I. An explanation of the READI assessment instrument is also provided as well as contact information.
Upon completion of the pilot, the results of the READI assessment will be compared with student success rates for these courses to determine correlations and possible institutionalization in Fall 2007.
Questions?
Feel free to contact the Department of Distance Learning at 361-698-1312 or email distlearn@delmar.edu.