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ERIC Number: EJ1068363
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010-Apr
Pages: 9
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Using E-Learning to Train Youth Workers: The Bell Experience
Marquart, Matthea; Rizzi, Zora Jones; Parikh, Amita Desai
Afterschool Matters, n10 p28-36 Apr 2010
A national provider of afterschool and summer programming plans to expand quickly into new regions, bringing its successful model of out-of-school learning to more children in disadvantaged schools and neighborhoods. A large number of staff members must be trained in the provider's program model in a short window of time. The organization needs to maintain its high training standards while reserving the bulk of its funds for the education of the children it serves. For BELL (Building Educated Leaders for Life), the answer to this conundrum was e-learning--or, more precisely, a blended learning solution combining web-based learning with traditional classroom-based training. In 2007, BELL's summer training for teachers and teaching assistants consisted of three consecutive ten-hour days of classroom training. That summer, BELL served three regions: Baltimore, Boston, and New York City. In the summer of 2008, BELL expanded to two additional cities: Detroit and Springfield, Massachusetts. The organization trained over 800 instructional staff and their managers in all five regions using the new blended training format. BELL's example demonstrates the worth of allocating significant time up front to set clear goals, establishes ways to measure effectiveness, develops internal expertise about e-learning design, and plans how to meet anticipated learner and stakeholder needs. The time invested in establishing a program pays off when expensive pitfalls are avoided and business objectives are achieved on time and within budget. Most importantly, the time spent in planning demonstrates its worth when e-learning produces youth workers who are trained to serve children well.
National Institute on Out-of-School Time. Wellesley Centers for Women, 106 Central Street, Wellesley, MA 02481. Tel: 781-283-2547; Fax: 781-283-3657; e-mail: niost@wellesley.edu; Web site: http://www.niost.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Maryland; Massachusetts; Michigan; New York
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A