David Rosen (Former ALRI Director) joined us to to give a 30 minute talk about the Learner Web

From their web site:

What is the Learner Web?

The Learner Web (LW) is a web and telephone application providing guided support to adults in programs or working independently to improve their basic skills, prepare for the GED, college transition, workforce or other learning goals.

The LW is not a web portal or distance learning product. It is a learning support system that matches Learners’ goals and progress to relevant on-line resources (including learner portals and distance learning products) and local community resources such as adult education programs, on-demand telephone help and tutors.

At the heart of this effort is an intelligent data base that will match your students with materials after they take
a brief survey on their interests and goals. The system will then be able to match student appropriate resources and lessons contained in its database. The key to this effort is in the selection of good materials and the proper keyword indexing of them in a way that can help in the matching process.

The Greater Boston Learner Web will offer GED Prep to start, then as new Learning Plans aree developed, ESOL, computer skills and other things. USA Learns will start with high beginners and go up to at least high intermendiates, maybe higher. Teachers could use either of these as supplements to their classes or as online learning. A minimum of teacher training is required if they are used as supplements. More is required if they are used as the primary source of learning (i.e. no classes or tutorials). More information here.