Learning Style Spectrum

Economically disadvantaged individuals worldwide study in basically the same way: open book, read. Yet technology is available to address Multiple Intelligences and learning styles to individualize independent learning for more effective/efficient progress beyond classroom. LSS creates an online learning style platform and program for getting it to students worldwide.

Learning Style Spectrum enables university interns and others (example: app companies for tax credit) to create and upload videos and game apps, organized by learning style, to enable economically disadvantaged youth to study independently/effectively/efficiently. It delivers tech to the disadvantaged and brings the youtube-like platform of learning style/content materials to provide 21st century skills.

*Sets up tech donation programs worldwide and uses some funds for purchasing tech and delivering to “tech centers.” Works with governments on offering internet in tech center areas.

*Establishes laptop/tablet centers in pilot cities and central locations in rural areas. Area youth sign up to regularly visit centers. 

* Professional team annually identifies specific skillsets needed worldwide in areas of literacy, math, science, and technology. LSS multi-disciplinary team creates online platform allowing students to explore multiple learning styles (visual, auditory, social, reflective, nature, music, kinesthetic, etc, a la Multiple Intelligences and other learning theories); children later choose – and flexibly switch -- across the domains in which they study. Key: How studying occurs is deliberate, individualized, and flexible to change.

Interns collaborate across professional areas (example: tech students with teachers) to create videos and apps, categorize videos/apps according to learning style, and make available worldwide via clearly organized learning style platform for students who click on specific topics in specific content area (example: “coding”)  categories. Example: an astronomy student may play a game focusing on social and visual domains while another may do a kinesthetic activity. The idea is not to “push” students into one or another learning style domain, but to enhance study tool selection process. There will be flexibility to switch back and forth.

Ad-free videos and apps, translation mechanisms, solar-powered tech when feasible, and images appealing to all ages contribute to accessibility. Nonverbal, preliteracy materials across content areas also offered.

If we were purchasing shoes for thousands of children, we would not order the same size for each child. The brain is arguably more complex than the foot, but most economically disadvantaged children learn with books -- despite the plethora of tech tools available to make learning fun, effective, relevant. LSS gets tech to economically disadvantaged children -- whether in rural areas or cities -- and organizes a platform to enable a flexible content area exploration across learning style domains. It also calls for interdisciplinary teams of professionals and interns/volunteers to connect youth with knowledge for the 21st century.

Learning outside the classroom provides opportunity for independent exploration,  growth. When strategies are flexible, differentiated -- by literacy level, Intelligence area, etc., growth increases. Research demonstrates the impact of tech access on academic achievement.

In addition, as an ESL teacher for more than 15 years to students of varied ages across the lifespan and economic, linguistic, cultural, and academic backgrounds (students who have had no  prior literacy to highly literate professionals), I’ve observed firsthand impact of accessing technology outside the classroom. LSS addresses this. Can supply citation list.

Annual updates and intern/professional involvement contribute to program's remaining relevant.

https://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/WRC08034.pdf

https://ed.stanford.edu/news/technology-can-close-achievement-gaps-and-improve-learning-outcomes

First Year

Donation centers are set up in rural areas and cities in a minimum of 5 countries. Minimum of 5,000 people without tech will have at least weekly access to LSS by midyear via donation program. Includes children in rural and urban areas worldwide.

Multiple country team of interns/volunteers, guided by professionals, create and upload minimum of 200 videos and/or apps.

Collaboration with companies, student teams through networking and/or competitions expand solar-powered technology options.

Second Year

Program tweaked, students and countries served increases.

Third Year

LSS platform freely available to all ages on internet. Tech centers continue growing.

Pre-assessments and post-assessments demonstrate growth. - Online assessments integrated into each content area (as games or natural learning steps) are offered.

Tech access will be pre-and post-measured. - Tech access in each city/rural tech center area will increase to a total of 5,000 worldwide in first year.

Longitudinal studies will follow students. Non-participant stats will be compared with participant stats re: job access. - Students will demonstrate greater readiness for jobs.

The collaboration among university students/multidisciplinary teams of professionals worldwide provides highly relevant internship projects. Collaboration with tech companies for low-cost technology with an increasing focus on solar power can render the project adaptable to environments. Much of the tech already exits, and programs for distributing resources to the economically disadvantaged are available; what is novel is how it will be organized by Intelligence and learning style with a focus on tech. In addition, it has a built-in annual assessment that enables the program, itself, to “learn,” to adapt and grow as knowledge is gained. Many ed programs stagnate.

Simply put, including economically disadvantaged people in the digital age by making both learning and technology available for joyful, relevant experience will make more people smarter in the workforce worldwide. We have the capacity; we need to tap it.

This was described above. Donated materials (tech in good condition but no longer used by original owner) and new technology purchased with funds from the competition (and eventually, other donors), combined with interns who are learning from the program as they donate their skills will allow LSS to deliver program for free.

Continue to build relationships with universities, businesses, etc. so that the program can sustain itself.

Need strategies for ensuring safe transportation to/from the centers. Collaboration with local governments/institutions needed.

Factors such as unreliability of internet and electricity need to be addressed prior to the start of program so that children's is effectively spent on learning. Should some apps be downloadable so as not to require internet access?

LSS needs to be connected more directly to the worldwide workforce community so that skills are used in relevant manner when needed now and in future. Perhaps program later considers including local businesses who benefit from student support/internships.