FCC workshop discussed online education and job training

Speakers at the FCC's August 26 Broadband and Job Training workshop concurred that high-speed broadband opens up tremendous opportunities for online learning and workforce development. Speakers cited a recent SRI International report that found that online education - properly structured - in many cases can be even more successful than classroom instruction.

Speakers also emphasized the following points as keys to success for online job training:

• Speed matters. People must have access to high-speed broadband for online learning. Slow connectivity causes frustration and limits the impact. Yvette Herrera of the Communications Workers of America recalled that ten years ago, CWA mailed demonstration videos to participants in the union's worker training courses because Internet speeds were too slow for streaming video. Now the courses include online interactive labs in which instructors watch students troubleshoot IT networking problems and give immediate feedback to students. But slow speeds in many parts of the country make it difficult to do two-way high-definition video which would further enhance the learning experience. Herrera emphasized the need to reform our universal service program to support high-speed broadband build-out.
• Broadband access and computers must be affordable. Heather McKay of Rutgers University and Kermit Kaleba of the Workforce Alliance noted that the current workforce training system can only meet a small percent of the demand for skill training needed by low-skill workers or the unemployed. Online learning can expand access to needed training, but low-wage workers and the unemployed who cannot afford laptop computers and broadband access need subsidies to pay for them.
• Online education provides the flexibility and convenience needed by working parents with child care responsibilities and workers who combine education with employment.
• Online learning, with proper support and instruction, has high success rates. Heather McKay reported on a Rutgers University study of a pilot online workforce development program in NJ for low-skill adults. 92 percent completed the course, 15 went on to college, and there was a 14% increase in earnings. Yvette Herrera reported that the CWA's online learning programs have a 95% completion rate, with significant participation from women and minorities. Workers have earned college degrees and IT networking certifications from CWA's online programs.
• Online job training and job search create demand for broadband. But here again, broadband access must be universal and affordable.

Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning (SRI International)