Building Bridges to Colleges and Careers
April 18, 2008 by John Tashima
“Building Bridges to Colleges and Careers:
Contextualized Basic Skills Programs at Community Colleges”
Summary by John Tashima
This paper attempts to address the growing gap between the needs of employers and the limitations of the current workforce by examining several community college “contextualized” basic skills programs. These programs are organized around “career pathways” (e.g. healthcare and computers) that integrate education, training and work. A crucial goal is to create “bridges” between the development of basic skills and either entry-level work or further training.
In a contextualized basic skills program, English, reading and math courses are modified to incorporate real-world work materials. Students “learn by doing.” The rationale for this approach appears to be twofold; research suggests that contextualized instruction truly engages students and clarifies the relevance of skills (increasing motivation and retention), but this kind of instruction also links the student to employers and the work world, creating real opportunity.
The paper lists a number of elements common to successful programs. Contextualized instruction links the student to employment, but there should also be a clear path to advanced certificate and degree programs. New curricular materials need to be developed, and faculty need to be supported with a strong professional development program. Strong links must be maintained with employers to help develop these class materials as well as to facilitate the link between student and employer.
There are several challenges that these programs have faced and not completely overcome. When designing class materials, a balance between relevance and interest must be maintained. In the programs that were observed, lessons were often either engaging or relevant to the workplace, but not both. Also, as the implementation of this program will require a huge change in pedagogy as well as a significant professional development structure, strong leadership on the part of administration is required. The scope of the programs observed was quite small; a major challenge will be bringing them up to scale so that more than a small portion of the population can be served. Finally, more studies must be undertaken so that the long-term impact of these programs can be understood.
To face these challenges, the paper makes a few suggestions. First, the amount of resources allocated to these programs must be sufficient to facilitate collaboration “across traditional college divisions.” Not only must faculty be given the resources they need for retraining but the divisions between departments need to be de-emphasized. Second, again, instructional leadership must be cultivated to help bring about the massive amount of change that will be required of faculty. Finally, as research is still in a nascent stage, further evaluations will be required.
The idea of contextualized instruction isn’t exactly new to ESL teachers. I think what makes this paper interesting is in how far it takes the idea – actually developing curriculum with employers and “customizing” it to their needs. Almost immediately, it raises the question in my mind of just whom we are serving. Yet, the pedagogical benefits, the effect on motivation and the accomodation of a student’s multiple intelligences that “hands-on learning” can bring, for example, are hard to ignore. The paper’s emphasis on the fundamental changes this kind of program can bring to a school is also significant. These changes suggest that teachers who have honed their craft for years will have to be retrained – with all the problems that that implies.
Mazzeo, Christopher; Rab, Sara Y.; Alssid, Julian L. (2003) “Building Bridges to College and Careers: Contextualized Basic Skills Programs
at Community Colleges.” ED473875
http://www.workforcestrategy.org/publications/Contextualized_basic_ed_report.pdf
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Thank you for digesting this article John. It seems to me that we are in a cyclical swing in education from vocational to conceptual education. We are just moving back to a more vocational emphasis. I for one, learned more effectively once I went to work and had to implement reading, writing, and computing in the workplace. My four years at college would have been better used if I had interspersed work with my education. Just learning concepts and then four or five years later using them in the marketplace was not very effective for me.
This contextualized learning reminds me of the programs implemented in the 60″s where colleges offered programs that involved 6 months intensive school followed by 6 months intensive work. Back and forth for several years till one got one’s degree. I remember a participant in one of those programs saying the primary thing he learned is how to be supremely adaptable, flip flopping from one extreme to another. I wonder what the results of those programs were? Anyone know? Do we still have them?
I liked what was said about tying things to the workplace for a certain group of our student population. I know that I have asked some of my students what are the tools that they work with in their jobs in English and many do not know. I think this is too bad and not conducive to advancement.
I also got into ESL instruction by teaching in manufacturing locations in Southern CA for a private company. There the programs were set for that workplace. It varied between beginning to very advanced. The thing that was good was the specifics for that company. Also, there was a chance for the employees to make a contribution to the employer.
I read Mary’s comment and remember being very impressed with the Northwest University? engineering program for the idea of doing 6 months learning and 6 months application on a job. I do not know the results of that either. I do know that I was on a purely academic program in high school and in college. I thought due to money issues I might not be able to continue and was scared that I would have no workplace skills to market.
I’ve said all of this so people will have some idea of what goes through at least one person’s mind. Also, to indicate that I believe a mixture is a good thing to have. I think it is nice that we want students to get as much education as possible but it would be nice to always be able to tie it to something concrete to them.