Many Online Learners Have Jobs and Families, but They Are Motivated.

Abstract

The COVID‑xix crunch has resulted in a significant increment in online learning by adults. Much of the training that had started as contiguous in classroom environments has been pursued online. Furthermore, individuals are existence encouraged to utilize the fourth dimension freed upwardly by brusque-time piece of work schemes to accept up new training. As such, the crisis provides a powerful test of the potential of learning online. It also highlights its primal limitations, including the prerequisite of adequate digital skills, calculator equipment and internet access to undertake training online, the difficulty of delivering traditional work-based learning online, and the struggle of teachers used to classroom instruction. This brief discusses the potential of online learning to increase developed learning opportunities and identifies some key issues that the crisis has highlighted. Addressing these issues could contribute to expanding online learning provision in the post-crisis catamenia and to making information technology more inclusive.

Introduction and key messages

The ongoing COVID‑19 crisis has seen a substantial increase in online learning past adults (Box one). Much of the preparation that was originally planned for the classroom is now being delivered online. Furthermore, individuals are existence encouraged to employ the time freed upward by short-time work schemes to train online from home and acquire new skills deemed useful in the aftermath of the health emergency. Although information technology is too shortly for a full assessment, early information and anecdotal testify suggest a sizeable increment in online learning. In the Flemish region of Belgium, the number of participants in online training provided by the Public Employment Service (VDAB) in the second one-half of March 2020 was four times as high as in the same catamenia last year.one Testify from web searches also points to a surge in interest in training online. In Canada, French republic, Italian republic, the United Kingdom and the United States, searches for terms such as online learning, e-learning and Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) increased up to fourfold betwixt end-March and early April 2020 as strict lockdown rules came into forcefulness in most OECD countries. They were notwithstanding about twice equally high as their long-term tendency at the end of April 2020.

As such, the crunch provides a powerful test of the potential of online learning. It has also revealed its key limitations, including the prerequisite of adequate digital skills, computer equipment and internet connection to undertake training online, the difficulty of delivering traditional work-based learning online, and the struggle of teachers used to classroom instruction.

This cursory discusses the potential of online learning to aggrandize the opportunities for adult learning, and identifies some cardinal issues that the crisis has highlighted. Addressing these bug could contribute to the expansion of online learning in the postal service-crisis period and to making online learning more inclusive.

Cardinal messages

• Expanding adult training provision through online learning would accept significant advantages. In detail, online learning could help reach a much bigger number of learners with a smaller investment in education infrastructure, making it a toll-effective solution in the context of rising unemployment due to the COVID‑19 crisis. However, for online learning to stand for a valuable alternative to contiguous instruction, information technology would needs to provide high-quality reskilling and upskilling opportunities that tin can interpret into sustainable employment opportunities for task seekers and productivity gains for firms and the economy more broadly. Issues of inclusiveness would also need to be tackled to ensure that all adults tin can benefit from online learning, including adults with lower digital skills and limited access to computer and internet facilities, adults with less self-motivation and those requiring blue-neckband training. Lessons learnt during the COVID‑19 crisis can help address the existing limitations to realise the full potential of online learning.

• Developing basic digital skills will exist instrumental to the mainstreaming of online learning. Users of online learning are primarily highly educated adults with strong digital skills. Earlier the COVID‑19 crisis, 23% of training participants with high digital problem solving skills participated in online learning every year, compared with just fourteen% of trainees with no estimator skills. Several countries launched programmes to equip adults with basic digital skills prior to the crisis.

• Motivating online learners is cardinal to retention. Evidence from Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) shows completion rates every bit low every bit 10%. In addition to basic digital skills, online learning requires autonomy and self-motivation. In the context of the crisis, many apprenticeships and TVET providers have put accent on edifice and maintaining the motivation of online learners.

• Broadening the range of online courses is crucial to make online learning more than inclusive. Few courses are currently available online and they tend to focus on the skills needed in white-collar jobs. In French republic, information technology is estimated that, prior to the crunch, simply about 10% of preparation courses were attainable online. While the crisis will have increased that share, training for crafts-related occupations and training involving a work-based component remains hard to evangelize online.

• Strengthening the digital infrastructure is a fundamental context gene for online learning to exist a feasible option in the delivery of online learning to a broader group of adults. Unequal admission to the Cyberspace risks exacerbating existing inequalities in didactics and training. During the COVID‑19 crisis, several countries provided laptops with cyberspace connections to disadvantaged students. Some are now because funding net admission every bit a bones service that all citizens should have access to, including those living in rural regions or from poorer economic backgrounds.

• Training teachers to evangelize online courses effectively is important to raise the quality of online courses. Some countries are developing curricula to equip teachers and managers at training institutions with the skills needed to shift the training offering to online commitment.

• Developing effective testing methods and certificates is important to ensure that online training, both formal and non-formal, is valued in the labour market. Tests, quizzes and assessments are becoming an important part of online grooming courses. They help consolidate learning and measure the effectiveness of the learning course. In the expanse of certification, an innovative solution is the adoption of digital badges: portable visual tokens containing information about the private, the skills he/she has acquired and the bluecoat issuer. There is a adventure that the proliferation of certificates and credentials from online learning may dilute its value in the labour market and in granting access to farther preparation. Some regulation and standardisation are needed to guarantee that skills learnt online are recognised and valued by companies and education institutions.

• Establishing quality assurance mechanisms for online learning is essential to ensure that online courses provide value for money/fourth dimension to participants. The COVID‑xix crunch will provide a valuable natural experiment on the employment and wage returns of online learning compared to contiguous instruction. Results from this cess would help identify the features of online learning provision that are most likely to atomic number 82 to positive outcomes for participants, all else being equal. They would also shed lite on whether these features differ from those identified for face up-to-face instruction, justifying or not the need for an advert-hoc quality assurance system.

How online commitment can assistance broaden the reach of adult learning

Participation in learning throughout each person's working life is crucial to navigate changing labour markets in an increasingly digitalised economy. It helps maintain existing work-related skills and acquire new in-demand ones (OECD, 2019[1]). In particular, training volition be important for the increased number of unemployed to gain skills that are probable to be in high demand in the post-COVID‑19 world. Yet, today, merely about 40% of adults, on boilerplate in OECD countries, participate in formal and non-formal job-related2 preparation annually and they are unduly high-skilled. Among the low-skilled, the incidence of adult learning is but over twenty% on average (OECD, 2019[2]). Lack of time, scheduling conflicts and distance constraints are amongst the fundamental barriers reported by those who practice not undertake whatsoever preparation, along with a lack of financial resources (Figure i). About 28% of adults claim they do not participate in training because they lacked fourth dimension due to work commitments and another 15% report a lack of time due to family responsibilities. An additional xvi% mention a lack of fiscal resources and 12% state that training took identify at an inconvenient time and place.

Figure 1. Barriers to participation in adult learning

Reasons for non-participation in adult learning (percent of adults who wanted to participate just did not)

Note: Average of OECD countries participating in PIAAC. Figures refer to participation in formal and not-formal adult learning.

Source: OECD Secretariat calculations based on the Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC (2012, 2015, 2017). The bar "Wanted to participate but didn't" refers to the share of adults who responded that they did non take part in grooming over the previous 12 months but would have liked to".

Online learning has the potential to address these barriers to training. Information technology allows learners to choose a time, rhythm and place compatible with work and family responsibilities. The flexibility of online learning courses is particularly important for training that is meant to facilitate job transitions. Preparation to perform better in one'south electric current job is more often financed by employers and can more than easily be carried out during working hours. In improver to providing more flexibility, online learning tends to be cheaper than equivalent contiguous provision which would assist overcome fiscal constraints. Equally shown in the context of the ongoing COVID‑19 crisis, online learning also has the potential to provide continuity when face-to-face training provision is non bachelor. Although prove on its effectiveness compared to face up-to-face grooming is lacking at this stage, the COVID‑19 crunch will provide a valuable natural experiment to measure employment and wage returns.

#OnlineLearning has the potential to address fourth dimension, scheduling and location barriers to #AdultLearning

Box 1. Online learning: a definition

Terms such as eastward-learning, online learning and altitude learning are ofttimes used interchangeably in the media and policy discourse. Nevertheless, at that place are important differences between them.

Online learning (often referred to every bit eastward-learning) refers to the use of digital materials to back up learning. Information technology does not necessarily take identify at a altitude. It tin be used in physical classrooms to complement more traditional teaching methods, in which case it is called blended learning.

Distance learning refers to learning that is washed away from a classroom or the workplace. Traditionally, this involved offline correspondence courses wherein the student corresponded with the schoolhouse via post. Today, it involves mainly online instruction, with an teacher that gives lessons and assigns work digitally. Almost statistical sources available (including those used in this brief) collect data on distance learning – as opposed to online learning – and potentially include individuals post-obit a training course by correspondence, although this type of distance learning is rapidly being replace by digital methods.

In this brief, the term online learning is used mostly to refer to learning through digital resources that is carried out at a altitude. This is peculiarly the example when discussing measures taken in the context of the COVID‑19 crunch during which nigh confront-to-face training was interrupted to enforce physical distancing. However, some of the lessons put forrad for further development of online learning also utilize to blended online learning.

It is as well important to admit that, like contiguous instruction, online and distance learning cover a very broad range of courses, ranging from university courses delivered online and shorter not-formal training focused on specific skills, to Massive Open Online Courses – to requite only a few examples. The recommendations put forward in this brief apply to a varying extent to the unlike types of online learning courses. For case, pre-requisites in terms of digital skills and infrastructure vary significantly across courses as do scheduling flexibility, certification and quality assurance.

Despite its potential, yet, information prior to the current crunch suggest that, in normal times, few adults accept advantage of online learning as a means to train (OECD, 2019[3]). Simply one in five participants in non-formal training took part in an online course. However, the share of participants training online varies significantly across countries, ranging from simply 6% in France to over xl% in Republic of lithuania and Poland (Figure 2).

Inclusiveness is i of the cardinal business organisation when it comes to online learning. While online courses could make access to grooming easier for disabled adults or for those living in rural communities, the pre-requisite of basic digital skills and devices, likewise as a reliable internet infrastructure can limit access significantly. Data on altitude learning from the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC)3 bear witness that, in near countries, training participants with high digital problem solving skills are more than likely to cull altitude learning than adults with little ICT noesis (Figure three). In the OECD on boilerplate, 23% of preparation participants with high digital trouble solving skills participated in online learning compared with only 14% of training participants with few ICT skills. There are exceptions and some countries have been able to successfully engage adults with limited digital skills in distance learning. In the netherlands and New Zealand, the incidence of altitude learning among adults with little ICT noesis surpasses that for adults with high digital trouble solving skills. In addition to more successful outreach campaigns, this could also reflect the lower ICT requirements of the online learning on offer or the employ of offline correspondence courses.

To put these figures into perspective, on average across OECD countries, only v% of adults score at the highest level of digital proficiency in PIAAC while about xv% of adults lack even the near basic reckoner skills (OECD, 2019[4]).

Figure 2. Incidence of online learning among preparation participants

Share of total participants in non-formal grooming who attended at least one distance learning course over the previous 12 months (percentage)

Data on whether preparation happened contiguous or at a distance is only available for non-formal training. Distance learning includes correspondence courses, although the share of these courses is now minimal in most OECD countries. Data for Hungary, Mexico and the United States refer to 2017. Data for Data for Chile, Hellenic republic, Israel, Republic of lithuania, New Zealand, Slovenia and Turkey refer to 2015. For all other countries, data refer to 2012.

Source: OECD Secretariat calculations based on the Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC (2012, 2015, 2017).

Figure three. Incidence of online learning, by digital problem solving skills

Share of total adult learning participants who attended at to the lowest degree i distance learning course over the previous 12 months, past level of digital problem solving skills (percentage)

Note: Digital trouble solving refers to problem solving in technology-rich surroundings equally assessed in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). Proficiency in this domain is measured in four levels, ranging from Level 3 ("Highest level of digital problem solving" in the figure) to Beneath Level 1, forth with a grouping of Individuals who did not take part because their ICT noesis was besides poor ("No or limited calculator experience" in the figure). Information on whether training happened face-to-face or at a distance is only available for non-formal training. Distance learning includes correspondence courses, although the share of these courses is at present minimal in nigh OECD countries. Data for the Republic of hungary, United mexican states and the United States refer to 2017. Data for Information for Chile, Greece, Israel, Lithuania, New Zealand, Slovenia and Turkey refer to 2015. For all other countries, data refer to 2012.

Source: OECD Secretariat calculations based on the Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC (2012, 2015, 2017).

Moving training online during the COVID‑19 crisis

As the crisis unfolds, a significant share of ongoing grooming, originally provided face up-to-confront in a classroom is being adapted for online delivery. This includes formal grooming – due east.one thousand. training provided at universities or vocational colleges – likewise as some publicly provided non-formal preparation – e.g. training for jobseekers.4

Formal classroom-based training has been maintained in most countries through online delivery. To contain the spread of the virus, schools, colleges and universities have been shut downwards in the vast bulk of countries. With few exceptions, courses have been moved online to provide continuity. This shift affects all adults participating in formal preparation such equally early on school leavers returning to instruction to obtain schoolhouse-leaving qualifications, those studying towards a university degree after a spell in the labour market, and those reskilling by attending college courses or through vocational grooming.

Vocational programmes characterised by work placements, accept been negatively afflicted during the lockdown flow. Every bit work placements are no longer possible in about cases and hands-on training cannot easily be delivered online, nigh programmes have simply been interrupted. Spain and South korea take extended preparation periods to let for gaps during lockdown, while Republic of austria, Germany, Ireland and Switzerland take allowed employers to furlough their trainees by extending the coverage of curt-term work schemes (OECD, 2020[4]). Still, some countries have introduced measures to preserve parts of work-based learning through online teaching:

• In many countries with mixed programmes – including both off-the-job and on-the-job training – providers have been immune to bring frontward the off-the-job component and postpone work placement. The Australian Skills Quality Authority has recommended that training providers re-sequence their grooming to deliver theoretical preparation commencement on an online ground (https://world wide web.asqa.gov.au/COVID-nineteen). England has allowed shortening the piece of work-based components where possible and replacing with longer off-the-chore instructions, through online learning. Apprentices who accept already undertaken a sufficient number of hours of training with an employer are allowed to complete their programme through online learning. Some countries, like Spain, take provided flexibility to providers to decide how to re-organise vocational programmes.

• In Italia, Italymobility – an initiative of the Centro Studi "Cultura Sviluppo", a leading not-for-turn a profit organisation in the TVET sector – has adult virtual internships in response to the COVID‑19 lockdown (http://italymobility.com/). Virtual internships allow implementing existent piece of work experiences at a distance executing real tasks with a tutor and a concrete pedagogical back up inside a specific IT learning infrastructure. This solution covers primarily professions related to digital technologies – east.g. web designer, social media marketer, software developer – but also comprises a range of activities belonging to 'traditional jobs' – e.g. bookkeeper, interior designer, mechanical industry designer.

• In the land of Santa Caterina (Brazil), apprenticeship training provided past SENAI – the National Service for Industrial Grooming, a network of non-for-profit secondary level professional schools established and maintained past the Brazilian Confederation of Industry – continued through the apply of virtual reality. In some cases, work tools were shipped to the students' address and so they could exercise during virtual sessions with trainers located in training labs, in total respect of social distancing rules.

• In Switzerland, some apprenticeships have connected online just the movement required alteration of apprenticeship contracts, which explicitly excluded online provision for work-placements.

#workbasedlearning and #apprenticeships are difficult to pursue through #onlinelearning

Public Employment Services (Human foot) have continued to provide jobseekers' training through digital channels during the crisis. Most OECD PES suspended the provision of contiguous training shortly afterwards the introduction of confinement measures. Some countries have replaced this with online grooming solutions that were already available prior to the crisis (e.yard. in Republic of estonia, holland, Austria, Denmark, some regions of Italy, or the three regions of Kingdom of belgium) with minimal investment (OECD, 2020[5]). Other countries have additional the options of training available online. In Denmark, a constabulary was changed to allow municipalities to offering new digital qualification courses and in France, over 150 new preparation courses have become available online on the "Emploi Store". Sweden will utilise function of the actress funding allocated to the PES and other primal players to strengthen online learning and Internet-based education.

In some cases, Human foot are collaborating with private training providers to retrain jobseekers for occupations in high demand during the crisis. The Estonian PES, in co-operation with the relevant stakeholders, has been able to apace develop east-learning for care workers, who are in high demand during the crisis. In the United States, the Rapid Skilling programme aims to transition several displaced vocational and technical workers into currently in-demand occupations. The program stems from a collaboration between 180skills – a provider of technical and employability training for the manufacturing and logistics sectors in North America – State governments, academic partners, and employers who are in urgent need of skilled workers. The industries served include Manufacturing, Logistics and Distribution, Retail, and Industrial Safety. The innovation consists in the utilize of competency-based online courses, curated into ultra-short-term programmes with the minimal amount of skills for initial employment. The programmes are particularly aimed at depression-skilled, low-income adults and are delivered at a very depression cost.

Other public training centres serving adults from disadvantaged groups – notably the low-skilled, the inactive or those with an immigrant background – varied in their power to continue their grooming online. Basic skills grooming, such equally language, basic literacy and numeracy training, was more than ofttimes maintained than hands-on job-related training. In Italia, the Provincial Adult Education Centres (CPIA), which typically provide bones skills training to disadvantaged adults, connected to function through video conferences. Similarly, the Het Begint met Taal Foundation in kingdom of the netherlands – a national platform supporting 170 organisations that offer language coaching (https://www.hetbegintmettaal.nl/) – moved their preparation offer online. In England, the West Midlands Combined Authority that is responsible for the region'south GBP 126 meg adult pedagogy budget, has turned classroom training modules, including those focusing on employability, functional maths and English language, online. On the other hand, training was less often maintained at training institutions focused on practical job-related training. For instance, the Centres for Socio Professional person Integration (CISP) in the Walloon Region of Belgium that provide hands-on training to prepare low-skilled adults for jobs in sectors such as hospitality, catering and construction, interrupted training provision.

Using online learning during COVID‑19

• Schoolhouse-based formal education has been moved to online delivery;

• Work-based learning and apprenticeships have been negatively affected past lockdown; in most cases, only off-the task components have been pursued;

• The about efficient Public Employment Services have been quick to transition jobseekers' training online; some re-focused grooming on occupations in high demand due to COVID‑nineteen;

• Public support for online preparation provision has been crucial for many training providers and finish users, spanning from sharing platforms to costless resource to digital-skills back up for teachers and learners;

• Governments, public employment services, and social partners have campaigned for online training take up during lockdown

Government back up was crucial to maintain training through online provision

Support from regime to guarantee training continuity through online learning was provided in several countries and took various forms.

Government support through shared resource is crucial for training providers to move their offer to #onlinelearning

Some countries accept created platforms for training providers to share existing resource and facilitate online provision; others accept exploited existing ones:

• South korea has encouraged the use of its virtual training platform – Smart Training Didactics Platform (STEP – https://step.or.kr/). The platform enables learning providers to upload their course content, in addition to 300 existing courses already available. This is being supported further by subsidies and quality assurance mechanisms.

• In France, the Government minister of Labour, which is also in accuse of vocational training, has developed a platform to brand resource available to professionals in the sector to facilitate continuity in pedagogy (https://travail-emploi.gouv.fr/formation-professionnelle/coronavirus/formation-a-altitude/). Several partners of the Ministry of Labour have volunteered to share educational preparation content gratis of charge. Among the available content, there are the MOOCs past AFPA – a grooming provider focused on the food professions (cooking, pastry making, etc.) – and access to CNED (National Centre for Distance Learning) materials for cadre subjects in the technological fields. In club to back up trainers in distance instruction and training, the Ministry building has besides published a list of technical solutions, including spider web conferencing tools, collaborative tools, server links and clouds and other tools necessary to allow grooming actors to ensure continuity in educational activity.

• In Frg, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports in the Federal State of Baden-Württemberg is offer selected providers to benefit from their digital learning platform (Digitaler Weiterbildungscampus – https://www.digitaler-weiterbildungscampus.de/) to assistance move learning online. The platform is operated by the private company and provides a central infrastructure for co-operative, adaptive and skill-oriented pedagogy and learning. It is not specific to one establishment, i.e. content can be shared across institutions. The Ministry co-funds 50‑70% of the costs of using the platform for providers. Eligible for the funding are learning providers that are part of the Alliance for Lifelong Learning and other recognised providers of general or vocational continuing education in Baden-Württemberg

Several countries have provided gratis or subsidised online training for the lockdown menstruation:

• On the same platform for online learning resources mentioned higher up, France is providing online VET courses complimentary of charge for a menses of 3 months, including the cadre curriculum of vocational schools and master training courses for professional qualifications; similar initiatives have been set upwards in Ireland, Belgium, Spain, Croatia and Romania, among others.

• Sweden, through Crisis package for jobs and transition, has put forrard plans to increment funding and additional support to online learning providers in higher VET.

Many countries are providing support for teachers and trainers through online training, workshops and seminars (UNESCO, 2020[6]; WorldBank, 2020[seven]). These aim to upgrade the ICT skills of teachers and trainers and to assist with the preparation of online learning materials. The support measures also aim to assist with the preparation and commitment of online sessions as well as with the employ of online platforms.

• Several countries take set up up online portals to provide back up for teachers. In Denmark, the Ministry of Education has set up up a portal to support teachers with digital resources for online educational activity and learning (https://emu.dk/). In Chile, the Ministry of Education provides management and technical support to teachers on the use of online platforms and the development of online materials, on teaching methods, on evaluation and on how to get together feedback from students through surveys (https://www.aptus.org/). In Republic of ireland, the Professional Development Service for Teachers provides access to a drove of resources for teachers in order to provide continuity to students during the COVID‑19 crisis.

• Other countries have partnered with private providers or are providing admission to existing pedagogy resources free of charge. In Canada, the Ontario Schoolboard has partnered with Apple to provide videos, apps and books to aid teachers build engaging lessons for students at home. Free one‑to-one virtual coaching by professional learning specialists is likewise available.

• In some cases, certified teaching courses are made bachelor online. In Mexico, the government is defended to supporting teacher training nether the digital teaching and grooming plan (http://formacionycapacitaciondigitales.televisioneducativa.gob.mx/). This translates to supporting teachers with 'digital education and grooming' using MOOCs, online courses and online conferences. Certification is provided to teachers who successfully complete these courses.

Some programmes for digital skills assistance were introduced to back up users of online resources. France launched a website to assist adults who are struggling with digital tools in their daily life or for work (https://solidarite-numerique.fr/).

Campaigns for online grooming take up during lockdown

In some cases, incentives to accept up training during short-time working schemes5 have also been introduced.

Across maintaining pre-existing preparation, some governments too encouraged adults to undertake new training during the lockdown, specially for workers on short-time work schemes, through online learning.

• In France, the authorities has extended financial support for training, previously bachelor for the unemployed only, to workers on brusk-time work schemes. Under the extension, employers are reimbursed 100% of the toll of training, applicable to all online preparation courses, except for compulsory training – due east.thou. wellness and safety – upwardly to EUR ane 500 (Fiche Ministère du Travail du 20 Avril 2020).

Governments, PES and social partners have encouraged adults to retrain and #keeplearning while they #stayathome

• Pes are also supporting online training provision during the crunch by disseminating the data on online grooming on their websites, YouTube and Twitter accounts (OECD, 2020[five]). In several countries, Pes have too played a role to accompany and support private training providers with the use of online tools for preparation provision.

• In the United Kingdom, Unionlearn – an initiative by the Merchandise Wedlock Confederation to support skills development at work – has launched their new Learning@dwelling Campaign (https://www.unionlearn.org.uk/learning-domicile). The campaign is designed to back up adults who are currently working or furloughed at home due to COVID‑19. The campaign provides access to online training, learning resources, and tips on how all-time to undertake learning at habitation.

Looking ahead: fundamental lessons from the crisis

The initiatives in a higher place underscore the potential of online learning to become a more permanent feature of adult learning systems. However, they also highlight some important limitations that will need to be addressed to broaden access to online learning opportunities and enable more than adults, particularly the unemployed and the low-skilled, to participate in training:

• Developing basic digital skills will be instrumental to the mainstreaming of online learning. Users of online learning are primarily highly educated adults with strong digital skills. Several countries launched programmes to equip adults with basic digital skills prior to the crunch. In the United Kingdom, the Digital Skills Partnership brings together government and national and local employers and charities in an effort to address digital skills gaps in a more collaborative mode. Every bit of 2020, depression-skilled adults in the United Kingdom have access to fully funded digital skills programmes, in addition to the already existing maths and English programmes. In Republic of hungary, improving the digital skills of disadvantaged adults is office of the new national development program (https://world wide web.palyazat.gov.hu/). The goal is to provide digital skills training opportunities to 260 000 depression-skilled adults from disadvantaged regions.

• Motivating online learners is key to retention. Evidence from MOOCs shows completion rates as depression equally x% (Rivard, 2013[ix]; Murray, 2019[x]) In improver to basic digital skills, online learning requires autonomy and self-motivation. In the context of the crisis, many apprenticeships and VET providers have put accent on building and maintaining motivation of online learners. Amazing Apprenticeships – the communication branch of Apprenticeships United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland – provides several motivation webinars on its website. Digital badges are important to increment motivation (Credly, Knight and Manning, 2013[eleven]) equally are options for interaction with other students and the teacher are too of import to increment motivation. The Spanish Aula Mentor programme allows for this digital interaction.

• Broadening the range of online courses is crucial to make online learning more inclusive. Few courses are currently available online and they tend to focus on the skills needed in white-collar jobs. In France, it is estimated that, prior to the crisis, simply about 10% of training courses were accessible online. While the crisis volition take increased that share, training for crafts-related occupations and training involving a work-based component remains hard to deliver online. To overcome these limitation, training providers are turning to Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI can help develop simulations and virtual reality experiences that allow for a "learning by doing" experience (Minocha, Tudor and Tilling, 2017[12]; Hwa Choi, Dailey-Hebert and Simmons Estes, 2016[13]). In the United States, Morgan State Academy is using virtual reality to evangelize its nursing programme building on its work on the apply of extended reality in educational activity and learning (Pomerantz, 2019[14])

• Training teachers to evangelize online courses effectively is of import to raise the quality of online courses. Teachers used to contiguous delivery may exist sick equipped to provide training online. This is particularly evident in the context of the COVID‑19 crisis, when untrained teachers take been forced to evangelize their courses online and faced difficulties such as express digital literacy and limited training in online teaching methods. To support teachers, many grooming providers in the United Kingdom are building modules to increment teachers' confidence, retention and motivation into their online learning strategies. In Korea, the Ministry of Employment and Labour is planning to develop and operate a curriculum to equip teachers and managers at preparation institutions with the skills needed to shift the training offer to online commitment.

• Developing effective testing methods and certificates is important to ensure that online training, both formal and not-formal, is valued in the labour market place. Tests, quizzes and assessments are becoming an of import part of online training courses. They help consolidate learning and measure the effectiveness of the learning course. Several initiatives already be. In France, the PIX platform (https://pix.fr/) allows users to take tests in 16 digital skills domains and share their skills contour directly with employers. It is besides possible to obtain certifications of the digital skills (through tests at PIX centres). An innovative solution is the adoption of digital badges: portable visual tokens containing information nearly the private, the badge issuer (education or training provider), criteria for obtaining the badge, and supporting documents when available. In the formal sector, many countries are reflecting on how assessments of training provided online could exist undertaken. During the COVID‑nineteen crisis, most countries take cancelled exams and are planning to evaluate students only based on grade piece of work conducted prior to lockdown, hence prior to the deployment of online provision. Countries that maintained evaluations, planned to hold them confront-to-face up. The discussion of how the evaluation could accept place online remains open.

• Establishing quality assurance mechanisms for online learning is essential to ensure that online courses provide value for coin/time to participants. It remains an open question whether online courses require an ad-hoc quality assurance arrangement. Those who support tailored quality criteria, have proposed a plethora of quality balls methods for online learning but few programmes be on the ground and none adopted at the national level (Butcher, 2013[xv]; Esfijani, 2018[16]). In the United States, the (privately owned) Quality Matters Programme has established national benchmarks for online courses and has become a "nationally recognised, kinesthesia-centred, peer process designed to certify the quality of online courses and online components". In Europe, the European Association of Distance Teaching Universities (EADTU) has created OpenupEd, i of the largest MOOC providers for higher education. The OpenupEd partners take identified eight features to which supported courses need to adhere: Learner-centred, Openness to learners, Digital openness, Independent learning, Media-supported interaction, Recognition options, Quality focus, Spectrum of diversity. In 2014, the EADTU created a quality label for MOOCs tailored to both eastward-learning and open education (Rosewell, 2014[17]). More generally, the COVID‑nineteen crunch will provide a valuable natural experiment on the employment and wage returns of online learning compared to face-to-face teaching. Results from this assessment would help place the features of online learning provision that are most likely to lead to positive outcomes for participants, all else being equal. They would also shed calorie-free on whether these features differ from those identified for face-to-face instruction, justifying or not the demand for an ad-hoc quality assurance system.

• Strengthening the digital infrastructure is a fundamental context factor for online learning to exist a feasible choice in the delivery of online learning. Unequal access to the Internet risks exacerbating existing inequalities in education and training. During the COVID‑xix crunch, several countries considered starting to fund Internet access as a basic service to ensure access for all citizens, including those living in rural regions or from poorer economic backgrounds. In Ontario, schoolhouse children and families in need were given free iPads and Internet admission. Support for teachers to arrange their courses to online environments in an equitable way is as well crucial, east.thousand. non relying too heavily on existent-time online learning so as non to disadvantage students whose internet infrastructure is of a poor quality, who use a shared device at home, or who accept other family members who need the Cyberspace bandwidth for other things (Lederman, 2020[18]).

Actions to broaden the attain of online learning for adults

Develop basic digital skills to support lower skilled adults in accessing online learning;

Motivate online learners to better memory and completion rates;

Develop effective testing methods and certificates to ensure that online learning is valued in the labour marketplace;

Broaden the range of online courses to include more than blueish-neckband occupations;

Train online teachers to raise the quality of online courses;

Establish quality assurance mechanisms for online learning to ensure that online courses provide value for coin/fourth dimension to participants.

Strengthen the digital infrastructure and use teaching methods that minimise infrastructure needs.

Working with OECD

The OECD Skills team is currently engaged in a number of projects focused on diverse aspects of adult learning, including inclusiveness, responsiveness, quality balls, certification and career guidance. To accompany this piece of work, information technology has developed: the Priorities for Adult Learning dashboard, an interactive tool which allows countries to benchmark their adult learning systems against each other and the OECD boilerplate; and the Skills for Jobs Database to measure skills imbalances in over xl countries and regions, in the OECD and beyond. The team is besides about to embark on a major project analysing the potential of using AI in grooming provision. As discussed in this brief, AI has the potential to broaden participation in online learning by adapting the content and testing methods to the user. It too has the potential to broaden online learning beyond traditionally white-collar job. Land reviews on specific national priorities and challenges in adult learning and skills cess and apprehension systems take already been conducted in 12 countries and offering tailored policy analysis and recommendations.

References

[15] Butcher, N. (2013), A Guide to Quality in Online Learning, Academic Partnerships.

[xi] Credly, J., Due east. Knight and Southward. Manning (2013), The Potential and Value of Using Digital Badges for Adult Learners Last Report.

[16] Esfijani, A. (2018), "Measuring Quality in Online Teaching: A Meta-synthesis", American Journal of Distance Education, Vol. 32/1, pp. 57-73, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08923647.2018.1417658.

[19] EUROSTAT (2016), Classification of learning activities (CLA) MANUAL 2016 edition, http://dx.doi.org/10.2785/874604.

[20] Fialho, P., 1000. Quintini and G. Vandeweyer (2019), "Returns to dissimilar forms of chore related training: Factoring in informal learning", OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers, No. 231, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/b21807e9-en.

[thirteen] Hwa Choi, D., A. Dailey-Hebert and J. Simmons Estes (2016), Emerging Tools and Applications of Virtual Reality in Education, IGI Global.

[18] Lederman, D. (2020), How the shift to remote learning might affect students, instructors and colleges, https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2020/03/25/how-shift-remote-learning-might-touch on-students-instructors-and (accessed on 25 Apr 2020).

[12] Minocha, S., A. Tudor and S. Tilling (2017), Affordances of Mobile Virtual Reality and their Role in Learning and Teaching Conference or Workshop Item Affordances of Mobile Virtual Reality and their Role in Learning and Education, The Open University, http://oro.open.ac.uk/id/eprint/49441 (accessed on 29 Apr 2020).

[x] Murray, S. (2019), Moocs struggle to lift rock-lesser completion rates | Financial Times, https://www.ft.com/content/60e90be2-1a77-11e9-b191-175523b59d1d (accessed on 25 Apr 2020).

[half-dozen] OECD (2020), "Public Employment Services in the frontline for employees, jobseekers and employers", OECD Policy Responses to Coronavirus (COVID-19), OECD Publishing, Paris, http://world wide web.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/public-employment-services-in-the-frontline-for-employees-jobseekers-and-employers-c986ff92/.

[5] OECD (2020), "VET in a time of crisis: Building foundations for resilient vocational education and training systems", VET in a time of crunch: Building foundations for resilient vocational instruction and training systems, OECD Publishing, Paris, http://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/vet-in-a-time-of-crisis-building-foundations-for-resilient-vocational-didactics-and-training-systems-efff194c/.

[3] OECD (2019), Dashboard on priorities for developed learning - OECD, http://world wide web.oecd.org/employment/skills-and-piece of work/adult-learning/dashboard.htm (accessed on 16 April 2020).

[1] OECD (2019), Getting Skills Correct: Time to come-Prepare Developed Learning Systems, Getting Skills Correct, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264311756-en.

[2] OECD (2019), OECD Employment Outlook 2019: The Future of Work, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9ee00155-en.

[4] OECD (2019), Skills Matter: Boosted Results from the Survey of Adult Skills, OECD Skills Studies, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/1f029d8f-en.

[14] Pomerantz, J. (2019), XR for Teaching and Learning, https://www.educause.edu/hp-xr-2. (accessed on 29 April 2020).

[9] Rivard, R. (2013), Researchers explore who is taking MOOCs and why so many drop out, https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/03/08/researchers-explore-who-taking-moocs-and-why-and so-many-driblet-out (accessed on 25 Apr 2020).

[17] Rosewell, J. (2014), OpenupEd characterization, quality benchmarks for MOOCs, http://e-xcellencelabel.eadtu.eu/. (accessed on 29 Apr 2020).

[7] UNESCO (2020), "National learning platforms and tools", https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse/nationalresponses (accessed on 28 Apr 2020).

[viii] WorldBank (2020), "How countries are using edtech (including online learning, radio, television, texting) to support admission to remote learning during the COVID-nineteen pandemic", Brief, https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/edutech/brief/how-countries-are-using-edtech-to-support-remote-learning-during-the-covid-19-pandemic (accessed on 28 April 2020).

Notes

← two. Formal training by and large takes place at an institution that is function of the state's regular didactics system and provides a qualification upon successful completion. Not-formal training is usually organised by employers, private training providers or professional organisations (EUROSTAT, 2016[19]). Among workers, informal learning – learning past doing or learning from colleagues and supervisors – accounts for a large share of learning activities, involving about 70% of workers in whatever given yr, compared to 40% of workers who participate in non-formal grooming and 8% who undertake formal training (Fialho, Quintini and Vandeweyer, 2019[twenty]). Simply formal and non-formal training are susceptible to be provided online. Informal learning by definition is not provided as role of a course. In addition, it is not clear how informal learning would take been disrupted past the lockdown and this assessment goes across the scope of this brief.

← 3. The data extracted from the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) refers to participation in not-formal distance learning, hence could include correspondence courses. As these courses have become rare, the statistics presented are a practiced, albeit not perfect, proxy for the incidence of online learning among participants in not-formal training. Come across also the definitions presented in Box i.

← 4. Although figures are not available, information technology is very likely that non-formal training that was being provided or planned by employers would have been interrupted and rescheduled, particularly if information technology was being provided in-house or by small-scale training providers without sufficient capacity to convert it into online instruction. It is less clear how breezy learning, a crucial form of learning for workers, would have been affected by the lockdown. In jobs where teleworking is possible, learning by doing and possibly learning from colleagues and supervisors is likely to.have continued. By definition, this is not the case for workers on short-time work schemes or those made redundant.

← 5. Short-time work bounty schemes provide additional funds so that employees can reduce their hours of piece of work without a proportional reduction in their take-habitation pay. The employees earn less than they do when in full-fourth dimension employment, just more than they would receive in unemployment benefits.

References [1] OECD (2019), Getting Skills Right: Future-Ready Adult Learning Systems, Getting Skills Right, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/ten.1787/9789264311756-en.
Open DOI References [2] OECD (2019), OECD Employment Outlook 2019: The Future of Work, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9ee00155-en.
Open DOI References [3] OECD (2019), Dashboard on priorities for developed learning - OECD, http://www.oecd.org/employment/skills-and-work/adult-learning/dashboard.htm (accessed on sixteen April 2020).
Open URL References [4] OECD (2019), Skills Matter: Additional Results from the Survey of Adult Skills, OECD Skills Studies, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/1f029d8f-en.
Open DOI References [five] OECD (2020), "VET in a time of crisis: Building foundations for resilient vocational education and grooming systems", VET in a fourth dimension of crisis: Building foundations for resilient vocational education and training systems, OECD Publishing, Paris, http://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/vet-in-a-fourth dimension-of-crisis-edifice-foundations-for-resilient-vocational-pedagogy-and-grooming-systems-efff194c/.
Open up URL References [vi] OECD (2020), "Public Employment Services in the frontline for employees, jobseekers and employers", OECD Policy Responses to Coronavirus (COVID-xix), OECD Publishing, Paris, http://world wide web.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/public-employment-services-in-the-frontline-for-employees-jobseekers-and-employers-c986ff92/.
Open up URL References [7] UNESCO (2020), "National learning platforms and tools", https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse/nationalresponses (accessed on 28 April 2020).
Open URL References [8] WorldBank (2020), "How countries are using edtech (including online learning, radio, tv, texting) to support access to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic", Brief, https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/edutech/brief/how-countries-are-using-edtech-to-back up-remote-learning-during-the-covid-19-pandemic (accessed on 28 April 2020).
Open up URL References [vi] OECD (2020), "Public Employment Services in the frontline for employees, jobseekers and employers", OECD Policy Responses to Coronavirus (COVID-19), OECD Publishing, Paris, http://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/public-employment-services-in-the-frontline-for-employees-jobseekers-and-employers-c986ff92/.
Open URL References [nine] Rivard, R. (2013), Researchers explore who is taking MOOCs and why so many drop out, https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/03/08/researchers-explore-who-taking-moocs-and-why-and then-many-drop-out (accessed on 25 April 2020).
Open URL References [10] Murray, S. (2019), Moocs struggle to lift rock-bottom completion rates | Financial Times, https://www.ft.com/content/60e90be2-1a77-11e9-b191-175523b59d1d (accessed on 25 Apr 2020).
Open URL References [11] Credly, J., Eastward. Knight and S. Manning (2013), The Potential and Value of Using Digital Badges for Adult Learners Terminal Written report. References [12] Minocha, S., A. Tudor and S. Tilling (2017), Affordances of Mobile Virtual Reality and their Role in Learning and Educational activity Briefing or Workshop Item Affordances of Mobile Virtual Reality and their Role in Learning and Pedagogy, The Open University, http://oro.open up.air-conditioning.great britain/id/eprint/49441 (accessed on 29 April 2020).
Open URL References [13] Hwa Choi, D., A. Dailey-Hebert and J. Simmons Estes (2016), Emerging Tools and Applications of Virtual Reality in Didactics, IGI Global. References [14] Pomerantz, J. (2019), XR for Education and Learning, https://www.educause.edu/hp-xr-2. (accessed on 29 April 2020).
Open up URL References [xv] Butcher, Due north. (2013), A Guide to Quality in Online Learning, Academic Partnerships. References [16] Esfijani, A. (2018), "Measuring Quality in Online Didactics: A Meta-synthesis", American Journal of Distance Teaching, Vol. 32/1, pp. 57-73, http://dx.doi.org/ten.1080/08923647.2018.1417658.
Open up DOI References [17] Rosewell, J. (2014), OpenupEd characterization, quality benchmarks for MOOCs, http://e-xcellencelabel.eadtu.european union/. (accessed on 29 Apr 2020).
Open URL References [18] Lederman, D. (2020), How the shift to remote learning might touch students, instructors and colleges, https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2020/03/25/how-shift-remote-learning-might-touch-students-instructors-and (accessed on 25 April 2020).
Open URL References [19] EUROSTAT (2016), Classification of learning activities (CLA) MANUAL 2016 edition, http://dx.doi.org/10.2785/874604.
Open up DOI References [20] Fialho, P., G. Quintini and K. Vandeweyer (2019), "Returns to different forms of job related training: Factoring in informal learning", OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers, No. 231, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/ten.1787/b21807e9-en.
Open DOI

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Source: https://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/the-potential-of-online-learning-for-adults-early-lessons-from-the-covid-19-crisis-ee040002/

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