Providing Simulated Online and Mobile Learning Experiences in a Prison Education Setting

Abstract

This article reports on the preliminary findings, design criteria and lessons learned while developing and piloting an alternative to traditional print-based education delivery within a prison environment. PLEIADES (Portable Learning Environments for Incarcerated Distance Education Students), was designed to provide incarcerated students with access to internet-independent secure digital and mobile technologies. An internet-independent version of Moodle was developed to complement course readings deployed on eReaders. The aim of the project was to increase access to and participation in higher education courses that are increasingly offered exclusively online. The article begins with an overview of the current provision of education within prison environments and introduces the rationale for commencing the project. The research findings of the project trial are discussed and the paper concludes with the lessons learned and implications for further research, development and implementation.

Challenges in deploying educational technologies for tertiary education in the carceral setting: Reconnecting or connecting?

“…A lack of digital literacies restricts an ex-prisoner to low paying and often physical jobs that have little impact on recidivism (Bhuller, et al, 2020). When technologies are provided, both staff and learners are unsure how to use them and they may be put aside in favour of hard copy materials (Farley, Murphy & Bedford, 2014).…”

An Overall Picture About Academic Literature Focused on Online Learning in Prison

“…Despite the majority of the revised papers emphasize the benefits of online learning (HANCOCK, 2010;BROWN;RIOS, 2014;SEELIG;RATE, 2014;ROTH et al, 2016;DEMIRAY et al, 2016;HOPKINS, 2017;DILORETO et al, 2017, MOREIRA et al, 2017bRENBARGER, et al 2019), some of them also point to less positive results (FARLEY et al, 2014;HOPKINS;, which could be associated to the lack of knowledge on how to learn with digital resources, the limited access to the computer labs and the lack of support from the education officers. In sum, the less favorable learning results were found in two papers' contents underlined in this study: resources and educational staff support.…”

“…The analysis allows to reinforce the importance of educational staff in the revised papers. Particular relevance is given to the necessity of educational staff support in learning activities (HANCOCK, 2010;FARLEY et al, 2014;HOPKINS;HOPKINS, 2015;MOREIRA et al, 2017a;MOREIRA et al, 2017b), to the staff empowerment and training (SEELIG; RATE, 2014; CRABBE, 2016), and to educational staff value when their work is recognized by inmates (HOPKINS; FARLEY, 2014; BROWN; RIOS, 2014;…”

Educação digital para adultos em privação de liberdade

“…Com efeito, a modalidade de Educação a Distância e eLearning tem sido reconhecida, desde o início do século, como uma modalidade que responde aos desafios que o mundo globalizado coloca ao nível da aprendizagem ao longo da vida e do desenvolvimento de competências tecnológicas e sociais (GARRISON; ANDERSON, 2003;HERRINGTON;REEVES, OLIVER, 2010;MOORE ET AL, 2011). Considerando, a importância crescente que as Tecnologias de Comunicação Digitais (TCD) têm assumido na sociedade, os reclusos devem ter a oportunidade de utilizar Ambientes Virtuais de Aprendizagem (AVA), com propósitos formativos e educacionais, obviamente, com restrições em termos de acesso à internet através de canais seguros (ADAMS; PIKE, 2012).…”

“…Para além deste projeto, é de destacar ainda na Austrália, o PLEIADES (Portable Learning Environments for Incarcerated Distance Education Students), um projeto concebido para fornecer aos estudantes reclusos acesso a tecnologias móveis e digitais seguras offline e que tinha como principal objetivo aumentar o acesso e a participação em cursos de Ensino Superior. Para esse efeito foi desenvolvida uma versão offline da Moodle para complementar a leitura dos recursos digitais disponibilizados em eReaders (FARLEY; MURPHY;BEDFORD, 2014). Nigéria os únicos reclusos que têm acesso a computadores são os estudantes/reclusos que frequentam cursos de Ensino Superior na Universidade Nacional Aberta, no entanto, estes, também, não têm autorização para aceder à Internet.…”