Introduction

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The content in this updated edition of the IDEAL Distance and Digital Education Handbook shares strategies and resources to help programs implement a range of instructional modalities supported by digital technologies, including: distance education, blended or hybrid learning, live remote instruction, and hybrid-flexible (HyFlex) instruction. Whether you have years of experience teaching learners at a distance and using edtech in your instruction or are entirely new to it, this guide is for you! Through it, you can enhance your skills in providing distance and digital education, especially modalities that are useful when you are helping learners who are not in your physical classroom. The information we share is based on reports from programs across the United States about how they built on their pre-pandemic distance education, pandemic-era innovations, and the thoughtful practices that have remained in use since.

We have never had a deeper or wider pool of informants contributing to our understanding of promising strategies and resources. Data from the National Reporting System for Adult Education (NRS) make it clear that the slow progress the field was making in expansion of quality distance education prior to the pandemic surged in 2020–2022. From 2016–2019, only about 4% of total learners were reported on NRS Table 4C, the optional table available to report distance learners’ engagement and progress. For program year 2023-2024, this figure increased to 19% (National Reporting System for Adult Education, n.d.-b), with a potential for this number to continue to grow in this coming program year as funding uncertainty may limit in person capacity and more students show a preference for remote options rather than traveling to their adult school for in class participation. 

Past data show that, during those pre-pandemic years, distance learners performed as well or better than non-distance learners. This trend has continued into program year 2023-2024, where in addition to the population of distance learners growing, measurable skill gain achieved by distance learners continued to be comparable with that of all learners, at approximately 48% (Ibid). Note that Table 4C is optional and does not always include blended and hybrid learning, so the engagement is likely under-reported, especially for those two modalities which are known to best support learner progress (Cherewka et al., 2024). 

This Handbook, the attendant course (IDEAL 101) discussions and activities, and implementation plan that is part of the course provide the opportunity to develop proactive strategies to enhance learning and expand capacity in a sustainable way. This Handbook addresses both administrative and instructional issues that are at the core of successful distance and digital education. The Handbook is informed by current and prior research, policy guidelines and observations of effective practice documented by IDEAL Consortium members, past and present, and affiliated state leaders. The collective wisdom of past and current members is included here as the foundation for our interpretation of how to best leverage recent technological innovations to support quality instruction at a distance.

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Structure

This tenth edition of the Handbook is the sixth to be authored under the stewardship of the World Education. Though its structure mirrors that of the previous editions written by Leslie Petty and Jere Johnston (published by Project IDEAL at the University of Michigan), the content within each chapter has been rewritten to reflect the new technologies and attendant instructional shifts that support maximizing flexibility and personalization of learning, with a particular focus on creating opportunity for all learners to succeed. 

The Handbook is a digital resource, with embedded links to external resources like videos, sample instructional materials, and policy and practice publications. As such it is intended to be accessed online.  It is organized around important programmatic considerations for setting up distance and digital education or expanding options for other modalities like blended/hybrid learning or Hybrid-Flexible (HyFlex) instruction. Each chapter guides you to develop practical plans for such instruction. The end goal for readers is to craft a planning document to support implementation of distance or other forms of digital education like blended, hybrid, remote live, or HyFlex. By using this handbook, you'll gain knowledge to advance your understanding on the following topics and build competency on the focal objectives.

Chapter 1 | Setting the Stage

• Explain the compelling reasons and data supporting the need for robust distance and digital education programs in adult education.
• Define and differentiate between key terminology and instructional modalities, including Digital Education, Distance Education, Blended Learning, Hybrid Learning, HyFlex, Remote Instruction, and Classroom Technology Integration.
• Describe the relevance of WIOA guidelines in the context of distance and digital education. 
• Consider the role of digital access and literacy in distance and digital education programming.

Chapter 2 | Recruitment: Identifying and Recruiting Students

• Identify characteristics of learners who are likely to succeed in various distance and digital education models.
• Develop targeted recruitment strategies for attracting both known and new audiences for digital learning opportunities.

• Leverage partnerships and plain language communication to expand outreach efforts within the community and workforce development agencies.

Chapter 3 | Assessing Readiness: Determining What Supports Students Need to Succeed in Distance and Other Forms of Digital Education

• Consider the importance of assessing learners' academic, nonacademic (soft skills, habits of mind), and technology readiness for digital learning.
• Utilize various assessment tools and frameworks (e.g., Northstar, BRIDGES) to identify learners' skill strengths and gaps.
• Plan for providing necessary supports to address technology access issues and skill development needs of a broad audience of learners with a range of backgrounds.

Chapter 4 | Orientation: Setting Up Learners for Success

• Design a comprehensive orientation program that prepares learners for success in distance and digital education, covering organization, study habits, technology, and goal setting.
• Implement strategies for building learners' skills and comfort using the digital tools needed for learning; begin to foster digital resilience during orientation.
• Adapt orientation activities and communication protocols for effective delivery to remote learners, including leveraging Digital Navigation services.

Chapter 5 | Instruction: Getting Started

• Plan and design instruction with thoughtful  communication strategies and flexible, relevant, and supportive approaches to delivering content.
• Select instructional content by locating or creating instructional content that attends to fair use and licensing guidelines and balances use of purchased curricula with supplemental resources.
• Locate or create instructional resources leveraging innovative digital tools (Gen, AI, VR/AR).
• Integrate technology strategically into instruction, understanding frameworks like the Triple E, to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes and leveraging approaches like EdTech Routines to boost digital resilience.
• Apply principles of involved instruction to facilitate meaningful and supportive learning experiences in various digital education modalities (blended, hybrid, pure distance, HyFlex).

Chapter 6 | Assessment: Student Participation and Progress

• Differentiate between the various purposes of assessment (diagnostic, formative, summative, program evaluation) in distance and digital education.
• Apply effective formative and summative assessment strategies and tools to monitor learner progress and guide instruction.
• Understand and fulfill National Reporting System (NRS) requirements for assessing and reporting distance learners, including measuring instructional time.

Chapter 7 | Administrative Issues: Getting Started

• Apply pilot principles to effectively implement, upscale, or refine distance and digital education programs within an organization.
• Develop a strategic vision and plan for digital education, considering instructional models, materials, technology, and budgeting.
• Implement strategies for identifying, supporting, and providing professional development for teachers in technology-rich instructional modalities, while also ensuring data monitoring and security.

Each of these chapters will follow a similar format, beginning with an overview of the topic, followed by implementation recommendations, and concluding with a reflective activity and suggested resources for further exploration designed to help teachers and administrators plan and implement a new distance education program or improve an existing program. A complete list of suggested resources for further exploration is available in Appendix A. 

These chapters serve as the basis for the IDEAL Consortium’s introductory online course IDEAL 101: Foundations of Distance and Digital Education. Digital versions of the reflection activities at the end of each chapter are available in the course for IDEAL Consortium member states. The final chapter, Chapter 7, discusses issues critical for setting up distance and/or digital education programming from the perspective of a program administrator, though the information is useful for instructors working to make changes in their classrooms.

Together, the chapters provide structure for creating or revising a distance and/or digital education implementation plan for your adult education program. Now is the time to reflect on your past work in this area and then, based on lessons learned, build strategies for even more effective programming.

Using the Handbook as a Springboard for Change

We hope that you will think about developing or improving your distance and digital education program systematically, considering each aspect of programming defined in this Handbook. As you read, please keep the following points in mind.

• Consider learners first. Approach this using a holistic approach to program development or improvement that takes into account all aspects of educational programming. Don’t lead with technology procurement. It is not enough to buy a license for an online curriculum and hire a teacher. The experience of the learner needs to be considered from the time they express interest in learning through supporting successful program exit. 
  
• Start small. As you get started, think about doing this work in small, managed, and highly experimental projects. Start with one targeted group of learners, choosing appropriate learning materials for those learners and choosing technologies and processes that you will use to organize, deliver, and communicate about learning content. After you’ve selected your targeted group of learners, perhaps start with a short list of digital content or one core curriculum. Teachers can expand that repertoire to include additional resources and activities over time. Consider using one primary communication tool (e.g., WhatsApp, Remind, email) and one venue for organizing and delivering content (e.g., Google Classroom, Canvas, Moodle).

Example of how this might look in practice:

Think about a targeted group of learners	Choose appropriate learning materials, identifying or creating supplemental activities  as needed	Choosing technologies and processes to organize, deliver and communicate about learning content
My morning class - ESOL Level 3	I’ll start off using USA Learns as my core curriculum. Then as my learners and I become more familiar with it, I will identify or create additional instructional materials to fill in any gaps and further address skills.	I’ll use Google Classroom as the place where my in-person and online learners can locate important course information and learning activities. I’ll also try using WhatsApp to send important reminders in addition to Google Classroom announcements.