Corrections Community

Hello,

Just wondering if T4C has ever been taught (whole or in part) online through a web based classroom? Any feedback would be very helpful.

 Thanks,

Loree Greco

Loree,

Happy New Year!  You raise a great question.  Currently, NIC has delivered the T4C facilator training and the T4C train the trainers training in traditional classroom formats.  In 2002, we conducted a large distance learning satellite-Internet faciltator training.  This event consisted of 16-hours of live satellite/Internet broadcasts with 16-hours of local facilitated follow-up application activities.  Over 2,500 facilitators were equipped to deliver the program during that event.  In 2004, NIC conducted a 3-hour satellite/Internet broadcast for facilitators and program administrators, "Thinking for a Change: Sustaining Program Integrity after Implementation". (Both of these events are available on CD from our NIC Information  Center).

Currently, NIC is working with a vendor to migrate the  "T4C:Sustaining Program Integrity after Implementation" content to a WBT (online) training experience.  It will become a course that will be available in our NIC Learning Center.  It will be an asynchronous (on demand) delivery design.  Additionally, NIC is beginning to expand its on-line synchronous classroom efforts.  T4C modules will be undoubtedly be included in this strategy probably in the 4th quarter of this year.

Stay tuned to our progress.....I will periodically post updates for our community.

Hello Again,

I am very interested in utilizing T4C in a online format for offenders through a virtual classroom "Blackboard.com" . Has anyone done this yet? Are there lesson plans already designed in an online classroom format to teach from? Any feedback would be very helpful. I'd like to get this going as a sentencing alternative for some Denver judges. . . .

Thanks,

Loree

I don't know of anyone who has done what you are considering doing for offenders.  If you try this approach, I would be cautious.  TFAC is designed as a skill acquisition / skill application program utilizing social learning.  If you use the virtual classroom delivery style, I am not sure you would be able to provide feedback to offenders when they "try-out" the skill.  CSC, SS and PS all require the offender see a model, try the skill out in the classroom and have a success experience before taking it out into the "real world" to try it.  Another important piece is the feedback the instructor receives from the offender's completed homework assignment.  If you aren't in a traditional group setting, it might be difficult to determine just how much the offender is getting.  These are just a few things to consider if you are going to try the virtual classroom method of delivery.  Please let me know if you do it.  I would be interested in looking at the data after you've tried it for some time. 

Thanks!

Thanks for your thoughtful response to my post. If this gets off the ground, I will keep you in the data loop as long as you're interested.

Best,

Loree

Greetings!

 I am unaware of any current virtual online application of the T4C program with offenders.  While I believe there is potential to consider the program for a virtual online strategy, there would have to be significant modification in some of the group processes utilized in T4C to make this feasible.

 FYI, however, NIC is currently working on a couple of training opportunities for facilitators and program managers of the T4C program using bot WBT and virtual instructor-led designs utilizing Webex.  Keep your eyes posted for a new e-course in the NIC Learning Center (http://nic.learn.com), Thinking for a Change:  Sustaining Program Integrity After Implementation around the beginning of next year.  This will be a WBT design.