Interaction and Collabroration Online

In the terms of education interaction and collaboration in online learning are still in its infant state. However, (Draves, 2002) noted that it’s the heart and soul of online learning (Oosterhof, Conrad, & Ely 2008). This being true the community of online learning must be one that has established the foundational core of the building blocks within an online atmosphere. As you know the building blocks of any community is based on communication. For this discussion you will discuss what you believe to be the most important elements in building an online community in a learning environment, as discussed in your text.

In your discussion highlight three factors that can weaken the establishing of the community.

In conjunction what steps could be taken to strengthen the building of the community into a cohesive group?

Finally, what are the positive impacts on the learner in this setting?



By Friday:
Post your comments to at least two of your colleagues’ blog posting; providing your thoughts on the above questions or statements. Ensure that you cite your sources within your post.

Download Rubric: Go to the following site click on file, then download document into your desired format. : https://docs.google.com/document/d/1b9Ni7l0X2rE2AH-3J4BEQMHYgn7DdfMZITj8H5pXBa4/edit?hl=en_US#

Plagiarism Detection and Prevention

In the rapidly growing online classes, the need for tools to assist the instructors is growing. The availability of information made through the internet has caused a rise in the act of plagiarism. To assist the online instructor there has been much software developed. There are numerous available to the online instructor; PlagScan, PlagiarismDetection, and Turnitin are three of the well-known. These software packages will help the instructor deter plagiarism and bring to the attention of the student the severity of this issue.

To further assist in the prevention of cheating or plagiarizing; it would be helpful to design your assessments so students will be able to use the text material and collaborate with others if the need arises. Design your assessments to encourage the students to use the resources that have been provided for them. If the student can see the applicable use within an assessment the less likely they to commit academic dishonesty. Open book exams can be designed to have the student research the material and use it in every day work simulation. This provides the student with the skills required on the job. This will reduce the likely hood of cheating.

As an online instructor the use of automated plagiarism detection software would be very helpful; however as the instructor I would advise the student that it would be in their best interest to use a free plagiarism detection software before turning in their work. I would in turn explain to the students the severity of cheating or committing plagiarism; as stated in the lessons video by Dr. Dr. Palloff and Pratt; many of the students may not consider what they are doing as plagiarism. Most of the students online see a wealth of information and don’t perceive the cut and paste from the internet has plagiarism. To help the students further understand the realness of the issue; explain the stance the school has on the issues. It is a good idea to try and get the student to understand the pride of authorship and the importance of respecting the work of another.

In addition it would be a good idea to get the student to understand that their work should come from their creativity and their understanding of a topic. This is to remind the student that in most cases course work is will relate directly to your job, and the best efforts put forward now may help propel them forward later. In the time it takes to process cheating or commit plagiarism an individual can develop some great ideas of their own by simply taking the time needed and understanding the creativity of their own thoughts. In reading the “Plagiarism by Adult Learners Online” I realized that the percentage of incidents regarding plagiarism in adult learners is just as bad as the young learners. You would think that individuals that had been in the work force for some time understands that cheating will never pay off. As future instructor and ID personal it falls upon our shoulders to get prepared that will help reduce these incidents. Cheating is not going to go away because we wish it to. Therefore we must train ourselves to look for it the best ways we can to overcome the issue. Gathering the known information, tools and understanding how it works today, is our best online of defense.

Refernces: Plagiarism by Adult Learners Online: A case study in detection and remediation, Vol 7, No 1 (2006)

Distance Learning - Dreana Marshall-Stuart: Impact of Technology and Multimedia

Distance Learning - Dreana Marshall-Stuart: Impact of Technology and Multimedia

Technology and Multimedia within online learning

Technology and multimedia have had a phenomenal impact within the online learning environment. The growth of technology and the use of this technology as tools on the internet have greatly enhanced the learning community by bring the student and instructor closer together. Multimedia embedded into CMS can set an environment for students at any time. This creates a community setting for the asynchronous learning environment. Students no longer need to feel set apart from the instructor or group. Students can create a learner to learner environment by establishing a communication environment with texting, instant messaging, twittering or even by establishing a wiki account and work projects. These same environments can be established with the instructor, some of this technology can be overly used if not careful. Texting, instant messaging and twitter have small amounts of data transfer. Therefore using them formal formats for the learner may not provide the need amount of data to transfer the goals to the students. Their uses as short informal information providers are great tools. As we review the use of technology today in the online environment it seems to be improving the packages we can deliver to the learner day by day.

In implementing technology an instructor should ensure they are very familiar with functions of the tool beforehand. Tools being implemented should not be so complicated that the learning curve is too great for the beginner level. The tool should be easy to learn and straight forward. This will help establish a smoother environment for the members of the community. Knowing the level of the students in the class helps greatly in this selection. As stated by Boettcher & Conrad (2010), “Tools are just tools. The goal is communicating with and providing guidance to the students.” Tools should have a functioning goal toward the set outcome of the class. An instructor should not us a tool just to use it; the student should be able to find a need within all the tools used in a course. The question to answer is will this tool add to the learning experience?

Technology is great when it is usable and accessible. When selecting tools instructors must be aware of the accessibility and usability of the tools by the students. Using the latest and the great is good if all the students have the latest and the greatest at hand. It would be an ideal environment if all the students had a T1 high speed cable connection with the latest and great Windows or Apple package with all the bells and attachments. However, there are still areas where there is an only dialup capability. So an instructor must be aware that all the students need to use the tools as well as have access to them. This also comes into play with software. Will the student have the software for a project and will they be able to us it afterwards. If the tool brings with it any problems those problems transfer into drawbacks for the student and the instructor.

There are a number of tools that I have found to be helpful to me and the learner. The use of a good CMS is a must to set the foundation of the community. The use of a wiki has proven to be very useful as a tool for group projects. This provides the learners with a tool to work together and provide feedback to each other as well as the instructor with a history log. Skype is a useful tool that is at no cost to the student and provides the environment of being there for the student, as well as internet conferencing. To provide the students with up to date information or to answer a question e-mail, instant messaging or text are good tools. Keeping the student close is very important to the online environment, so providing the student with multimedia instructions provides visual to the learning environment.

References: Boettcher, J. V. & Conrad, R. (2010). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and practical pedagogical tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass

Setting Up An Online Learning Experience

Since the beginning of online courses the setting up the environment is essential to getting off on the right step. The tone of the experience is set with how the accepts the initial introduction to the environment. Therefore knowing the technology that is available to you is highly important. There is a wide range of technology available to the online presenters today. Knowing the best ones to present to your learners in a given environment establishes the foundation for the learning environment. You must also know inner workings of the technology, so you don’t to jump in too deep. In this process the best CMS that set the required communication environment between the faculty to learner, learner to learner and learner to faculty is the tone setting tool. Each technology tool should have a well-founded purpose toward the learning process for the learner. The Online Teaching Survival Guide, states “Focus on the essential tools”. Using technology just because it’s there is not a good idea. It needs to fix the moment.

In preparation for student interaction, clear expectation to the learner come with the greatest of importance. Students in an online environment may not have the same options or availability to the instructor or tools outside of the set environment. Therefore the guidelines must state clearly what is expected from the instructor because this ensuring an understanding of the course. If the learner doesn’t understand the expectation their satisfaction with the course begins with a downward spiral. Therefore it is important that potential problems are stated in advance to help remove possible misunderstandings. It is important to establish a trusting learning environment (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010). The communication in an online environment must be intentional. We cannot expect the understanding to be a given. Student on the East Coast may differ from students on the West Coast. Therefore the language must be neutral in that respect, as well stating a clear picture of the expected outcome. Remember, your words are the only expression seen by the students.

In setting up the online environment the faculty or instructor must establish a presence in getting acquainted. Unlike face to face to student cannot see your facial smile, so they need to see it in your words. You must help them see that you are very interested in their well-being in the course, as well as their full life. They are not just a number on the screen, so don’t treat them like a number. In the video it was well stated that we want our learners to feel excepted. We want their help in setting up the community. If this is going to be a learner centered environment they must take the lead. The instructor must be willing and to hand off the lead to the student as well as be there to help them through any difficult time. So, patience with one’s self as well as the students will aid the student as they learn the online process. In the beginning steps have the students complete a bio or introduction. If there is a need help them by asking non-intrusive questions. Getting them to fell acceptance and welcome is the goal. Assists yourself by introducing an icebreaker, a good icebreaker will aid in the communication process by breaking down the halls of not knowing who is on the other end of the communication. Take the lead on this by exposing something about yourself that will help the student see you as being human, and not the picture perfect individual with the grading pen in your hand. The first steps into this environment are so important, so let the students know what’s coming. Re-enforce your presence and that you are there to help them through this process. Even though it is a student centered environment, the student want to see you are there with them all the way.

References:
Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. (2010). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and practical pedagogical tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Conrad, R. & Donaldson, J.A. ( 2004). Engaging the online learner. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Online Learning Communities

The online classroom brings with a set of challenges unknown to the face to face community. In an online community the students must learn to operate within an environment that is created using technology. It is easy for someone to feel isolated from others if the community is not presenting an open environment where the student feels welcome and excepted. This community must provide the learner with a sense of comfort. Here the learning environment has been taken and divided among the instructor and the students. The learning activities must be eased into for those who may not have a full understanding of this method. The student although aiding in setting the environment must understand that their peers will be part of their learning process. This is often a phase that students needs to adjust to their peers. Students that are new to this environment will need time to adjust to learner to learner pushing the discussions. The instructor is challenged with establishing the foundation of this community but it is the students and the instructor that must keep the community thriving. If the student can maintain a sense of belonging in this community the learning curve can be maintain with hopefully of an upward nature. The verse of this is that the student doesn’t feel the connection with the community and their performance never gets a true start. It could be from a feeling of isolation that is must common in an online community. If the instructor doesn’t make the connection with the student or the students doesn’t grasp the necessity of the community the satisfaction level with the class will most likely not meet with acceptance. It is important that the student see the involvement of the instructor in the community and the learning process. Although the environment is student centered, the student functions better if there is guidance from the instructor.

The essential elements for building an online community is that the instructor knows the technology. If the instructor doesn’t the CMS or LMS the instructor will not have credibility with the students. The instructor must be involved with the community. The tone is set by the instructor. Here you energize the learning environment and empower the student. What are you using for a naming convention? Is it appealing to the students? These should be inviting the student into a warm learning environment. Ensure the course is easy to navigate. Take a trail run to see if there are any foreseen problems. Create a welcome letter, letting the students know that you are eager to meet them and help them in the learning process. Provide them with a personal bio and introduction so they can see that you are human too. Invite the student to create an intro and bio of themselves and converse with the other student. Create an icebreaker to get the student involved into conversing with each other. Here you are creating the building blocks of the online community. If this is done correctly, keeping and sustaining the community will not become a problem. Keeping the student engaged in communication and discussions aids in staining the community. The instructor should continue to plug into what the students are doing throughout the class. Always maintain a presence with the community so the students never feel as if they are on their own. Re-enforce the learning processes of the learner to learner. A strong community in the online setting provides the foundation for the effective learning environment. A good relationship is developed; when the students are connected to the processes and to each other in an online community and an atmosphere of togetherness aids in the learning and the instruction within the community.

Reference: Video program “Online Learning Communities” by Dr. Rena Palloff and Dr. Keith Pratt.

Welcome to my Instructional Design Blog

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog on instructional design. This has not always been my primary job; however, I have been an instructor/ID for many years. Returning to schools was a chance for me to renew some old skills after working with computer for a life time. I now use the skills from both fields to enhance the life of youth that need help finding their purpose in life. I believe that there is greatness in all of us if we would just take the time and see within ourselves. One of my goals in this class is to enhance myself to a point to further aid other in this goal. I look forward to read your comments and your blogs in the future.

Karl McKinney

Managing Scope Creep

I recall a CBT project that was riddled with scope creep issues. An organization wanted to convert a large portion of their training into CBT but had no one on their staff had a background in development. The team I was working with at the time was selected to begin this project. Due to the many points that this customer wanted to cover in the first meeting, the five member team was requested to be present. The meeting was being hosted by the client, so we went with their request. Shortly after the meeting the client accepted our recommendation and asked us to being the work. To keep this from being a PowerPoint presentation we requested to sit in on the classes before beginning development. After two weeks we were ready to begin the analysis of the first class. During the analysis phase we were approached about making some changes to the class. We explained that changes to the class would change the timeline set for the project’s completion. As well as add to the development cost. This was agreeable so we took the changes just before starting our design phase. This was a short one day class therefore we could complete this with 280 to 300 development hours per hour of class. During the development our client wanted to re-think their changes and maybe not include all of them. At the same time there was a request to reduce cost where ever we could. At this point these issues were major to the completion of our project. Our project manager requested a meeting with the client and our CEO. The problem here was the SOW had been agreed upon and modified once to meet the needs of the client. Now the client wants to change the objectives again and have us reduce cost. The project manager wanted to explain that by changing the objectives the client was increasing cost. The project was put on hold until the client and senior management could work out the details of a new contract. This process took six week to complete.

In looking back I believe the project was started in the wrong environment. Instead of meeting with the entire team I would have asked the client to first meet with the key stakeholders. In this meeting I would have set the guidelines for the project and explain the importance of the client understanding what went into developing CBT from conventional instructions. I would have covered how the ADDIE process worked and what it meant to change the objectives in the process. All cost would have been set before starting the project with the understanding that any changes made by the client after the start date would could increase the cost of the project. I believe that covering these items beforehand would have minimized the request of the client. Since the client didn’t know what went into making these changes, how would they know it affected the graphic artist, the media designer, and a host of others? I think when the timeline was being set with the client, the type of delays should have been built into the project. As it was covered in chapter 11 of out text (Project Management), “The most common result of scope creep is an upset client who was not (or claims not to have been) told how long the change delays the project and how much it raises the project cost”. (P. 346)

Change in a project is an expectation in project management. Setting up a formal method to handle these changes minimizes stress that comes alone with it.

Reference: Portny, S., Mantel, S., Meredith, J., Shafer, S., Sutton, M., & Kramer, B. (2008). Project management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Estimating the costs

The site list provided below will guide an ID in the estimating the budget for their project in training and education. Using these tools will provide a step by step process for developing the budget. These sites will provide the beginner with needed information in one location.

http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/costs.html

Estimating Costs and Time in Instructional Design:

This is a good site; it highlights the time ratio you would use to estimate the development hours within an ID project. It provides short statements that would help guide you through the process of establishing a good frame work for your budget and timeline for your project. Although the site is a little old the time frames it provides to convert conventional to E-learning is still a good starting reference point. It even provides you the Instructor preparation time. This site would assist in the activity breakdown and cost for the project’s budget. In using the information provide by this site the project manager could design a project fitting the client’s desire.

http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/fall123/gordon123.html

Using a Web-based System to Estimate the Cost of Online Course Production:

This site is good for the ID who is developing online course material. It discusses estimating the cost with the awareness that it will cost more to develop online instructions. It provides examples for the designer as models in an asynchronous environment, which is most of online instructions today. Using the ACM model it shows you how to estimate the ratio cost per hour.

These two examples guide an ID through the process of estimating time and cost for an educational project. These type of tools will aid greatly in provide an accurate budget for the project manager.

Communicating Effectively

In this case of communication; there is one message conveyed in three forms. The intent of the message is to relay the importance of the data that Jane needs to receive. If she doesn’t receive the data soon she will miss her deadline for her report. She wants to make sure Mark understands his report is important because of the data it contains. She expresses her desire for the data over his report. The e-mail states a business position and the importance of the data that Mark has in his possession to the report that Jane needs to develop. However, if Mark is that busy he could easily misunderstand the message because it is only words that he sees. When Jane states that he could just send her the data, his report is no longer important. So the construction of the e-mail becomes very important.

In relaying the message through a voice mail, Jane expresses the importance of the data she is waiting to receive, through the tone of her voice. She isn’t being unforgiving but she is conveying the severity of the data she is requesting. Here the statement I need an ETA is more pronounced than the e-mail. Hearing ETA in the tone she used lets you know this is important to her. Here she is truly letting Mark know that is actions are important toward the completion of her report. In this message she seems to express the point better through her tone of importance.

Face to face the message is seen and heard. You are reading the expression on her face as well as interpret her body movement and gestures. The tone of her voice seems to be softer that the voice message. She still states the desire and importance of the data she is requesting for her report. However, there seems to be a plea for help that I didn’t see in the other forms of communication. Although the tone is lighter than the voice message she is making request but almost too soft. You want to keep your business atmosphere business like and to the point.

Though this is the same message, the methods of communication and the quality of the communication, determine the outcome of the message conveyed to the receiver. I personally preferred the voice message; it stated the importance of the data in tone that kept it business.

there is one message conveyed in three forms. The intent of the message is to relay the importance of the data that Jane needs to receive. If she doesn’t receive the data soon she will miss her deadline for her report. She wants to make sure Mark understands his report is important because of the data it contains. She expresses her desire for the data over his report. The e-mail states a business position and the importance of the data that Mark has in his possession to the report that Jane needs to develop. However, if Mark is that busy he could easily misunderstand the message because it is only words that he sees. When Jane states that he could just send her the data, his report is no longer important. So the construction of the e-mail becomes very important.

In relaying the message through a voice mail, Jane expresses the importance of the data she is waiting to receive, through the tone of her voice. She isn’t being unforgiving but she is conveying the severity of the data she is requesting. Here the statement I need an ETA is more pronounced than the e-mail. Hearing ETA in the tone she used lets you know this is important to her. Here she is truly letting Mark know that is actions are important toward the completion of her report. In this message she seems to express the point better through her tone of importance.

Face to face the message is seen and heard. You are reading the expression on her face as well as interpret her body movement and gestures. The tone of her voice seems to be softer that the voice message. She still states the desire and importance of the data she is requesting for her report. However, there seems to be a plea for help that I didn’t see in the other forms of communication. Although the tone is lighter than the voice message she is making request but almost too soft. You want to keep your business atmosphere business like and to the point.

Though this is the same message, the methods of communication and the quality of the communication, determine the outcome of the message conveyed to the receiver. I personally preferred the voice message; it stated the importance of the data in tone that kept it business.

A Case of the Heart

I remember working a project for an organization that wanted to start an international school. The concept was to bring in student for other nation and provide training for them in certain areas. In turn, the student s would be able to return to their homes and implement what they had learned. My task would be to create the course material based on the documentation provided by the client. One of the main courses was leadership. The objectives of the course were provided with a request to review and provide feedback. In reading the objectives I notice the terms, concepts and activities were all from an American view point. This was would be a problem if the student didn’t have an understanding of the American culture. The client didn’t think this would be a problem, (They’re the client). The budget of the project was small in terms of what needed to be completed. The client believed that a normal developed course would provide what they desired. The statement of work was drafted and accepted by all parties but stated that special concerns were provided by the developing agency.

The development of the first project would take about 9 months. The project was completed and tested with American students. It went off without a problem. The client asked if I would make myself available for the first class, which was not a problem. I made sure to place myself in a seat t6o witness the instructor and the students. After the first day the client asked if I would sit in on a review with the instructor. The instructor didn’t feel that the class was connecting with the material. The client wanted my thoughts on the matter. I agreed with the instructor. At this point the client wanted to know how to correct this and keep it from being a total lost. I asked the client if my team and I could teach the remainder of the course and edit the material as we teach. This was a working solution for the client. The three of us had worked in the native country of the students. This gave us some insight into their culture and helped us teach the course to them.

The client asked if we could meet and discuss what it would cost to re-work the course. The reply was this; the only way to re-work the course is for us to be allowed to conduct research into each nation you want to bring into the classroom. The problem was simple to correct. We just needed to make it an international course. The team understood that leadership can have many views. When developing course for other nations, it is good to under the culture of that nation. This establishes the communication lines that we need to operate with understanding. The course didn’t match the audience. The client was looking at the budget and did not understand the impact of course in relationship to culture. In this case it was a desire of the heart over what it takes to develop a great course.

Reflection on Distance Learning

Distance learning has evolved greatly over the past 10 to 20 years. I remember early in my military career the correspondence courses that were offered to us. It seems like a memory from my childhood. When I consider the progress that has been made over the last ten years, it seems as if we are moving at light speed. As I review the steps being taken today within the realm of development and design, there seems to be no limit to what can be achieved in the near future. Today we are using avatars with voice to carry a message between the presenter and the learner. The aspects of making the avatar more interactive are progress. The details of how to make it acceptable in the market are underway.

I think within the next five years we will see the use of these types of feature being used not only on campus but deeply with the realm of distance learning. Much of the population entering the education arena grew up with interactive video games. These games have become larger than life for some. Today you can log on to an account online and create an avatar to represent you in the game and become so involved that you may forget it’s just a game. Take this same technology and input a learner in an interactive classroom. The student is given the role to play out the will achieve a goal set in motion by the teacher. As the student walk the process out they see the process in motion. They can understand the steps they are taking. This type of environment can be helpful to those that need to see other individuals in the classroom. They will know that the avatars represent other students.

As distance learning continues to evolve within the next ten years we can easily see the interaction of a smart board being used for online instructions. A smart board is an interactive whiteboard system, like a touch screen. However, a smart board will allow you to do more interactive learning and interface. In this setting the instructor and the learner could interact together on a problem. This type of interaction makes it a real classroom. Technology is not the bottle neck in online education and learning. The growth of the acceptable individuals with the technology may be a factor. The fear or concerns of many about online learning must become a focus of the educational system online. The instructor and the designers must begin to put to rest these concerns by embracing these concerns and addressing them with that part of the population. Instead of just walking away from these individuals we should take the time to discuss the improvements made over the years. During this course I was placed in an environment where online learning wasn’t an acceptable venue for education. In listening to the concerns I was able to explain the improvement of validating the institution before becoming part of a diploma mill. In discussing the types of environment being setup for distance learning and the technology such as the CMS. A foundation was developed to bring enlightenment and awareness to the great improvements that have taken place.

Keeping this type of thinking in the forefront my future as a designer, I need to constantly think about designing material that will reach out to everyone. Often I classes that appeal to those of us that work with technology or we are involved with technology through education. I must keep in mind those that may not have embraced technology to that level. In like mind I must create education that will keep both types of individual engaged in the learning process. I must keep in mind that in twenty years distance learning more than likely will involve 3D images on a holographic table. As instructional designers we must keep in mind that technology is evolving and the education process must evolve with it. We are forced by future events to create more interactive education because the students in distance learning need to be more interactive with the learning process. Creating better process in our CMS through the creation of better tools is a plus for the ID person.

Best Practice Guide for Course Conversion

Converting a face to face course to an online course is not a cut and paste scenario. Although this process has been seen it is not a good method to knowledge transfer. The process of educating students online can be difficult if not well planned. Planning within the face to face preparation may be increased for the online development. Therefore planning a strategy should be well thought out before development begins. In this step you will want to answer the questions; what do you what to discontinue in the classroom and place online. In identifying this information you will need to ask you yourself the questions; what will work better online? What is the method of instruction I want to use; synchronous, asynchronous? This is based on the characteristics of the teacher, students, content, and delivery system (Herring& Smaldino 2001). In this process you will need to understand a large responsibility is placed on the student. So taking the slide show from the classroom directly to the internet is not best idea. However, some of the techniques being utilized in the classroom will work online.

You will want to select an array of techniques to create an environment of interest for your online learners. In this facet you want to keep your learner engaged in an active learning experience. Involvement is a key process for the online learner. In a classroom setting a student may be passive however online that isn’t the best course of action. Be creative in your online techniques, as long as you are keeping the students engaged in learning. As you look at the online development, think about improving the aspect of the class that will work better online. What activities can be created that will improve the learners ability to communicate? This would be a good time to review the treaded discussion component of your CMS. Is it presented with ease of use? You want to ensure that your CMS has a treaded discussion that your learners will have no problems navigating. Introduce topics that will simulate the communication between the learners and help guide the discussion by asking questions that will have the learner communicating back and forth with each other.

Checklist on developing Blended Education:

1. A blended course is portion of the face-to-face class time is placed online. The classroom time is reduced by 30% to 70% by online activities and identified in the course description. Identified what portion of the course you want to convert to online instruction.

2. After identifying what portion will be converted, identify what aspect within it can be improved online. Course content must demonstrate integrity. What is the background of the designer? Are they qualified in this area?

3. To ensure you are creating a better environment for your learners, you will need to select a course management system (CMS). You can easily check online and find some examples by reviewing free CMS, before investing in one.

4. You will want a treaded discussion within the CMS. Make sure it is easy to navigate for the learner.

5. You will need to build a list of required items the online learner will need to participate in the course. As well as identify the type of server you will need to provide access to the learners at all time. (Equipment and software etc.)

6. How will you structure your course? You have identified the CMS you will use; now you need to develop a plan. This based on the following:

a. Understanding who your learners are is critical. You will need to assess their background, general characteristics, and learning needs.

b. You will need to know, how many learners you are working with, are they located at different site or how many site.

c. Knowing what technologies are available to the learners is a must to the planning.

d. If this training is for the work place environment, how much time will the learner be involved.

e. Online development must take into consideration the cultural, social, and economic background of the learner. You can obtain this from the personnel records.

f. Identify the teaching strategies and media assets you will use to enhance the learning environment. Identify what worked in the class and what didn’t, what are the best processes, what needs to be revitalized.

g. Assessment is a must in the learning environment. It should be developed before the course is implemented. What steps will you take with the shy students; those that don’t are disinclined to engage in the discussion. What type of feedback will you provide to the student during the course to keep them producing and engaged?

h. You will need to develop a syllabus. This establishes the primary communication with the learner. It must contain enough information to provide understanding of the course to the learners. It must contain the frame work of the expectation of the course with clear instructions.

7. Activities are a must in online learning. You will want to build activities around communication to build better skills in this area.

a. You may want to develop a self-assessment quiz and have the learners discuss their thoughts through the discussion component. Here you will want to guide the learners to ensure tactful and diplomatic discussion is maintained.

b. You can also develop a lesson on verbal communication; highlighting variations in the pitch of your voice, how to use tone to your advantage and the speed of your speech.

8. You knowing the content and design of what the course contains are a must. However you will need to develop training for other trainers to understand and instruct this course. The skills needed to lead online instruction can be much harder than face to face. Keeping the students engaged in the learning process can prove to be challenging.

Following these step will help to develop the basic standards required for an online course. This is just a guide to help you get started in this process. Other resources are listed below that will provide you further knowledge in this process.

References:

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 1: Training and development). TechTrends, 52(3), 70–75.

Herring, M., & Smaldino, S. (2001). Planning for interactive distance education: A handbook (2^nd ed.). Bloomington, IN: AECT Publications.

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.

Simonson, M. (2007). Institutional policy issues. In M. Moore (Ed.), Handbook of distance education (2^nd ed.). Mahwah. NJ: Erlbaum.

Related Resources:

http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/summer62/schott62.html

http://www.cdlponline.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=whatis&pg=5

http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/codeofpractice/distancelearning/

http://www.materials.ac.uk/guides/distance.asp

A Review of Open Source

I choose to review Yale’s open course on Frontiers and Controversies in Astrophysics. An analysis of the course revealed the following findings. Keeping in mind that these classes are older and it appears that no one is taking these classes in the same manner as distance learning. The content of the class originated from a face to face lecture by Professor Charles Bailyn.

The design of a distance learning environment should be developed with the student’s perception in mind. In other words will the message being produced provided the learner with the information to transfer the required knowledge to the learner? When planning the course this should be taken into consideration. Will the learner have access to the materials need to enhance the learning process? Will the learner comprehend information being provided within the media?

The learning environment of this course was set for the face to face class room. There was no textual information provide to the students except for the information gathered provided by the professor. The professor did provide some text by way of the internet. However the most important information was being provided by Professor Bailyn. The classes were presented through recorded lecture. The lecture was truly a recording of the classroom presentation. This would be like taking a PowerPoint presentation placing it online and calling it e-learning. There was no transformation into the distance learning environment. This course didn’t make the grade in pre-planning. Although the information provided would enhance the knowledge of a beginner. The course didn’t provide the learner with an environment to ask questions and receive feedback. There was no true visual information for the learner. An overhead with transparences was used to aid in the delivery of the lecture. This did not provide adequate visual presentation for an online learning environment. Therefore there was no way for the learner to ensure they understood the transfer of information.

The design of the course site was limited as far as information provided to the learner. Nor were there any resources referenced on the site for the learner. The classes within the course were on video, mp3 audio and transcript. This was the only access to the course material within the website. Our text recommended a 3 to 5 month preparation time for planning for teaching on the World Wide Web. It is easy to see that these classes didn’t go through the planning process for online environment.

Did the course designer implement course activities that maximize active learning for the students? There were no active learning activities noted with the courses contain on this site. The learners that use this site must be self-motivated. There needs to be a deep desire to learn truly independently within this site.

Open Yale Courses: http://oyc.yale.edu/astronomy/frontiers-and-controversies-in-astrophysics

Selecting Distance Learning Technologies

Example 3: Asynchronous Training

In an effort to improve the safety record of this manufacturing company, I would as the ID recommend a CMS be developed with prerecorded media. This media could be over laid with course objectives and goals. I would set the modules with embedded quizzes to re-enforce the learning process. Step by step procedures could be illustrated within media so the trainees could see the correct steps as they need to be completed. The important facts of the process could be highlighted before proceeding to the next step. After each goal is completed the trainees are quizzed, at the completion of the course the trainees are tested by the system. The results are provided to them and recorded for the supervisor to view. A notice of completion could appear on the screen for all the trainees that completed the process without failure. A note would also appear advising the trainee to contact their supervisor for the final step. The supervisor could present a certificate after reviewing the results and observing the trainee complete the procedures as required.

There are several examples of safety training being completed in this manner. I have highlighted two of these for review. The first is Safety Skill (http://www.safetyskills.com/) a CMS that provides safety training in 300 plus safety courses. In reviewing these courses, I found them to be informative and easy to follow. Safety Skills is produced by noodleStream.com. This company has designed training for the for the US military for over 18 years. It has worked with over 2,000 companies many of them fortune 500. I would call that success. The second company that I reviewed was Vocam (http://www.safety-tv.com/). Vocam is a safety training company that has a 20 year history in developing training. They are the producer of Safety-TV online training library, which has produced over 600 hundred video e-learning courses. Their materials were easy to follow and well supported. Some of the media could be hard on the eyes but I understood the message within the media, it was to the point. These programs are good examples to support the idea of prerecorded media and the skills that can be obtained when used in distance education. Prerecorded media has proven to be a reliable source of training over the years. In our text there is a brief history on the use of it over the years and the improvements it has taken on. The development of training online has taken it to an even higher use over the years. Its flexibility makes it easy to incorporate into the education process.

References:

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson

Karl's Revised Mind Map

Defining Distance Learning

The definition of distance learning changes because education is always evolving. The context of distance learning is the force behind these changes. The present course within these changes is stemmed by the technological growth in communication. The students of today are no longer held to the standards of textbooks being mail to their homes. Students today are able to communicate within environments that didn’t exist twenty five years ago. The student and the instructor are still separated but no longer over great distances. Today a distance learner can be located a few miles from the institution of learning. They simple may not be able to attend class on the campus for some reason. The learners today are presented with greater choices than in the past. Therefore the learner is now challenged to more independent and in tune with the atmosphere of learning. The distractions are far greater than the past.

The factors today behind and within education are not what the past presented. Today we can be separated from the institution and still have face to face conversation with our instructor. The dynamics of the student instructor interaction has truly changed for the better. As stated in our reading online, “The growth of online distance learning (e learning) is explosive”. Moller L., Foshay W., and Huett J. 2008. With this explosion technologies with the environment of the internet are exploding. This enables the instructional designer to explore new theories and greater innovation within the field. Which provides new methods and styles for the learning today. The ID can now explore styles of learning that were just theory a few years ago.

As technology grows this gives the instructional designer great ranges to push the learning environment. This also causes the designer to be more aware of the capabilities within the technology today. If there are products available to the instructional designer and they are not aware of them, a step toward progression may be missed. Therefore the Instructional designer needs to stay abreast of what the field has available to enhance their creations. To aid the ID in this process a technical advisor could help them stay up to date with what’s available to them. Many of the products available today could easily be learned by the ID and passed on to the learner.

I have watch distance learning since the early nineties. I entered the field of development in the late eighties. This has given me a unique seat of observation. Before beginning this course, I had been involved in distance learning while serving on active duty. My definition had been formed by my involvement with it over the years. I noted since starting this course and reading the material within this class that much has taken place since I first got involved. The evolution of distance learning has helped me over the years but it has advanced my learning because of its’ flexibilities. As I watch the future unfolds before me. I see the distance learning changing even more over years to come.

Technology is constantly growing, with new ideas and better methods to get to help the learner understand information today. The methods that we used yesterday are expanding into new realms of learning that could be seen in the past. Learners today are not learning better, they are just learning differently. The military is recruiting young people with great motor skills and training them to do jobs that once took years of training. Now with technology these jobs no longer need college educated individuals and very expensive war machines. This is why instructional designer need to keep up with what is happening in the field today. The future will see simulations within the classroom of the future that we dream of now. The learner will step into virtual 3D classroom and never level their home.

Reference

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 1: Training and development). TechTrends, 52(3), 70–75.

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 2: Higher education). TechTrends, 52(4), 66–70.

Huett, J., Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Coleman, C. (2008). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 3: K12). TechTrends, 52(5), 63–67.