Reflection: The Future of Distance Learning

(Auld & Pantelidi, 1999)

At the conclusion of each course I am taking at Walden University, I am required to write a brief reflection on the course. This reflection is for the ”Distance Learning” class I just completed.

Reflecting on perceptions of distance learning in our society brings to mind an informal survey I recently took of friends on Facebook. I invited negative responses, but friends with negative attitudes are not likely to express them to me. On the other hand, I have friends who enjoy debating contrary opinions.

Respondents seemed to agree that the rigor and value of education, whether online or face-to-face, relates to the commitment and effort of the student more than it depends on how instruction is delivered. (Neuhauser, 2002) One respondent discussed the perceived rigor of online learning versus the perceived rigor of face-to-face learning, stating that both appear to be equivalent, but questioning whether online learning is as effective because of an assumed lack of student-teacher interaction. This assumed lack of interaction with online learning seemed to permeate the discussion. A couple of respondents made the point that physical contact between students and between student and teacher has social value that transcends its educational importance. There was also discussion that some subjects that require hands-on activity cannot be adequately taught online.

I agreed with respondents about the need for need for interaction with students. “Teaching" without interaction is really just self-study. Interaction is a necessary element of education, but the separation of distance and time that distinguishes distance learning allows for a level of learner involvement and direction that is rarely possible in a traditional face-to-face setting. (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2009d)

Respondents felt instructor interaction and learner motivation are important features of learning in any format. Issues unrelated to education such as work schedules would be the primary reason a student should consider online education versus education offered in a face-to-face format. These opinions were consistent with principles discussed in our course text. (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2009d)

The consensus of the discussion was that distance learning is more appropriate for some learners than for others and for some subjects than for others, however studies of self-identified visual, auditory, and tactile (hands-on) learners have shown no significant difference in success with online learning versus face-to-face learning. (Neuhauser, 2002)

What do you think the perceptions of distance learning will be in the future (in 5–10 years; 10–20 years)?

            Adult learners clearly benefit equally from distance education as from face-to-face education. The evidence concerning K-12 learners is not as abundant, nor is it as clearly established. (Means, Toyama, Murphy, Bakia, & Jones) It seems clear that an evolution toward more online and blended (face-to-face education supplemented with online learning resources) will be the continued trend in the near future. It is my expectation that the trend will be for more blended learning in earlier grades.

            It seems unlikely online learning will ever fully replace face-to-face learning, especially for early grades, and especially for the learning of “hands on” skills that require human contact, but I expect to see continued expansion of online and blended learning in most fields of study, especially in secondary education and beyond.

How can you as an instructional designer be a proponent for improving societal perceptions of distance learning?

            I believe in keeping a balanced view of the appropriate use of distance learning, realizing that no one format or vehicle of education is inherently superior to another. Distance learning certainly has a place in public education. I expect to see its expansion primarily in the area of blended learning supplements to classroom courses, and for the education of those who for numerous reasons cannot or choose not to participate in public school classroom education. (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2009a)

How will you be a positive force for continuous improvement in the field of distance education?

            I believe it is important for people to understand that distance education is just as effective as face-to-face education in most scenarios, and that blended education has been demonstrated to be generally superior to either of the formats. (Means, Toyama, Murphy, Bakia, & Jones)

What are your thoughts on the future of using multimedia to enhance and deliver instructional content?

            It is my opinion that multimedia can enhance learning, but the “core” of a well-designed instructional plan depends on much more than multimedia. It depends on providing learners with the information and the context with which to construct their own understanding, individually, and as part of a group. Learning is enhanced when it involves social interaction, whether that interaction is real, or whether multimedia simulates that interaction. Different kinds of learners need different kinds of instruction, and multimedia can help provide this necessary variety, but it is not possible to meet the needs of every learner. Learners are ultimately responsible to construct their own understanding, using the resources that have been provided. Multimedia provides resources that can be more effective than text and images alone. (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2009b)

Resources:

Auld, L, & Pantelidi, V. (1999). The virtual reality and education laboratory at east Carolina university. The Journal, 27(4), 48-55. Retrieved from http://thejournal.com/Articles/1999/11/01/The-Virtual-Reality-and-Education-Laboratory-at-East-Carolina-University.aspx

Means, B., Toyama, Y., Murphy, R., Bakia, M., & Jones, K. (2010, September). Evaluation of Evidence-Based practices in online learning: A meta-analysis and review of online learning studies. Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development-U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/tech/evidence-based-practices/finalreport.pdf

Neuhauser, C. (2002). Learning style and effectiveness of online and Face-to-Face instruction. The American Journal of Distance Education, 16(2), 99-113. Retrieved from http://www.personal.psu.edu/khk122/woty/LearnerCharacteristics/Neuhauser%202002.pdf

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

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009b). Foundations of distance education. In Teaching and learning ata distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

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

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

DISTANCE LEARNING CONVERSION: BEST PRACTICES GUIDE

From time to time, various classes in the course I am taking at Walden University require me to write blog entries as a way to demonstrate my ability to apply what I am learning to a practical issue. In my current class,”Distance Learning,” I am required to write a best practices guide for converting existing face-to-face courses to a distance-learning or blended (face-to-face with distance learning elements) format.

Ideally, a distance learning course should be designed from the beginning as a distance learning course. Principles of sound instructional design require knowing the learner, knowing the learning environment, knowing the subject content, and planning instruction with all of these perspectives continuously in mind. If a course is to be effectively converted to a distance learning format or a blended format, the process must not ignore these perspectives. (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Susan, 2009)

Instructional development happens in cycles of Analysis, Design and Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. Conversion of a course from a face-to-face format to an online or blended format will require repeated iterations of these steps until the process is complete. It is not realistic to assume that an existing course can be effectively converted to a different presentation format without these proven design stages and adjustment. In each design step give consideration to:

• Continuously connect old learning with new using social interaction between learners and the facilitator.
• Triangulate on learning objectives with a variety of instructional media.
• Know the learner. Know the environment. Know the topic.
• Create a pleasant and professional learning environment.
• Use what works, not what’s new.
• Balance variety and economy.

(Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Susan, 2009)

Click here to see the full guide.

Reference:

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Susan, Z. (2009). Instructional design for distance education. In Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

The Impact of Open Courses

David J. Malan

From time to time, various classes in the course I am taking at Walden University require me to write blog entries as a way to demonstrate my ability to apply what I am learning to a practical issue. In my current class,”Distance Learning,” I am required to write an evaluation of an open course website, which provides access to a college-level course free of charge, but without credit. (“Designing for Distance Learning: Part I - Application”)

Several options were offered for this week’s evaluation (verbatum):

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology Open Course: A free and open educational resource for educators, students, and self-learners around the world.http://ocw.mit.edu/index.html
• Stanford on iTunes U: A public site that includes courses and faculty lectures.http://itunes.stanford.edu/
• Open Yale Courses: A free open website offering a number of introductory courses taught by Yale University professors. http://oyc.yale.edu/
• Open Culture http://www.openculture.com/

(“Designing for Distance Learning: Part I – Resources”)

I looked over all of the options that were offered, and I found a number of the courses interesting. However, since I recently audited an open course online, I felt better prepared to write about the course I audited, “Building Dynamic Websites.” (Malan, 2009)

The course consisted of two one-hour video lectures over 12 weeks, with downloadable slides, three project assignments, and a Google discussion group (http://groups.google.com/group/cs75-discuss) for asynchronous discussion. This course can be taken free as an open course, or it may be taken as a graded distance learning course for credit through Harvard Exension School  (http://www.extension.harvard.edu/register/).

I found the course beneficial, but I deviated from the course activities quite a bit. I did not do any of the projects. I did read about the projects and I “lurked” in the Google discussion area. Because of the way I interacted with the course, I felt like an outsider (because I was an outsider). I watched some of the videos with other members of my family and I discussed ideas from the videos with them. I viewed the course videos in iTunes, taking notes, and stopping and starting the videos frequently as I looked up resources or tried out various ideas using the “try it yourself  editor” at http://www.w3schools.com/.  I found the combination of lecture videos and the hands-on activites from w3schools to be an effective way for me to update my own web-development skills.

Probably the most important benefit I gained from the course was an introduction to various open-source development and troubleshooting tools that were referenced in the course. During the course, I set up  my own website with which I could experiment with ideas in a “live” environment. My website (www.1loyd.com) was created as I tried out ideas discussed in these lecture videos.

I would have to say this course, while well-designed for a lecture hall, appears to have been developed as a standard face-to-face course. The syllabus was well-designed. It laid out the course schedule, resources, and learning objectives in a way that made it easy for learners to take charge of their own learning. Lectures at Harvard Hall were recorded and distributed online with downloadable notes, slides, and source code. However, offering this course online appears to have been an afterthought. No provision, other than the Google discussion group, was made for online learner evaluation and feedback from the instructor. It does not appear the course was altered in any way for use by distance learners, other than the addition of the Google discussion group, which certainly would have been a positive supplement for face-to-face learners, but was poorly implemented as a distance learning tool, because it was provided as a supplement, and not as a central part of the course. Two-way discussion providing learner feedback is a central feature of distance learning, especially in the absense of any other kind of formative evaluation. (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Susan, 2009)

The material in this course could be easily refactored as an online course. Much of the extraneous classroom discussion could occur in a dedicated classroom discussion forum. Video segments from lectures could be used in a series of videos, however those video clips should be very short, each introduced to the viewer an intimate studeo format. The clips should be three to ten minutes in length, (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2009) and the total time for all lectures should be 20 to 30 minutes per week.

References:

EDUC-6135-2 Distance learning. (n.d.). Designing for Distance Learning: Part I - Application. Walden University. Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=4603379&Survey=1&47=6447422&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1&BrswrOK=1&PrevRef=http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn%3FCourseID%3D4603379%26Survey%3D1%2647%3D6447422%26ClientNodeID%3D984650%26coursenav%3D1&submit1=Continue

EDUC-6135-2 Distance learning. (n.d.). Designing for Distance Learning: Part I – Resources. Walden University. Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=4603379&Survey=1&47=6447422&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1&BrswrOK=1&PrevRef=http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn%3FCourseID%3D4603379%26Survey%3D1%2647%3D6447422%26ClientNodeID%3D984650%26coursenav%3D1&submit1=Continue

Malan, D. J. (2009). Computer science E-75: Building dynamic websites. Harvard Extension School. Retrieved from  http://cs75.tv/2009/fall/#l=lectures&r=about&v=lectures/0/lecture0

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Susan, Z. (2009). Instructional design for distance education. In Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

SELECTING DISTANCE LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES

From time to time, various classes in the course I am taking at Walden University require me to write blog entries as a way to demonstrate my ability to apply what I am learning to a practical issue. In my current class,”Distance Learning,” I am required to blog about what distance learning tools I might use to solve a hypothetical problem using a distance-learning technology. In the scenario I am solving, a new colaborative information-sharing system was introduced for the purpose of providing a means for staff in a mult-location corporation to participate in ongoing collaboration, sharing screen captures and documents. (“Distance learning technologies: Application”)

The goal of this exercise is to identify the distance learning technologies that might provide the best solution to the challenge. Unfortunately, the hypothetical scenario provides no information about the system that learners will eventually use for their collaborative projects, nor was any information given regarding the number of people involed in the training. These factors would affect the decision on what kind of technology is best suited to the project.

Since the training is for managers, I assume there will be a small number people around a conference room table at each location. Since the goal of the training is to empower learners to collaborate, I believe the solution must include using the new technology in a collaborative manner.

I believe I would begin by using a two-way videoconferencing technology (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2009, pp. 101-103) to acquaint users with the technology they will be using. I would schedule six individual meetings, one at each regional office. Before the meetings, pre-learning surveys would be emailed  to each participant to be returned prior to training to help guide which topics may need emphasis and possible pre-training.

I would use remote control software such as the open-source  “UltraVNC” (“Remote control for all,” 2008) to operate a remote computer screen running the actual collaboration software as users become aquainted with it. The computer running the collaboration software would be in the conference room with the learners. The instructor would have remote control of the machine and would see the same display. I would use a telephone or voice over IP (VOIP) connection (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, p. 153) for two-way discussions between the instructor and the small group of distant learners.

After providing users with an overview of the product, I would assign groups of learners with collaborative projects to explore advanced aspects of using the software. Learners would use the colloborative software to work together to create their own supplements to the software documentation.

A follow-up set of teleconference meetings would provide for face-to-face discussion of learner experiences with the new collaboration software.

Finally, learners would be asked to post a reflection of their experience in the seminar to the collaborative learning system, and post-learning surveys would be sent to each learner to gain insight into the perceived effectiveness of the training and to solicit suggestions for ways to improve continued training.

References:

EDUC-6135-2 Distance learning. (n.d.). Distance learning technologies: Application. Walden University. Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=4603379&Survey=1&47=6447422&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1&BrswrOK=1&PrevRef=http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn%3FCourseID%3D4603379%26Survey%3D1%2647%3D6447422%26ClientNodeID%3D984650%26coursenav%3D1&submit1=Continue

Remote control for all. (2008). UltraVNC. Retrieved from http://www.uvnc.com/

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

Beall, J. (2007). Videoconference Meeting. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/deed.en. Retreived from http://www.flickr.com/photos/denverjeffrey/710112391/

Defining Distance Learning

Walden University is actually not my first experience with distance learning, although distance learning has changed so much since I first experienced it that it seems entirely different.

The way we define distance learning seems to change with the technologies that make distance learning possible. Michael Simonson defines distance learning in terms of a teacher and a student, separated by time and space. Absense of a teacher defines what Simonson terms “self-study at a distance.” (Simonson) 

I don’t agree with Dr.Simonson, because I think any kind of social-learning element disqualifies the “self study” label, as illustrated by my crude illustration (top left) of a T.A.R.D.I.S. (meaning time and relative dimensions in space). (Rose, 2005) 


As a high school student I participated in a Moody Correspondence School course that defined my understanding of distance learning until very recently. The course required a facilitator and regular face-to-face discussions with other students.

The course consisted of twelve chapters assigned over twelve consecutive weeks. Each chapter had required text to read, and a formative evaluation at the end of each chapter with a discussion preparation assignment. Each week, students would meet together for discussion conducted by the facilitator. Grades were issued based on discussion participation and periodic quizzes.

My next experience with distance learning happened about ten years later. I had a vision to build a business around helping young couples just starting their families to begin a disciplined program of saving and investing. I did not intend to profit directly from the investment business, but rather I intended to market various financial services that would supplement a core of long-term savings and investments.

As part of my strategy, I purchased a distance-learning package to teach me how to become a licensed securities broker. The courses I purchased involved books to study, tapes to play, quizzes to complete and mail in, and finally I had to go to a testing center in Chicago to be tested using a Plato terminal. When I went to take my tests, other people were also at the facility taking various other kinds of tests.

Several years later, as a home-schooling parent, I purchased a rather expensive service for my son’s education. The system consisted of a set of multimedia CD-Rom’s with reading assignments, videos, puzzles, games and quizzes. The service also came with a crude three-way text messaging system between my son, myself, and an online instructor. Most of the text messages from my son involved discussing technical problems with the software, responses from a teacher who obviously felt my son was making excuses, and emails from me explaining the technical problems were real, and required repairs.

In following years, we upgraded our computer equipment and internet service, and purchased a similar service from the same company that cost less, and allowed me to directly monitor my son’s school work from a distance. This arrangement allowed me to view the same screens my son saw, and to clear and reset and override grades when the software failed to recognize correct responses.

Later we purchased an Algebra course on video tape. Each day our children would play a ten-minute taped presentation, and then do a set of exercises, much as would happen in a classroom, but without the interaction of a classroom. This plan worked well with my son, but it was not nearlly as successful when I tried it with my daughters. In hind-sight I realize the plan failed because people learn best in a social setting.

Now that I am taking classes at Walden University, I have a broader perspective of what distance learning can and should be. Each class consists of a variety of learning experiences including assigned reading of textbook chapters, journal articles, and various multimedia presentations. Some of the presentations are interactive. All classes involve asynchronous discussions in which students write a summation applying what they have learned from the assigned materials, and discussing their ideas with other students, providing encouragement, asking questions, and answering questions.

Having experienced traditional lecture-halls with assigned reading and student study groups, I can say my experience at Walden has been just as rigorous, as traditional lecture-hall methods, but my actual learning defined by my ability to use what I have learned is significantly better with the structure I am currently experiencing.

My definition of distance learning is instruction that involves social interaction involving a separation of time and space between those involved in the educational interaction. 

References:

Simonson, Michael. (n.d.). Distance education: The next generation [Video file]. mym.cdn.laureate-media.com/Walden/EDUC/6135/11/downloads/WAL_EDUC6135_01_A_EN-DL.zip 

Rose. (2005). Doctor Who [Television episode] Writer Russell T. Davies, Director Keith Boak, Producer Phil Collinson. BBC, Cardiff.

Reflection on EDUC-6125 Foundations of Research

At the conclusion of each course I am taking at Walden University, I am required to write a brief reflection on the course. This is the reflection I  wrote on the ”Foundations of Research” class I just completed.

Deep learning requires personal commitment from the learner. In the first week of this course, one of the course objectives was to formulate personal learning goals for the course. I wrote as my goal, “to become a better consumer of research,” and “to be able to understand more of what I read in research papers.” I believe I accomplished those goals. I learned to recognise the structure of various kinds of research reports so I can quickly gain an overview of the questions a research project was attempting to answer, and the conclusions that were drawn from the research. I know how to quickly locate and evaluate the available literature, based on evaluation of research methods and controls, the proper presentation of data, and based on the opinions of experts in whatever field the research involves. 

In this course, I created a working hypothesis based on my own professional experience as a programmer, and based on what I have recently learned about social learning theory. I formulated questions to guide my research, and I began the process of looking for peer-reviewed research that could support or disprove my hypothesis in a literature review. To my consternation, I found some research that supported my hypotheses, and other research that appeared to disprove it. I concluded that more research is needed into some specific aspects of my topic, and I focused my literature review on presenting both sides of the controversy, and on the conclusions that all researchers agreed upon.

Then I created a position paper focusing on the aspects of my original hypothesis that are supported by research, presenting both sides of the aspect that needs further focus and study. I concluded with a proposed course of action, based on the facts I uncovered in my literature review.

Toward the end of the course, we focused on ethical standards related to instructional design. It is important for instructional designers to join and support a professional association to contribute to upholding high ethical standards in the profession, to support and hold others accountable for their professional standards, and to be supported and held accountable by others in the field. (Burns, et al., 1999, p. 14) Membership in at least one (and possibly more than one) professional association will help me establish my own professional reputation, and is also a good way to stay current in the field. (AERA, 2000)

As a result of this course, I have experience organizing and implementing a scholarly review of available literature that is an essential step toward aquiring the necessary background to begin an instructional design project proposal.

In conclusion, I think the main benefit I take away from this course is the ability to confidently approach the available literature on any subject. While I may lack the expertise required to gain an in-depth understanding of a particular topic, I will always be able to gain an adequate overview necessary to determine when a project is within my capability, or whether it should be referred to a collegue with experience in the particular field.


References:

AERA. (2000). Ethical standards of the American Educational Research Association. AERA. Retrieved from http://www.aera.net/AboutAERA/Default.aspx?menu_id=90&id=222

Burns, J. Z., Dean, P. J., Hatcher, T., Otte, F. L., Preskill, H., & Russ-Eft, D. (1999). Standards on ethics and integrity. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 12(3), 5-30. Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/courses/53029/CRS-CW-4442078/Week8_StandardsonEthics_PIP.pdf

Stephens, Michael. (2004, October). Tame the Web: Libraries and technology [Image]. Retrieved from http://www.tametheweb.com/ttwblog/archives/unknown.jpg

Reflection on EIDT-6120-4 Multimedia Design and Development

As I reflect on media design and development, the principle that stands out most, is that multimedia is an instructional designer’s “power tool,” which used correctly, can help learners to focus and to build a mental model of a dynamic process, or it can be a distraction, causing cognitive overload, and reduced effectiveness. (Mayer, 2007, pp. 171-184).

Prior to taking this course, I was aware that media is an effective way to motivate and focus learning. I was also aware that technical issues can destroy any positive benefit that might be provided by multimedia enrichment. I had experienced the distraction that can be caused when text references illustrations and graphs that are not on the same page.

Now I know ways to prevent cognitive overload through controlling the proximity of text to illustrations, and in multimedia, of using dual “input channels” to leverage visual and auditory memory to reduce cognitive overload.

What have you learned about how multimedia can be effectively leveraged to design good learning experiences?
Perhaps the most important principle of using multimedia effectively, is know when not to use it, and knowing when animation is appropriate, and when a static illustration would be better. Betrancourt discussed the principle that animation should be used to illustrate a dynamic system, and static images better illustrate static concepts (Betrancourt, 2005, p. 287–296).
Prior to taking this course, I would have generally preferred to use photographs and colored graphics over simple line drawing illustrations, but now I understand that often the simpler illustrations to a better job of focusing the learner’s attention where it needs to be focused. Beautiful pictures might provide better motivation, but line drawings are simple and direct.


What are your thoughts on the future of using multimedia to enhance and deliver instructional content?
It is my opinion that multimedia can enhance learning, but the “core” of a well-designed instructional plan depends on much more than multimedia. It depends on providing learners with the information and the context with which to construct their own understanding, individually, and as part of a group. Learning is enhanced when it involves social interaction, whether that interaction is real, or whether multimedia simulates that interaction.
Different kinds of learners need different kinds of instruction, and multimedia can help provide this necessary variety, but it is not possible to meet the needs of every learner. Learners are ultimately responsible to construct their own understanding, using the resources that have been provided. Multimedia provides resources that can be more effective than text and images alone. 


References:


http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/comicmaker/. (2010). http://www.bbc.co.uk/terms/#3 [Image]. Retrieved from http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb193/joshyfox/Doctor%20Who/Distraction.jpg

Betrancourt, M. (2005). The animation and interactivity principles in multimedia learning. In R. Mayer (Ed.), The Cambridge handbook of multimedia learning (p. 287–296). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Retrieved fromhttp://tecfa.unige.ch/perso/mireille/papers/Betrancourt05.pdf

Mayer, R. E. (2007). Five features of effective multimedia messages: An evidence-based approach. In S. M. Fiore & E. Salas (Eds.), Toward a science of distributed learning (pp. 171-184). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.

Reflection on EIDT-6110 Advanced Instructional Design

At the conclusion of each course I am taking at Walden University, I am required to write a brief reflection on the course. This is the reflection I  wrote on the Advanced Instructional Design course I just completed.


In the past eight weeks, I have taken a framework that my team of students developed in our previous course, and I revised it significantly to suit the needs of an amazingly diverse group of students. I had the privilege of seeing people benefit from my design work, and the frustration of seeing a plan take twice as long to implement as I had anticipated.


What were the biggest challenges you encountered? How did you work to overcome them?
The greatest challenge I encountered was developing goals and objectives that I could reasonably expect to be able to teach to a group of people with widely divergent backgrounds who did not speak English. I translated my materials into Spanish using Google Docs, and I arranged to have a translator available during the pilot seminar. To work around the communication challenge, I focused on developing manual skills related to using a computer that would not require much communication, however knowing the importance of cooperative learning. I also planned for classroom discussion among the students. I anticipated holding these discussions in English with the help of the translator, but my students had read my Student Guide and they understood from the introduction that they should discuss what they were learning, so they discussed what they had learned with each other, in Spanish. I allowed time for the discussion, and then I made a summary statement which was translated for them.


What insights did you gain about the field of instructional design, the ID process, or the issues and challenges an instructional designer faces on a daily basis?
I had a good understanding of the ID process already. My weak area was in understanding the importance of evaluation to the learning process, and to the instructional design process. My epiphany for this course was understanding the importance of evaluation.


What did you learn about the different skills and dispositions that an instructional designer must possess to successfully deal with the common issues and challenges faced in their daily work?
An instructional designer needs to be aware of people: how they think, what motivates them, and what causes resistance to change. Well-designed instruction enables people to adopt what they are learning into their own thought processes.

How will you apply what you learned in this course to future ID projects?
I will be methodical in my planning. I will take the time to know my learners. I will make their needs and strengths and weaknesses just as much a part of my planning as the course content. I will take the time to consider whether the problems I am solving are actually instructional problems, or whether some other kind of change would solve the problem at hand more directly.

Reflection on EIDT 6100 Instructional Design

Can't see the forest for the trees. (Winny, 2008)

At the conclusion of each course I am taking at Walden University, I am required to write a brief reflection on the course. This is the reflection I wrote on the Instructional Design course I just completed.

Pros and Cons of Systematic Instructional Design

As the instructional design course I have been taking comes to a close, three highlights dominate my thoughts about the course: systematic stages of development, systematic repetition of those stages, and the joys and sometimes the frustrations of working with others on a project.

Negative Aspects of Systematic Design

I must confess I got distracted part-way during the wiki project. Feeling overwhelmed at times by the practical difficulties that can arise while working with others, I was amazed toward the end to recognize how well the work of different individuals had fit together into a comprehensive design. Working in this group, I negotiated and re-negotiated various differences of opinion. Later, work assignments had to be re-distributed as some members dropped out of our course. My teammates and I put a lot of hard work into creating our project which I intend to use with ESL classes in future years.

At the beginning of the course, we focused on concepts of instructional design. We read about a few selected design models out of the hundred or so models in use (Kruse, 2009). We compared and contrasted and discussed assigned models with the generic ADDIE model. I expressed the opinion that the Morrison, Ross and Kemp (MRK) model was impractical and would be better for studying the process of instructional design than it would be for creating an actual course, but as the weeks progressed, we used iterations of the MRK model to design our various courses, and I witnessed and experienced the value of a rigorously structured design.

Benefits of a Systematic Design

The benefits of a systematic design are obvious. Structure keeps us focused on what is important, and makes it easier to identify “rabbit trails” that may seem important to a project, but actually get in the way of a good design. Structure makes us consider aspects of our design that may get overlooked in our enthusiasm to produce quick results.

A structured approach insures we focus on knowing our learners and the learning environment. Characteristics such as age, culture, and social sub-groupings affect how groups of people learn. Environmental factors affect learning. Social “Orienting” context can affect attitudes about the importance of learning.  Instructional context such as lighting, noise, and temperature have a bearing on learning. Transfer context affects the likelihood that learners will have an opportunity to use what was learned. (Morrison, Ross, & Kemp, 2007, pp. 55-67)

An instructional designer is responsible to match learner needs and skills to the breakdown of institutional goals and objectives. A structured task and topic analysis insures that learner needs and institutional requirements are matched appropriately with course goals and objectives, (Morrison & Ross, & Kemp, 2007a) and that instruction is appropriately sequenced to meet those needs and goals. (Morrison, Ross, & Kemp, 2007b)

An instructional designer is responsible to insure that instruction is effective, requiring evaluation before, during and after instruction. Evaluation before instruction can inform the instructor about learner needs and strengths, and provides a basis to gauge the effectiveness of instruction.  Evaluation during instruction can inform the instructor about missed concepts that can be remediated. Evaluation after instruction can be used with a pre-evaluation to sum up individual progress or can be used to confirm that course objectives were accomplished. (Morrison, Ross, & Kemp, 2007c)

Future in Instructional Design

No one knows what the future holds for instructional design, but it seems obvious there is a growing demand for refactoring of traditional forms of instruction into online courses. As our society faces the challenge of reducing dependence on fossil fuels, teleconferencing and telecommuting will likely become increasingly important. I expect that schools will adopt these technologies also.

Virtual classrooms would allow schools to provide wider ranges of courses for their students. If students are absent from school they can continue to participate in classes from home. Virtual classrooms can provide for flexible scheduling for working adults. It is likely that new forms of communication and training will continue to evolve as new technologies make virtual classrooms even more effective. The field of online curriculum development will likely be expanding for a long time.
Some early forms of online instruction that I have seen appeared to have been built by transcribing existing printed materials. Entry fields were designed to guide learner responses and to limit possible answers to facilitate automated grading. The design made creative thought and construction of knowledge nearly impossible. Online instruction needs to be designed by educators, not programmers.

With my background in business, software design, and education and home-education, I envision my future as a person who re-factors traditional instruction, creating new kinds of instruction for K-12 text book publishers or as a consultant to local school districts.

References:

Kruse, K. (2009). Introduction to instructional design and the ADDIE model. Retrieved from http://www.elearningguru

Morrison, G. R., Ross, S. M., & Kemp. (2007). Learner and contextual analysis. In Designing effective instruction (5th ed., pp. 55-67). Danvers, MA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Morrison, G. R., & Ross, S. M., & Kemp (2007a). Task analysis. In Designing effective instruction (5th ed.). Danvers, MA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Morrison, G. R., Ross, S. M., & Kemp. (2007b). Designing the instruction: Sequencing. In Designing effective instruction (5th ed.). Danvers, MA: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Morrison, G. R., Ross, S. M., & Kemp. (2007c). The many faces of evaluation. In Designing effective instruction (5th ed.). Danvers, MA: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Winnie, D. (2008). Can't see the forest for the trees. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/dwinnie/2766804058/

Videos: How to manage a wiki

Wikispaces Blog » Blog Archive » New Private Label video tutorials

Two-Minute Rule

Accept interruptions that will take two minutes or less. List or schedule interruptions that may take more than two minutes. Judge exceptions based on your values, not based on urgency. (Allen, 2001)

References

Allen, D. (2001). Getting things done: The art of stress-free productivity. New York: Viking.

Reflection

(photo by Jon Fravel see credit below)

My course in Learning Theories and Instruction is drawing to a close, and I have been asked to reflect upon what I have learned, and how I will apply what I have learned in the future.

What did you find surprising or striking as you furthered your knowledge about how people learn?

I was surprised to realize that some of my ideas about learning and intelligence assumed too much about similarities between computers and the human mind.

I was forced to reevaluate my thoughts about motivation; motivating learners involves more than just communicating goals and objectives. Goals and objectives don’t necessarily appeal to a learner’s individual interests and passions.

I learned about functional MRI technology. Today scans can show specific brain activity as a person responds to specific stimuli. (Ormrod, 2009) I have since read a number of articles about discoveries made by FMRI and implications of those discoveries that are forcing me to change some of my views about learning and the human brain.

How has this course deepened your understanding of your personal learning process?

I realize I don’t have some of the limitations I thought I had. I can take control of my own learning, taking advantage of my own strengths and the educational resources available to me, such as discussing what I am learning with others through social networking and blogs. I realize that only imagination limits what can be learned at any age. I had never realized the extent to which culture and social interaction are essential to the way we learn, nor had I thought about its importance as a teaching tool. Now I will find ways to incorporate interaction with others as an essential part of any future training. Previously I realized that it is more important to learn HOW to learn than it is to learn facts and methods, but I had not considered that it is even more important to learn HOW to stay current. Now I will emphasize the skill of keeping current.

What have you learned regarding the connection between learning theories, learning styles, educational technology, and motivation?

I learned the value of elaboration when introducing new concepts, and of using multiple methods that will connect with people with multiple learning styles. I learned that student “learning styles” may change from lesson to lesson and not just from person to person, and that the best way to “cater” to various learning styles is to empower learners to adapt instruction to their own style, since it is impossible to cater to all styles and still have a coherent presentation. (Gilbert & Swanier, 2008) I learned the importance of motivation--helping learners to make the choice to learn. I learned students need to be held accountable not only for what they learn, but for how they learn. Students must take ownership of their own learning. I learned that people learn best when their learning is linked to their culture and community. I learned that pictures are an important way to reinforce learning.

How will your learning in this course help you as you further your career in the field of instructional design?

As a result of this course, I will review the acronym ARCS to ensure my product demands attention by “selling” the benefit of learning with sharp graphics and background sounds and music. I will create learning activities that enable learners to adapt the course to their own learning styles so it is relevant to their individual interests. I will provide direction and links to previous learning so the student is confident of what they are doing. I will provide feedback so students experience the satisfaction of a job well done. (Keller)

I will use multiple activities with each learning objective so learners can pursue their own interests to elaborate on what they have learned, reinforcing their own learning in a way that is compatible with their individual learning styles.

I will focus on finding ways to “partner” with learners rather than controlling learners, so learners have ownership of their own learning. I will encourage learners to link their learning to their own cultures and communities.

References

Ormrod, J. (2009). Information processing and the brain [Video file]. doi:mym.odn.lauterate-media.com/WAL_EDUC6115_02A_A_EN-CC.zip

Chicago set 2007. (2007). Millenium Park and City Scape [Photograph]. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/deed.en: Photographer Fravel, J. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfravel/1318106522/in/set-72157601915998585/

Gilbert, J. E., & Swanier, C. A. (2008). Learning styles: How do they fluctuate? Institute for Learning Styles Journal, 1. Retrieved from http://www.auburn.edu/~witteje/ilsrj/Journal%20Volumes/Fall%202008%20Volume%201%20PDFs/Learning%20Styles%20How%20do%20They%20Fluctuate.pdf

Keller, J. M. (1999). Using the ARCS motivational process in omputer-based instruction and distance education. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, (78), 39-47. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/detail?vid=1&hid=2&sid=306520cc-7ccc-49a1-9d8b-d6905452a5a8%40sessionmgr14&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=a9h&AN=9178914

YouTube - An Open Letter to Educators

YouTube - An Open Letter to Educators


I first saw this entertaining video rant on another blog, "The Innovative Educator." In this video Dan Brown, a self proclaimed "drop out" from the University of Nebraska, explains that he dropped out because school was interfering with his education. In the current age, information is freely available. Dan Brown argues that education is about empowering students to learn, not on providing information.

References

When School Gets in the Way of Learning....Drop Out! [blog]. (Monday January 2, 2010). Retrieved from http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/