What plagues a brick and mortar institute? The answer is money. In order for a university to be continuing in research and developing solutions to complex problems, funding is the primary goal. If a university offers courses for 100 percent of the available time in classrooms and has only has funding from students, at some point in their history, the lack of funding will present a problem. The successful universities have recognized this problem a long time ago and have looked for ways that can increase funding and reduce costs. Their answer was distance learning.
Distance learning has grown and changes over the years and the proof is in the large number of brick and mortar universities offering degrees and programs that are recognized by their peers. A very successful example of a distance learning institution in Canada is Athabasca University. I have taken some courses in my undergraduate degree from Athabasca so I have some other distance learning experience.
The key to distance education is discussions and communication. The growth of technology tools available on the internet used to develop and deliver courses for distance education has exploded. The reason, the tools are easy to use and require minimal if any instruction to use successfully. This use of internet has opened a global marketplace for the university. The proof of success is in the courses taken from Walden University and the number of students each session who are located outside the United States (myself included).
Industry has been looking at these tools seriously for the last five years and are developing and using the tools to communicate to their customers via the internet. There is not a fortune five hundred company that does not have an internet presence and does not offer training materials, FAQ (frequently asked questions), and has not posted a presence in social media (twitter, facebook, etc) This is another form of distance learning that is growing.
I feel that as an instructional designer my future is a bright one. I can see many opportunities to develop and grow within the leaning and development community. As business changes and grows so must their delivery materials. I, like my peers, can expect to be busy.
References:
Gambescia, S., & Paolucci, R. (2009). Academic fidelity and integrity as attributes of university online degree program offerings. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 12(1). Retrieved from http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/spring121/gambescia121.html
Schmidt, E., & Gallegos, A. (2001). Distance learning: Issues and concerns of distance learners. Journal of Industrial Technology, 17(3). Retrieved from http://atmae.org/jit/Articles/schmidt041801.pdf
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Converting to a Distance Learning Format
“Consider the following scenario: A training manager has been frustrated with the quality of communication among trainees in his face-to-face training sessions and wants to try something new. With his supervisor’s permission, the trainer plans to convert all current training modules to a blended learning format, which would provide trainees and trainers the opportunity to interact with each other and learn the material in both a face-to-face and online environment. In addition, he is considering putting all of his training materials on a server so that the trainees have access to resources and assignments at all times.”
What are some of the pre-planning strategies the trainer needs to consider before converting his program?
I would consider one of the top pre planning activities would be choosing a course management tool that can meet his requirements of ; allowing trainees and trainers to interact with each other, storage for all his training materials, and be accessible via the internet at all times. (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright,& Zvacek, 2009).
The second activity I would suggest is to think about course outcomes and select the items and materials to use as resources. You want to avoid “shovelware”. (Simonson, 2009) This is means do not dump all the materials you have associated with the course into the internet and call it a day. Planning carefully and selectively for a purpose should be in his (the training manager) mind.
Next I would organize the course and make the organization and the requirements clear to students. This means detailed assignment instructions and easily locatable documents to represent each component of the instructor’s grading scheme. (Simonson, 2009)
What aspects of his original training program could be enhanced in the distance learning format?
Definitely the components used for resource materials and reference materials would be enhanced in the distance learning format as they could be available to the student 24/7 in the course management software.
Choosing a course management software with Web.2 capabilities would allow for great discussions, blogs, wikis, and chats in the system. This would enhance the learners experience and understanding at a higher level.
A number of textbook publisher have partnered with some of the top course management software to produce course supplements that could enhance a course with things like:
Annotated links
Case studies
Digital videos
Discussion Questions and many other resources
How will his role, as trainer, change in a distance learning environment?
The main thing that the training manager would notice about his role change is that he would have to adapt and learning instructional design principles and spend more time in a technical type capacity with design as the focus and not the delivery.
What steps should the trainer take to encourage the trainees to communicate online?
The training manager should design the course to include discussions as it encourages trainees to communicate online and with the use of tools like blogs, wikis and other web2 tools students will adapt their comfort zone to include communication online.
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.
What are some of the pre-planning strategies the trainer needs to consider before converting his program?
I would consider one of the top pre planning activities would be choosing a course management tool that can meet his requirements of ; allowing trainees and trainers to interact with each other, storage for all his training materials, and be accessible via the internet at all times. (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright,& Zvacek, 2009).
The second activity I would suggest is to think about course outcomes and select the items and materials to use as resources. You want to avoid “shovelware”. (Simonson, 2009) This is means do not dump all the materials you have associated with the course into the internet and call it a day. Planning carefully and selectively for a purpose should be in his (the training manager) mind.
Next I would organize the course and make the organization and the requirements clear to students. This means detailed assignment instructions and easily locatable documents to represent each component of the instructor’s grading scheme. (Simonson, 2009)
What aspects of his original training program could be enhanced in the distance learning format?
Definitely the components used for resource materials and reference materials would be enhanced in the distance learning format as they could be available to the student 24/7 in the course management software.
Choosing a course management software with Web.2 capabilities would allow for great discussions, blogs, wikis, and chats in the system. This would enhance the learners experience and understanding at a higher level.
A number of textbook publisher have partnered with some of the top course management software to produce course supplements that could enhance a course with things like:
Annotated links
Case studies
Digital videos
Discussion Questions and many other resources
How will his role, as trainer, change in a distance learning environment?
The main thing that the training manager would notice about his role change is that he would have to adapt and learning instructional design principles and spend more time in a technical type capacity with design as the focus and not the delivery.
What steps should the trainer take to encourage the trainees to communicate online?
The training manager should design the course to include discussions as it encourages trainees to communicate online and with the use of tools like blogs, wikis and other web2 tools students will adapt their comfort zone to include communication online.
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.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Analysis of an Open Course
Analysis of Open Course
The analysis for the application for week five was to evaluate an online course
and challenge whether it meets any of the criterion listed below.
Does the course appear to be carefully pre-planned and designed for a
distance learning environment? How so?
Does the course follow the recommendations for online instruction as listed
in your course textbook?
Did the course designer implement course activities that maximize active
learning for the students?
The course that I chose to evaluate was an online “open” course offered by
Yale University.
I chose “Listening to Music” from the list of courses available in Yale’s online
course catalogue.
Let me define what an “open” course from Yale University is.
It is a free open website of university courses offered by the professors of
the university. The courses are offering classes and you can start at any time.
Although you cannot receive a credit towards a degree by taking these online
open courses, if you are interested in a degree then you must apply directly to
the Yale University for acceptance into a program.
Upon evaluation of this course, the materials and information are carefully
pre-planned and are designed for a distance learning environment. Examining
the layout is easy to follow. First link on left describes the course and the
professor. A course syllabus is another link directing the participant to clear
and concise expectations of how the course will be marked, what materials are
required and what are the expectations of student’s input to demonstrate
understanding of course. Following the syllabus is the link for the class sessions
by topic based on current level of course. Additional links for downloads, course
survey and books required for course are also available.
Simonson directed us to look for the following when analyzing an online course.
Is it Learner Centric? Yes, this course is learner centric as the learner controls
the when and where to take the instruction. Does the content lead to the desired
outcome listed? Yes, the content is guided through the materials, reading and
listening files to engage student to listen attentively to mark and note the details
required for study materials. The methods and materials are many and are
required to follow a concurrent flow in order to successfully complete all of the
required outcomes. The technology allows for the student to choose the media
type based on their needs.
I feel that this course has followed the recommendations for online instruction
as listed in my course textbook?
Did the course designer implement course
activities that maximize active learning for the students? In this case yes based
on the outcomes and the requirements. There are lots of listening activities and
materials available to download to prepare for tests. Is it sexy dynamic and
splashy? No. The course is not a revenue generator and therefore to spend
lots of money for no proven returns is not effective.
Open course: Listening to Music Yale University Open Course http://oyc.yale.edu/music/listening-to-music/
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.
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