Scenario 1: Collaborative Training Environment

Asynchronous learning presents many challenges for the instructional designer. The designer is expected to provide valuable learning opportunities for students who are physically and temporally apart from fellow students and the instructor. One key element to any successful learning module is that of group interaction. Simonson, Smaldino, Albright & Zvacek assert that instructional designers should, “Plan activities that allow for student group work. This helps construct a supportive social environment” (2009, p.127). When given the task to create a computer system training module for users located across the country, adding the collaborative component is a challenge that must be met. Simonson et al. assert, “The ideal collaborative project requires interdependent work by students, during which reciprocal social interactions result in positive outcomes for the entire group” (2009, p. 283). The question of how to provide valuable interactive experience can be answered through the use of various technology tools.

The collaborative training environment scenario includes a group of staff members from six different regional offices that need to be trained on new office systems software. The six groups are not able to meet at the same time nor place for this training. The instructional designer is given the job of creating a training module that includes collaboration and interaction. My initial thoughts when faced with this scenario included an asynchronous e-learning course with system simulations and "try-its" along with the establishment of an online discussion board group where members can check in at times of their own choosing yet contribute to the discussion. A group exercise would be assigned for the staff who are in the same regional office. The resulting project would be shared through a podcast with the other regional staff.

According to Simonson et al. “Learners need to have direct, purposeful experiences to draw upon in order to successfully learn from more abstract events” (2009, p. 92). In this case, the staff have used similar systems and have a base knowledge of the products of the company. They must now connect what they already know to the new information system. With regard to creating the assignments, Simonson et al. give this advice, “However, when new information is presented, it is important that it be as realistic as possible” (2009, p. 92).

In this scenario the staff at each office would be asked to first watch the official demonstration of the new system created by the software company. Then staff would be instructed to join a provided discussion forum such as YaBB (http://www.yabbforum.com/) where staff will interact with members from all six regions. Discussion prompts would be provided to promote discussion.

Next, staff in each regional office would be given a group assignment. Their objective would be to create a podcast including a play by play simulation either in motion or through the use of screen shots of an assigned aspect of the new system. The final podcast would be uploaded to Youtube and the url added to the discussion board. Simonson et al. state, “A podcast is a single idea that can be explained verbally, or if necessary with audio and appropriate still or motion pictures. (2009, p. 97). Each group would decide on the recording device and software with which to create the podcast. To make it more fun, staff would be encouraged to be creative in the delivery of the material. A resource list of free software and examples of podcasts would be provided to each group through the discussion board. Staff members would be encouraged to share ideas and ask advice as they move through the project.

Finally, staff members would be asked to watch the other group simulations and post comments to the discussion board. An optional video conference between groups could be offered at the conclusion of the course. As a result of this course, each regional group will have created a podcast of one aspect of the new program that can be used to help future staff members master the system.

At the beginning of the course text, Simonson et al. states, “In other words, the media used to connect the learner, teacher, and learning resources must be capable of conveying all necessary information” (2009, p. 9). Examples of this type of connected learning can be found at the Smart Board’s SMART Exchange website (http://exchange.smarttech.com/. Here teachers from across the country can ask questions through the discussion boards, as well as, find examples of interactive white board lessons, view tutorials, and share new ideas. YaBB (http://www.yabbforum.com/), Yet Another Bulletin Board, is great free resource for designers. Yabb offers free downloadable software which enables users to create, customize, and manage discussion forums on an existing websites.

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.

Distance Learning Mind Map

Defining Distance Learning

Defining Distance Learning

The definition of distance learning is ever evolving due to the technology that is available to deliver the instruction (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2009). According to the Distance Learning Timeline Continuum, distance education started in Europe during the early 1800's with correspondence courses through mail. As technology changed and evolved the delivery of at-a-distance education changed. Soon students were able to receive instruction through radio broadcasts, then television, video tapes, and finally online with the introduction of the internet in 1984.

Before taking this course my personal definition of distance learning included any online tutorial that a person might take to gain new or necessary knowledge. As I went through this week's resources, I soon discovered a more precise definition. According to Simonson et al. (2009), “Distance education is now often defined as: institution-based, formal education where the learning group is separated and where interactive telecommunications systems are used to connect learner, resources, and instructors” (p. 7).

It is interesting to discover that distance learning is institutionally based as opposed to self study. My husband subscribes to a online guitar tutorial which I always thought of as distance learning. Though he takes a sequence of recorded classes and has access to his instructor and other learners through a forum, I have learned that what he is doing is considered self study because it is not institutionally-based. I now believe that the definition of distance learning is more specific. The virtual course must include more than one learner possibly separated by time and distance, the instructor may be removed from the group yet is actively guiding discussion and assessing work, instruction must be consecutive, have a time limit, and most importantly an end of course assessment. Moller, Foshay, & Huett (2008) assert, “Since evaluation of e-learning is necessary to demonstrate its worth, the need for better and more widely used evaluation models is critical to the future of e-learning” (p. 71).

In the future, I see distance learning becoming even more interactive. With the addition of video chat, the low cost of telecommunication, and new electronic devices that allow students to communicate via wifi from anywhere students are no longer tied to a room with a computer. For the next few years I believe we will see a significant rise in the use of smartphone applications in education. Distance learning will also become more integrated into the current traditional school system (Simonson, video program). This integration will allow for more personalized public education at a lower cost. Already magnet schools in my area are using their computer labs and virtual classrooms to allow students to advance in subject areas that are not offered in the school. For example, students who are gifted in math now have the ability to move ahead to courses not offered in their school.

Finally, I see distance learning widely accepted as the best alternative to brick and mortar education. Simonson et al. (2009) assert, “Resources should be subjected to instructional design procedures that organize them into learning experiences that promote learning, including resources that can be observed, felt, heard, or completed” (p. 33). As long as Instructional Designers adhere to this advice and keep the purpose of the instruction in mind, at-a-distance classes will be effective no matter the delivery platform.

References

Distance learning timeline continuum. [multimedia program]. Retrieved January 5, 2011 from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?

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.

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. [video program]. Distance education: The next generation. Retrieved January 5, 2011 from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?

Distance Learning

Wow! Time has flown by since I created this blog more than a year ago. I am excited to get back to publishing posts again as I go through the 7th class of the masters of IDT program at Walden University.

I am starting the 3rd class in my Instructional Design journey. I look forward to using this blog as a way to discuss and share ideas with my classmates and colleagues.

Learning Theories Class Mini-Reflection

When I started this course on learning theories, I mistakenly believed that learning theories were synonymous with learning styles. I now believe that they are two related yet different concepts. Learning theories delve into how material is presented to a student and accordingly how the person learns the information. On the other hand, an individual's learning style is the best way for a particular student to receive the information. I believe that in this online learning environment the theory that best fits how the material is presented to me is connectivism. I enjoy connecting the information I am exposed to from various people with the work I do in the classroom. Gleaning new ideas and concepts from my colleagues, course materials, and online instructor and experts can be overwhelming but is always fruitful.

In respect to my personal learning style as a visual learner this course has met my learning needs by presenting the material in many different ways. The material is presented using videos, interactive power points, a physical textbook, online articles, and through hands on creation of a blog. The blog and the RSS feed reader assignments have opened a whole new world of learning that connects me to Instructional Designers, educators, and techno gurus.

Technology continues to play an increasing role in my learning as I proceed through these courses. The application that has had the biggest impact this term has been my discovery of RSS feed readers. I used to google questions on lessons and have to sift through thousands of responses to find what I needed which would be lost forever once I was done reading it. I have found that RSS feed readers are an excellent way for me to organize the information I receive from the numerous educational blogs I am following. I am now able to have up to the minute news on educational technology, access to reviews of new teaching tools, lesson suggestions, and keep track of what my classmates are writing on their blogs.

Using a reader allows me to scan the titles of new posts for articles that look interesting to me. Once read they are archived, and I have the choice to tag them as important or delete them completely. This allows me to continually learn new information without having to go to a search engine. I will continue to use search engines for material that isn't covered in the feed while at the same time be exposed to information that I otherwise would never have thought to look for.

My Network Mind Map

The above chart maps the myriad of networks that I am connected to. I created two main groups, professional and social, to try to simplify the map. While creating this map I found that I am constantly in contact with or learning from my friends and peers. In a comment I made on a classmate’s blog I mentioned that sometimes I long for the slow, unconnected world of the 1870’s deep South. Afternoon naps to escape the heat and weeks between news sound idyllic when compared to the constant barrage of information and speed of the world today. But then I remembered that they didn’t have air conditioning, and I quickly changed my mind. This week’s application assignment poses these questions regarding networking.

How has your network changed the way you learn?

My network has definitely changed the way I learn. In 1994, when my first child was born, my network included my close friends, family, and the pediatric nurse call line. When my third child was born in 2000 my network expanded to include the world through the internet. I no longer had to rely on the book, What to expect the first year or a friend via phone instead I could instantly google the question and get a myriad of answers. Discerning fact from old wives tale became the most important aspect of this kind of learning.

Which digital tools best facilitate learning for you?

I use the computer and my google phone all the time. My children would say I am addicted to the computer and my husband bought me a laptop so that he could have access to the computer again. My classmate’s blogs have been a great resource for me when looking for new learning resources. I find that the best professional blog has been Articulate.com. The google reader I use is also a great tool. Just today I discovered two articles in my google reader posted by Articulate which totally distracted me from this essay but were very interesting. One was on whether or not to add music or background sound effects to learning videos. This following link takes you to a great demo of how the New York Times used background noise to add to the impact of the slide show. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/10/18/health/20091018-hospice-audioss/index.html?scp=1&sq=health%20comforting%20a%20death%20in%20prison&st=cse The other article focused on using interactive clipart on power points to enhance student interest in learning opportunities. http://www.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/heres-how-to-get-past-a-screen-full-of-bullet-points/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+RapidElearningBlog+%28The+Rapid+E-Learning+Blog%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

How do you gain new knowledge when you have questions?

I use the google or yahoo search engine consistently to gain new knowledge when I have questions. It is amazing how quickly you can find out about anything from the best dog foods to the lectionary year of the Episcopal church. I googled a kid’s lesson on John the Baptist this morning for children’s church and my husband booted me off the computer to search for reviews on our puppy’s new food.

In what ways does your personal learning network support or refute the central tenets of connectivism? My personal learning network definitely supports the tenets of connectivism. George Siemons (2004) describes the principles of connectivism as:

▪ Learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinions.

▪ Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources.

▪ Learning may reside in non-human appliances.

▪ Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known

▪ Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning.

▪ Ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core skill.

▪ Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the intent of all connectivist learning activities.

▪ Decision-making is itself a learning process. Choosing what to learn and the meaning of incoming information is seen through the lens of a shifting reality. While there is a right answer now, it may be wrong tomorrow due to alterations in the information climate affecting the decision.

The wide range of people I am in contact with between social networking sites, such as Facebook, to professional blogs, such as Articulate, expose me to a large diversity of opinions. In this course and in my profession as a teacher I am always trying to connect the dots and integrate what I learn into what I teach. I use daily non human appliances, such as my google phone, to connect with my network. I do believe that knowing how to find new information is more important than what I know now. The world of technology changes so rapidly that each year I must teach my students new ways of creating projects that show what they have learned. As a teacher I must be able to connect what I see and hear with what we do in the classroom. All learning must be applicable and practical to be attractive to the modern student. Constantly attending advanced professional developments through webinars or in person is one of the best ways that I try to keep up with the fast pace of technology. Finally, decision making is key to sifting through all the information with which we are inundated. As a self directed learner, I must be able to keep myself focused on the most import new ideas. My greatest challenge is that I often get side tracked by all the interesting ideas out there.

Whew. The amount of information available to us through our networks is overwhelming. My goal as a student of instructional design is to learn how to differentiate needed knowledge from just cool ideas. My goal as a teacher is to help my students discern what is most important to their learning.

Siemens, George.(December 12, 2004). [web article] Connectivism: A learning Theory for the Digital Age. Retrieved December 6, 2009 from http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm

Kuhlmann, T. (November 17, 20090) Web article. Here’s How to Get Past a Screen Full of Bullet Points. Retrieved December 6, 2009 from http://www.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/heres-how-to-get-past-a-screen-full-of-bullet-points/

Conrad, F.. Einhorn, C., Leland, F. October 18, 2009 [Video article] The New York Times Health: Comforting a Death in Prison. Retrieved December 6, 2009 from

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/10/18/health/20091018-hospice-audioss/index.html?scp=1&sq=health%20comforting%20a%20death%20in%20prison&st=cse