Managing Ongoing Projects--Understanding Scope Creep

Week 6: Managing Ongoing Projects



Understanding Scope Creep:


In this course I have struggled with relating Project Management to situations in my own life. But thanks to a blessing of fate the IT on campus came by my classroom yesterday looking for a computer that needed updating. As we waited for the antiquated PC’s to upload he inquired about my PDF creation issues in my software. Before long he stated had been a project manager for a length of time prior to becoming the campus IT. What a stroke of luck, he help me related to project management on terms related to my current job. He told me not to stress so much I could not possible completely understand how to be a project manager in eight weeks. I told him of my project and my concerns, he told me to take a deep breath and remember a project is just a problem with a formulated solution. He had my attention I work with formulas all day as a math teacher.


He stated that as a teacher and single parent I manage things all the time and they have the same aspects as most projects. I set a budget, formulate a goal, and build a plan for success utilizing my team. He said you deal with Scope Creep where you have to make changes in a project once it has started. You may have to adjust the original purpose, timeline, or budget. I was amazed that he was right, I manage projects continuously and just considered them life or my job.


I recently discovered the Project Charter is the key to uniting stakeholders and the team under a common goal. This communication tool used in the early stages of communication brings all the parties involved under a single scope definition. Later you should use this Charter as the compass to decide if requested changes fall within the defined and agreed upon scope.


One of the biggest issues in preventing scope creep is defining what “scope” is. Scope simply put encompasses all the work that is agreed to be done, but in my mind also defines what work won’t be considered part of the project. Often times defining what will not be included in the project is easier than defining what will be in the project. The deliverables in the Scope is the statement of work document, a narrative description of products, services, or results to be supplied. You need to define a simple easy to use change process at the onset. Such as, “Send all changes to Crystal in IT”.

Project Management requires five basic skills to assure you success as a leader:

• Foresight/Problem solving skills

• Integrity

• Motivational Ability

• Intelligence

• Competency/ Experience

As a Math Teacher and Parent I exuded these skills in my day to project management. From the Project Manger of a large scale project I still lack the competency/ experience to successfully manage a large scale project on my own. My research has taught me that I will gain this knowledge with practice and real world experience. I will continue to gain the knowledge I need to feel competent as a PM and with time the experience needed to lead a project.






References:
Greer, M. (2010). The project management minimalist: Just enough PM to rock your projects! (Laureate custom ed.). Baltimore: Laureate Education, Inc.


Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (n.d.a.). Practitioner voices: Overcoming ‘scope creep’ [Multimedia]. Project Management in Education and Training. Retrieved from Week two resources.


Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (n.d.b.). Project management concerns: ‘Scope creep’ [Multimedia]. Project Management in Education and Training. Retrieved from Week two resources.


Mantel, S., Meredith, J., Shafer, S., & Sutton, M. (2008). Project management in practice: Third edition. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.


Murphy, C. (1994). Utilizing project management techniques in the design of instructional materials. Performance & Instruction, 33(3), 9–11.
Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E. (2008). Project management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Estimating Costs and Allocating Resource- Weblinks WK5BLOG

The eLearningcoach: Tips, advice and reviews for online learning


http://theelearningcoach.com/business/how-to-avoid-project-failure/

This blog answers many of the questions I have posed myself while studying in the Instructional Design field and answers them in a clear manner. The majority of the questions are related to being a Project Manager and how to deal with clients, superiors, and your team. Robyn states “The more self-managed we are the more chances we have of being recognized as a leader”. When I read this I realized as online students we are self-managed and therefore on the path to being great leaders.



Real World Project Management: Estimating Your Project Costs

http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=383854

This site notes that there are three important estimate types: Ballpark estimates, budget of top-down estimate, definite or bottom-down estimate. The site explains what types are crucial for a Project Manager to rely on and explains each including examples. This is a great tool for beginner Instructional Designers who are learning about the project management process.

Evaluating Effective Communication

This week’s assignment is about communicating effectively in the work place. I am reviewing a multimedia program “The Art of Effective Communication” in this video the same message is delivered in three modalities: text, audio, and as a video. I will evaluate how I interpret each version of the message and the factors that influenced me.


TEXT: As I read the message I thought it was to wordy and lacked professionalism. The apologetic nature could be perceived with various voices depending on the mood of the reader. The indirect nature of the email annoyed me and telling me that my part impacted there part of project was offensive in this format. I felt as if the person were telling me I was not doing job and that I needed to get on the ball and indicated I might not do my job. The line that stated “I might miss my deadline if I don’t get your report soon” was offensive in email.

AUDIO: In the voice mail it was better but still hard to tell if the person was truly sincere or if she was trying to be polite. I still thought the request was wordy in the voicemail and would have annoyed me had I received it. This time the line “Because your report contains data I need to finish my report” seemed unnecessary in a voicemail.

Video of Face-to-Face: When the same message was delivered face-to-face the inflection of Jane’s voice was very different in person than on the voicemail. In the video Jane used a positive body language that was casual and non-confrontational. She maintained appropriate eye contact and gave a pleasing smile at key points in the conversation. Though what was said seemed lengthy in an email and voicemail it was appropriate for face-to-face communication.

I have learned in this scenario that effective communication is all about conveying your message to others clearly and unambiguously. It is also about receiving information that others are sending to you without distorting the message as much as possible. Communication is only successful when both the sender and receiver understand the same information.

Despite the need for effective communication skills many individuals continue to struggle unable to communicate their thoughts and ideas effectively. This makes it nearly impossible for them to compete in workplace and stands in the way of career progression.

References:


Ertmer, P., & Quinn, J. (Eds). (2007). The ID casebook: Case studies in instructional design (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

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

Learning from a Project “Post-mortem”

The first project I ever worked on with a team in design still lingers in my mind. I was on a team of four, two artist combined with two designers building a sales ad. I had to work closely with one of the artist to build the storyboard design for the team concept. Though it was saluted as a successful project in retrospect as I look over the 15 year old storyboard it was rudimentary at best. We worked within the confines of our software and training and built the storyboard strictly by hand. We followed the concept, technical requirements, and script designed by the team. My contribution was to assure that technically what the artist rendered we could reproduce with the software and technology we had available.


My larger task grew to keeping the artist on task and on schedule. He was very precise and deliberate in his graphic style and was taking excessive time with each cell of the storyboard. He was not realizing that the storyboard is a concept piece not the entire project and can have rough drawings with informative text. If I were to redo this project today I would use storyboarding software and collaboration software to communicate with the other designers on the team. I recall we had communication issues due to schedule conflicts. Software such as SKYPE would have allowed us all to meet without everyone having to be in the same room. Designating a team project manager would have also benefitted each member in defining our roles and duties to the group. The project if redone today given the knowledge I have gained as a designer, technology improves, and software advances would be easier to produce and take a fraction of the time to create.

References:
Greer, M. (2010). The project management minimalist: Just enough PM to rock your projects! (Laureate custom ed.). Baltimore: Laureate Education, Inc.
Project management triangle. (2010, June 15). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Project_management_triangle&oldid=368175262.
Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E. (2008). Project management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

15 Essential steps of IT project management - Digital Perspectives

I found a great article that discusses the “15 Essential steps of IT project management - Digital Perspectives”. The article is from Healthcare Financial Management, Feb,2002, by David Hefner, Christine Malcolm. I have summarized the article here and provided a link:


http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3257/is_2_56/ai_83044084/

1. Thoroughly evaluate project feasibility.

2. Clarify the project objectives and scope.

3. Make a single sponsor accountable for project success.

4. Appoint a full-time project manager one individual should oversee the day-to-day management, execution, and deliver of the project.

5. Establish a project-management team that can exercise real authority.

6. Create a detailed project plan.

7. Secure committed staff resources.

8. Obtain commitments from vendors and suppliers.

9. Divide project into manageable segments to reduce complexity.

10. Establish clear performance measures and report progress regularly to assess project performance, a specific set of performance indicators should be identified.

11. Take decisive, corrective action sooner rather than later resolve any performance variances quickly and decisively

12. Establish and manage a formal change-control mechanism.

13. Proactively manage a risk.

14. Develop a communication program to promote organization wide acceptance of the program.

15. Celebrate successes, at each milestone to foster team coherence.



Resources:

Hefner, David; "15 Essential steps of IT project management - Digital Perspectives". Healthcare Financial Management. FindArticles.com. 07 Nov, 2010. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3257/is_2_56/ai_83044084/

Reflection on Distance Learning

George Siemens explains in this week’s video, the acceptance of distance education by society as a whole is due to the increase in online communication, practical experience with new tools, growing comfort with online discourse, and the ability to communicate with diverse and global groups (Laureate Education, Inc., n.d.b.). The notion of distance is not the same as it was a few years ago due to the new technology we are realizing that we can now participate in conversations globally. Education has become a global interactive option for corporations and education. As new technologies have improved educational options are growing in the online environment.


My perceptions of distance learning are constantly evolving as my knowledge of interactive media expands. The views I had of how could I implement a course and fill it with interactive stimulating options for my learner’s changes on a weekly basis. We are asked to look at the future of online education 10-20 years from now and I see a future where online education is the norm and face-to-face becomes the antiquated form public education still uses. Online education will is becoming a highly sought out form of education for adult learners in various fields. I foresee both private and public institutions utilizing online learning to save time, money, and expand their reach.

As a designer it is important to be a proponent for improving the perceptions of distance learning. As such an advocate I will continue to build my own knowledge of available educational solutions through collaboration, education, and research. I will offer peers support and guidance in learning how to utilize new tools and technologies and long with accepting support and guidance. My personal technology blog and website will be building blocks to aide in my development of larger projects as I start my career.

Working as a positive force in the field of distance education involves continuous personal growth and skill develop in the field of Instructional Design Technology. I will need to offer support, guidance and training backed by research and practical practice in the field. To be a true leader I will need to join groups, utilize new skills, and actively work to spread the knowledge that Online Learning and Instructional Design open the door to education that might other be closed to many learners.



Resources:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (n.d.b.). The future of distance education [Multimedia]. Distance Learning. Retrieved from Week eight resources.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (n.d.c.). Theory and distance learning [Multimedia]. Distance Learning. Retrieved from Week Two resources.
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.

e-Learning Project Management

E-learning: How to deliver an engaging Virtual Classroom presentation

Best Online Teaching Practices-2010

 Encourage contact between student and faculty
o Structured discussions or debate
o Small-group discussions

 Develop reciprocity and cooperation among students
o Set up small groups for ease in discussion
o Build a problem solving forum
o Encourage student-to-student support

 Use active learning techniques
o Hands-on-experiences
o Small-group discussions
o Study analysis
   Virtual field trips


 Give prompt feedback
o Grades should be posted within a week
o Questions should be answered within 24 hours

 Emphasize time on task

 Communicate high expectations
o Course Syllabus expresses clear expectations
o Clearly explain grading policy
Websites that contain Best Online Teaching Practices.


DESIGN FOR LEARNING http://www.designingforlearning.info/services/writing/ecoach/tenbest.html

eLearning Magazine: 10 Things I’ve Learned About Teaching Online

http://www.elearnmag.org/subpage.cfm?section=best_practices&article=57-1

vuDAT Virtual University Design and Technology: Michigan State University

offers a great website exploring and explaining the aspects of 10 years of research in online learning experiences.

http://vudat.msu.edu/teach/

Video link:

I found the suggestions given by Dr. Elsa Barkley Brown on using PodCasting to explain the weekly assignment in a pre-cast/post-cast mode to be innovative. The use of audio to personalize and humanize online learning and as a technique for reducing insecurity among online learners is effective. Dr. Elsa Barkley Brown does not give online lectures she uses PodCasting as a tool to respond to feedback and guide instruction. Best Practices in Online Teaching, Dr. Elsa Barkley Brown: http://vimeo.com/15158381

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (n.d.). Facilitating online learning [Multimedia]. Distance Learning. Retrieved from Week seven resources.

Levine, R. (2010, May). Top 10 quotes on collaboration. Retrieved from http://www.brighthub.com/office/collaboration/articles/71425.aspx

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

The Impact of Open Source

In understanding how the Internet has impacted the way both teaching and learning are managed in an online environment. “To teach and learn effectively we must understand the concepts of student-centered learning and distributed learning”. (Simonson, Pg. 231) In the developmental years of distance learning the instructional model essentially replicated the face-to-face teacher/textbook for the course content. “With computer and Internet-based technologies, however, have come exciting new opportunities for providing learning experiences to students”. (Simonson, Pg. 231)


“Student-centered learning promotes active learning, collaboration, mastery of course material and student control over the learning process”. (Simonson, Pg. 232) In the following paragraphs I will examine an open course class from Stanford on iTunes U: A public site that includes courses and faculty lectures. http://itunes.stanford.edu/ I focused on the Stanford School of Education on iTunes and quickly realized it was very different than my current online classroom.

Distance education is structured from the beginning with the evaluator’s requirements in mind (Simonson, 2009). Data is collected before, during, and after the instructional events or procedures. The data is evaluated in comparison to traditional face-to-face learners in the same courses and decisions about the distance learning process are actively made. Proponents of the Open University are opposed to the traditional, quantitative procedures for evaluation (Simonson, Pg. 350). The Proponents believe “in evaluation by focus groups, interview, observations, and journals to collect evaluation information in order to obtain a rich and colorful understanding of events related to the distance education activity” (Simonson, Pg. 350).

Most evaluators now use a combination of quantitative and qualitative measures to measure a student’s acquisition of the material. In the Stanford School of Education open course documents I found lectures and videos on fourteen topics. I was pleased that with the click of one button I could download them in iTunes and later to my iPod. I watched several and found them relevant and fascinating in examining modern educational issues.

Yet, they did not offer actual courses that I could locate merely excerpts from courses. Yet all of them materials I viewed on the Stanford School of Education iTunes list met the standards described in the text as the “five abilities” that e-learning standards should have.

1. Interoperability-can the system work with any other system? The software works with with any MP3 player that can accept files from iTunes.

2. Re-usability- can courseware (learning objects, or “chunks”) be re-used? The individual lessons, videos, and readings are free for use and viewing and be re-used.

3. Accessibility-can the learner access the appropriate content at the appropriate time? The portability of the information makes it assessable any where the learner chooses to view the data once it is downloaded.

4. Manageability- can a system track the appropriate information about the learner and the content? This system did not require registration or information of any type to access the open lectures, videos, and text that the site provided. Without being required to log in or register they have no way of tracking who is actually using the information they are providing.

5. Durability- will the technology evolve with the standards to avoid obsolescence? The technology that Stanford is using is the latest available and the course materials are current and continually evolving. The use of iTunes enables students the ease of access with very little effort and the option for portability increases user interest. (Simonson, Pg.255)

In review of numerous Open Course classes I found that they all lacked in assessment features and opportunities for collaboration. Participation is independent study or research format with the opportunity for self evaluation in a few courses I reviewed from other Open Course Universities. Of the courses I examined I favored the ones that offered multiple modes of data (MP3, video, text) and download features. Simple features to select entire sets of course with one button increased my desire to download the courses so that I could upload them to my iPod for later evaluation. I would recommend giving Open Course classes a try and take time to find one that suits your own learning style and interest.

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (n.d.). Planning and designing online courses [Multimedia]. Distance Learning. Retrieved from Week five resources.



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

Design solutions

Example 1: Collaborative Training Environment




A new automated staff information system was recently purchased by a major corporation and needs to be implemented in six regional offices. Unfortunately, the staff is located throughout all the different offices and cannot meet at the same time or in the same location. As an instructional designer for the corporation, you have been charged with implementing a training workshop for these offices. As part of the training, you were advised how imperative it is that the staff members share information, in the form of screen captures and documents, and participate in ongoing collaboration.

To solve this design issue it would be best to start with a software that can do several things at once. I have chosen Elluminate it’s a discussion technology that allows teachers and students to interact synchronously through instant-messaging-style interface. Elluminate vClass is a shared virtual classroom for50-400 with a customizable moderator name. Elluminate’s project lifecycle of initiation, development, validation, deployment, and closure ensure an on-time, on-budget launch of the virtual campus. Through their professional services the company will have access to consultants through every stage of the design process. Training online or onsite, instructor led and recorded delivery, and courseware conversion and development. Elluminate additionally provides a reference library and quick reference guides, user guides, and white papers. Technical support is another great feature that is offered in a variety of ways to the client and their staff.

The Elluminate website offers dozens of examples of uses of the software in various applications from k-12 traditional education, online events, professional development, tutoring, higher education and enterprise. For our solution we are building a training module to enable six regional offices to collaborate and participate simultaneously and on a ongoing bases.

Training: examples of real world use

• LINGOs

• NW Kansas Reg'l Prevention Ctr

E-Sources "What to Choose?"

Review of Course Management Systems

Review of Course Management Systems:


I reviewed 15Desks, Schoolweb, and ectolearning and found that though they all had some similarities they were very different in their formats. Schoolweb is the CMS that my current employer uses throughout our district. The three software’s offer the major components that the textbook authors recommend for a CMS. Each software offers: course management, readings, content presentation, course communications, digital drop-box, group project space, course evaluation tools, student assessments, and course and system statistics.

The CMS software 15desk has mobile access features, duplicate course, security and backup, OS and Hardware indifference, Grade Book, Emailer, announcements, and teaching assistance access. All of these features including the afore mentioned features make it a great asset. I have read that in the instructor mode they have a wizard to help set up a class that is easy to maneuver around. I was not able to locate this feature.

15Desks has a plethora of features none of which I found to be user friendly I have used a multitude of software over the years and this does not have the drag and drop features that I anticipate in a software that boast the feature of easy in use ability. I am a software snob, technology is designed to simplify your life and enable you dissimenate information in a timely and efficient manner. At first as I reviewed the many features that 15desks boast they provide and the various user friendly options I was excited. After I downloaded the software I was frustrated and left wondering how to review something that I could not access as the features had expressed. I would not use this software based on the time it took me to review it and I still could not drag and drop in data and get up in running in a short time.

After evaluating the three software applications ectolearning had all the bells and whistles. The easy to understand instructions and the familiar layout were immediate attention grabbers. I quickly was able to upload images, add links to my blog and set up a class. I found myself lost in the possibilities of using the software instead of my current software Schoolweb. In Schoolweb I am limited to the groups in my school district and access is limited to members of the district. Should I leave the district all my information, effort, and groups would be lost. In contrast with ectolearning I have free access anywhere I have an internet connection and can add to my groups from a global population. The idea that all of my creativity would not be lost should I change jobs is also exciting and would make transitioning to a new position easier. Ectolearning offers a wide variety of group and library of pages and links that easily connect to my dashboard. I found of the three CMS that we evaluated this week ectolearning was usable, aesthetically pleasing, simple to use, and extensible (Smith,2009).

References:

CollegeBrain, Inc. (2010). 15Desk features. Retrieved from https://www.15desks.com/features.php.



LectureShare. (2010). About. Retrieved from http://www.lectureshare.com/about.php.





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

Understanding the Barriers for Distance Learners

In distance education there are additional problems and barriers that are encountered by the students and they fall into several categories; cost/motivators, feedback and teacher contact, student support and services, alienation and isolation, lack of experience and training (Galusha,2008). Online learners are more likely to have insecurities about learning that traditional learners. These insecurities are founded in personal and school related issues such as financial costs of study, disruptions of family life, perceived irrelevance of studies and lack of support from employers (Galusha,2008).


Perceived lack of feedback or contact with the teacher is a second area of concern for the distance student. Lack of face-to-face contact with the teacher may cause students to have trouble with self evaluation. The vital link between these two parties must be restored through overt institutional efforts so that the teaching-learning transaction may be reintegrated (Galusha,2008).

A third area of concern for many distance learners is the lack of support services such as academic planners, tutors, technical assistance, and resource support. Walden has eliminating this concern for me in the easy to use Student Support Services. Student Support Services are a significant part of the budgeted costs of the program.

Isolation is the fourth area of concern for distance learners. The feeling of isolation and alienation can cause students to simply feel like a member of a correspondence course. Traditional students find shared learning experiences and face-to-face contact to be an important part of their social lives.

“A fifth problem is prevalent with newer distance students. If distance learning institutions are serious about providing equity of educational opportunity to all, then careful consideration must be given to the special needs of students undertaking distance education for the first time. Of particular importance is the design of study materials for distance students”(Galusha,2008).

References:

Galusha,Jill M. (2008). Barriers to Learning in Distance Education. The Infastruction Network. Retrieved From http://www.infrastruction.com/barriers.htm

Distance Learning Brain Storming Mind Map

Distance Learning and Instructional Design

In the early years of distance learning courses my first course of study was a psychology course. In the course I used videos, course materials, and attend the college only to sit for exams on the materials. I can say I learned a great deal from the course but wish it had been an online course interactive opportunities and submitting of exams online. The early years of distance education for many educational institutions still contained the element of face-to-face for many years. The advent of the affordability and commonality of technology in society as offered new educational opportunities.


As my educational experiences progressed I continued to attend traditional education then chose to attend a technical college for my associate’s degree. The hands on learning environments combined with instructor led classes motivated me. In the past I was bored with traditional college it reminded me to much of high school and the rigor of you sit – I talk.

In the new hands on learning environments with open lab experiences for independent study I found my drive to succeed. The majority of my learning experiences were conducted in a traditional college computer lab with the instructor there simply to adding in facilitating the use of the new software. The Integrated Digital Image Communications degree was in its first year when I took the program and on the frontier of media education. The use of technology to educate was a new concept at the time, it was the first time I had seen computer lessons projected to the wall for whole class follow along tutorials. Participating in this degree and seeing all that was available and would be available in the future of education is what inspired me to later go back to school to become a special education instructor.

As a Special Education Instructor I use technology daily in my lessons. Though I am a traditional face-to-face instructor I firmly believe that not all students benefit from this form of education. The majority of State’s offer a free online K-12 curriculum to support learners who need more flexible educational opportunities. Struggling students, advanced learners, homebound, homeschooled, military, elite athletes, and performers all of these subgroups can benefit from a distance education k-12 program that is based on state expectations and employees qualified educational staff either full- time or to supplement traditional education.

The effectiveness of distance education has more to do with who is teaching, who is learning, and how that learning is accomplished and less to do with the medium. “The No Child Left Behind Act requires states to offer alternative schooling options to students attending schools that fail to make adequate yearly progress”(Huett,2008). Administrators and Teachers benefit by having the potentially greater contact with at risk students who are not normally communicative face-to-face. Parents benefit by being able to see all the tools for learning and review them on one setting.

“While synchronous courses offer real-time interaction with the teacher and, potentially, with peers, a course taught predominantly through asynchronous instruction may offer few opportunities for personal interaction” (Huett, 2008). Successful online learners have the characteristics of autonomy, metacognition, self-regulatory skills, positive self-efficacy, motivation, and internal locus of control. Many of these characteristics develop with age, raising the possibility that younger students may be less successful online learners than their older counterparts.

What are the implications for Instructional Designers? “Expecting teachers to be instructors, content experts, distance education instructional designers, and technology experts, in addition to their other responsibilities, is asking too much (Huett,2008)”. With technology now entering the educational system in full force and the growing interest in online courses a collaborative approach where instructional designer’s partner with teachers to create dynamic and engaging distance learning environments is necessary. Together they need to consider the critical elements for exemplary K-12 online learning: “the features and design of the course, the role of the teacher or facilitator, and the characteristics that successful online learners exhibit (Huett, 2008)”. School districts are going to have to recognize that ID professionals would bring a much needed awareness of sound distance education design to the process.

This is a “stand and deliver” time for instructional design, technology, and education. Professionals are finally getting their chance to see learning transformed by technology. Yet, time and resources are still the issue with neither being in unlimited supply. As current leaders advocate for the use of technology in education and training they need to put in place the funding to back the policy. As ID Professionals we need to remember that it not the theory that will save the day but the sound design and a commitment to understanding learner needs.

References:

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

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (n.d.). Distance education: the next generation [Multimedia]. Distance Learning. Retrieved on September 8, 2010 from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=4442081&Survey=1&47=6064455&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

http://v7.k12.com/sample_lessons/02-25-10/HS/Math/geometry-circumferences-areas/CLICK_TO_START.html