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
Crystal Annang
Life will pay whatever price you ask of it. Quote: Tony Robbins
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
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.
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.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
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
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
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010
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
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
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