Course Reflection

Reflection

In this course, we were tasked with developing an online orientation course for new distance learners who are enrolled in a distance learning course or training workshop. This course is based on a pre-selected scenario and be built using the knowledge we gained as Instructional Designers to prepare the course adequately. Upon doing this, I would like to provide my reflection regarding distance education, its future and my current role in implementing it.

           

Future perceptions of distance learning in the future

I believe distance learning will continue to hold a place in education in the future as a popular choice for learning and instruction but it will not replace face-to-face instruction.  The definition of distance learning is an institution-based, formal education where the learning group is separated, and where interactive telecommunications systems are used to connect learners, resources and instructors. (Simonson,2009) In order to have some type of “learning group,” you have to have a commonality which, in this case, is the learning process and content. This commonality is what will bring people and has brought people together especially in a physical environment. And in order to be separated, you must initially have a group which is together physically such as on a campus or remote location. Secondly, with variations of learning styles and modalities, there will always be a need for some students to meet physically with their Instructor. Having physical access to the Instructor is a factor in student motivation in an online and face-to-face class. (Gallegos & Schmidt, 2001)  True educators would not sacrifice student motivation for distance learning. Finally, there is “research on the effectiveness of distance education [which] clearly shows that students who learn at a distance do not learn any worse, or any better than traditional students.  Until the data shows otherwise, distance education will not be a replacement for traditional instruction.

Being a proponent for improving societal perceptions of distance learning

There are many myths, misconceptions and perceptions that exist regarding distance learning. As an Instructional Designer I would use my knowledge of course design and the future of distance learning to combat some of those myths, misconceptions and perceptions. To be a proponent for improving those perceptions, there are two tasks I would focus my attention on. First, I would make sure there is an adequate understanding of course design and the best structure for a distance learning course. This may mean having a roundtable discussion with other managers, trainers and subject matter experts to explain my role in the course design process, their contributions and how their contributions assist in the course building process. Secondly, I would make sure with each course design, that I am thoroughly applying the principles of the ADDIE model (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation) to ensure the course is designed and created appropriately for its intended purpose.

Be a positive force for continuous improvement in the field of distance education

I believe one way to be a positive force for continuous improvement is evaluation, evaluation and evaluation!  This last step in the ADDIE model involves not only looking at what was done but providing feedback for updates, revisions or improvements to a course. These evaluations will not only come from the Instructional Designer but faculty, Instructors and the students themselves. Through this method we learn what worked, what didn’t and how some pre-existing factor in the course can continue to assist in the learning process.  Woodley and Kirkwood provide six categories of evaluation that are applicable to most distance learning courses: Measures of activity, efficiency, outcomes, program aims, policy and organization. I believe these six categories along with the ADDIE model will provide a global picture of the distance learning experience and how it can continue to change to foster student motivation, collaboration and success.

Additional Personal Reflection

Currently as an Instructional Technology Coordinator, I not only provide and conduct training in my school district but I also create and facilitate courses for teachers, school-based administrators and employees. This course has presented me with an administrative view of what it means to build and improve the distance learning opportunities in my district. Mid-way through this course, I was assigned a web-based course to teach in Moodle for teachers. I was fortunate to have this opportunity because it afforded me the chance to apply what I have learned. The course, not effectively built, is going through a revision stage and I am able to provide revisions and recommendations to improve the course. I am also able to use what I learned about the students in my distance learning environment and increase their success either through higher-order thinking in discussion boards or remain in constant contact to encourage them. This course has also shown me additional technologies that I can use like videoconferencing to provide instruction for my students. As monies for professional development drive us to provide more Internet-based PD, I will continue to implement strategies to teach and learn at a distance.

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). The Future of Distance Education [Video webcast]. Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5089759&Survey=1&47=41145&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

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

Converting to a Distance Learning Format

While most courses are built for face-to-face instruction there are some which can be converted into a distance learning format. This week our scenario was regarding a training manager who wanted to "try something new" and take his current face-to-face course and convert it into a course taken in a blended learning environment. We were to create a guide for him to use to assist him with this process. 

My guide presents a very simplistic (in theory) process of converting a course. It is done in three steps just like the ABCs:

• Analyze - the trainer must first take a look at the scope of instruction including his course objectives to determine which ones he wants to present in a face-to-face course and which ones he wants to deliver via distance learning environment. Secondly, the trainer must analyze a storyboard or a sequence of activities, segments, units and modules he wants in the distance learning environment. Finally, he should analyze which software he wants to use and review its features to ensure it has exactly what he needs.
• Build - here the trainer must begin building out the activities he is going to use in the distance learning environment. Some of this may mean revamping or revising some of the activities he currently uses in the face-to-face environment to make sure they are accessible and feasible in the distance learning environment. The trainer must also begin building the assessments. Some of the ones he currently uses will look different online and some of the features of the CMS he uses may provide some other options. Finally, the trainer will begin building any additional resources needed for the course including those related to participating in an online environment.
• Communicate - this is where the trainer will take the time to outline the rules and responsibilities of those participating in the distance learning environment. This may be their first time and he will need to be clear what responsibilities he has as the Instructor and what responsibilities they have as the Students. The trainer will also need to communicate any policies and procedures regarding participation. This may mean detailing how and when to submit assignments and what to do if a student is having technical difficulties.

The complete guide can be found here (Facing Distance Learning: Best Practices for Converting to Distance Learning). There is also an online version of this guide found at http://facingdistancelearning.wikispaces.com. 

References:

Getting started online. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://ctlstartingonline.project.mnscu.edu/ 

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

Review of Standford U on iTunes

Four middle schools in my district are participating in a technology initiative next school year where each student and teacher will receive an iPad for instruction. So I chose to review Standford U on iTunes as an Open Source because the teachers and curriculum department in my district will be creating content for our own library on iTunes. As our district creates this content, I want to be able to assist and guide the creation and use of the content for our students and teachers.

Is the Course designed for distance learning?

iTunes has a specific format and file storage system for its files and audio/video recordings. There isn’t much room to create a new structure or adapt the current one. That being said, I will say that the course in not designed for distance learning as a sole delivery method. There are a few factors that determine this evaluation. First, the objectives of the course are clearly established. A user of the content will have to view each individual episode in order to determine the objectives of what they are learning. Secondly, there is a lack of discussions or additional activities to engage the learners linked within the course. iTunes only allows you to store content so the students would have to go elsewhere to participate in group activities or discussion thread. Finally, there is a learning curve associated with using iTunes. The instructor and students will have to have access to iTunes (which is a free download) and instructions on how to view and download content. The process of accessing content is not intuitive. Additional information will be needed for accessing the content on mobile devices as well. iTunes is a good supplement to a course but not a stand alone course.

Follow recommendation for online instruction?

The courses on iTunes does follow the organizational guidelines as listed in Chapter 5 of the textbook. The courses are broken down into units, modules and topics (Simonson, 2009). For example, the course The Future of the Internet is broken down into smaller modules such as Internet Economics and Applications. However, the courses do not follow instruction/teaching guidelines and time frames in that the modules are not broken down per week. There is the possibility that the Instructor will email the students each week and there may be a synchronous chat held offline or using another tool. These guidelines are not found within iTunes. The course also does not follow the “advice” listed in Chapter 9 of the course text. For example, the courses in iTunes do not integrate the power of the web into the course. Since the modules are audio/video recordings, there isn’t much room for student interactivity.

Maximize active learning through activities?

Unfortunately there are no course activities aside from view the audio/video podcasts uploaded into iTunes. If there are activities, they are probably built into the recording such as "Pause the tape here and reflect in your journal regarding the effectiveness of Google Search on the Internet." In order to make the podcasts more interactive for participants and to make iTunes a sole delivery method, the creators of the uploaded content should consider adding weblinks to their podcasts to provide more activity as indicated by How To.

References:

eHow. (n.d.). How to Add Links to Your Podcasts Using GarageBand. Retrieved June 4, 2011 from http://www.ehow.com/how_2030280_add-links-podcast-using-garageband.html

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

Selecting Distance Learning Technologies

In Week 3, I chose to respond to Scenario 2: Interactive Tours:
A high school history teacher, located on the west coast of the United States, wants to showcase to her students new exhibits being held at two prominent New York City museums. The teacher wants her students to take a "tour" of the museums and be able to interact with the museum curators, as well as see the art work on display. Afterward, the teacher would like to choose two pieces of artwork from each exhibit and have the students participate in a group critique of the individual work of art. As a novice of distance learning and distance learning technologies, the teacher turned to the school district’s instructional designer for assistance. In the role of the instructional designer, what distance learning technologies would you suggest the teacher use to provide the best learning experience for her students?


As the district's instructional designer, based on the taxonomy of distance education technologies (Simonson, 2009), I would recommend a tool that would allow her to provide an opportunity for her students to interact with museum curators regarding the art work on display. This type of opportunity would best be described as two-way audio/video technology. In this type of technology regular telephone lines are used to send and receive audio and video signals in an approach called compressed video. The most current, widely used technology in the education system to accompolish this goal is a tool called Polycom. Polycom uses a telephone line to send the signal in combination with their video conferencing products to capture the video to provide a real-time, synchronus opportunity for dialogue and display. Here is an overview of a Polycom system (click here). The use of this technology for this purpose has been coined "virtual field trips" and many schools districts due to budget restraints have begun participating such as the North Central Educational Service District.

To accomplish the teacher's second desire, to provide a place for her students to collaborate on a critique of two pieces of artwork from the museum, I would recommend a Wiki. What is a wiki? (click here).  A Wiki is an onlinne writing space designed to be created and edited by groups of persons (Simonson, 2009). The most popular wiki used by school districts is Wikispaces. With this tool, a teacher can create the writing space, create accounts for her students and allow her students to take control of what's entered. Students, after receiving access to the Wiki, can then post pictures, embed videos and comment using the discussion board. Here is an example of a school, AST Elementary in Wisconsin, who uses a Wiki to display student art work based on various art concepts. Even though the discussion board isn't used, it could be opened up by the owner of the Wiki.

Resources

Defining Distance Learning

Personally, prior to this course I would have defined distance learning as a place where students remotely accessed content and materials under teacher facilitation and supervision. I would have also described it as a virtual place where students could interact and communate with each other for the purposes of collaobration. Prior to this class, I had already participated in a distance learning course by obtaining my Masters from Walden University. Thinking back, however, to the time prior to my first distance learning experience, I am not sure how I would define it. I really didn't know what to expect. My co-worker at the time was finishing up her Masters from Walden and I would often peek in to see what she was experiencing through her studies. I hadn't formed a solid definition yet.

When I first began my classes with Walden, I had recently decided to not puruse my Masters with a nearby, local college with whom I had started the process. Physically attending the weekly classes were a challenge for me because of additional activities and responsibilities at home and the professors that I had did not provide much depth or required as much metacognition about what was shared in class or presented. Upon starting Walden, the first observation I made was the similarity of the online class structure to that of the face-to-face structure I had just left. There was still a requirement to discuss information and provide support for your coursework. The only difference between the two was the lack of synchronous meetings and how my work was submitted.

The second observation I made prior to this class was the necessity of communicating and establishing an open network with the peers in my classes. In a previous class, my colleagues and I were grouped together to complete a course project. Unfortunately, some ot the behaviors exhibited by my peers were similar to those of students in a face-to-face class. Nonetheless, I learned how vitally important it was to keep an open and constant line of communication in order to accomplish the requirements of the proejct.

After beginning this course and just reading the first week of learning resources, my definition has changed. Dr. Simonson says it best when he writes "Distance education was defined in Chapter 1 as instuition-based, formal education where the learning group is separated, and where interactive telecommunications systems are used to connect learners, resources and instructors (Simnson, 2009). My experiences with Waldenu University has provided a formal educational process of learning in which most of my professors, with the exception of one, was located in another state. Additionally, all of the materials for the courses, except the books, were provided via the Internet.

Where do I see the future of distance learning?
Even though I think Walden will do this better, The Open University has the right idea:

OR



My Distance Learning MindMap

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.

MaryAnnCLT (Poster). Education Uses of Second Life [video]. (2007, August 10). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOFU9oUF2HA

TheOpenUniversity (Poster). University of the Future [video]. (2011, February 2). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki7ZKNcbX5Q