Reflection

As an instructional designer, the current and future perception of distance learning should always be taken into consideration. The instructional designer should focus on being a strong supporter of distance learning. Also as the technology changes in the instructional design field, the ID must be supportive and help to find ways to improve the process. Although distance learning is always improving, the ID must realize that he or she must change or improve as well.

            The future of distance learning seems to shine very brightly. Through growing acceptance of distance education by: increased online communication, practical experience, and growing comfort with online discourse (Siemens, 2009) this perception doesn’t seem too farfetched.  Although a seemingly vast majority of traditional students believe that face to face learning is better, the ever changing improvements of distance learning will certainly sway their opinions.

            The instructional designer’s role in the future of distance learning is not only improving societal perception of distance learning but also the continuous improvement of distance learning. Factors that will aid the ID in this quest will be: new communication technologies, contributions by experts around the world, and increased use of multimedia, games, and simulations (Siemens, 2009). The ID must be aware of the latest technologies in communication so that they can be used as learning tools. The contributions of experts around the world will allow for a mesh of different ideas that will allow continued improvement in distance learning. Also the increased use of multimedia, games and other stimuli will allow the ID to find new ways to keep their learners interested and motivated.

            Although current and future perceptions of distance learning cannot easily be determined in comparison with each other, the instructional designer must take proper considerations.  By being a strong supporter of distance learning and being committed to its ever changing technologies and processes the instructional design will do his or her part to ensure outside views of distance learning are changed.

References:

Laureate Education Inc. (2009). The Future of Distance Education [video]. George Siemens

                                       

Converting To Distance Learning

Converting To a Distance Learning Format

The Scenario

A training manager has been frustrated with the quality of communication among trainees in his face-to-face training sessions and wants to try something new. With his supervisor’s permission, the trainer plans to convert all current training modules to a blended learning format, which would provide trainees and trainers the opportunity to interact with each other and learn the material in both a face-to-face and online environment. In addition, he is considering putting all of his training materials on a server so that the trainees have access to resources and assignments at all times.

Considerations:

·         What are some of the pre-planning strategies the trainer needs to consider before converting his program?

·         What aspects of his original training program could be enhanced in the distance learning format?

·         How will his role, as trainer, change in a distance learning environment?

·         What steps should the trainer take to encourage the trainees to communicate online?

Solution

The training manager must learn the software that he or she is using for the online portion of their program because if there are any issues with the software or if the students have questions about the software the training manager should be the person to ask questions to or to address any issues that are found. Also the training manager understand that students learn differently when designing their program because he or she must create modules that will gain the attention of its learners whether that be for learners who respond more to audio stimuli or learners who respond to visual stimuli. Finally the training manager must monitor the students whether that is through discussion boards, or through formal / informal evaluations that could be anything from direct emails to the students to course evaluations.

By converting to a distance learning format, the training manager gives his or her learners the freedom to continue to function in their personal and professional lives on their on time. Also in an distance learning environment, discussion can take place without the informal apprehension that face to face interaction can present.

Within a distance learning environment, the trainer will assume more of a role as an facilitator. The role of facilitator in online discussion is to guide and observe. The facilitator must monitor the discussion board and be active in discussion.  If the facilitator is not actively participating in the discussion the students can lose interest in the material or the purpose for instruction could be lost (Laureate Education Inc, 2009).

The training manager must take several steps to encourage the trainees to communicate online:

1.      Be accountable and make sure the project did what it says it was going to do.

2.      Monitor the effectiveness of the course

3.      Reflect on the impact of the course, did you make a difference?

4.      Organize the content

5.      Take all consequences into consideration

References

Laureate Education Inc. (2009). Facilitating Online Learning [video]. Dr. George Piskurich

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (n.d.) "Distance Education: The Next Generation" [Video]. Dr. Michael Simonson [Narrator]. 

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson

Open Source Course

Open Yale courses

URL:  http://oyc.yale.edu/african-american-studies

Overview:

The purpose of this course is to examine the African American experience in the United States from 1863 to the present. Prominent themes include the end of the Civil War and the beginning of Reconstruction; African Americans’ urbanization experiences; the development of the modern civil rights movement and its aftermath; and the thought and leadership of Booker T. Washington, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, W.E.B. Du Bois, Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X (Holloway, Jonathan. 2010).

Analysis

This course is broken down into twenty-five lecture sessions that were all pre recorded with course materials available for download as well. This course does appear to be carefully pre-planned and designed for a distance learning environment because of how well the course has been broken down online. Since the lectures are pre recorded the distance learner can access each lecture at any given time. Also the syllabus provided does carefully guide the distance learner through what is expected from the course along with recommended reading materials. The survey that is also presented on the coursesite asks questions that give the instructional designer the desired feedback he or she is seeking.

This course does seem to follow the recommendantions for online instruction listed in our text but I do not believe the course designer implemented course activities that maximized active learning. Although the course designer did follow the ADDIE model, there were no activities in place that would keep the learner actively interested in the materials presented. Although each session was carefully planned according to the syllabus, the actual session in play was just a recorded lecture that could easily lose the motivation of the learner presented to.

References

Holloway, Jonathan. (2010). African American History: from Emancipation to the Present. Retrieved October 7, 2012 from http://oyc.yale.edu/african-american-studies