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

Distance Learning Technologies

            This week in our distance learning class we explored distance learning technologies. In an example given this week of collaborative training environment I chose to select two distance learning technologies and explained how they would work in the example given. The example that I chose was:

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.

            The two technologies that I have identified that would be best suited for this example are Discussion Technologies and Media Sharing Sites. Discussion technologies are participatory in nature and require that a number of individuals write and respond to each others posts. Learning management systems or LMSs, such as eCollege and Blackboard, integrate discussion technologies such as discussions forums, group collaboration areas, and virtual chat tools into the online learning environment (Laureate Education Inc, 2012).

            Media sharing sites are web sites that facilitate the sharing of content and artifacts such as text, pictures, videos, presentations, and audio files. The artifacts posted on media sharing sites can be viewed and commented on by a much wider audience than a video sent to a family member or a friend. Presentations created and shared through media sharing sites allow presenters to share the presentation with users across the globe. Users can in turn comment on the presentations and share their own ideas thereby providing feedback that may assist presenters in enhancing their content (Laureate Education Inc, 2012). A good example of this technology would be Photoshare (www.photoshare.org); this website allows people from all over the world share photos for free with its focus being on public health.

Resources:

Laureate Education Inc. (2012) (Producer). Theory and Distance Learning [video]. Retrieved September 23, 2012.

Defining Distance Learning

Distance learning has been a subject that I have not given much consideration to in the past. This mentality could possibly be because I considered distance learning as somewhat of a passing fad that would just fizzle out in time. But after actually participating in distance learning practices and truly gaining an appreciation of the concepts it encompasses I have changed my view. I can now say that as an adult learner how we learn or how we educate ourselves is an ever evolving process.

Dr Simonson (n.d.) suggests that distance education/learning can be defined as formal education in which the learning groups are separated by geography and sometimes by time. I somewhat agree but would ask that we take this definition a step further by saying that the learning groups that can be separated by geography, time, ethnicity, and economy. Geography and time are obvious in the definition because of the separation of time zones as well as countries. Ethnicity and economy could mean anything from bringing together a wealthy Chinese scientist in Beijing with a Cuban college freshman student in Miami, Fl through a virtual classroom. But how about I go even one step further and state that the learning groups are separated by geography, time, ethnicity, and economy but brought together by some technological means.

When I think of distance learning I automatically think of this term in relation to technology. This concept of distance learning is driven by technology. Technology is the most efficient means to bring people together across great distances through time zones regardless of that person’s ethnicity or economic state. I believe that as distance learning evolves further its relationship to technology will continue to be one that will become more apparent in time. Whether that technology involves space age technology such as holograms or an even more streamlined process for online classrooms the technology will continue to influence the concept of distance learning.

Prior to beginning this class, distance learning, I must say that my view of the subject is somewhat blurred. This means that I and am still not quite sure on how I want to define what this means to me. My hope is by the end of this class my definition will be more focused and my view of the topic will be clearer.

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

Distance Learning Mind Map:

Relection

In this reflection I look back at the course, Learning Theories and Instruction, and realize how much this experience has furthered my knowledge of learning. Upon entering the course I originally thought of myself as a person who learns most effectively by repetition. After understanding the different learning theories and styles along with understanding what motivates learners as well as instructors I feel like my stance has changed. Learning styles and strategies was an enjoyable lesson for myself simply because of the during the learning resources of that week I realized that I was a learner or more than one style or strategy. Dr Ormrod (Learning Styles and Strategies, 2011) tells us that there are visual learners (learn by seeing) and verbal learners (learn by hearing), also with these learning styles there are strategies that involve elaboration (taking information and doing something with it mentally), and comprehension monitoring (assessing learning progress). Overall through the understanding of those learning styles and strategies has deepened my understanding of my personal learning process but understanding the learning theories had a larger effect on me as both a student and educator.

The learning theories that I studied in this course were similar in some ways but overall provide important insight into learning. Behaviorist Theory is a stimulus based learning process that uses reinforcement to transfer information. Cognitive Theory considers learning as a mental activity and uses information storage and retrieval to transfer information. Constructivist Theory relates the learning material to the student’s personal experiences information is transferred by creating meaning from objects, people, and interactions. Social Learning Theory deals with learning through social interaction with knowledgeable members of society. Connectivism states that learning is knowledge that exists in the world rather than in the head of an individual. To myself Connectivism is the most interesting of the learning theories to myself because of how complex the information transfer is processed, basically the brain operating like a computer (inputs, processing, coding for retrieval and output). Lastly, there was Adult Learning Theory which simply tells us that adults are involved in the planning and evaluation of their instruction while life and work experiences drive the individual’s performance.

The invaluable resources and learning experiences in this course will undoubtedly assist me in my professional career as an instructional designer. Through the learning theories I understand that no one person learns in the same way as the next person. In understanding learning styles I understand that no one person can be taught the same way as another person. But in our lessons in motivation I understand how to tie the learning styles and theories together. Dr. Ormrod (Motivation in Learning, 2011) suggests that motivation occurs when instructors: show enthusiasm, get students physically involved during activities, and always display positive body language.

Again the learning experiences and lessons learned in this course are something I will cherish and look back on fondly. The knowledge gained will be a asset not only professionally but personally as well.

References

 Conlan, J., Grabowski, S., & Smith, K. (2003). Adult learning. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Adult_Learning

Ertmer, P. A., & Newby, T. J. (1993). Behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism: Comparing critical features from an instructional design perspective. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 6(4), 50–71.

Kim, B. (2001). Social constructivism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Social_Constructivism

Ormrod, J. (2011). Motivation in Learning. [Video production]. Laureate Education, Inc.

Ormrod, J. (2011). Learning Styles and Strategies. [Video production]. Laureate Education, Inc.

Siemens, George Connectivism: Learning as Network-Creation], Learning Circuits, November 2005. Retrieved from: http://www.astd.org/LC/2005/1105_seimens.htm

Standridge, M. (2001). Behaviorism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Behaviorism

Mae Sincero, S. (Retrieved 2011, Dec 09). What is social learning theory. Retrieved from http://www.experiment-resources.com/social-learning-theory.html

Fitting the Pieces Together

As I look back seven weeks ago as I analyzed my learning style and most importantly how I learn my view of the subject has somewhat changed. As a adult learner, learning by repetition is still important to me but as I studied more and became more involved in the different learning styles and theories I find that establishing meaningful connections is important to my learning as well. After initially studying connectivism you would not hear me say that networking and building meaningful connections were important in my learning process but when I reflect and think about my learning experiences in this online environment (which is still new to me) I can truly say that the connections that I have made within this new network of individuals both instructors and fellow students alike has provided a wealth of knowledge that never knew was possible.

Along with Connectivism both Social Learning theory and Constructivist Theory provide special keys to my learning vehicle as well. Since Constructivism allows us to use our mind to filter information from the world to produce its own reality I realize that in certain situations my mind does the same thing. This is realized when I have produce my own assumptions of a particular subject. In the Social Learning Theory I find this is one of those unconscious learning experiences that we don’t realize that’s going on unless we conceptual what we learn later on. In regards to Social Learning, who doesn’t use facebook, or twitter, or blog in these times and those are examples of social learning to me.

Technology plays a large part in my learning. My Iphone allows me to search for information at any time of day as well as sending and receiving information through emails, video conferences (facetime application), and text messages. My Laptop allows me to further transmit and receive information through discussion boards, emails, and web conferences. Technology has become so important and for myself has become a integral of my everyday life.