Reflection EDUC 6135

Reflection EDUC 6135

Currently, the perceptions of distance education vary, and although distance education programs have increased in size, may individuals still have concerns related to distance education. As stated by Gambeccia & Paolucci (2009), many stakeholders raise concerns related to academic standards. Based on the interviews that I completed with coworkers this past week, I identified several areas of concerns:

·         lack of face-to-face interactions with peers and instructor

·         reputation of online universities

·         rigor or quality of instruction

These areas of concerns were also identified by Schmidt & Gallegos (2001).

            As Dr. Siemens (n.d.) mentioned, the perception of distance learning is continually evolving with the evolution of technology, and its impact on education. My belief is that distance education will continue to grow, and many will find the benefit in distance learning as technology allows for more simulation and interaction (authentic learning tasks). Considering that many individuals had the same concerns about distance learning 10 years ago, my belief is that it will take at least 10-20 more years for any real change in regards to how individuals perceive distance learning, (Schmidt & Gallegos, 2001).

            As a future instructional designer, it will be important to address the concerns identified by Schmidt & Gallegos (2001), as well as, my coworkers. As mentioned by Gambeccia & Paolucci (2009), distance learning concerns can first be addressed in the way that their programs are marketed to students through the description of its attributes. These attributes include: 1) Faculty, 2) Curriculum, 3) Quality; University Branding/Reputation - 4) Classroom, 5) Distance Learning Expertise; Features/Benefits - 6) Flexibility, 7) Convenience, and 8) Information/Operation (Gambeccia & Paolucci, 2009). However, saying that an online program has great features, without the credibility to say so is a recipe for disaster.

            As an instructional designer, it will be my mission to go above and beyond student expectations in the attributes or features that are a stated benefit of the program I am working for. Not only that, but I will strive to produce students who are well-equipped with the skills that are necessary for their career.  In order to go above and beyond in student and employer expectations, I must continually participate in professional development related to instructional design, and seek out meaningful learning activities that will transfer to real world settings. Through the use of promise, delivery, and continual improvement, societal perceptions toward distance learning will continue to change, and although small to some, I will make a difference in the world of instructional design.

Resources

Gambescia, S., & Paolucci, R. (2009). Academic fidelity and integrity as attributes of university   online degree program offerings. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration,12(1). Retrieved on June 23rd, 2012 from: http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/spring121/gambescia121.html

Schmidt, E., & Gallegos, A. (2001). Distance learning: Issues and concerns of distance learners.   Journal of Industrial Technology, 17(3). Retrieved on June 23rd, 2012 from :http://atmae.org/jit/Articles/schmidt041801.pdf

Siemens, G. (n.d.). The Future of Distance Education. Retrieved June 13, 2012 from:            https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2F webapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_5495       15_1%26url%3D

Developing A Hybrid Course: A Checklist

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.

Below is a checklist that the training manager can use to create a blended learning format.

Designing a Hybrid Course

• Connect with others in your field who have created a hybrid course, and use them as a reference through the creation and building of the course, (Texas State University, 2012).
• Create a course outline (Texas State University, 2012).
• Chunk large blocks of information into weekly modules, (Texas State University, 2012).
• Write learning objectives for each module, (Texas State University, 2012).
• Once learning objectives have been created, begin creating the assessments or activities that will assess mastery of each learning objective, (Texas State University, 2012).
• Determine whether the assessments or activities will be completed online or face-to-face, and what type of CMS is needed to host the online portion of the course, (Texas State University, 2012).
• Ensure that each assessment or activity can be properly assessed in the chosen learning environment. For example. face-to-face activities should include assessment of psychomotor skills, while online activities can assess content knowledge through collaborative discussions or multiple choice exams, (Texas State University ,2012).
• Determine which type of software or applications are needed for the determined online assessments or activities (blogging sites, wiki sites, etc), (Texas State University, 2012).
• Be careful to not demand too much on your learner because they will be participating in face-to-face and distance learning assignments.
• Create a detailed syllabus with grading expectations, assignments, assessments, course materials, technology list, and course rationale, (Simonson et al, 2012).
• Take into account ADA requirements for the course content (i.e. provide transcripts along with any videos), (Texas State University).

Building a Hybrid Course

• Be wary of the latest and greatest forms of media. This doesn't mean it's always the best, (Simonson et al, 2012).
• Copyright laws must be respected when using existing media, (Simonson et al, 2012).
• Create new media if necessary, (Texas State University, 2012).
• Create active learning opportunities (small group discussions, case study analysis, debates, or virtual field trips), (Simonson et al, 2012).
• Information must transpose between the two learning environments, but activities should not be duplicated in the face-to-face and onlilne environment.
• Provide timelines for all activities, (Simonson et al, 2012).
• Provide access to technical support, and additional resources for students who are new to online learning, (Simonson et al, 2012).
• Create a forum for students to contact the instructor with questions or frustrations, (Texas State University, 2012).
• Develop surveys that can be used to evaluate the overall success of the course, (Texas State University, 2012).

Facilitating a Hybrid Course

• Provide software training for all facilitators, (Piskurich, n.d.).
• Facilitators need to have a clear understanding of each activity or assessment, and the overall pacing of the course before the course begins, (Piskurich, n.d.).
• Facilitators should adjust/ clarify syllabus when necessary (Texas State University, 2012).
• Facilitators should conduct ice-breakers at the beginning of the course that encourage students to interact online and face-to-face to build strong learning communities (Simonson et al, 2012).
• Facilitators should clarify the amount of participation required by students in both the face-to-face and online communities, and the grading system or criteria (rubrics), (Simonson et el, 2012).
• Facilitators need to possess certain qualifications, be compensated, and supported, (Simonson et al, 2012).
• Facilitators must actively participate in all class discussions, and provide extra support and guidance at the beginning of the course, (Simonson et al, 2012).
• Facilitators must provide timely feedback on student assignments/ assessments, (Simonson et al, 2012).
•  Before requiring students to complete assignments online, provide a face-to-face overview of online expectations, and instructions to access the CMS, (Texas State University, 2012).
• Facilitators should provide models of exemplary work for assignments/ assessments, (Simonson et al, 2012).
• Facilitators should provide tips for student success in the blended/hybrid course, (Texas State University, 2012).
• Facilitators need to communicate weekly reminders to students that pertain to the upcoming module in both the face-to-face and online learning environments, (Texas State University, 2012).
• If students miss a face-to-face sessions, they should be able to access the online environment and know what they missed, and what is to come.
• Questions and frustrations should also be addressed in both the face to face and online learning environments by the facilitator, (Texas State University).
•  Use the AEIOU evaluation tool to define areas in need of improvement (Simonson et al, 2012).

References

Piskurich, G. (2012) Planning and Designing Online Courses. Video retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_549515_1%26url%3D

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

Texas State University. (2012). Hybrid course development. Retrieved on June 10th, 2012 from: http://www.its.txstate.edu/departments/instructional_design/hybrid-course-development.html

Open Courseware

 Open Courseware & Planning

I evaluated a history course distributed through Yale University (2009) in a series of audio/video podcasts that I found through Open Culture (2012). The link to the course is:  http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL023BCE5134243987&feature=plcp

 Simonson et al (2012) state the components of an effective podcast as (pg. 97):

·         A single idea that can be expressed verbally, or if necessary, with audio and appropriate still or motion pictures (not a face talking).

·         3 to 10 minute long recording

·         Part of a series

·         Learning object made available in MP3 format

·         Stored on a website

·         Current and changed frequently

To start, the podcast was recorded in very long segments (30 minutes to 1 hour), and the video portion of the lecture consisted of the lecturer speaking into a microphone. The podcast lacked any still pictures, objectives, or key vocabulary on the screen. As stated by Schlosser & Anderson (1994), “One thing that has been repeatedly demonstrated through research is that lecture, or the ‘talking head’ approach, is the least successful strategy to employ distance education, (pg. 159).

While it was very hard to not fall asleep the first ten minutes of the podcast, and the professor’s throat clearing was getting more and more distracting, I was able to pause, rewind, fast forward, or stop the podcast at any point. In regards to Dale’s Cone of Experience (1946), the learner participates in a single observation task throughout each podcast, but then has the chance to read the additional course materials, or purchase the course texts. According to Dale’s Cone of Experience (1946), learners remember 10% of what they read, and 50% of what they see and hear. Learners remember 90% of what they do, and this course does not allow for the participant to participate in asynchronous activities related to the podcasts, other than reading the course text resources.

In terms of dialoge, the course did not seem to analyze the potential for any type of learner interactivity, except for the general comments that can be left on the YouTube® or iTunes® page. The course resembles production features similar to Fordism.  Fordism courses are mass-produced, without consideration for individualization, (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, Zvacek, 2012). We know that when it comes to truly effective distance learning, interaction is very important, (Bates, 2003).  For a highly interactive course, these features are recommended (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2012), (pg. 182):

1 module/ lesson per week

Instructor e-mail to students each week

1 synchronous chat per week

2 to 3 threaded discussion questions per topic, or 6 to 10 questions per week

Instructor comments on discussions as part of threaded discussion board

Progress reports (grades) submitted to students every 2 weeks

With the distribution of this course through iTunes ® or YouTube®, the content is broadcast to anyone with internet and the capability to host iTunes® or YouTube® software. With this in mind, the course did appear well planned in terms of technology, because the required software is accessible, and free. However, as stated by Bates (in Foley, 2003) “Technology is not the issue. How and what we want the learners to learn is the issue, and technology is the tool, (pg. 833).”

The other features of course planning that were discussed by Simonson et al (2012), such as evaluation, and effective teaching strategies were not evident in the final course product. First of all, participants are not evaluated by themselves, an instructor, or their peers. Important teaching practices that are lacking from this course are: the use of multiple forms of media (print, audio, graphics), and discovery learning opportunities or learner choice, (Simonson, Smaldino, Zvacek, Albright, 2012).

Overall, the course that I chose to evaluate did not model a learning environment that required a lot of planning by the instructional design team. I believe that the content being presented by Professor Kagan, could be divided into interactive modules, with many collaborative, discovery learning opportunities, as well as, meaningful assessments or projects.

Resources

Schlosser, C. & Anderson, M. (1994). Distance education: Review of the literature. Ames, IA: Research Institute for Studies in Education.

Foley, M. (2003). The Global Development Learning Network: A World Bank initiative in distance learning  for development. In M.G. Moore & W.G. Anderson (Eds.), Handbook of distance education. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

Dale, E. (1946) Audio-visual methods in teaching. New York: The Dryden Press.

Kagan, D. (2009). Introduction to ancient greek history. Yale university courses.  Podcast. Retrieved on May 29^th, 2012 from: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL023BCE5134243987&feature=plcp.

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