Setting Up An Online Learning Experience

Welcome everyone to week three blog post for Instructional Design and Technology enthusiasts.

This week we will discuss setting up the online learning experience. We will focus on tools, communication of clear expectations and other considerations to ponder.

The entire online learning experience is driven by the learner, however delivered by technology. As online instructors it is our responsibility to ensure that we are adept at the technological tools and provide clear effective communication. We must lead by example.

Let's talk course beginnings. Here we are setting up our presence. There are three types of online presence, these are social, cognitive and teaching.

Social presence is the instructor and learners getting to know one another, a building of rapport and trust and getting the community started.

Cognitive presence is gleaning an understanding of what the learners already know and how they know it. This sets the stage for their future learning experiences.

Teaching presence is the presentation of all course materials and how the course is monitored in order to enhance the learning experience.

Knowing that these three types of presence make up the foundation for effective beginnings, why will it be so essential to provide clear expectations to all learners?

Lets consider these situations....

1. An instructor does not provide clear expectations when incorporating an icebreaker, a welcome message or a request for learner information (such as previous online learning experience).

2. Course materials are unclear and the course syllabus is incomplete.

3. The instructor is a bit lax about replying to posts in Q & A and and did not provide welcome feedback to learners who posted introductions.

What would you see as the result of this poor communication of expectations?

Correct, a very poor beginning. The basic foundation of presence will not be achieved, learners may become frustrated and there may be attrition. It is imperative to set a strong foundation of presence in order to establish a safe, trusting, and collaborative learning experience for all.

Technology

As Instructional Design and Technology enthusiasts we all understand the importance of the technology we choose to utilize. Admit it, it is all very cool. So much out there and so little time to check it all out! A good approach would be KISS and I'm not talking Gene Simmons, I'm talking keep it simple sister/silly. The learning experience is about the learner. As instructors we need to ensure that we are adept and whatever technology we choose you utilize. Being knowledgeable and comfortable with the technology will enable the instructor to focus on the student's needs versus focusing on technological challenges.

Additional considerations

The Online Teaching Survival Guide does a great job in outlining technology resources, and steps for implementation. Specifically table 4.2 on page 59 for technology resources and tips on where in the process this technology may be implemented or utilized.

Other considerations may include...

The delivery setting i.e. corporate training vs education
Budgets
The course design and objectives
The culture of the organization, if corporate
Is the course mandatory... AKA attitudes of participants
Technical support availability
Number of times the facilitator has presented online course...experience

Can you think of other considerations we should be aware of?  If so please do share a comment.

Here is a link to a great site that touches on other considerations when launching an online course. I hope you enjoy.
10-things-to-consider-before-your-e-learning-course-goes-live

Summary

The launch of any online learning course must be successful in order for the course to be successful. It is very difficult to bounce back from a poor first impression! Let's take a look at the ripple effect.

• The launch is riddled with poor communication and technical glitches.
• The learners miss out on the introductions and social presence is not established.
• The learners receive materials after the launch of the course.
• The instructor is busy trying to deal with technical issues and is not present when needed.
• The learners get frustrated.
• Several learners drop the course.
• The instructor's credibility is in question.
• The school/employer is demanding to know why and how the loss of revenue occurred.
• Students decide to take their classes with a different university OR your corporate learners do not enroll in anymore classes.

How can we as new online learning professionals ensure we do not fall victim to this fate? Here are a few suggestions...

• Be adept with the technology you choose to use.
• Be an effective communicator.
• Utilize templates, processes and project management plans to assist with time lines and implementation strategies.
• Establish a comprehensive outline with time frames and action steps for implementation.
• Utilize a checklist of tools, strategies and checks and balances.
• Recognize your experience level and keep is simple at first and work up to new technologies and techniques.
• Review the course before it goes live.
• Review and get feedback from learners.

Thank you for reading my blog. Watch for my week five post, when we will be discussing The Impact of Technology and Multimedia.

Bye for now,
Danielle Vermette, MA PHR

Resources:

Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. (2010). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and practical pedagogical tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

• Chapter 4, "Phase One: What's Happening, Themes, and Tools: Starting Off on the Right Foot in Course Beginnings" 
• Chapter 5, "Phase One: Tips for Course Beginnings"

Conrad, R., & Donaldson, J. A. (2004). Engaging the online learner: Activities and resources for creative instruction. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

• Chapter 4, "Learning to Use Online Tools" 
• Chapter 5, "Online Icebreakers" 

Walden media clips

"Online Learning Communities" Dr. Rena Palloff and Dr. Keith Pratt

"Launching the Online Learning Experience" Dr. Rena Palloff and Dr. Keith Pratt

Links

T, Kuhlmann, 10 Things to Consider before your e-learning Course Goes Live, retrieved from
http://www.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/10-things-to-consider-before-your-e-learning-course-goes-live/

Building OnLine Learning Communities

The use of online learning has and continues to grow in popularity.  It does not matter if you are in education, health care, research or corporate, if you plan to utilize any form of online learning you must be prepared to build an online learning community.

In the media clip “Online Learning Communities” Dr. Rena Palloff and Dr. Keith Pratt attempted to define “Online Learning Communities” and came up with  3 areas which must be considered and implemented in order to build online learning communities....

People: You learners; they must be able to connect and develop a social presence

Purpose: Their must be a purpose or need to connect (course, to find a long lost friend etc)

Process: This is the instructor building the community using specific  tools and techniques

So, how do online learning communities impact the learner experience and learner satisfaction?

Think back to a traditional classroom experience you had...ya way back there...back in the day!  If you had educational experiences like I did it went something like this....

Go to class....listen to a long, boring lecture....do the homework/reading....cram for the exam, being sure to memorize key points from your reading....take the exam (just skimming by)....leave the exam and hope you had memorized well enough to get a passing grade.

Now, what was the outcome for you?  Did it go something like this?

Wow, I passed that exam....I sure hope the next class doesn’t refer back to anything from this class, cause its already been deleted from my hard drive!

Not good,eh?!  Now picture todays reality...an online course Here are a few examples of elements of building online learning communities.

• You receive a welcome e-mail from the instructor before the course even begins!
• The school sends you a welcome and instructions to your course portal.
• You participate in a Success for Online Learners Orientation course.
• The instructor posts several messages regarding policies, grading rubric, resources you may need etc
• You are asked to post an introduction of your self in the Student Lounge
• The course officially begins and the instructor sends an outline of assignment deadlines, which helps with your time management strategies.
• The instructor is engaged and available and collaboration is high throughout the entire course

What do you see as the impact on the learner’s experience and on learner’s satisfaction with the course : 

Here are a few of my perceptions about this....

Peer learning, improved self concept regarding technology, increased leadership skills, improved collaboration skills, enthusiasm, retention in the course etc.

Sustaining Communities:

The readings by Conrad, R., & Donaldson, J. A. (2004). and Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. (2010) both provide great resources regarding the phases of online learning engagement.  I believe that engagement is a big factor in sustaining the online learning community!!  As an online instructor you will need to ensure that your role is that of a

“Guide on the side vs. Sage on the Stage” Dr.  Rena Palloff.  The instructor will be an equal member and participant of the community.

There is a strong relationship between building online learning communities and effective online instruction.  As Dr. Palloff stated in the media clip, The outcome of online  learning is to co-create knowledge.  This is not possible without collaboration and engagement.

Check out this video about online learning communities....

What Online Communities Means to Me

Resources:

Media Clip: “Online Learning Communities” Dr. Rena Palloff and Dr. Keith Pratt 

Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. (2010). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and practical pedagogical tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. 

Chapter 1, “Teaching Online—the Big Picture” 

Conrad, R., & Donaldson, J. A. (2004). Engaging the online learner: Activities and resources for creative instruction. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. 

Chapter 1, “Engaged Learning in an Online Environment”

Multimedia Game: “Instructional Strategies Timeline” 

Students determine on a sliding scale whether instructional strategies are learner- or-facilitator centered.

Multimedia: ADDIE Review Electronic Game

Article: Adams, C. (2009). Is teaching online right for you? As more of your peers enter the virtual classroom, we take a look at the prose and cons. Instructor, 118(6), 41–43. 

Retrieved from the Walden Library using the Expanded Academic ASAP database.

Welcome to Online Instructional Strategies.

Hello to all my fellow Instructional Design and Technology information junkies. 

Thus far this blog has covered topics pertaining to Theory of Instructional Design and Distance Learning.  For the next eight weeks our focus will be Online Instructional Strategies

Here is a brief description of the course, from the course syllabus...

Effective instruction in an online setting requires strategies that leverage the unique characteristics of distance learners and online environments. We will apply our knowledge of instructional design and distance learning to analyze, select, and design instructional strategies that are most effective for engaging and teaching online learners. We will learn methods for managing and delivering online instruction, with the goal of integrating effective strategies with course management tools and multimedia technologies in both synchronous and asynchronous environments.

I look forward to sharing my thoughts, experience and discoveries with my course mates and visitors interested in IDT.

Distance Leaning: Should it Stay or Should It go

If we take a look at the history of Distance Learning we see that it has already come a long way. Here is a visual of the history of Distance Learning and some factors which will drive it forward in the future.

  In this blog post I’d like to address ...

What may be the perception of Distance Learning in the future? 

How can Instructional Designers champion the movement for improving societal perceptions of Distance Learning?

How can I as an individual be a positive influence for the continuous improvement of DIstance Learning?

What may be the perception of Distance Learning in the future? I conducted interviews with this very question in mind.  Below are the questions I posed and the table has the responses I received. 

My Approach:

I decided to interview 3 diverse individuals. Each has had some level of online learning experience.

1. My business partner: A 60+ male, took a certification course (4 classes)
2. My  niece: A 22 year old recent graduate, has extensive online learning experience
3. A client: Female, late 30s, HR Director, engineering industry, took one online course for certification points and to research for corporate implementation

Questions:

1. When you were researching online degree/certification programs what was the most important feature to you?

The faculty,  curriculum, the schools distance learning expertise, the classroom setup, convenience/flexibility,  the website layout, or the information provided on the web site, other?

1. What were the challenges you encountered when researching online learning institutions?
2. How may you incorporate online learning in your business/career?
3. What advise for time management or study tips might you offer to new online learners?
4. How would you rate your online learning experience? Did you get the learning value you expected?

Male/Business Consultant 60+	Female/recent grad - 22	Female/HR - late 30s
1. Ease of website use & Cost	1. Esthetics of web site, collaboration tools, Flexibility	1. Reputation of the school, curriculum & cost
2. Took too long and I could not easily find information...too embedded	2. Finding the time and getting information about customizing a program	2. Finding information on technology needed,pre-requisites, corporate programs and discounts
3. I know I should incorporate this into my business practice, however I think I’ll save that for my younger associates	3. You mean how DO I incorporate.  I do everything online...I’d be lost without it.  I can work full time at my first job while still pursuing a true career position and needed skills online	3.I’d like to think that here at ABC company we could utilize some sort of blended learning strategies or offer our fast track employees some education online but I’m not sure the perception here will support an online approach.  I do not believe the leadership sees a value. For me personally,  I keep my professional certification points updated at my professional organization meetings & education sessions. I really do not have much time for other courses right now.
4.  You better be good at managing your time and have strong study skills.  It does take a good amount of time!	You need to schedule your studies into your daily plan and make it a routine.  You will also need a support system, like a roommate who will run an errand for you if needed or make dinner when you have a hot deadline	4. I believe to be truly successful with online programs you better have great time management skills, however the biggest factor I had to deal with was motivation (or lack there of)  I guess I was not very engaged.
I would rate the experience, on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being high...a 3 I do believe I got the value of what I was there to learn, but I do not believe that it is practical to think that learners will apply the learnings without constant follow up	I’d give almost all of my online learning courses a HIGH, with the exception of one, which I just didn’t like the topic. I think the value of online learning is great and I find the collaboration during the courses is so helpful. I still keep in touch with students from previous classes to share ideas, ask questions and just socialize	I’d say my experience was OK.  I’ll admit I was not as focused or driven as I should have been and I’m sure that plays a role. I think the value can be there for some learners.  Online learning to me is a value, but not for everyone

Summary of interviews:

I was not surprised by the answers I received from any of my interviewees.  I had a pretty good idea that I would witness a separation in perspective with regard to generations, level of work experience and online learning experience.

My 60+ is getting ready to retire, has worked his entire career in traditional learning settings and has had limited, though pretty positive, online learning experience.  Hence, he sees a business value and need, but is good with letting others implement and participate.

My 22 lives for technology and a collaborative format...say no more! 

My late 30s is career driven, needs job security to help support the family and save for retirement, has a corporate reputation to uphold, so may not want to take too many risks ( new learning strategy?)

Reflection:  I believe we will continue to see an increased interest and use of distance learning strategies.  I also believe that most of the drive will come from our generation X and Ys.  In the multi media clip Dr. Seimens points out the 3 areas that are and will continue to grow with regard to Distance Learning.  These are; Universities, Government and Corporate.  My observation is that corporate will be the last area to truly embrace and understand the value of Distance Learning.  I attribute this observation to my own experience and with the ever changing business environment.

How can Instructional Designers champion the movement for improving societal perceptions of Distance Learning?  When we discuss perceptions of DIstance Learning I believe we are also discussing VALUE.  If we as Instructional Designers can communicate and demonstrate the value of Distance Learning, then I believe we can improve the societal perceptions of DIstance Learning.  

The article, Academic fidelity and integrity as attributes of university online degree program offerings. Gambescia, S., & Paolucci, R. (2009). provides great insight into how DIstance Learning has been marketed to target audiences. I order to improve societal perceptions of Distance Learning we need to consider the demographics of our target audience, market to each according to their motivational needs and ensure that we offer quality and value in all Distance Learning formats.

How can I as an individual be a positive influence for the continuous improvement of Distance Learning?  Here are a few strategies that I currently employ when broaching the subject of Distance Learning with my clients and prospects.

1. Know your audience - age, current learning strategies in place, experience with Distance Learning, potential motivational factors and industry  trends
2. Educate yourself on trends and benefits of DIstance Learning
3. Educate your clients
4. Keep it simple and practical
5. Engage the client in an open discussion about Distance Learning and value to them and there organization
6. Incorporate plenty of multimedia and interactivity into all marketing pieces - be sure to hit all the learning styles
7. Share success stories
8. Offer to conduct an online educational session for leadership teams
9. Give a speech or facilitate a round table discussion at one of your professional organization meetings
10. Lead by Example

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 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 from http://atmae.org/jit/Articles/schmidt041801.pdf

Video Program: “The Future of Distance Education” 

George Siemens provides insight into the reasons for the growing acceptance of distance education and where it might be headed in the future.

Classroom to Distance Learning; The Conversion

 Converting classroom training to online or distance learning formats required much more then simply applying classroom content to the web. Conducting researching on the online learning revolution for this blog posting has been a wonderful learning experience and very eye opening.

Drucker states "as things are going, the trainer will be left high and dry. There will, of course, still be training as we have traditionally understood it--training in skills. But it is not a growth sector. The growth sector is learning, especially concept learning." Drucker maintains that his own foray into the e-learning world is based on the assumption that the trainer is obsolete. "The trainer is built into the teaching (or learning) device."

"Goodbye classes, goodbye books. Goodbye teachers' dirty looks." Schools Out, Alice Cooper

I am very pleased with my decision to upgrade my skill sets, embrace the online learning revolution and grow, not simply exist.

 I hope my best practices research will assist you in your business and career. Click on the link below to view the Pdf document

Converting from classroom to distance learning formats


Resource:
The E-Learning Revolution - technology transforming training, BNET.com
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4467/is_12_54/ai_68217187/

Open Source Learning

Yale Open Source Learning

There has been and continues to be shift from traditional Education & Learning to a much more open and collaborative learning settings.

Dr. Richard Baraniuk of Rice University professor explains the vision behind Connexions, his open-source, online education system. It cuts out the textbook, allowing teachers to share and modify course materials freely, anywhere in the world. The following link will take you to a great presentation by Dr. Richard Baraniuk on TED. I found it very informative and wanted to share it with you all.

http://www.ted.com/talks/richard_baraniuk_on_open_source_learning.html

I went to several Open Source resources to review and critique the design and delivery of an open source course. I utilized http://www.openculture.com/ to find my course of interest and ended up previewing a course by Professor Paul Bloom, of the Psychology Department at Yale University.

My general observations:

I found it very difficult to get into an open source course.
Many professed to be a frees course, but required registration and $$. Others were simply recordings. Finally, I found a pertinent topic with a complete course layout I could review. The links below can take you to the course layout.

In the class video the online student could not see any visuals.

The audio was not good and we could not hear the questions and Dr. Bloom did not repeat the questions the student had to ensure that DL heard all the questions.

There were two different topics put into this lecture, which was a bit confusing even though Dr Bloom did say he was going to do a brief re-cap form previous classes

I found the course layout, syllabus, sessions and downloads sections to be very simple and practical.

Dr Bloom recommended some books but again we as online learners were not able to see the visual references to the books, so we could take down the information

The course seems to be well planned for classroom training not specifically for distance learning.

Looking at the fundamentals of teaching online from our text (SSAZ 2009), I would say the course does not meet these standards.
A classroom training was "dumped" into an online session
The organization of the course structure with regard to it's written format (syllabus etc) was very organized and straight forward. The delivery lacked this fundamental.
Keeping students informed constantly....Open source courses do not allow for any interaction between participants and teacher.

To make a long story short....what I saw from this was a broadcast of a classroom session. I read several of my colleagues' blogs. I can't remember who made this point but very valid....You get what you pay for! It is great information but I would not consider this particular session I critiqued to be much of a learning session.


Introduction to Psychology with Professor Paul Bloom (lecture 20, The GoodLife: Happiness 2007)

http://oyc.yale.edu/psychology/introduction-to-psychology/

http://oyc.yale.edu/psychology/introduction-to-psychology/content/syllabus

http://oyc.yale.edu/psychology/introduction-to-psychology/content/class-sessions

http://oyc.yale.edu/psychology/introduction-to-psychology/content/downloads

yale.edu/psychology/introduction-to-psychology/content/survey

The Course Video

http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=4894950&Survey=1&47=8472423&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

Resources:

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

"Planning and Designing Online Courses"
Dr. George Piskurich and instructional technologist Jacqueline Chauser discuss the process and considerations for building an online course.

"Developing Online Courses"
This program illustrates the development phase for online courses.

Collaborative Training Technologies

DIMDIM
The company I work for recently purchased a new automated staff information system. The staff is located in six regional offices. We need to implement training in these six regional offices and the teams cannot meet at the same time or in the same location.
As an instructional designer for the corporation, I have been charged with implementing a training workshop for these offices. I have been advised that it is imperative that all staff members share information utilizing....
screen captures, documents, and participate in ongoing collaboration.
As I researched Distance Learning tools I needed to consider several factors, such as cost, ease of use, future need with regard to utilization of the tools and supportive infrastructure at the various office locations.
My research, course objectives, and learner needs have led me to the following Distance Learning tools.

For on-going collaboration and connection I have chosen dimdim.com.
http://www.dimdim.com/

Dimdim is a product which allows for sharing of documents,sharing of screen, a white board and live web conferencing. This product is...

Free for up to 50 participants at a time
Easy to log into and use
Provides the collaboration and doc sharing tools we need

In this weeks resources the multi media files were very helpful. DimDIm would fall under the category of Discussion Tools. It allows the participants/learners to collaborate, share documents and even share their screen shots as needed. The key feature for use in this scenario is the web conferencing feature.


As DIMDIM allows for hosting meetings on the fly, I will also be able to set up different teams from the various locations and they can utilize their own DIMDIM conferencing to complete discussions or projects as needed. This will allow the teams to schedule their discussion meeting sot best suite their individual schedules.

This product is web based, however a downloaded is needed, so I will need to consider the technical capabilities at each office and IT Support. As all software has recently been upgraded and IT is fully staffed there should not be an issue. A trial program will be run to ensure all technology glitches are worked out.

I use this product fairly consistently with my clients and find it user friendly, and certainly cost effective.

SCREEN SHOTS

I will also provide the participants with the instructions for capturing screen shots for Mac.

http://guides.macrumors.com/Taking_Screenshots_in_Mac_OS_X

This site provides a quick easy read on taking screen shots

When it comes to sharing documents via a web conference screen shots are helpful visuals to have. As the team works through the training modules for the new automated system they will be able to take screen shots and provide that much need visual demonstration to other team members. With DIMDIM we can also utilize video and audio clips as needed.

Many Sites such as Microsoft.com, Apple.com and even Waldenu.edu have utilized screen shots as stand alone tools as well as incorporated into video clips for demonstration and tutorials.

These are the two DL technologies I will use and why...They are proven effective. There are many things to consider when given an IDT challenge. In our reading resources this week The Masie Center (2002) Defines 5 areas of e-learning standards that we need to be aware of to move this learning apply when designing any e-learning. Form a web meeting to a full blown on-line learning course. All are learning and collaborative events and need to be treated as such.

I find these five areas very important when considering how to approach this particular training challenge and challenges in the future...

Interoperability- Does/will the system work well with other systems we have in place or are planning to put in place?

Re-Usability - Will designed modules be re-used. It is costly to develop course objects, so we must ensure that they are indeed re-usable.

Manageable - Does/can the systems track learner and content information. If not it will be difficult to determine the previous two points. We must be able to track, as a means of formative evaluation throughout design, delivery, measurement and re-design as needed.

Accessibility - Are the tools and strategies being implemented user friendly and supported by our current data infrastructure?

Durability - Will we be able to utilize these tools and technology in the future? Is it designed to support evolution to the next technological generation?


References:

Teaching and Learning at a Distance: Foundations of Distance Education
Chapter 9, "Internet-Based Distance Education"

Multimedia Program: "The Technology of Distance Education"

edu2.0
http://www.edu20.org

Ectolearn
http://www.ectolearning.com/default.aspx

http://www.apple.com/mac/

http://www.dimdim.com/