Active participation in an online learning community can impact student learning, and greatly increase satisfaction with online learning programs. An online learning community can be defined as a shared space on the Internet where students and instructors can connect with other, explore content, build knowledge and work together to addresses the learning needs of its members through collaborative partnerships (Pratt & Palloff, Wikipedia). One of the more significant ways that online communities help impact learning is by providing an open forum through which members provide professional support, correction and feedback “in a way that enhances learning and development” (Palloff & Pratt, 2010). Another way, according to Shrivastava, is that individual and group members can “voluntarily accept mutual responsibility for participating and sharing in the learning process.”
Satisfaction with online programs increases when learners actively participate in an online community. This is likely attributed to the belief that students feel part of something larger than themselves when they participate in an online learning community (Palloff & Pratt, 2010). Also contributing to learner satisfaction is the idea that online communities provide viable support systems for students. According to Wellman & Guilia), “ Students who take an interest in each other’s well being, both academic and social, will have more of a support system of peers than those who do not” (1999).
Which strategies should be used to create a successful online learning community? There are two essential strategies to employ. The first would be to foster individual social presence, which is the sense of knowing who the other persons are in the community, virtually, but in a real way. Learners who are able to get a good sense of their online partners, perhaps through a photo, or by learning interesting personal or professional tidbits about them, are more empowered to contribute freely, expressing themselves in authentic and powerful ways, thus contributing to an active and successful community. The second is fostering a sense of shared responsibility for the community. Community members must come to the knowledge and understanding that it is everyone’s responsibility to create a successful online learning community.
Building an online learning community supports effective online instruction. The online community gives learners an opportunity to contribute to one another’s learning, the community’s learning overall, and also to contribute to a specific body of knowledge. Research shows that stronger outcomes are the consistently observed results of active online community participation (Palloff & Pratt). Conrad & Donaldson (2004), report that “each learner’s actions contribute not only to individual knowledge but to overall community knowledge development as well” (p. 5). According to Vesely, Bloom & Sherlock, “The power of establishing a sense of community in online classes has been demonstrated by LaRose & Whitten (2000) who found a statistically significant relationship between students’ sense of community and the positive achievement of learning outcomes in the online setting” (2007). Could it be that a successful, fully active online learning community, in which members are highly engaged, involved and contributing regularly, can serve as an effective proxy for face-to-face interaction? The answer appears to be a resounding “yes.”
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Friday, December 10, 2010
Scope Creep?
In one of my earlier blog entries I described a project I was involved with while volunteering with a former employer—a very small, charitable, non-profit organization that seeks to end domestic violence in the State of Illinois. The project was the organization’s annual fundraising event, a glitzy, evening gala featuring hors d’oeuvres, an open bar, live music, a raffle and a silent auction.
A gala committee, comprised of board members and others, was put together during the initial phases of the project. During one of the first meetings of the gala committee—still the concept phase, a board member suggested that the group seek out local celebrity chefs for a “friendly competition among chefs,” an idea that was met with much enthusiasm and excitement. The board member making the suggestion happily volunteered to recruit two or more chefs to participate in the event, whom she felt confident in securing. Well…six months into the project plan and we still had no celebrity chefs contracted. What we had was one chef who expressed a small bit of interest in the event – no real commitment at all.
As mentioned, the organization is very small and had a very small event budget. The amount allocated to food and drinks was as close to zero as you can get, since the budget was developed with the expectation that all wine and alcoholic beverages would be donated (as they had been in the past). Our expectation that the celebrity chefs would donate the food items they prepared at the event was also well-founded, given the fact that such chefs had done so in past years for other non-profit organizations.
Seventy-two hours prior to the event and we had only one chef confirmed. We decided to quickly contact the venue hosting our event; we scrambled to develop a menu to supplement what our sole celebrity chef was donating. This dilemma may not qualify exactly as being an example of scope creep since scope creep is generally thought to be the “natural tendency of the client, as well as project team members to try to improve the project’s output, as the project progresses” (Portny et al, 2008. P.346). However, according to Lynch & Roecker, scope creep “is a major cause of cost and time overrun” (2007, p.96 ). And so it was for this project…except that we might want to label this dilemma “scope retreat” instead of scope creep, since we had to scale way back in terms of our hopes of having a competition. And we had to add a very significant amount to our budget’s food allocation in order to make up for the losses in donated hors d’oeuvres and other edibles.
Looking back on how we could have handled this differently…. Everyone was very well-intentioned and tried their best. Perhaps a well-thought through contingency plan would have been appropriate. But so sure was our board member in her ability to secure local chefs that we never truly considered a “Plan B.” Mistake on our part? Definitely. A costly one? You bet! Did we learn from this? Absolutely. We should always allocate a contingency amount for an event—you never know if an expected donation will actually come through.
References
Lynch, M. M., & Roecker, J. (2007). Project managing e-learning: A handbook for successful design, delivery, and management. London: Routledge.
Portny, S., Mantel, S., Meredith, J., Shafer, S., & Sutton, M. (2008). Project Management in Practice: planning, scheduling and controlling projects. Third edition. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A gala committee, comprised of board members and others, was put together during the initial phases of the project. During one of the first meetings of the gala committee—still the concept phase, a board member suggested that the group seek out local celebrity chefs for a “friendly competition among chefs,” an idea that was met with much enthusiasm and excitement. The board member making the suggestion happily volunteered to recruit two or more chefs to participate in the event, whom she felt confident in securing. Well…six months into the project plan and we still had no celebrity chefs contracted. What we had was one chef who expressed a small bit of interest in the event – no real commitment at all.
As mentioned, the organization is very small and had a very small event budget. The amount allocated to food and drinks was as close to zero as you can get, since the budget was developed with the expectation that all wine and alcoholic beverages would be donated (as they had been in the past). Our expectation that the celebrity chefs would donate the food items they prepared at the event was also well-founded, given the fact that such chefs had done so in past years for other non-profit organizations.
Seventy-two hours prior to the event and we had only one chef confirmed. We decided to quickly contact the venue hosting our event; we scrambled to develop a menu to supplement what our sole celebrity chef was donating. This dilemma may not qualify exactly as being an example of scope creep since scope creep is generally thought to be the “natural tendency of the client, as well as project team members to try to improve the project’s output, as the project progresses” (Portny et al, 2008. P.346). However, according to Lynch & Roecker, scope creep “is a major cause of cost and time overrun” (2007, p.96 ). And so it was for this project…except that we might want to label this dilemma “scope retreat” instead of scope creep, since we had to scale way back in terms of our hopes of having a competition. And we had to add a very significant amount to our budget’s food allocation in order to make up for the losses in donated hors d’oeuvres and other edibles.
Looking back on how we could have handled this differently…. Everyone was very well-intentioned and tried their best. Perhaps a well-thought through contingency plan would have been appropriate. But so sure was our board member in her ability to secure local chefs that we never truly considered a “Plan B.” Mistake on our part? Definitely. A costly one? You bet! Did we learn from this? Absolutely. We should always allocate a contingency amount for an event—you never know if an expected donation will actually come through.
References
Lynch, M. M., & Roecker, J. (2007). Project managing e-learning: A handbook for successful design, delivery, and management. London: Routledge.
Portny, S., Mantel, S., Meredith, J., Shafer, S., & Sutton, M. (2008). Project Management in Practice: planning, scheduling and controlling projects. Third edition. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Communicating Effectively
When working as a manager of an instructional design project, it is extremely important to establish and implement (and continuously improve) communication channels with all stakeholders. “A project fraught with communication problems leads to delays, misunderstandings, frustration, [and] workplace conflicts…”(Sharma, 2010).
Effective communication is vital to the success of any project. Project managers can communicate with stakeholders through written communications such as email, instant messaging, memoranda and reports. Verbal communication methods include face-to-face dialogues and recorded messages. Within the realm of verbal communication is interactive communication, where individuals can interact with each other in real time.
You may be wondering which method of communication is best for a given situation or purpose. Well, generally speaking and for most situations, interactive communication (face-to-face) is best. For example, this week in my instructional design course I was asked to review a message in three different modalities: as written text in an email, as audio in a telephone message, and as a video (simulated) face-to-face message. As you might imagine, the video delivery method was most effective for me for a number of reasons including:
1. I was able to observe the other person’s facial and body expressions making the communication more authentic, sincere and earnest.
2. Observing the person while simultaneously listening to the message made the entire experience seem “real” and I wanted to provide the information requested because of the “reality” of the message.
3. Because of the other person’s physical presence (albeit virtual) I felt more of a ‘sense of urgency’ than with the other communication delivery methods. (In the message, the other person was asking for some needed data in order to complete a report which was quickly approaching its deadline.)
Many types of written communication are considered “push” delivery methods because they are presented to (or pushed to) stakeholders. The push method is effective as well, and often, is the most efficient way to reach a larger audience. For example, sending a written progress report to all the stakeholders of a large, complex project may take considerably less time to deliver than setting up and conducting a formal meeting and discussing the project’s progress. Back to my assignment…when I read the assigned message in email form, although I understood it, the tone seemed almost apologetic. I don’t believe the intent of the message was to be apologetic. Right away then, you can see how one communication method differs from another in how its message is received and interpreted.
Lastly, I would like to mention the telephone message, which is effective as well as it is a form of verbal communication. But, even if effective, recorded voice messages are not the most effective as we’ve already learned. With recorded voice, or audio, there is more of an element of authenticity than in written communication because the voice on the other end is human and real. However, recorded messages are not heard in real-time, and thus cannot offer the benefits of interactivity. For my assignment, when I listened to the recorded message, I believe that I did understand the message as it was communicated, by that I mean I understood the urgency of the message. Because there was no interactivity, I could not clarify with the other person the full intent of the message—I was forced to use my own discretion as to what the message actually meant. A disadvantage? Perhaps…but not in this assignment.
References:
Sharma, R. (2010) Effective Communication Methods in Project Communications Management. Retrieved November 18, 2010 from: http://www.brighthub.com/office/project-management/articles/85785.aspx
Effective communication is vital to the success of any project. Project managers can communicate with stakeholders through written communications such as email, instant messaging, memoranda and reports. Verbal communication methods include face-to-face dialogues and recorded messages. Within the realm of verbal communication is interactive communication, where individuals can interact with each other in real time.
You may be wondering which method of communication is best for a given situation or purpose. Well, generally speaking and for most situations, interactive communication (face-to-face) is best. For example, this week in my instructional design course I was asked to review a message in three different modalities: as written text in an email, as audio in a telephone message, and as a video (simulated) face-to-face message. As you might imagine, the video delivery method was most effective for me for a number of reasons including:
1. I was able to observe the other person’s facial and body expressions making the communication more authentic, sincere and earnest.
2. Observing the person while simultaneously listening to the message made the entire experience seem “real” and I wanted to provide the information requested because of the “reality” of the message.
3. Because of the other person’s physical presence (albeit virtual) I felt more of a ‘sense of urgency’ than with the other communication delivery methods. (In the message, the other person was asking for some needed data in order to complete a report which was quickly approaching its deadline.)
Many types of written communication are considered “push” delivery methods because they are presented to (or pushed to) stakeholders. The push method is effective as well, and often, is the most efficient way to reach a larger audience. For example, sending a written progress report to all the stakeholders of a large, complex project may take considerably less time to deliver than setting up and conducting a formal meeting and discussing the project’s progress. Back to my assignment…when I read the assigned message in email form, although I understood it, the tone seemed almost apologetic. I don’t believe the intent of the message was to be apologetic. Right away then, you can see how one communication method differs from another in how its message is received and interpreted.
Lastly, I would like to mention the telephone message, which is effective as well as it is a form of verbal communication. But, even if effective, recorded voice messages are not the most effective as we’ve already learned. With recorded voice, or audio, there is more of an element of authenticity than in written communication because the voice on the other end is human and real. However, recorded messages are not heard in real-time, and thus cannot offer the benefits of interactivity. For my assignment, when I listened to the recorded message, I believe that I did understand the message as it was communicated, by that I mean I understood the urgency of the message. Because there was no interactivity, I could not clarify with the other person the full intent of the message—I was forced to use my own discretion as to what the message actually meant. A disadvantage? Perhaps…but not in this assignment.
References:
Sharma, R. (2010) Effective Communication Methods in Project Communications Management. Retrieved November 18, 2010 from: http://www.brighthub.com/office/project-management/articles/85785.aspx
Friday, November 12, 2010
Project "Post-Mortem"
I used to work as a full-time staff member of a small, charitable, non-profit organization. After I left that organization a good friend of mine, who currently works there, asked me to do some volunteer work for the organization’s annual charity event, which is its primary fund-raising event of the year and features a silent auction and a raffle. Often, dignitaries and other luminaries from the Chicagoland area are honored at the event.
I started volunteering in mid-September and quickly developed an Excel project plan, complete with activities and due dates. But because the event is massive in terms of its many components, the development of the project plan seemed to be “too little too late.” I would not say that the project was a failure, nor would I say that it was a complete success either. Looking back, now 5 weeks later, I can see that the biggest problem was that we were constrained in a number of ways, each being quite impactful potentially. One of the constraints involved staff: the organization is quite small and we simply did not have enough staff or volunteers to help out during the “perform phase” of the project, consequently, the event chair and I spent nearly 18 hours a day working on details. Another constraint was finances. We lacked adequate funding to put on a really spectacular gala and had to resort to creating display items and decorations ourselves. Lastly we were constrained by ineffective communication systems with our board of directors. Our volunteer board members have full-time jobs of their own and are often unavailable for consultation and direction. However, for certain aspects of the event we could not continue with the work until a board member acted, or made a decision.
For sure a Constraints Matrix would have greatly helped us by forcing us to identify potential problems, assess their impact and develop contingency plans. I believe a Linear Responsibility Chart would have proved beneficial to us as well because, by using it, we could have involved the few staff members that were available much sooner in the project. And the Linear Responsibility Chart outlines tasks to be done and the person responsible. By using it we could have identified staffing gaps much sooner and been prepared to fill them by bringing on additional volunteers.
I started volunteering in mid-September and quickly developed an Excel project plan, complete with activities and due dates. But because the event is massive in terms of its many components, the development of the project plan seemed to be “too little too late.” I would not say that the project was a failure, nor would I say that it was a complete success either. Looking back, now 5 weeks later, I can see that the biggest problem was that we were constrained in a number of ways, each being quite impactful potentially. One of the constraints involved staff: the organization is quite small and we simply did not have enough staff or volunteers to help out during the “perform phase” of the project, consequently, the event chair and I spent nearly 18 hours a day working on details. Another constraint was finances. We lacked adequate funding to put on a really spectacular gala and had to resort to creating display items and decorations ourselves. Lastly we were constrained by ineffective communication systems with our board of directors. Our volunteer board members have full-time jobs of their own and are often unavailable for consultation and direction. However, for certain aspects of the event we could not continue with the work until a board member acted, or made a decision.
For sure a Constraints Matrix would have greatly helped us by forcing us to identify potential problems, assess their impact and develop contingency plans. I believe a Linear Responsibility Chart would have proved beneficial to us as well because, by using it, we could have involved the few staff members that were available much sooner in the project. And the Linear Responsibility Chart outlines tasks to be done and the person responsible. By using it we could have identified staffing gaps much sooner and been prepared to fill them by bringing on additional volunteers.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Distance Education Perceptions
Distance education is the bringing together of learners, instructors and instructional content no matter where each is located (Simonson et al, 2009). What does the future hold for distance education? Most believe that distance education is growing and gaining acceptance as a viable learning environment. What might be fueling this growth? According to George Siemens, a growing sense of comfort with communicating online using current technology tools has propelled distance education activities.
An online source reports, “The changing demographics of students is one of the driving forces behind the growth of distance learning and adult students are the fastest growing group.” If distance learning is growing and becoming more entrenched in higher learning, fueled by comfort with technology and adults desiring to continue their education, what are the perceptions of distance education? In a study conducted by Hannay and Newvine, students indicated that they believe distance learning classes are not only more difficult than the traditional courses, but overall they perceive them to be of high quality. By contrast, another recent study showed that some employers may not value the candidacy of employees who have earned online degrees, suggesting concern about the quality of distance learning. However, overall, perceptions about distance education are changing for the better. And as online learning becomes increasingly accepted as a legitimate learning environment, questions about how individuals perceive distance learning may not be as relevant.
As instructional designers, we have an instrumental role in shaping perceptions around distance learning. Simonson et al pointed out that, “Interactive, real-time, on-demand, learner-centered, authentic and learner-constructed events will characterize the educational environment of the future. Instructional designers are at the forefront and are in the driver’s seat of this movement for learner-centered, authentic, interactive instruction. By designing, developing and delivering high-quality learning events that are continuously evaluated and improved upon, we can change or directly impact future perceptions of distance learning programs.
Looking ahead, how do you believe instructional designers can be a positive force for continuous improvement in the field of distance education? I believe we can do this by always asking questions. Questions like:
• What do you need that you don’t have?
• What do you have that you don’t need?
• How can we improve the product, service or process?
• What does the most current research indicate?
• What are the best practices?
• What is best for us here and now?
By asking questions such as these we are building evaluation and improvement opportunities into our discussions. With quality instruction the norm in distance education, perceptions are bound to change. And “ultimately, the concept of distance will disappear as insignificant” and learners will be left with education.
References
ConnectEd. The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership. Walden University. Retrieved from: http://connected.waldenu.edu/curriculum-resources/technology-in-the-classroom/item/772-what-is-future-of-distance-learning
Hannay, M. Newvine, T. (2006)Perceptions of Distance Learning: A Comparison of Online and Traditional Learning. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching. Vol 2, No. 1, March 2006
Shadix, K. (2006) Shady Learning 2.x Blog. Retrieved from: http://shadylearning.wordpress.com/category/lean-instructional-design/
Siemens, G. (2010) Laureate Education. The Future of Distance Education. Retrieved from: http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=4442081&Survey=1&47=6207825&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). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
An online source reports, “The changing demographics of students is one of the driving forces behind the growth of distance learning and adult students are the fastest growing group.” If distance learning is growing and becoming more entrenched in higher learning, fueled by comfort with technology and adults desiring to continue their education, what are the perceptions of distance education? In a study conducted by Hannay and Newvine, students indicated that they believe distance learning classes are not only more difficult than the traditional courses, but overall they perceive them to be of high quality. By contrast, another recent study showed that some employers may not value the candidacy of employees who have earned online degrees, suggesting concern about the quality of distance learning. However, overall, perceptions about distance education are changing for the better. And as online learning becomes increasingly accepted as a legitimate learning environment, questions about how individuals perceive distance learning may not be as relevant.
As instructional designers, we have an instrumental role in shaping perceptions around distance learning. Simonson et al pointed out that, “Interactive, real-time, on-demand, learner-centered, authentic and learner-constructed events will characterize the educational environment of the future. Instructional designers are at the forefront and are in the driver’s seat of this movement for learner-centered, authentic, interactive instruction. By designing, developing and delivering high-quality learning events that are continuously evaluated and improved upon, we can change or directly impact future perceptions of distance learning programs.
Looking ahead, how do you believe instructional designers can be a positive force for continuous improvement in the field of distance education? I believe we can do this by always asking questions. Questions like:
• What do you need that you don’t have?
• What do you have that you don’t need?
• How can we improve the product, service or process?
• What does the most current research indicate?
• What are the best practices?
• What is best for us here and now?
By asking questions such as these we are building evaluation and improvement opportunities into our discussions. With quality instruction the norm in distance education, perceptions are bound to change. And “ultimately, the concept of distance will disappear as insignificant” and learners will be left with education.
References
ConnectEd. The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership. Walden University. Retrieved from: http://connected.waldenu.edu/curriculum-resources/technology-in-the-classroom/item/772-what-is-future-of-distance-learning
Hannay, M. Newvine, T. (2006)Perceptions of Distance Learning: A Comparison of Online and Traditional Learning. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching. Vol 2, No. 1, March 2006
Shadix, K. (2006) Shady Learning 2.x Blog. Retrieved from: http://shadylearning.wordpress.com/category/lean-instructional-design/
Siemens, G. (2010) Laureate Education. The Future of Distance Education. Retrieved from: http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=4442081&Survey=1&47=6207825&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). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Best Practices Converting to an Online Format
Click on the heading of this blog entry for a quick best practices guide on converting face-to-face courses to online courses. Best practices include: planning instructional strategies, adjusting teaching styles, integrating technology and knowing and understanding distant learners.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Open Courseware Courses - A Review
This week I took a look at a couple Open Courseware courses offered through the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s MITOpenCourseware website. Open courseware is a collection of free classes and course materials that are available online and shared freely with the world via the internet. Open courseware includes class materials such as syllabi, reading lists, lecture notes, assignments, activities and other documents that were once used in an actual classroom and are now available to the public for free (Littlefield). The offerings have been made available through several universities on their websites as a free service to the public. MIT, the pioneer of open courseware, offers courses across a broad range of subjects and is thought to be the most popular site for free educational materials.
My purpose in looking at a few of MIT’s open courseware course was to critically review them from an instructional design perspective. In particular, I was looking to see how well the courses were designed to meet the needs of distant learners. My first observation was that the courses simply seemed to be online versions of the traditional, face-to-face classes, which as mentioned above, really is what open courseware is. However, for distance courses and learners, traditional face-to-face classes should be reworked. Simonson, Smaldino et al believed that the focus of instruction should shift to visual presentations to better engage distant learners (2009). Visually, the courses were left lacking. In fact, with the exception of one audio clip, the units in both courses were completely print-based. There were no multimedia elements to speak of – no videos, no podcasts, no graphics, no animation, no interactivity, nothing. Just that one small audio clip. In distance education, learner engagement is essential; multimedia packs a powerful punch and has the potential to immediately grab learners’ attention.
Another important element in effective distance education is the inclusion of interactivity. One of the courses I reviewed included a group project for the face-to-students. The project was a well-designed one which seemed fun and engaging. It would be an excellent group project for distant learners working in a synchronous environment. We know from numerous studies that student group work is very important in learning. According to Smaldino et al student group work, “helps construct a supportive social environment. Brown and Adler (2008, p. 3) wrote in their landmark work Minds on Fire,
“ Compelling evidence for the importance of social interaction to learning comes from the landmark study by Richard J. Light, of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, of students’ college/university experience. Light discovered that one of the strongest determinants of students’ success in higher education—more important than the details of their instructors’ teaching styles—was their ability to form or participate in small study groups. Students who studied in groups, even only once a week, were more engaged in their studies, were better prepared for class, and learned significantly more than students who worked on their own.”
Group work is just as important for distant learners as it is for learners in traditional environments. While distant learners in synchronous settings could fully participate in the project outlined in the MIT course, the project would probably not work well for those in asynchronous environments who may not have access to other students.
I was pleased to see other types of interactivity as well, namely, assignments that included activities for students. These activities could very easily be incorporated into a distance education course.
Open courseware is a most excellent source of free educational materials; I believe everyone should visit at least one of the websites that offers open courseware. In the quickly-changing world in which we find ourselves, life-long learning will be a much-coveted quality to possess. As Brown and Adler concluded, “We are entering a world in which we all will have to acquire new knowledge and skills on an almost continuous basis” (p.1). Open courseware is certainly a wonderfully-rich resource to help you begin your quest for life-long learning.
Here are links to websites through which you can access open courseware offerings.
Carnegie Mellon's Open Learning Initiative
The Open University
Open Yale Courses
Open Culture
References:
Brown, J., Adler, R.(2008).Minds on Fire. Open Education, the Long Tail, and Learning 2.0. Educause. Retrieved October 9, 2010 from: http://llk.media.mit.edu/courses/readings/jsb-minds-on-fire.pdf
Littlefield, J. Open Courseware. About.com: Distance Learning. Retrieved October 9, 2010 from: http://distancelearn.about.com/od/isitforyou/a/opencourseware.htm
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
My purpose in looking at a few of MIT’s open courseware course was to critically review them from an instructional design perspective. In particular, I was looking to see how well the courses were designed to meet the needs of distant learners. My first observation was that the courses simply seemed to be online versions of the traditional, face-to-face classes, which as mentioned above, really is what open courseware is. However, for distance courses and learners, traditional face-to-face classes should be reworked. Simonson, Smaldino et al believed that the focus of instruction should shift to visual presentations to better engage distant learners (2009). Visually, the courses were left lacking. In fact, with the exception of one audio clip, the units in both courses were completely print-based. There were no multimedia elements to speak of – no videos, no podcasts, no graphics, no animation, no interactivity, nothing. Just that one small audio clip. In distance education, learner engagement is essential; multimedia packs a powerful punch and has the potential to immediately grab learners’ attention.
Another important element in effective distance education is the inclusion of interactivity. One of the courses I reviewed included a group project for the face-to-students. The project was a well-designed one which seemed fun and engaging. It would be an excellent group project for distant learners working in a synchronous environment. We know from numerous studies that student group work is very important in learning. According to Smaldino et al student group work, “helps construct a supportive social environment. Brown and Adler (2008, p. 3) wrote in their landmark work Minds on Fire,
“ Compelling evidence for the importance of social interaction to learning comes from the landmark study by Richard J. Light, of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, of students’ college/university experience. Light discovered that one of the strongest determinants of students’ success in higher education—more important than the details of their instructors’ teaching styles—was their ability to form or participate in small study groups. Students who studied in groups, even only once a week, were more engaged in their studies, were better prepared for class, and learned significantly more than students who worked on their own.”
Group work is just as important for distant learners as it is for learners in traditional environments. While distant learners in synchronous settings could fully participate in the project outlined in the MIT course, the project would probably not work well for those in asynchronous environments who may not have access to other students.
I was pleased to see other types of interactivity as well, namely, assignments that included activities for students. These activities could very easily be incorporated into a distance education course.
Open courseware is a most excellent source of free educational materials; I believe everyone should visit at least one of the websites that offers open courseware. In the quickly-changing world in which we find ourselves, life-long learning will be a much-coveted quality to possess. As Brown and Adler concluded, “We are entering a world in which we all will have to acquire new knowledge and skills on an almost continuous basis” (p.1). Open courseware is certainly a wonderfully-rich resource to help you begin your quest for life-long learning.
Here are links to websites through which you can access open courseware offerings.
Carnegie Mellon's Open Learning Initiative
The Open University
Open Yale Courses
Open Culture
References:
Brown, J., Adler, R.(2008).Minds on Fire. Open Education, the Long Tail, and Learning 2.0. Educause. Retrieved October 9, 2010 from: http://llk.media.mit.edu/courses/readings/jsb-minds-on-fire.pdf
Littlefield, J. Open Courseware. About.com: Distance Learning. Retrieved October 9, 2010 from: http://distancelearn.about.com/od/isitforyou/a/opencourseware.htm
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
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