You may have a feeling by now, (especially after your closer look at MOOC’s,) that there are a variety of opinions about the way distance education should be delivered or who it should be delivered to or under what circumstances. This chapter does not attempt to provide us with THE answer. It acknowledges the complexities of a planned distance education course. Your focus in this lesson and this chapter should be instruction from a distance is a planned process by design and it is a subsystem of a larger system. In the opening discussions of chapter 5, the authors make the statement “certainly, decisions about how a course is to be delivered should not be based solely on the ‘beliefs’ of the instructor or the mandates of administrators.” This is true for any course for many reasons. Instruction should be purposefully designed, with the learner in mind, but that also includes analyses that consider the larger system that it serves. Whether the instruction is to be delivered over a distance or face-to-face is a decision based on several factors. So, even though we may not base a course on “the mandates of administrators,” they are part of the system that needs to be considered (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, Zvacek, 2012).
Remember the readings in lesson 4 discussed some of the various technologies used in delivering courses in a distance learning format. It is important to know what technologies are available for delivering distance instruction, because knowing what is available, as far as resources and infrastructure, may be a more realistic assessment tool than beliefs or mandates when it comes to deciding whether or not to use distance education as part of the instructional design. What form of distance education will be based on the current infrastructure limitations as well.
In chapter 5 the authors discuss an instructional design model and the principles of instructional design systems and stress the need for planning in distance education course delivery. The chapter begins with discussion of systems but quickly moves into the details of planning a course. Please scan the entire chapter, but consider it an overview of what we will look into further throughout the remainder of the course. If you have already taken ITMA’s Design for Learning course, the Dick and Carey ID Model from chapter 5 will be familiar to you. If not, using a systems approach to instructional design means that decisions will need to be made in the planning process of an instructional distance education course such as performing a needs assessment, establish learning goals, performing learner, context and instructional analyses, developing performance objectives, assessment instruments, instructional strategies, instructional materials and formative/summative evaluations. Rather than jumping right into the entire chapter’s content, we are going to stay with the concept of a distance education course/program being part of a system with a closer look at the big picture of implementing distance education before moving in to the details of actual course delivery.
Chapter 5 - Teaching and learning at a distance, "Instructional Design for Distance Education"
Please also read the following Case Study.
READ: Case Studies in U.S. Distance Education: Implications for Ghana’s Under-Served High Schools
We will refer back to this case study and other readings over the next few lessons.
Chapter 5, page 172 of your text, provides a list of rules. Rule #11 in the “12 golden rules” for the use of technology in education states “Teamwork is essential. No one person has all the skills to develop and deliver a distance learning course; therefore, subject matter experts, instructional designers, and media specialists are essential on every team.” In the real-world we know that these titles sometimes all belong to one person.
Knowing your strengths ahead of time and knowing when to seek the assistance of others may help you to achieve your design goals more effectively.
QUESTION: If you were to be part of a distance education development team, where do you see yourself fitting in on the “team”? What personal, life, academic and/or professional experiences do you have that you believe would be most helpful to the team? (1-3 paragraphs is an adequately sized response.)
9 Points possible, Assignment 5.1
QUESTIONS: 1. What is the case study report about? (Written as if you were telling a friend about a movie you just saw. You wouldn’t retell the entire movie and you wouldn’t go into too much detail to spoil it for them. When you were finished with your telling, they would have a good idea of the story in the movie.)
2. How does this study fit in to what you read in Chapter 5 about planning and process?
9 Points possible, Assignment 5.2
There is an old saying that goes something like this: “You can’t fix it till you know what’s broken.” Whoever said this has summed up the most fundamental principle of instructional design: understanding the need before designing a remedy. An example might be that you aren’t feeling well so you go see your doctor and describe your symptoms. She will most likely not simply hand you a scrip for Tylenol and wish you “good luck.” Your doctor may perform some tests, ask you some more pointed questions and seek to understand more clearly what you are experiencing to get down to the bottom of why you are feeling that way so that she knows how to help you. If your doctor rushes to a solution too quickly, she may miss something more serious and you will end up in worse shape down the road. You need to identify the problem that is causing the symptoms and not just treat the symptoms.
Examples of problems one might encounter when considering instruction delivery options are those such as described in the case study you read. The “Problem Statement” states that there is a desire to “bridge the gap” in educational attainment and opportunity that exists between privileged secondary educational settings and those who come from under-served systems by considering the role of distance education in improving the educational status of under-served students” (Nsiah, 2001). The goal is to use distance education to bring educational opportunities to those who would not have it otherwise.
One thing to remember when analyzing other programs/courses, as the researcher did in the case study, is that it is not always an apples-to-apples comparison. What works for one system, may not work for another. That is one reason that your own analysis it so important. For example, the courses through ITMA are very asynchronous because that serves the needs of the students we serve. A you know, they are busy, sometimes working on coursework after working an 8 + hour day and taking care of family needs. Comparing ITMA’s very asynchronous program to a very synchronous program would not be an apples-to-apples comparison. In the case study, the researcher learned a lot about some of the U.S. distance learning models for secondary education. But, Ghana does not have the same infrastructure, so there will need to be adaptations based on the system that they are a part of and the students they serve.
As mentioned previously, you will be working towards a final project for the remainder of the course. You will be following an instructional design. The purpose of this is to gain experience in the processes that are often used when considering distance education as an instructional solution. There are various design models you can use. The book mentions the Dick and Carey model and the Unit-Model-Topic approach. Most instructional designs are based on the ADDIE model (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation.) The focus should not be on which model you chose but that you have a design plan. For those familiar with Dick and Carey, feel free to use that model. For those who want to stay with a simple standard, you may certainly use the ADDIE model. The goal is not to fill in the right boxes, the goal is to design something purposeful, functional, assessable, and creative.
There is a handy ebook in the Virginia Tech online library called “Instructional Design: The ADDIE Approach,” written by Robert Maribe Branch. I have provided steps to find it and download it in pdf form IF YOU DESIRE. You do not have to use this model, but it is an easy read. LINK to how to find the book.
Your assignment 5.3 is as follows:
5.3 – During the remaining lessons, you will be looking at some of the processes involved in implementing a distance education program and applying them to your own project of creating a distance learning lesson/module that meets the goals of an organization (can be K-12, Higher Ed, business, non-profit, etc.) and solves a current instructional need that is not being met (this can be one that applies to your own profession or an idea you have based on a real-world example.) To begin thinking about your process, please include in your lesson 5 submission an informal statement on a Word doc that contains an instructional need that is not currently being met and your idea for a lesson/module delivered via distance learning. Please also state whether this would be a synchronous or asynchronous course, online or another delivery medium with a brief explanation (see example below.) Please include in your submission what type of instructional design model will you be working with when you begin your design process? (Provide a link as in the example.)
An Example:
I noticed in my school that each year some teachers get upgraded technology for their classroom such as a Smart Board or an Elmo. I also notice that they receive a quick “How-To” but many don’t end up using the technology much or at all. I feel that a distance learning course on the use of the specific technology in an instructional capacity would be a good idea and that it also should count towards continuing education / professional development. The teachers need to know more than a few tricks from the device. They need to know why, when, and how to incorporate it into their instruction so that it benefits the learners and encourages learning. This would be an asynchronous, online course because of the time restrictions teachers have on their schedules and the amount time they already spend at school, I would want to allow them the freedom to explore the course from anywhere with internet service, at any time during the semester, so it is more of a help and not a burden. I may try using the “Spiral Model” as described at this website.
12 Points possible, Assignment 5.3
12 Points Possible
5 - Course idea includes a brief description of a real-world instructional problem that you think a distance learning approach would help to solve.
5 - Explanation included for using synchronous/asynchronous as your distance learning choice.
2 - Includes link to instructional design model to be used in the instructional planning portion of the final project.
When you have completed all three assignments (5.1, 5.2 & 5.3) please submit them all at the same time in a single document. At the top of your document you should have the lesson name, and underneath that should be your name, email address, and the date. Your paper should be double spaced using a standard font such as Arial, Helvetica, or Times New Roman. Most formatting questions can be resolved by using the APA Publication Manual guidelines. Make sure you have saved your file with the name “Assignment5”. After you have saved you file, go to the student interface and submit your assignment for grading. Click here if you need additional information regarding submission of your assignment.