You have gotten to the point in your readings and assignments that should have you with a solid understanding of what distance education is, what it can accomplish and the necessity for planning in all phases of the design. The design process is helpful in all phases of your distance education plan.

For example (from the Ghana case study):

Instructional need? Students in rural areas of Ghana should have access to the same quality education as those in more populated areas of the country.

Possible solution? Distance Education.

ID MODEL Phase 1 – Analysis –

Needs Assessment: Through the needs assessment process they realized they did not have the infrastructure for online DE, but could use a different media delivery. They also realized they did not have a system to deliver alternate media delivery (the courses via TV and DVD and therefore would need a solution to this logistical problem. They also realized they would need more funding. They also discovered that they would need qualified teachers, facilitators, and instructional designers to create quality educational material. They realized they needed an evaluation plan for the program. ALL of this occurred in the Analysis phase before anything was designed or developed or implemented.

As described in lesson 6 and pictured above, the researchers were “zoomed out” in a “Big picture” process of their analysis. At some point Ghana will be able to “zoom in” and focus on a particular course design, as pictured above in the “closer look.” Then, they will begin the process of Analysis again. THAT is where we are now in OUR process. The “closer look,” comes out of the “BIG picture analysis.” Both are connected, both are part of the same process, but the “closer look” requires its own design; its own analysis. Sometimes an organization goes straight to the “closer look” without the big-picture analysis and things fall apart.

The image below contains articles describing various uses of the ADDIE design at different stages of designing for distance learning(click on the shape to read a specific article). The material should be reviewed as a scan more than a close read with attention paid to the discussion of the ADDIE design model in various contexts. This collection is not designed to push a particular design model, but more the elements of the ADDIE design (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation) should be present in some fashion in your own distance learning instruction development. This group of reading is provided to show you how a design model such as ADDIE can be used in all phases of distance education design from the “Big Picture” to the “closer look.”

Reading 1) is the Ghana case study you are already familiar with. Reading 2) is a white paper that discusses a big-picture use of the ADDIE style model in curriculum development. We are not developing a curriculum in this course, but in a study of distance education, it cannot be ignored. The same phases of design necessary to implement a distance education program is very similar to the design phases one would use for a distance learning course. Reading 3) is a journal article that discusses using the ADDIE model to guide the instructional design of a blended higher ed course (blended learning is mentioned on pgs. 196-197 in your text reading) which some of you may be considering for your project. This article is included here to, once again, show how the “systematic attention to each step…” can provide “a well-organized process to help guide the team…” (Shibley, Amaral, Shank & Shibley, 2011). Reading 4) is a paper that has assembled best practices and ideas from online instructors using the ADDIE model as a “generic instructional model that provides an organized process for developing instructional materials” (Shelton & Saltsman, 2007). It provides small details for consideration. All will not apply to every course design, but for the most part, it is a good example of how the ADDIE model can be used. (Notice in Reading 4 they combined the Design and Development phases because it served their purposes. This demonstrates flexibility in the design process (but not enough flex to leave a phase out completely.)

This next chapter takes a look at the role of the teacher in distance learning. Your future involvement with distance education may or may not be as an instructor. As you read through this chapter, keep in mind, whether you are the instructor or another part of the design team…there will be an instructor involved; either as the one who facilitates the course or maybe as a subject matter expert (SME.)

When an organization, whether it is from an academic, technical or vocational field, needs instructional or training materials (distance or face-2-face), an SME is a valuable member of the design team. SME’s, either from training or experience, offer expert guidance to the instructional/training content. An SME has proficiency in his or her subject and guides other professionals on the project to ensure the content is accurate. SMEs come from various backgrounds in education, private or non-profit industries. They may work on different types of projects and have slightly different duties, but their role is essentially to ensure the facts and technical details are correct. Remember Bates’ proposed “golden rules” on page 172 in your text? The number 1 rule is “Good Teaching Matters. Quality design of learning activities is important for all delivery methods” and number 11 is “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” (Smaldino et al., 2012 p. 172.) Whatever role you are more likely to take, at this point, we will look at the topic of teaching in a distance education program and in a distance learning environment.

Chapter 6 - Teaching and learning at a distance, "Instructional Design for Distance Education"

The following interview and article include a discussion on the various organizations that create quality standards that guide U.S. distance education programs. It is provided here to suggest that the “big picture” items we have discussed so far in this course are not the end-all in the distance education discussion. Your text may suggest that “one way to ensure quality in the coursework offered within a program of study is to ensure that the standards or critical criteria are being met” (Herring & Smaldino, 2001, as cited by Smaldino et al., 2012, p. 208). The following paper and video interview suggest that these “standards” often leave out the importance of the instructional design behind the course. In other words, if one simply follows the standards of “quality” when designing a distance education program or distance learning courses, the course may meet the “standard” but may not be based on good instructional design. It is not enough to just consider the requirements of the organization. You are asked to make those considerations in this course, because they are a part of the planning process; but do not stop there. This is why your final project includes designing a small piece of instruction accompanied by an explanation behind the decisions you made, so that you keep in mind that they should go hand-in-hand. A link to the Final Project description is included at the end of this lesson.

WATCH: Interview with Dr. Ross Perkins

READ: Lockee, B., Perkins, R., Potter, K., Burton, J., & Kreb, S. (2011, August). Defining quality in distance education: Examining national and international standards for online learning. In 27th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning, conference proceedings, Madison.

***Optional Reading: Instructional Design Models and Learning Theories - A chapter from the ASTD Handbook for Workplace Learning Professionals that we received permission from the author to include in this lesson. It provides a wonderful overview of design model and learning theory considerations when designing instruction. Using and expanding design models to meet your needs, understanding different learning theories and making them work for you and learning how to integrate ISD models and learning theory for effective instruction are the highlights of this chapter. You may want to refer to this chapter if you have not taken any learning theory courses.

Following your readings/video, please answer the following question:

Page 209 in your text, under the heading “Course Rigor”, mentions “faculty may be overcompensating for the issue of assuring the institution of the rigor of distance learning experiences by making the courses more difficult or requiring additional work from students” (Simonson, et al., 2012).

1. How does the “overcompensating” issue from your chapter reading connect to the topic of discussion in your paper/video?
2. What do you tell an administrator/supervisor that does not believe your distance course has the “same rigor” as face-2-face instruction?

Your responses should be created on a Word document and submitted together with Assignments 7.2 & 7.3.

9 Points possible, Assignment 7.1

Following your readings/video, please answer the following question:

Look again at the Ghana case study and notice the researcher’s thought process on program development based on 1) his research results and 2) his needs assessment.

1. If you were to put any one of the ideas from your readings/video into practice right away, which one would it be? Please explain your response.

(This response should be in MS Word (or similar) and no longer than 1 page. Cite specifics from your readings/video and it should be submitted at the same time as Assignments 7.1 & 7.3.)

9 Points possible, Assignment 7.2

Your assignment 7.3 is as follows:

In Assignment 6.3 you were asked to begin considering many of the various elements that form the development a distance education program. In this part of assignment 7.3 you will still be compiling the information in the chart below for your final project report (see final project description below.)

For this assignment 7.3, please submit a rough-draft of the highlighted sections of your Needs Assessment & Process Planning topics, as they relate to your final project planning. Your rough draft should be thorough enough to invite adequate feedback (should include 2-3 ideas for each topic that relate directly to your final project) but it may remain in a rough draft form. Please use each topic as a separate heading in the document you turn in.

Use this table to begin making plans and taking notes for the many considerations you must make when planning a distance education program. You do not need to send in all your rough notes each lesson, but each lesson, from this point forward, will ask for a part of your rough notes to be turned in for feedback before being submitted as a final report with your final project. For this assignment 6.3, please submit a rough-draft of the highlighted sections of your Needs Assessment & Process Planning topics, as they relate to your final project planning. Your rough draft should be thorough enough to invite adequate feedback (should include 2-3 ideas for each topic that relate directly to your final project) but it may remain in a rough draft form. Please use each topic as a separate heading in the document you turn in.

Needs Assessment & Process Planning	Brief Description	Plans/Notes
Program Objectives	What is your overall instructional goal?
Program Description	Brief description of your lesson idea. (You should already have your description from lesson 5)
Level of Program	What is the academic or skill level of your audience?
Target Audience	Who are your learners? (your description from lesson 5)
Project Team	(ideally) Designers,  Instructors, technology specialists, etc.
Planning Stages	(If this lesson is part of a bigger idea, what stages of development for the larger program should you be considering?)
Budget Plan	(Cost associated with project team, content development, software, hardware, delivery platform, infrastructure needs, etc.)
Program Content	What will you use for content? Created by you? Created by another source? How will your content close the distance between the learner and the instructor? Some websites contain content for use in educational settings that can be used by others depending on the subject matter. Examples: Common Sense Media Khan Academy YouTube History (the list is fairly endless) These choices should not be made randomly – but they are available. (Copyright/Fair use discussed in future lesson.)
Program Delivery	Your chosen method (including synchronous, asynchronous, hybrid, etc.) How will the lesson be delivered? Technology Requirements? (some ideas for free distance learning platforms are HERE, HERE or HERE)  The choice is yours but you will want to have reasons for the choices you make. Additional Resources: Selecting an Open-Source Online Course Development and Delivery Platform: An Academic Perspective Selecting a Learning Management System: Advice from an Academic Perspective
Faculty Support	What knowledge would a member of the faculty have to have to implement this? Any technology training necessary? HERE is a .pdf that describes how instructors can use their classroom skills in a distance learning environment. HERE is a link to a .pdf that discusses “Distance Education for Teacher Training” (it is a BIG pdf but…there is a lot of helpful discussion about distance education and teachers.)
Student Support	(See Figure 11-3 in your textbook “Web of Student Services for Online Learners”) Do any apply to your program? Explain.
Assessment	How will you know what your learners have learned? What ways might you assess their learning? (We will discuss this in more detail in a future lesson.)
Evaluation	How do you plan to evaluate your lesson/module? (See “Quality Control” section on page 331-333 of your text.)
Accessibility	In your workplace or in the environment you plan to implement your lesson/module, what considerations must you make with regards to your audience and possible accessibility issues? There are accessibility issues for students with disabilities: (This link can show you some of ways Virginia Tech helps to encourage accessibility for its students with disabilities or HERE is an example of what other universities provide for your reference.) There are also accessibility issues to consider involving language and culture which we will discuss more in a future lesson.)
Privacy Considerations	Consider the term “accessible” with regards to non-students. We do not want student information to be accessible to anybody not associated with your lesson/program. What considerations must you make to guarantee student privacy? Are you part of a system that has already outlined specific requirements that you will need to consider in this regard?

 

18 Points possible, Assignment 7.3

18 Points Possible

6 - Submission includes notes on the following aspects of the distance learning course design: Program Content, Faculty Support, and Student Support.
6 - Notes are thorough enough (should include 2-3 ideas for each topic that relate directly to the final project) to invite adequate feedback on the final paper.
6 - Notes include references from the text as well as outside sources that are cited at the end of the document.

When you have completed all three assignments (7.1, 7.2 &7.3) 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 “Assignment7”. 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.