Reflection - Distant Learning’s Future and the Impact of the Instructional Designer

What will perceptions of distance learning be in the future?

Distance learning will continue to grow as a viable option for education.  However, there are misconceptions about the quality of distance learning and the integrity of the distant learner.  Some perceive distant learning to be easier than traditional face-to-face classes and that it is easier to cheat in distance learning. 

As distant learning becomes more integrated in elementary and high schools, we will see the benefits it has to offer and there will be a shift in attitude toward distant learning.  Anyone who has engaged in a distant learning class knows that the quality of the courses, if from an accredited institution, is just as good (maybe even better) than face-to-face instruction.  Technology will continue to advance and as George Siemens stated:  “there will be more experiences communicating online; new tools; and a growing sense of comfort.  There will be global contributions and an increase in games and simulations.”  With advancements in computer and internet-based technologies, distance learning will support student-centered instruction which promotes “active learning, collaboration, mastery of course material and student control over the learning process” (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, Zvackek; pgs. 231 & 232). 

How can the instructional designer be a proponent for improving societal perceptions of distance learning?

In the article Academic Fidelity and Integrity as Attributes of University Online Degree Program Offerings it states “By academic integrity we mean how consistent is the online degree program with its campus based counterpart and institutional and professional standards” (Gambescia and Paolucci, para. 4).  I believe as an instructional designer this is one of the most important factors we must remember so that all educational programs, whether they are online or in the classroom, maintain the same qualitative standard.  Courses must be effectively designed and implemented so that educators and students can demonstrate that the distant learner has met the same academic rigor of a face-to-face course. 

How can the instructional designer be a positive force for continuous improvement in the field of distance education?

As an instructional designer I think it is important that we focus on designing quality education that incorporates appropriate strategies that is conducive to the learner audience.  For example, in the healthcare industry the use of simulation and problem-based learning should be considered.  Distance learning should be collaborative and student-centered and the instructional designer should understand the learner audience demographics to promote a positive learning experience.  Instructional designers should select and use appropriate learning tools and strategies (discussion boards, journals, blogs, wikis, video, audio, simulation, games, etc.) that will maintain learner attention.  A systematic approach by the instructional designer, such as ADDIE, should be followed to determine the most effective means of delivering the course (online, face-to-face, hybrid).   “Focus on knowledge construction, not reproduction…Present authentic tasks…[that] provide real world case-based learning environments,…Foster reflective practice, and enable context and content dependent knowledge construction,…Support collaborative construction of knowledge through social negotiation, not competition among learners for recognition” (Rovai, 2004).

References:

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

Guri-Rosenblit, S. (2009). Distance Education in the Digital Age: Common Misconceptions and   Challenging Tasks. Journal of Distance Education, 23(2), 105-122. Retrieved from       EBSCOhost.

Rovai, A. P. (2004). A Constructivist Approach to Online College Learning. Internet and Higher Education, 7(2), 79-93. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Siemens, George.  The future of distance education video. 

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

Best Practice Guide for Distance Learning

This week I was presented a learning need and asked to develop a Best Practice Guide for converting to a distance education format. The scenario presented is as follows:

A training manager has been frustrated with the quality of communication among trainees in his face-to-face training sessions and wants to try something new. With his supervisor’s permission, the trainer plans to convert all current training modules to a blended learning format, which would provide trainees and trainers the opportunity to interact with each other and learn the material in both a face-to-face and online environment. In addition, he is considering putting all of his training materials on a server so that the trainees have access to resources and assignments at all times.

Attached you will find a document that will serve as a best practices guide for converting to a distance education format for this training. Topics addressed include: Pre-planning strategies; Aspects of the original training that can be enhanced in the distance education program; Changes to the Trainers Role; and, Steps to encourage trainees to communicate online.
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The Impact of Open Source

Introduction
“The term open source describes practices in production and development that promotes access to the end product's source materials” Wikipedia (n.d., para. 1). Open source can refer to free open software or it can refer to free open courseware. Open source is not unlicensed, is free for users to use as they see fit and must comply with the Open Source Initiative (OSI). Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, and Zvacek (2009, p. 256). More information on OSI. For purposes of this discussion, I will be looking at an open course provided by MIT that I accessed through Open Culture at http://openculture.com/. The title of the course is 6.912 Introduction to Copyright Law and is a video recording of the synchronous class and can be accessed through the following link: http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-engineering-and-computer-science/6-912-introduction-to-copyright-law-january-iap-2006/index.htm#features.

Planning and Designing of the Course for Distance Learning
This is a video recording of a 4-week course offered at MIT. When planning for distance learning, it is important to anticipate the needs of your learners and provide them with some sort of orientation to the course site, technology requirements, etc. This course did not provide any orientation so you would need to be familiar with the distance learning environment. However, it is a well-designed and easy to navigate site for the experienced distant learner. When planning and designing a course, whether it is online or face-to-face, it is important to have well-defined goals and objectives. I did not see any goals or objectives established for this course.

Does the Course Follow Recommendations for Online Instruction?
This course included important course information such as course features, course highlights, course description, syllabus, links to course readings, assignments to complete, and the video lectures. However, this course does not allow the learner to actively participate in any type of discussion, either synchronous or asynchronous. There was not the option to submit and receive feedback on the two assignments. One of the fundamentals of teaching online discussed by Simonson, et al is to avoid “dumping” a face-to-face course onto the web; however, that is what this course appears to be. There is no grading of assignments, keeping students informed, due dates, or identification of the intended audience. Simonson et al. (2009)

Did the course designer implement course activities that maximize active learning for the students?
I did not review any of the lectures in their entirety so I cannot say if there was any interactivity embedded in the videos. There were two course assignments; however, there was no dropbox to submit these courses for grading or feedback. Other than that, I did not see any type of learner activities.

Conclusion
Open course is a viable solution for universities and businesses to access pre-developed courses. However, this course is basically a "dumping" of an instructor-led course with little or no modifications for the distant learning environment. If this were to be used in a formal setting, the organization would need to tailor the course to include such things as an orientation to the site, discussion forums, and feedback on assignments. If you are skilled distance learner looking to advance your knowledge in copyright laws, this is a course that appears user friendly and informative. I plan to review this course in its entirety and hopefully recommend it as a requirement for all SME’s within my organization.

References
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.
Wikipedia (n.d.). Retrieved June 5, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_source
http://opensource.linus-mirror.org/.