A Project Post-Mortem

A few years back my organization was interested in implementing a Learning Management System (LMS) to track employee education as well as provide online training to employees. I was responsible to research, identify and propose the system I felt would be most suitable. After much research (approximately 1 year) I finally identified a system and submitted my recommendation. Approval was granted and the very lengthy implementation process began. I say lengthy because I was the only one working on this project, with the exception of communicating with the IT department what would be needed from them (which was very little as this is internet based, hosted by the vendor). This system took approximately 1.5 years to get up and running. The initial implementation was successful and while the system is being used for recording educational activities, as well as providing some education online, it is still not being used effectively.

“Project management is the process of guiding a project from its beginning through its performance to its closure” (Portney, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton, & Kramer, 2008, p. 3). This project did not have a Project Manager (PM) nor did it have any of the formal processes of the project management process. While I am happy that the implementation was successful, I now realize how important it would have been to either have a PM or some formal systematic approach to the process.
At the end of a project, it is important to do a project review and look at what was learned from the project and what could be done better in the future. This process is referred to as post-project reviews or “post mortems” (Greer, 2010, p. 42). Below is my post-mortem of the LMS project.

This project did have a defined outcome, however, there was no schedule or allocated resources; there was no formal process, plan or team. Michael Greer suggests that upon completion of a project you do an evaluation from an overall general perspective and the “Five Phase-Specific Questions” perspective (Greer, 2010, pp. 42, 43).

Overall Perspective of the Project
The implementation of this project was a success, however, I think it could have been completed in a much shorter timeframe had more stakeholders taken an active role in the project. It took approximately 1.5 years (out of a 3 year contract) to implement; a loss of 1.5 years on the contract. Key stakeholders who should have been actively involved in the entire process included IT personnel, Subject Matters Experts (SMEs), Human Resources and department managers. The most difficult and time consuming part of this process was mapping staff to the appropriate learning groups without management input. While the system is functioning, mapping is still not accurate and needs to be reworked to use the system more efficiently.

Five-Phase Perspective
Greer’s five phases to assess include: 1) Determine Need and Feasibility; 2) Create Project Plan; 3) Create Specifications for Deliverables; 4) Create Deliverables; and 5) Test and Implement Deliverables. None of these phases were planned in any way. A feasibility study should have been done to determine that the purchase and implementation of an LMS was beneficial and cost-effective. Once it was determined that the project would be beneficial to the organization, a project plan should have been developed; key stakeholders should have been recruited and assigned roles; and a formal PM process should have been followed. Had a formal process been followed the system could have been implemented within 6 months vs. 1.5 years, learning groups would have been mapped correctly from the beginning, and technology requirements for learning modules (i.e. Flash, Adobe reader, etc.) would have been identified and installed on all computers prior to assignment of a module.

What was Learned
Always have a plan! Regardless of the size of the project, you need to follow a systematic approach and carefully plan the project. Any and all future endeavors I am involved in, I will follow Greer’s “10 Steps to Project Success” (p. 45) or some form thereof. Use of Statements of Work, Work Breakdown Structure, diagrams, and schedules help to keep the project organized, maintain communication amongst stakeholders, and completion timelines on track. This project could have been a complete failure, but fortunately it wasn’t. We now have a committee that includes all the previously identified stakeholders who meet quarterly to help improve the use of the system and future upgrades.

References:
Greer, M. (2010). The project management minimalist: Just enough PM to rock your projects. Baltimore: Laureate Education, Inc.

Portney, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. (2008). Project management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ, USA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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/.

Technologies for Distance Education

Distance learning can be delivered in many formats and instructional designers need to choose the most appropriate method based on the learning need. As stated by Simonson, Smaldino, Albright and Zvacek “it is imperative that educators think about how communication will occur and how to apply experiences that will promote effective and efficient learning.” (pg. 94) Technologies to consider for delivering training in a distance learning environment include: 1) correspondence study (mail, discussion boards, live chats), 2) prerecorded media (mpg files such as podcasts), 3) two-way audio (audio conferencing), 4) two-way audio with graphics (audio conferencing with graphic component such as a displayboard , 5) one-way live video (televised broadcasts with printed materials and readings), 6) two-way audio, one way video (teleconferences), 7) two-way audio/video (videoconferences), and 8) desktop two-way audio/video (videoconferencing through the computer).

I have been presented with a training need for which I must recommend the most effective technology or technologies to use to ensure effective training. Below is my scenario and recommended training method(s) for providing asynchronous training.

Scenario:

In an effort to improve its poor safety record, a biodiesel manufacturing plant needs a series of safety training modules. These stand-alone modules must illustrate best practices on how to safely operate the many pieces of heavy machinery on the plant floor. The modules should involve step-by-step processes and the method of delivery needs to be available to all shifts at the plant. As well, the shift supervisors want to be sure the employees are engaged and can demonstrate their learning from the modules.

Recommendation:

Providing training to a 24/7 organization is never easy. However, with advances in technology this is becoming easier. Based on the above situation, it is imperative that all employees are properly trained on operating machinery in a safe manner. While I have not been provided with the details of my learner audience, I am going to assume they are of varying learning abilities, and may be English as a Second Language learner. As a result, my method of providing the training modules will be the use of prerecorded media. Each week a video will be presented to all employees via a prerecorded video presented via television through a DVD player. In addition, all employees will be provided written material that explains the training techniques. These written materials will also include a concept map or algorithm on the proper steps to use machinery. Also, because this is a safety concern and there is a need for supervisors to observe the employees using the equipment effectively, each employee will need to be observed using the equipment effectively by a shift supervisor. I believe this training methodology will apply to all learner types in that they will all hear, see it and do it.

Rationale:

The use of video demonstration is an effective means of training. In a study of students being provided CPR training via video, it has been documented that video is an effective means of training and demonstrating proper techniques. The article “Simply Watching a Video Might Save Lives”, Holohan discusses how individuals who watched the video on proper CPR techniques were more effective in providing CPR than those who had not seen the video.

Concept maps are effective learning tools in ensuring a meaningful learning experience. Novak, J. and Canas, A., describe effective development and use of concept maps in distance learning. They define concept maps as a method of organizing and representing knowledge in a realistic manner. The concept map will be used to graphically demonstrate the steps to effectively use the machinery.

Conclusion:

I believe a video demonstration along with a visual concept map (algorithm) to be the most effective methods of training. In addition, a return demonstration by the learner is the most effective method to ensure the transfer of knowledge.

References:

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

http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference/Resource_library/proceedings/09_20011.pdf

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=140562

Distance Learning

I always believed distance learning to be exactly what I am doing with my studies at Walden University; pursuing a degree at a distance through an online environment. My definition of distance learning was limited to education offered by an accredited educational institution. I believed distance learning to be a relatively new concept (less than 30 years) only to find out through course readings that it has existed since the 1800's.

In the 1800's distance learning was offered via mail correspondence, 1960's via telephone, 1970's via videotape, 1980's via satellite TV and online courses through the use of DOS (Disc Operating System), and the 1990's via the virtual classroom (which is what I related my definition to). So while it may be difficult to totally define distance learning, I define it as learning away from the traditional classroom.

To me distance learning was synonymous with e-learning and on-line learning. However, I defined it as being related to higher education, or at least associated with an accredited institution. Yet in my own work environment we offer online continuing education (aka e-learning) through our Learning Management System (LMS). So do we all define distance learning interchangeably with e-learning and online learning? Maybe this is why it is difficult to define distance learning or decide on a theory of how to practice and research distance education. (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright and Zvacek, 2009; pg. 57)

Now this brings into question another concept; is distance learning different from web-based training? Webopedia.com associates distance learning with providing college-level education and web-based training with business training. But when looking at the definition of web-based training it is similar to the definition of distance learning, leading me to stay with my initial belief that distance learning is synonymous with e-learning, online learning and now web-based learning.

I now look at distance learning as any learning at a distance from the instructor. I do not think my definition is much different from my original thought, just more defined and I now realize it is not restricted to just an educational institution but any learning environment. In addition, the method of distance learning can vary; it can take place via mail correspondence, telephone, video conference, Internet, videotape, web-based, discussion board, etc. I think Hilary Perraton sums it up quite well by defining distance learning "as an educational process in which a significant portion of the teaching is conducted by someone removed in space and/or time from the learner. (Simonson et al, pg. 33)

Distance learning will continue to evolve just like anything. More and more colleges will offer distance learning making it easier to study abroad without travelling abroad and meet the changing needs that has come with globalization. They will have the ability to attract students who otherwise would not be able to attend the traditional educational environment due to personal/economic factors. Distance learning will provide 24/7 education to a diverse population. Traditional corporate training will move to distant learning as it is more cost effective. What is yet to be seen is how distance learning will advance and change, i.e. mobile learning, to continue to meet the demands of our ever changing environment.

References:

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

Dr. Simonson Video Presention: "Distance Education: The Next Generation"

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/D/distance_learning

View the Future of Distance Learning Video from the Digital Learning 2010 Virtual Conference
http://youtu.be/xIfrlF7LPoY