Reflection

Reflection

Simonson, Smaldino, Albright & Zvacek, (2012) define distance education as “institution- based, formal education where the learning group is separated, and where interactive telecommunications systems are used to connect learners, resources and instructors.”  p.32 this definition clearly distinguishes distance learning from the traditional face to face classroom by stating clearly that the group is separated and interactive telecommunication is the means by which they are connected. Simonson et al state that , “ the roots of distance education are least 160 years old.”p.37. While this has roots dated so far back one has to wonder what will be the future of distance education.

Li Hongmei (2002) explains that “Traditionally distance education included a wide range of  activities from the correspondence, program based and broad cast over radio or distributed video lecturers or related material to aid in instruction. Today greater attention has focused on internet based education.”p.4, 5. The writer continues to say that ‘the low cost diffusion of internet technologies, new centered pedagogical thinking, increasing political commitment, competition among educational institutions and other factors will drive the online education forward.”p.6. As the future unfolds with vast increase of persons obtaining  master’s and doctoral degrees these factors will certainly be on the increase. More and more computers are becoming a “household pet” and even the smallest child in the homes can access the computer. In addition, the rise of single parent families with overburdened mothers who can only log in to a website after finishing a daily toil will certainly have a positive impact on distance education. The fact that distance education provide “anywhere and anytime” education to learners and students, the constant need for adults to update their knowledge and skills will play a major role in the changing the perception of distance learning. Even those with the negative perception will find comfort in doing online courses for some particularly who travel frequently because of job related activities and cannot find time for to attend classes in brick and mortar will welcome and be happy to engage in distance education

It is against this backdrop and other factors that I as an instructional designer would be a proponent for distance education. The world is a quick fix. Young people like money and want to be able to keep their status quo thus although in the past distance education appealed more to the adults “the young and traditional students have increasingly begun to realize the new opportunities in distance education.”(non significant difference,1999/2001).Opting for distance education will allow them the opportunity to maintain their jobs and advance themselves at the same time. Rather than putting everything at a halt and going off to study. In my country there has been a significant rise in young persons and adults alike engaging in distance education. I would therefore use proven statistical figures, examples of successful online learners and the position they hold to push for distance education and to help change societal perception of distance education.

It would be very important that I pay attention to the growing trends in education have an open mind so that I could be a positive force for continuous improvement in the field of distance education. According to Murihead Bill (2005), “distance education must focus on how to reconceptualize itself and reconcile the increasing role of computer technology in everyday educational activities with the growing adoption of distance –like activities.” He also mentions that educators would have to be more involved in the planning of instruction and be able to define themselves as distance educators. I would help individuals realize that distance education and brick and mortar institution are the same. It is just that distance education allows one to have access to the classroom at anytime and anywhere. However, I would stress that it demands plenty of commitment, sel motivation and self discipline and would warn that if on lack these characteristics it would be best not to enroll in distance education.

Distance education has certainly made an impact on instructional design in my institution. It has served as awareness to various avenues of instruction especially in the area of technology. Never was I exposed to all those tools such as blogs, wikis Google, doc forms computer management systems audio recordings just to name a few, to transmit information. My experience with Walden has certainly provided me with tools to enhance my students learning. I have been incorporating much of what I have learned at my institution. Simpson Roy (2002) states that, “studies have shown distance education does provide the requisites professionalization sometimes better than face to face do.”Hence I will continue to be a proponent for distance education.

Reference

Murihead Bill (2005) A Canadian perspective on the uncertain Future of Distance education vol 26 .239-254 retrieved from http://ehis.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3&hid=4&sid=2d191758-1a1e-4531-b3fc-e045e515bfed%40sessionmgr14

Li Hongmei (2002) Distance education: pros and cons retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED461903.pdf

Simpson. Roy.L. See the future of distance retrieved from  

http://ehis.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=5&hid=4&sid=ec1c54a2-ae39-4ed8-abf9-ae79b416d

Simonson,M.,Smaldino,S.,Albright,.M.,&Zvacek,S.(2012) Teaching and learning at a distance: foundation of distance education.(5th ed.)Boston, MA: Pearson

 From Trainer to Distance Education Facilitator


The training manager who is frustrated with the quality of communicating among trainees in his face to face training sessions and wants to convert all current training modules to a blended learning format has a great challenge but one if done effectively will yield results There are some preplanning strategies the trainer needs to consider before converting his program. Among these strategies are: knowing the software that he is going to use.


 Dr Piskurich George (2012)recommends in his video that he “should get familiar with the software, know what he can do with it and what his learners can do with it.” This is very important because if the trainer knows the software he is better able to organize the course content and assignments.

 Secondly the trainer must plan his lessons. This is critical to the success of the course. He needs to get the subject matter expert and other relevant stake holders into the planning. A good lesson plan will eliminate countless problems. The objectives must be valid and clear. With good objectives the evaluation should be effective.

 Having selected the objective and planned the lesson the trainer must now decide what technologies he will employ to teach the lessons. Simonson et al (2012) state that, ‘the key to success in an online classroom is not which technologies are used, but how they are used and what information is communicated using the technologies.”p.115. Thus the trainer must not only decide which technology to use but should now decide how he is going to use the technologies chosen. If I may add, he should decide at what point in the instruction the technologies should be used.

 Another strategy to consider is to determine the learning outcomes. In doing this, activities should be planned likewise. The activities planned will guide the selection of appropriate technology. The trainer should also move the focus from being teacher centered to more visual presentations, and engage the learners. In addition he should ensure that he gives careful timing of presentation of information. As Dr Piskurcih stated students may not always be at the computer during a presentation, thus the timing of the presentation, along with the activity and mode of presentation should be attractive to the learners.

 One of the problems in the face to face classroom was the quality of the communication. The trainer should therefore plan activities that allow for students group work. Simonson et al state that “this helps construct a supportive social environment.” Other strategies that the trainer should engage in are taking time to know his learners. Analyzing the general abilities of the class and understanding the learner characteristics.

 The authors also mentioned a very significant strategy and that is the trainer should be prepared in the event that technical problems occur. If for some reason the equipment fails the program should be so planned that students would have activities or projects or assignments which are independent of the lecturer. Some alternative mode of communication should be planned ahead of time should technical problems occur.

The aspects of the original program that can be enhanced in the distant program are the participation in discussion, the use of technology and amount of material to be covered. Generally in face to face classroom there is not a hundred percent participation in discussion. However, in online classroom there is one hundred percent participation. Instructor can monitor those who do not participate and encourage them do so via personal emails, posting directly to them etc. in addition, because a grade is assigned to the discussion learners generally must participate. Furthermore, it is obvious when a student does not participate. The discussion does not have a time limit as in the traditional class. This helps with the improvement of participation.

 Sometimes in the regular classroom when technology is to be used so much preparation is to be made. Some things must be shifted, permission must be received from the office for use of the technology and many times there is a clash for use. When needed by one class another class may also be waiting to use the equipment. With on line learning it is just a click of the finger and the technology is in use.

The fact that the learners will be able to access the information anytime is a great asset and will enhance class participation. In face to face if the student misses class or steps out he loses information. Whereas in the online classroom the learner can go back to what was missed and fall back in line.

 The role of the trainer/ facilitator in an on line and a face to face classroom are the same except for communicating with the learner. It is not that different in the online classroom as opposed to the face to face.Dr. Piskurich stated that, “the job of the virtual instructor is more difficult especially in communication with the learner.” The trainer in the face to face classroom would meet probably once or twice a week but on line his presence would have to be felt in the discussion. It would mean being there for more than twice per week but committing himself to a few minutes daily or every other day. The trainer will have to keep inconstant contact with the students. This may involve sending personal emails to those lagging behind with assignments or monitoring the discussion board for weak responses etc. The trainer may also need to prepare more activities than content to grasp the full attention of learners. Thus the workload may be heavier since there would be more activities to grade and check over for correct focus.

 To encourage participation the instructor would need to provide feedback to students’ responses and assignments. He would have to monitor the discussion board and ensure that it remains nonthreatening. The quality of questions would significantly encourage participation. The questions asked should be open. The instructor can probe students for further dialogue after the first response. Durrington et al state that the facilitator can “choose a topic that could be answered from different perspectives. Focus on one point that a student make and build on it. Or offer contrasting viewpoint.” The authors further stated that when instructors do this it shows that students’ responses are valued and thus they are encouraged to participate. Another idea that instructors can use to encourage students is to increase the number of students that learners must respond to for each week. Instead of at least two or three it could be at least four.

Reference

Durrington, V., Berryhill, A., & Swafford, J. (2006). Strategies for enhancing student interactivity in an online environment. College Teaching, 54(1), 190–193. Retrieved from http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/433631/strategies_for_enhancing_student_interactivity_in an_online_environment/

Piskurich. George 2012 [Video Program] "Facilitating Online Learning" retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=6493363&Survey=1&47=8893639&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

 Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and Learning at a Distance (Fifth ed.). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.

Online Resources

Module 3 Your online Resources.

Distance education can be very challenging and difficult to manage. It will demand a big chunk from your play and rest time. However, you will certainly find those moments a rewarding and life changing experience. To help you to go through this experience with ease, and help you experience success I would like to share with you resources which you will use during your Ed Fab Project management Certificate Course. Added to these resources are some useful attributes for success.

Course Management Site

Your course site is Canvas. The site is very user friendly. You need to spend some time to navigate through the site to familiarize yourself with the various tools and technological terms used throughout the site. Here are some tips to help you navigate your way into canvas. To help you navigate your way please visit this site http://www.utahstudentsconnect.org/Docs/Canvas_User_Guide__Students_1.pdf

Audacity

          Go to http://audacity.sourceforge.net/about to learn about audacity. Down load the free program and follow the instruction carefully. Once you have down loaded it you are ready to record your voice. For this course I would like you to always save what you record as a MP3 file. It is much easier to export when it is in this format.

Discussion Board

            In canvas there is a threaded discussion board. The first discussion you are to introduce yourself to other class members using audacity. There is an icon which tells you to upload audio sounds once you click, you just need to follow directions and you will be able to import your recorded voice into the discussion.

If you need to post a discussion, click the Discussions tab on the left side of the page.

o   To add a discussion topic to the forum, click the button labeled “Start a New Topic.” An editing screen appears to set the title of the post and its content. To add links to other content in the Canvas course in your post, simply click the links to the content you want to add in the box on the right-hand side of the page labeled “Insert Content into the Page.” Click “Add New Topic” to complete your post.

o   You may edit your post later.

o   On topics created by other users, a green arrow appears next to the pencil and the trash bin when the topic is hovered over. Clicking this arrow will take you to an editing screen to append a reply to the post. Click “Post Entry” to have the response appear on the discussion forum.

o   If you have never used discussion board in the past you may use, Pat Salides Laurie (2011) Guidelines for student participation in an Online Discussion Board or Forum retrieved from http://www.brighthub.com/education/online-learning/articles/29761.aspx. It will help you to understand the purpose of discussion board and how it works.

Email

The canvas course site has email features which allow you to communicate with your classmates and instructor. Rezanur Rahman,K.M. and Numan Sharker (2008)state in their abstract that “ many distant learning tools claim to be interactive, but few can offer two-way communication. Email is the most popular means of communication medium now-a days. Therefore, it may be used as an educational tool for learning.” The authors further stated that “Email and Internet are effective tools for interaction as well as to make a bridge of communication between both tutors and learner.”p.4

        You will use email to communicate with your tutor. If you are experiencing difficulty you may send your tutor personal email. Similarly, the tutor will communicate with you via emails. You may receive reminders about certain aspects of the course via email and if you are lagging behind or doing very well you will receive email either to encourage you or to commend you.

Blog

Audio Component Edwin U.mp3

TextComponentEdwinU.pdf

          You will use your blog in this course to share with your colleagues your reflection of the course content and what it means to you.

Multi Media Technical Requirements

It would be wise to check the computer you are using to ensure that it is configured properly for the multimedia which you will encounter while doing this course. Make all attempts to have up to date versions of quick time, flash player and Java runtime environment. Here are the download sites and their accopanying directions.

http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/

http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/

http://www.java.com/en/download/index.jsp

Microsoft word Tutorial

When I began my distance education journey I was a novice in computer skills. Some simple basic tools were real problems to me. I struggled to do some assignments simply because of my ignorance in some computer skills. I am not aware of your strengths or weaknesses. However you can use this resource to try out your competency. It may prove very useful to you.

Etheridge Denise Microsoft Word 2007 Tutorial –Free & on Line retrieved from

http://www.baycongroup.com/wlesson0.htm

This site offers you a free on line tutorial in Microsoft Word. Throughout this course you will be using word document to do several things. This program is offered to ensure your success. You will learn how to cut and paste. Copy and paste, use the ruler, change font size, formatting paragraphs and working with styles and save file etc. On line program demands your time and knowing how to effectively perform these skills will save from numerous stresses.

Researching online and the website

Throughout this course you will be doing quite a bit of research online. It will do you well if you would spend some time to listen to the various clips on research using the internet and the  web

.Learner Michael retrieved from http://www.learnthenet.com/how-to/research-online/index.php

This is a very interesting site. It provides you with some simple ways of researching on the internet. You are introduced to tools such as journals, JSTOR. Directories and search engines. It is very important that you read you on the tools provided because you will learn that not all sites can be trusted. Not because it comes from the internet it is true. The site also provides you with research techniques. A skill you will need as you go through the course 

Learner Michael  Web Sites retrieved from 

http://www.learnthenet.com/web-at-a-glance/websites/index.php

          In this site you will learn how to access stuff from the web. You will know the basic facts about the web and learn some basic information about hyperlink and URL.

Share your knowledge

It is important that you share your knowledge. As you do so you will find that others learn from you while you learn from them. Do not feel timid when the opportunity arise to share your knowledge. Read up rule 6 and you will understand what I am talking about.

http://www.albion.com/netiquette/rule6.html

Attributes of success

In this distance learning course you will soon learn that if you do not follow some basic tips for success you will experience difficulties such as falling behind with late assignments, frustration, stress etc. Please watch this you tube video and pay attention to Nigel’s problem and listen carefully to the instructor’s response. This should help you in achieving success in your distance education course.

http://youtu.be/IQRZ1Zz5lTE

Reference

Etheridge Denise Microsoft Word 2007 Tutorial –Free & on Line retrieved from

http://www.baycongroup.com/wlesson0.htm

.Learner Michael retrieved from http://www.learnthenet.com/how-to/research-online/index.php

Learner Michael  Web Sites retrieved from

 Pat Salides Laurie (2011) Guidelines for student participation in an Online Discussion Board or Forum retrieved from http://www.brighthub.com/education/online-learning/articles/29761.aspx

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/about

http://www.utahstudentsconnect.org/Docs/Canvas_User_Guide__Students_1.pd   http://www.learnthenet.com/web-at-a-glance/websites/index.php

http://youtu.be/IQRZ1Zz5lTE

http://www.albion.com/netiquette/rule6.html

http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/

http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/

http://www.java.com/en/download/index.jsp

Open Source

The open source that I have selected is Open Yale courses. I have chosen a course in music from the list of courses offered. The URL is http://oyc.yale.edu/music/musi-112.

The course promotes the development of skills which lead to an understanding of Western Music. It is designed to help students develop an appreciation for classical music. It provides an avenue for students to think deeply and develop a proper rational for listening to music.

The course was taught on campus twice per week for 50 minutes and was recorded for Open Yale Course. It appears that the course is not retooled but is offered in just the same manner as delivered in the face to face classroom. Dr Simonson (2012) clearly states, that “equivalency theory is based on the idea that education when practiced at a distance should not be identical to education when practiced in a face to face classroom.” From this base I can safely say that this course has not been designed for a distance learning environment. He continues to say that, “It is essential that when designing a distance learning experience that one takes into consideration that the same learning outcomes should be sought. This means that persons in a face to face classroom would be expected to fulfill the same objective as persons in distance education. The learning experiences provided should be equivalent so that those learning outcomes could be achieved. . As indicated by Simonson there are persons who may think of duplicating a face to face classroom lecture in distance education. This according to the theory is just not practical. The environments under which individuals at a distance function are of different nature, and what is applicable in one setting may just not work in another. Here in this case of Yale course the class was recorded and the same thing done in the class is done on line, in much the same way. There is even the occasional distraction of persons walking across the classroom.

Secondly, when planning distance education using ADDIE Model, it is important to consider all components of successful learning. Among these components is the learner. Smaldino et al (2012) state that “Teaching in general has moved away from the more traditional approaches we have experienced in the classroom.”p.194. The writers continue to say that, “well designed courses provide students with engaging learning experiences.”p.194 . The interactivity in the course. It is limited. It is more teacher centered rather than student centered. The writers further explained that, ‘By its very nature, online education demands that the students become engaged in the learning process. They cannot sit back and be passive learners. They must participate in the learning process.”p.195 &196. In Yale the lecturer is more of a “talking head” except for moments when students listen to music while he plays or to recorded music in the background. There are occasions when he asks questions and students from the class answers. When that is done only the voice is heard the image that is seen is still that of the lecturer.

I have observed that the grading also reflects what happens in the actual classroom. There is a 5% for attendance and a score for participation, test, and paper. Distance education should provide the students with the opportunity to sign in to classes at one’s convenience. Participation should be geared at the number of times learners may have signed in to a discussion board, the level and quality of participation of the individual and responses made from questions raised by the students and teachers.

Yale  does not appear to utilize a course management system. Discussion areas, student rosters, communication web links were not observed. However the instructor did mentioned about emailing students. One of the requirements states that registration is not needed. If that is the case I wonder how the instructor will keep track with the students. According to Smaldino et al course management system should have the following components:

·        Course communication

·        Readings

·        Content presentations

·        Group project space

·        Digital drop box for assignment submission

·        Student assessment

·        Course evaluation tools

None of these tools are part of yale. The grading system does not reflect a system where hard work was involved. In course management system the grade book allows students to view their grades reports and transcripts.  It also allows parents to receive emails messages for matters such as grade slippages and absences not verified by the parents.

There is a measure of planning plugged into the course. A syllabus was prepared which is quite coherent and detailed. It follows a particular order. There are also music recordings which are played at particular times during each presentation. The pieces played are well selected and helps the learner to connect with the thoughts of the instructor. The pieces reflect that careful planning was given for the selection. Despite this however, I must conclude that the effort and time invented in bringing about a distance education program should not be watered down into anything of a lesser standard. These open source programs are generally sponsored by agencies and more recently government’s eyes are upon such programs thus they are gaining more attention but this does not make it be termed distance education.

 .

Reference
Simonson, M. (2012) Theory and Distance Learning. [Video Presentation]. Laureate Education