Design Stage

Untitled

2011-05-13T10:02:00.000-07:00

Typically when I blog about something, I begin with a title a thought or a concept and I let my post be an extension of that. But today’s post will be a bit different.

I’ve been doing a lot of self-reflection and analysis lately, and I think I have latched onto something rather significant. I am a truly wonderful person, who is capable of anything I put my mind and abilities to. The truth is that I have been going through a bit of an identity crisis since I changed professions. All my life I wanted to be an actor, and for a very large part of my life (so far) I was. For me, stepping out of the darkness and into the spotlight was like being born. A rush of excitement and emotion would envelop me. And we were all friends. We all worked together and learned to understand, support, and accept one another no matter what.

And then I left it behind. I began a new phase of life.

So here I am five years into this new career that sometimes feels like being in the Amazon. It’s foreign. There are people here that confuse me. Not everyone is a friend in this world. Some may be enemies or dealing with a set of personal insecurities that they can’t rationalize and so they take it out on other people. And it seems like so many people here want to try and change you. They have a set of expectations for people that they can’t even live up to, but those hold those unspoken rules against others. And when a rule is broken, they punish you. This world is harsh.

And so I have felt lost. I have felt alone and persecuted in this foreign place. But this post is not a tragedy. It’s a post about self-discovery and victories. Despite all of the negative identities and the hurt that they try and induce, I will endure. I will rise above it. I will no longer let anyone tell me that I am not good enough. They have tried to push me down and shatter my confidence. But I will no longer accept the hurt they have imposed upon me. I have letting myself be the victim of cruel people.

But today is a new day. I am a person of far greater ability then they allow me to be. I have faced other challenges in my life head on and obtained success. I deserve the opportunity to live my life with happiness and fulfillment by sharing my many gifts and abilities with those who will appreciate me. Those who wish to accept them will find a life long friend. Those who do not wish to accept me can search for someone else to take their personal issues out on.

Mythbusting Online Education!

2011-05-06T20:52:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Mythbusting Online Education! In this blog post we will examine some of the common misconceptions of online courses and how to utilize an Instructional Designer to help create effective and innovative online courses. So let’s get started!

Myth #1 – Online courses will remove the need for instructors.

False: Online courses still need instructors. Many people believe that an online course is fully automated and requires no outside facilitation from an instructor. The reality is that a well-designed online course is an opportunity for instructors to reach audiences that would have otherwise been unattainable. The goal of an online course is not to replace an instructor but rather to empower them to reach beyond the borders of the traditional classroom. An effective online course may reduce an instructor’s workload or it may increase it, depending on the design of the individual course.

Myth #2 – Creating an online course means the content will be chopped up or placed into a cookie cutter format.

False: Each course has it own unique elements and characteristics that must be accurately represented. It is the Instructional Designer’s responsibility to ensure that these unique items remain intact. As you begin working with an Instructional Designer (ID) they will spend a significant amount of time getting to know your course, and how it is constructed. As the process continues the ID will offer various suggestions based on the content and needs of the learner. An ID bridges the gap between instructor and student, thereby assisting the instructor in creating more effective courses.

Myth #3 – You have to be tech savvy to create online courses.

False: We work within your comfort zone. Some professors choose to have their lectures recorded, while others do not. We believe that the course being created is your course and we are here to facilitate, empower, and advise.

Myth #4 - Creating online courses is a lot of work!

True: The process involved in creating an online course is not an easy one. The typical time frame to create an online course is three full semesters. During this time we work with you to review your materials to identify any information gaps, special media requirements, online assessment strategies, and the overall look and feel of the course. The course must be completed prior to its initial offering, known as a pilot. During the pilot semester a smaller number of students (typically 25) will participate in the online course and will take a course evaluation at the end of the semester. Based on the feedback from the evaluation, a course may undergo revisions prior to being offered again.

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I'd like to invite you to join me in this conversation, so if you have a concern regarding Online Courses or Instructional Design add it below and I'll respond. Together we increase our understanding of online instruction and its challenges. Thanks for participating!!

Team based Collaborative Environment

2010-11-30T20:41:00.000-08:00

A course I have been working on for the past several semesters requires the use of a collaborative work/submission space for a Case Study Assignment. In analyzing the needs of such a space I came up with this list of criteria.

Ability to assign students to teams of 5-7 individuals
Ability for the instructor to efficiently review and provide feedback to each team
Access to other team’s Case Study for review purposes
Ability to include Media (audio, video, images) to the Case Studies
Ability for multiple users to edit information
Differentiation of students’ individual submissions within a single Case Study
Low level of programming skills required for use

Our first approach to this challenge was to create a Case Study section on the course’s Drupal site, which would provide the students with editable pages they could post to. This option met each required item from the above list. We offered this strategy during the course’s pilot semester. Initially, this strategy proved to be quite successful, with students having little to no difficulty in using the editable pages.

However, the following semester we received several emails from students who were confused with the editable page and how to use it. When investigating the students’ complaints, it was discovered that the students were not using the editable page correctly. They were viewing the pages on unapproved browsers and pasting content directly from word processing programs. As a result, the content seemed to “disappear” when the students would reload the page. After several attempts to guide the students on how to easily and accurately edit the pages, we discovered the students were not accessing the tutorials and guides created for them at all.

We investigated several other applications and programs in the hopes of finding an alternate solution that would still meet all of our criteria. However, each option we reviewed either did not meet the specified criteria or it proved to have other complications associated to it. Unfortunately, we have not found a better solution for the upcoming semester. Although we have removed the option of the editable pages and reverted to the use of our CMS for the management and submission of the Case Study assignment until a more permanent solution can be obtained.

Prototype Selection Criteria

2010-04-13T20:43:00.000-07:00

As we’ve developed courses over the last several years, we’ve come to understand and greatly value the importance of incorporating a prototype lesson into the course development process. Since including the prototype phase into our standard process, it has enabled us to provide instructors with a fully functional ‘look and feel’ for their courses. We began implementing the Prototype Lesson several semesters ago, and while it was highly beneficial it was always the most challenging lesson to get up and running. Mostly because we would select a lesson and begin working on it only to find out there were several reasons as to why the lesson we had selected ended up being the wrong one.

During a meeting to review our process, I asked whether or not we could come up with a list of criteria for selecting a prototype lesson to hopefully better inform our decisions. As luck would have it, the person who asks the question gets to be the individual who answers it. I started by reviewing our most recent selections of prototype lessons and the issues that we encountered as we tried to develop the prototype.

I created a basic list that would try to address the major points to consider for selecting a prototype lesson. Unfortunately this is not a step-by-step list to follow, but rather points that need to be addressed and considered during the selection process. (This is a preliminary list that is to be revised and improved upon as we continue to work with prototype lessons.)

Criteria for selecting a prototype lesson

Content

Determine the course pacing for the lessons Determine if there is a similar structure to the content for each lesson Select a lesson that would best represent a similar or consistent structure

Media

Identify which lesson is the most media intense Is this the same lesson that adheres to the consistent lesson structure?
What types of media need to be obtained (Video, Audio, Images, etc.)
Are these types of media readily available?
Do copyright laws restrict the media elements?
Do they have a Creative Commons license?
Does permission need to be obtained for any of the media elements?
Do any of the media elements need to be created in-house? Outsourced?
What is the estimated time frame to obtain/complete the media elements?

Assessment

Determine the assessment strategy for the overall course. Is there an overarching assessment or are there assessment opportunities for each lesson?

Are the assessments consistent between each of the lessons?

What is the level of interactivity for the assessment strategy?

Are there any special items (media) required to create the assessment?

Delivery

What is the best format for the lessons (text or audio recordings)

What technologies are available for the implementation of the instructional and assessment strategies?

How will grades be recorded?

Risks

Are their additional contributors to the course content? (Guest lectures?)

What is the acceptable time frame for the completion of a prototype lesson?

Theatre on a new Stage

2010-01-27T20:39:00.000-08:00

One of the things I love about my job is the challenge associated with converting arts classes from traditional f2f environments to online ones. Most people can’t imagine that arts classes, which are typically very high touch and greatly interactive, could be taught online. But I enjoy challenging that notion. In fact, that’s when I get really excited about being an Instructional Designer. I love to work on projects that seem impossible, but end up working beautifully!

The most recent example I have of this is a Theater Course. The institute was approached by an actor in New York who wanted to further students understanding and appreciation of theater, but didn’t know how to do so. We set to work and in only a few days had brainstormed some pretty amazing ideas. Over the next few months we continued to refine our course structure until we had our main focus, the Well-Made Play.

Lesson Introduction
Consisting of an overview, objectives, and steps to completion

Lesson Topic (Knowledge)
A page of content focused on a specific aspect of the Well-Made Play, which are identified as the course concepts. These consisted of a lesson introducing The Well-Made Play, World of the Play, Protagonist, Antagonist, Inciting Incident, Rising Action, Conflict, Climax, and Resolution.

Course Example (Comprehension)
At the beginning of the semester the students are required to read a play, Raisin in the Sun. In reading the script, the students may not see each of the individual concepts of the Well-Made play. However, at this point in the lesson, the instructor examines a section of the script and breaks it down in a way that students can more easily understand.

Creative Reflection (Application and Analysis)
Students are presented with a ten minute Well-Made Play which they must review then identify the concepts while providing a strong rationale for their choice.

Play Outline (Synthesis)
Over the course of the semester, students are required to create their own play outline. Contributing a major point as they progress through each of the course concepts. Students may revise their outline until it is submitted as a final project at the end of the semester.

Final Exam
The final exam consists of a full length, Well-Made play that the students must read and then write a two-part essay focused on the analysis of the play, and Concept Application. Part One - Students must breakdown the play and identify each of the course concepts. Part Two – Students can choose one concept from the course and apply it to another story; a TV show, a day in their life, or a news story.

To date, the course has only been offered as a pilot. This spring semester will be its full online offering, and I’m very excited to see how students respond to this structure.