1. Strategic Decisions Jerry Whaley EDU 655 Dr. Kris Jamsa Oct 19, 2009

2. Designing a course… Making Strategic Decisions

3. I’m a poet, and didn’t know it… How might you address strategic decisions for designing a course?  Define, what kind?  Alternative forms, how about SCORM?  Standards at hand, name brand?

4. Define… How do you define a course? –Defining your course is based on the new world environment which contains media and technologies not just brought to you in a classroom led solely by an instructor, in particular, a single person but obtainable from just about any where. –You must learn how to properly reuse learning objects, include blended learning, and embedded e-learning for training new and future generations of learners. –You are dealing with flat screens containing huge amounts of data retrievable through a global network of information. –New terms and tools are being defined everyday through key elements such as e-whatever. In our strategy the element is e-learning. Let me ask you a question; “What are some of the personal attributes needed to help determine e-learning requirements?” (I’ll let you think on that for a couple of slides)

5. What kind? What kind of e-learning is best? –Developing a framework that is instructional must incorporate a management system recognized by new technologies and standards that is compatible with others. A good example of one such feature is SCORM. I will discuss this a little later. SCORM –E-learning still requires important aspects such as well defined objectives. Objectives should meet various activities and topics surrounding this type of environment. I’d like to dwell a little on activities and topics.

6. Alternative forms… Activities in an e-learning environment can be defined as three types: absorb, do, and connect. –Absorb-type is used to define pure information that is controlled by the content. –Do-type is transforming the absorbed information into knowledge and skills through practice and discovery, analysis, verification, discuss, evaluate, and apply to name just a few. –Connect-type digs a little deeper to integrate what they have learned to what they are currently learning. Like William Horton said “Connect activities bridge gaps” (Horton, 2006, p167). The necessity of assessing the learner is still a valuable tool. –Evaluations are key elements to measure these activities usually by methods of surveys and testing.

7. Reusable content… Topics come in as a low-level learning object, it is the building block of instruction establishing a single learning objective (Horton, 2006, p285). –It is strongly suggested to include absorb, do, connect, and evaluation activities within that objective. Topics can be developed from scratch or through research to find already developed topics that closely meet your objective could be used and as I might ask myself; why re-invent the wheel when time is usually of the essence. A substantial management system producing course catalog, lessons, and tests for the learner. Metadata storing descriptions and packaging for referencing of the management system produced by valuable and reliable resources.

8. Reusable content… Lessons are used to accomplish broad educational goals usually of a more complex nature. –More than just a topic and not quite the entire course. –Lessons in an e-learning environment also can be reused material modified to engage multiple learning styles. –There is the instructor-led activities and/or the learner-led activities that drive the e-learning environment. By nature, e-learning has a stronger learner-led role by learner-centered activities. Which type of environment; synchronous or asynchronous? Let’s dwell a little bit on the instructor-led versus learner-led roles then we’ll move on to synchronous versus asynchronous.

9. Instructor-led… There should always be a need to incorporate some amount of instructor-led activities. –There will always be followers, the passive learner. The need for total control and guidance. Broadcasting professional experienced presentations through media. Lecture material provided to learner in a set pace. Monitoring progress and accumulation of assessments. Feedback is direct and immediate. If you have experienced any of these situations or have an opinion, please feel free to share.

10. Learner-led… Allow for learner-led activities. –There will usually be leaders, the more aggressive learner. The need to have total control and require little to no guidance. Broadcasting professional experienced presentations through media can still be visible and accessible. All lecture material accessible to learner allowing them to set their pace. Monitoring progress and accumulation of assessments is still required and controlled by moderator. Feedback is necessary but not always as immediate. If you have experienced any of these situations or have an opinion, please feel free to share.

11. Synchronous… Some important decisions in an e- learning environment: –Everyone will need to meet in the same place at the same time. –The size of the class can play a big part on which strategy to use: Larger class size has the advantages of being more economical with fewer sessions, more people taught in less time, more classmates to interact, and more activities are naturally involved. This would intuitively require some control and professional appearances.

12. Asynchronous… Another decision is the tools being used that naturally inherit a specific environment. –Providing web pages. –Automated scoring devices. Learner-centered. Class size again: –Smaller class size inherits more individual attention for instructor. –Whole class activities more practical. –More frequent classes. –Moderate instructor interaction. What type of learning do you think you are more synchronous or asynchronous? Feel free to explain?

13. Blended learning… This brings us to blended learning, embedded e- learning, and what it brings us? –An alternative to pure e-learning. –Various levels of blended learning (Horton, 2006, p382). Let’s look at embedded e-learning

14. Embedded e-learning… With embedded e-learning, you are getting a self contained online program or one that is embedded through an authoring tool or systems like Moodle, WebStudy, and Blackboard or an authoring tool like or udutu.WebStudy –Can be more of a pure e-learning tool, self-contained. –Can be a system that incorporates your own studies. Hawkes Learning Courseware, self-contained. Click here to continue

15. Click here to return WebStudy Home Page.  The best way to describe udutu is to visit the site. Select udutu. Click here to continue

16. How about SCORM?SCORM What is SCORM? –Sharable Content Object Reference Model Technical standards for e-learning software products (Rostici). What does that Mean? –Sharable content objects are materials online that can be used or reused and are sharable with other systems. –Reference model refers to referencing ADL (Advanced Distributed Learning) standards that are already existing (Rostici). “…collaborate with government, industry, and academia to promote international specifications and standards for designing and delivering learning content.” (Advanced Distributed Learning).

17. What’s in a name? Just about the most critical decision for getting the customers or learners. –Entice the user enough to take that first step, clicking on your link. –The learner can make a reasonable prediction on what might be the goals, content, and the approach you are using (Horton, 2006, p413). Put the most important part first, I have a tendency to scan and not complete even a simple sentence. Promise benefits. What will the learner gain from taking your course. Use terms learners understand. Meaningful… Imply who should take the e-learning. Key terms are advanced and basic or categories the learner can benefit from the course. Honestly, what is the first thing that catches your eye and attention?

18. Brief Summary… With the modern day devices such as desktop/laptop/portable computers, PDA’s (Personal Digital Assistant), cell or mobile phones, and of course with multimedia devices provide the learners today have many advantages. Taking advantage of these tools and incorporating them in our lives make e-learning so versatile because most of them can be done from almost anywhere and at any time. Multitasking and networking become an everyday occurrence. Sense it is so open the standards are approached differently and of course the terminology has changed. The actual standards have become best practices involving etiquette and netiquette, addressing diverse cultural experiences, and attention to learners disabilities which of course involves all the legalities that come with it.

19. References Rustici software. (n.d.). SCORM Explained. Retrieved Oct.16, 2009 from http://www.scorm.com/scorm-explained/ http://www.scorm.com/scorm-explained/ Advanced Distributed Learning. (n.d.). ADL Initiative Introduction. Retrieved Oct.16, 2009 from http://www.adlnet.gov/Pages/Default.aspxhttp://www.adlnet.gov/Pages/Default.aspx Horton, William. (2006). E-Learning by Design. San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer Wright, F. D. (2009). Introduction to Algebra (Sixth Edition). Hawkes Learning Systems: Hawkes