Planning for Distance Education Jim Lehman Educational Technology Purdue University

Planning

PLANNING is the key to success in a distributed learning environment. Determine what you want to teach, to whom, how you will do it, and how you will assess outcomes.

What is Planned? Philosophy Instructional model Content selection Course rationale Goals and objectives Prerequisite skills Syllabus Textbook Media Instructional strategies Presentation elements Readings and activities Assessments Grading system

Planning Topics Systems approach Preliminary planning Basic components Developing objectives Methods/activities Evaluation

Systems Approach

Systematic Approach

Initial Steps

Preliminary Planning

First, you need to determine your overall course goal. –What do you propose to offer? –To whom? –What instructional need are you fulfilling? How can you assess the need for a distance education course or module?

Preliminary Planning, cont’d. Audience analysis –Who do you expect your students to be? –Where are they located? –What are their characteristics? How can you analyze your audience for a distance education course?

Preliminary Planning, cont’d. Content analysis –Does the content for your course already exist or must it be created? –Will modification for distance delivery be necessary? –Can distance technologies be used to your advantage?

Preliminary Planning, cont’d. Delivery System Selection –What delivery system (e.g., videotape, live video, Internet) is available? –Which delivery system offers the best fit with your content and your audience? –How easy or difficult will it be to prepare your course for this delivery system? How will communication and course management be handled?

Basic Components of Effective Instruction

A Simplified View Objectives Activities Evaluation Objectives ActivitiesEvaluation

Developing Goals and Objectives Strategies for Identifying Student Outcomes

Goals Educational goals are broad, overall purposes or plans for a course. Start by thinking about goals for a course that you teach or plan to teach. State one goal for your course.

Objectives Educational objectives are more specific statements of what students will be able to do upon completion of the instruction. An example might be: “The student will be able to name four stages of mitosis and describe the processes that occur at each stage.”

Developing Objectives When designing instruction, it is common to specify objectives first, but it is also possible to define objectives based upon content/activities or evaluation. Objectives ActivitiesEvaluation

Objectives First Examine the discipline standards for your field. Basic competencies are often identified. Use those to write objectives. Check textbooks and teacher’s guides in the field. Assess the needs of courses that follow yours in the curriculum.

Content First Examine reference material (e.g., textbooks) and try to glean objectives from them. Make an outline of the course content you wish to cover. What are the most important points? What will you expect students to learn or be able to do?

Content First Identify how concepts relate to one another in your content. Concept mapping is a good technique. Mitosis Copies Cell Stages Important for Growth ProphaseMetaphaseAnaphaseTelophase

Evaluation First Examine your test and quiz questions. What do students need to know to answer them? Turn these into objectives. Review problem areas in previous students’ performance.

Writing Objectives Well-written objectives specify three component parts, although some parts are often assumed: –Performance –Conditions –Criteria

Example Given a diagram of a plant or animal cell, the student will be able to correctly label at least seven major cell organelles or structures. Write an objective for your own content area that includes performance, conditions, and criteria.

Developing Activities Strategies for Teaching at a Distance The audio is not working.

Instructional Methods Brainstorming activity: –What are instructional methods that can be used in on-campus courses?

Instructional Methods Lecture/presentation Discussion Interview Demonstration Role play Case study Brainstorming Writing Labs Reading Group project Discovery learning Drill / problems Tutorial Simulation Test / quiz

Instructional Methods Which instructional methods/strategies could not be utilized in a distributed learning setting? Why?

Distributed Learning Strategies Brainstorming activity: –How might traditional instructional activities be adapted for video delivery?

Distributed Learning Strategies l Brainstorming activity: –How might traditional instructional activities be adapted for web-based delivery?

Developing Evaluations Strategies for Assessing Student Learning at a Distance

Evaluation Methods l Brainstorming activity: –What are evaluation methods that can be used in on-campus courses?

Evaluation Methods Tests Quizzes Student projects or products Homework problems Questionnaires or surveys Lab reports Papers or other written work Performance or demonstration by students Simulation

Evaluation Methods l Which evaluation methods can be utilized in a distributed learning setting? How would they have to be modified, if at all?

Remember: Keep Components Parallel Objectives Activities Evaluation Activities should teach to the objectives, and evaluation should assess them.

The End