1. Key Instructional Design Considerations for Distributed Learning Jeanne Farrington, CPT, Ed.D. J. Farrington Consulting Rossier School of Education University of Southern California ICT Immersive Training Workshop January 11, 2005 Marina Del Rey, California

2. Assuming that you have… Something your soldiers need to learn Something your soldiers need to learn A course goal A course goal Knowledge of relevant learner characteristics Knowledge of relevant learner characteristics Information about their prior knowledge Information about their prior knowledge Context information Context information Content to analyze and structure Content to analyze and structure Course objectives Course objectives

3. And, DL makes sense… Allows useful practice of the new knowledge and skills Allows useful practice of the new knowledge and skills Enables feedback (knowledge of results) to learners as they engage with the new knowledge and skills Enables feedback (knowledge of results) to learners as they engage with the new knowledge and skills Provides efficiencies and/or cost savings Provides efficiencies and/or cost savings

4. Then you’ll want to… Make the objectives clear Make the objectives clear Provide a strong rationale for learning Provide a strong rationale for learning Inspire confidence in the learner Inspire confidence in the learner Design for relevant content types Design for relevant content types Provide practice, practice, and more practice Provide practice, practice, and more practice Include useful feedback Include useful feedback

5. Why Clear Objectives? For the learner For the learner s Part of the advance organizer (activation) s Help with where to focus s Adults want to know where they are going s Helps with motivation For the designer and instructors For the designer and instructors s Narrowing down to necessary focus s Providing sufficient practice, feedback

6. Clear Objectives Conditions Action & Content Measures Conditions s Using the job aid s From memory Action & Content s Locate and repair the problem. s Write a learning objective. Measures s In 5 minutes or less s Including the following… s With 3 mistakes or fewer

7. Objectives Review You will know all the parts of your rifle. You will know all the parts of your rifle. You will prepare a weekly meal plan. You will prepare a weekly meal plan. You will be able to list useful cognitive strategies for learning at a distance within 5 minutes. You will be able to list useful cognitive strategies for learning at a distance within 5 minutes. You will be able to provide appropriate challenges and engagement in your DL designs. You will be able to provide appropriate challenges and engagement in your DL designs.

8. Why a Strong Rationale? You want to get their attention and interest early You want to get their attention and interest early Adult learners want to know: Adult learners want to know: s Why should I learn this? s What makes it important? s What happens if I don’t learn this? 50% of learners (or more) do not complete distance learning programs 50% of learners (or more) do not complete distance learning programs They often need help to persist with the program They often need help to persist with the program

9. Provide a Strong Rationale This is important because… This is important because… s It will help you to be more effective s It could save your life This will be of use to you because… This will be of use to you because… s Knowing this, you’ll be able to advance s You need this course for your job This will satisfy your curiosity about… This will satisfy your curiosity about… s You may have wondered why s Haven’t you always wondered how

10. Rationale Practice Do I want to? Do I want to? s Importance s Utility s Interest Do I feel like it? Do I feel like it?

11. Why Inspire Confidence? Again, high drop-out rate for DL courses Again, high drop-out rate for DL courses Learners must believe they can be successful Learners must believe they can be successful Learning requires effort Learning requires effort s If the course seems too difficult, the learners will drop out s If it seems too easy, they will not invest effort So they need the right level of confidence (self-efficacy) So they need the right level of confidence (self-efficacy)

12. Inspire Confidence Refer to similar course they took and mastered (e.g., prerequisite) Refer to similar course they took and mastered (e.g., prerequisite) Connect with prior knowledge Connect with prior knowledge Design content in small, digestible chunks Design content in small, digestible chunks Provide ample opportunities to practice Provide ample opportunities to practice Provide immediate feedback Provide immediate feedback Allow more time, where needed Allow more time, where needed Design for mastery Design for mastery

13. Inspiring Confidence Practice This is similar to the course you took on… This is similar to the course you took on… Now we’re going to build on… Now we’re going to build on… Read through the following page and be ready to point out… Read through the following page and be ready to point out… Work on activities 1 and 2. For more practice… Work on activities 1 and 2. For more practice… Your answer is correct! Your answer is correct! Review until you are ready for the test Review until you are ready for the test Once you have mastered the practice exercises, then… Once you have mastered the practice exercises, then…

14. Why Consider Content Types? What to gather for content/task analysis What to gather for content/task analysis The right methods/strategies for teaching/learning activities The right methods/strategies for teaching/learning activities Helps you to match Helps you to match s Learning objectives s Information s Examples, practice s Test items How to test for mastery How to test for mastery

15. Design for Content Types Declarative knowledge Declarative knowledge Concepts Concepts Principles Principles Procedures Procedures Problem solving Problem solving Cognitive strategies Cognitive strategies Attitudes Attitudes Psychomotor skills Psychomotor skills

16. Declarative Knowledge Stuff you can declare, or talk about Stuff you can declare, or talk about Facts, lists, names, organized information Facts, lists, names, organized information s Your chain of command is… s The following countries border on the Iraq… s The biggest factors in the development of modern warfare were…

17. Declarative Knowledge Design Linking, chunking, clustering Pictures, models, maps, graphs Chronology, time periods, location, other patterns Tables, flowcharts, mind maps Elaborate with stories, examples…

18. Concepts Sets of Sets of s Objects s Ideas s Events With characteristics in common and With characteristics in common and That share a common name That share a common name s Grenade, weapon s Cleanliness, order s March, deployment

19. Concept Design Definition, including critical attributes Clear and divergent examples Clear and close-in nonexamples Practice classifying examples and perhaps providing their own Military Transport

20. Principles Rules that help us to Rules that help us to s Predict what will happen s Explain things that happen s Control what will happen Generally involve cause and effect Generally involve cause and effect s If you pull the pin and let go, the grenade will explode. s If you do not plan for supplying the troops, the mission will be delayed or compromised.

21. Principle Design Present the principle Practice recognizing when to apply the principle Practice applying in a variety of situations Have them check their work

22. Procedures Steps to be taken to complete a certain task Steps to be taken to complete a certain task s Cleaning a rifle s Dressing a blister s Preparing a recipe

23. Procedure Design Show the beginning and end state of the procedure Present each step, demonstrate it, provide practice, give feedback Evaluate progress and final results

24. Problem-Solving Select and apply multiple principles (rules) Select and apply multiple principles (rules) s Troop supply planning s Medical triage s Map-reading s Instructional design

25. Problem-Solving Design Review types of problems to be solved—start simple Define range of goals and likely variables related to the problem Teach strategies for each type of problem Practice with case studies, job aids— easier to more complex

26. Cognitive Strategies How people manage their own learning How people manage their own learning s Organizing: outlining, underlining s Rehearsing: repetition for memorization s Elaborating: finding examples from one’s own experience

27. Cognitive Strategy Design Review when a strategy is useful Review steps Provide examples and nonexamples of strategy Provide practice and feedback using the strategy in a variety of situations

28. Attitudes Manifest as choices people make about what they will do Manifest as choices people make about what they will do s Choosing to observe safety rules s Providing friendly customer service s Showing respect for authority

29. Attitudes Design Provide a respected role model who demonstrates the desired behavior Teach how to do the new thing and why Provide practice, use role plays Provide positive feedback for the new behaviors

30. Psychomotor Skills Learning coordinated muscle movements Learning coordinated muscle movements s Typing s Suturing s Gestures for making presentations s Hand-to-hand combat s Driving a forklift

31. Psychomotor Skills Design Teach when to do the required action Demonstrate the skills Provide practice Provide feedback Make sure the learner can determine when to use these skills

32. Practice, Practice, Practice Pick one Pick one s Multiple choice s Checklists Fill-in-the blank Fill-in-the blank Matching Matching Clustering Clustering Roll-over for more information Roll-over for more information Draw or write on paper Draw or write on paper Context matters Practice on own With a group of learners With an instructor in real time (though distant) Hybrid solutions— part at a distance, part with an instructor present

33. Useful Feedback Feedback means “knowledge of results” Feedback means “knowledge of results” Right or wrong answer Right or wrong answer Why an answer is right or wrong Why an answer is right or wrong Additional instruction to treat misconceptions, lack of knowledge Additional instruction to treat misconceptions, lack of knowledge The more immediate, the better The more immediate, the better On the requisite steps On the requisite steps And on the whole task And on the whole task

34. Key Considerations Use objectives to focus design and learning efforts Use objectives to focus design and learning efforts Provide a strong rationale for learning Provide a strong rationale for learning Inspire confidence in the learner Inspire confidence in the learner Design for relevant content types Design for relevant content types Provide practice, practice, and more practice Provide practice, practice, and more practice Include useful feedback Include useful feedback