Section 7

Distributed Learning

California State University's Center for Distributed Learning offers distributed learning via virtual institutions.

Hybrid courses combine face-to-face instruction with online learning. The University of Wisconsin's Learning Technology Center offers hybrid courses.

A virtual class is offered via the Internet, usually live and interactive, offering the advantages of a real-life course from the comfort of your own home! The Orange County Library System offers a virtual computer course for its patrons.

An example of skills-based training is located at Goodwill Community Foundation, which features computer skills lessons.

Academic Earth provides knowledge-based learning through their Introduction to Psychology video courses.

Rich Media

The following videos use rich media to show you what rich media is and how it can affect instruction & learning!

What is Rich Media:

The Sensory Effect of Media:

Rich Media in Practice:

Putting It All Together:

Reusability

I've taken many professional development courses throughout my teaching career. Some have been more useful than others. Thinking back, I distinctly remember a professional development session called "Let's Get Organized." This course stands out to me because I was able to use and apply the information afterward. Almost 5 years after the fact, I continue to use the ideas and suggestions of the teacher because they were practical and useful. Unfortunately, they don't all stand out in such a positive light. I think I've tried to block out some of the other ones--or perhaps I've forgotten them altogether because my brain has since filled those spots with more useful information! In general, I think the key to reusability is delivering information that lives up to its name--it's reusable! Instead of offering vague concepts or ideas, offer applications of how it can be used. In my case, how it can be used in the classroom. The "why" behind it might be important, but I more need the "how." For example, rather than telling me why poetry is important for students, give me practical applications of how I can incorporate it in my classroom in a meaningful and engaging way. That's something I can take with me and reuse!

Nanotechnology

The edition of the textbook I have does not address nanotechnology, so I did some research on my own and found out that some possible, potential uses for nanotechnology include inventions such as less-visible sunscreen and stain-resistant clothing. I would definitely support the creation of these items given that I am a very fair-skinned clumsy person!

Two Roads

I tend to lean more toward the broad and inclusive road when it comes to instructional design and technology. As it says in the textbook, "In such a design space, where a single, general process model...cannot provide the direction required to transform from goal state to end state, scholars across many disciplines are establishing new value for broad design knowledge."

Similar to the rich media concept, I think instructional design & technology will benefit from implementing ideas, concepts, and innovations across a broad spectrum.

Section 6

Help Wanted!

Self-Assessment

I completed the assessment at http://www.careerinfonet.org/skills/default.aspx

Initially I chose to do the Skills Profile to see what jobs matched my skill set. Apparently I think very highly of myself because the scores were off the chart and it couldn't find a job that suited my skills! So then I chose the profession I'm aspiring to enter (Librarian) and found that I matched 33 of 38 skills required (suggested) for that career. Many of the skills I wouldn't have if it weren't for graduate school, so it definitely confirmed for me that the courses I'm in are properly preparing me for my future career! If that doesn't work out, though...there's always meter reading!

Professional Organizations

Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT)

Mission: To facilitate humane learning through the systematic development, utilization, and management of learning resources, which include people, processes, and media in educational settings.

Cost of membership: New regular membership is $125

Publications: Educational Technology Research & Development, TechTrends

Conferences & meetings: AECT 2012 International Convention (Learning in the Age of Globalization), 2012 Research Symposia

Professional development: Opportunities listed here

Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education

Mission: Advancing Information Technology in Education and E-Learning research, development, learning, and its practical application.

Cost of membership: Professional membership=$125, Student membership=$45

Publications: Listed here

Conferences & Meetings: Global Time, SITE 2012, EdMedia, E-Learn

American Society of Training and Development (ASTD)

Mission: Empower professionals to develop knowledge & skills successfully.

Cost of membership: $199 per year

Publications: Too many to list! Find them here

Conferences & Meetings: ASTD 2012 International Conference, Telling Ain't Training, Learning Transfer, Learn Now, among others listed here

Professional development: Opportunities listed here

Professional Publications

American Educational Research Journal

Focus/Goal: The American Educational Research Association (AERA), a national research society, strives to advance knowledge about education, to encourage scholarly inquiry related to education, and to promote the use of research to improve education and serve the public good.

Submission guidelines: Guidelines for contributions are outlined here

Is the journal peer reviewed? Yes

Is the journal online? Yes

Educational Technology Publications

Focus/Goal: Publishes articles interpreting research and practical applications of scientific knowledge in education and training environments

Submission Guidelines: Located here

Is the journal peer reviewed? No

Is the journal online? No

I was familiar with AECT, but very few of the other ones. The organizations and publications are both really useful in staying apprised of the latest and greatest technologies & concepts in the field of instructional design and educational technology so I can stay up-to-date, relevant, and marketable.

Competencies

My 4th edition of the textbook does not have the same list of competencies as the other edition, so once again, I had to do some separate research on my own. I came across this list from the International Board of Standards for Training, Performance, and Instruction. I highlighted the standards that I felt were the most relevant or important in showing mastery in the field of instructional design.

Section 5

Rapid Prototyping

In my classroom, I often use prototypes as examples for student products so they can see a sample of a high-quality product. Additionally, I may create an assignment, project, or unit, and may revise as needed after seeing how it can be made better. For example, I've recently started conducting Literature Circles within my class. The students read a book, complete a job for that section, then the group meets to discuss it. After the first round, I realized that some items on their job sheets and on my rubric could be changed to make the assignment more effective & meaningful and my grading rubric more valid & reliable. Since I created the job sheets & rubrics on the computer, it's easy to make the necessary changes.

Instructional Design for Military

I find it a little hard to believe that electronic access is not always available in this day and age...Surely the military can find ways to have training programs available to its troops via some technological means, whether through an actual computer, iPad, smart phone, etc. Even Internet access could most likely be achieved through satellites. In terms of having electricity to charge such devices, it seems like solar powered devices could be developed (if they're not already!) According to the Full Spectrum Design, they work their way through classroom training, garrison/base, then on to deployment. The transition from place to place can be very rapid, so it's important that the instruction and training be effective & efficient. I thought it was interesting that the text mentioned researching the ethnicities often associated with various military jobs and finding out how those ethnicities are able to learn best. Research such as that could be very informative in streamlining the learning process. Additionally, conducting tests to find out if trainees are visual or auditory learners could determine how they will best learn, then incorporate those methods into the training program.

SUTE and GSTE Methodologies

Unfortunately, I only have access to the 4th edition of the textbook, which apparently does not have information about the Step-Up-To-Excellence methodology. So I had to do some additional research to become informed!

As I was reading I came across this diagram:

I have to be honest--I laughed out loud when I saw Step 1 (Redesign the entire district.) Wow. That seems...daunting! That doesn't really occur to me as a one-step process! More like a one hundred step process! Obviously there is a lot of behind-the-scenes and much pre-launch preparation that the typical employee would be involved in. So to present this idea at the campus level, I would most likely show them the very basic formation steps that will help them to grasp the concept. The following comes from Francis M. Duffy's Step-Up-To-Excellence: A Change Navigation Protocol for Transforming School Systems (http://cnx.org/content/m13656/latest/)

Step 1: Redesign the Entire School District (cue gasps and/or skeptical laughter!)

A. Improve the district's relationship with external environment, improving relationships with key stakeholders

B. Improve the district's core work (teaching and learning) and supporting work (secretarial, administrative, cafeteria, building maintenance work, etc.) processes

C. Improve the district's internal social infrastructure (organization design, policies & procedures, reward systems, communication, etc.)

Step 2: Create Strategic Alignment

This step works to insure that all stakeholders are on board and working toward a common goal.

Step 3: Evaluate Whole-District Performance

This step is meant to measure the success of the newly formed framework and create evaluative data to help determine successes and failures. This leads back to the first step to create important changes throughout the district.

Inevitably, there are going to be some concerns & objections, so it's important that the key players in the new initiative present a strong, unified front and work hard to make the process as streamlined and as painless as possible. There are success scenarios & statistics that can be shown to help cast a vision and hope! :)

GSTE is more of a concept than a regimented program. It seems that GSTE and the SUTE methodologies could go hand-in-hand. In redesigning the district or campus, it's important that the primary stakeholders have a large part in the changes being made. According to Banathy's Influence on the Guidance System for Transforming Education, commitment to participation is one of the core values, so it's important for the administrators, faculty, & staff to be on board with the plan. To initiate this process, I think it would be important to get the ideas, perspective, and opinions of the faculty to see what is important to them--what's going right and what could be improved. The results could then be analyzed by a committee (probably the Campus Improvement Committee) to see what needs to be worked on. Teams could then be formed to begin brainstorming and implementing necessary or desired changes.

You say Faculty Development, I say Professional Development

I started by researching my alma mater: Texas A&M University (Whoop!)

The most common term I saw used for Faculty Development was Professional Development.

The Office of the Dean of Faculties and Associate Provosts offers monthly professional development workshops and seminars with pretty interesting names such as "Teaching Naked: Embracing technology outside of the classroom and teaching change inside the classroom." There were also several sessions geared toward helping faculty members "Demystify the Tenure and Promotion Process." The DoF office also serves newcomers with their New Faculty Orientation.

The Center for Teaching Excellence ( a division of the Office of the Dean of Faculties and Associate Provosts) also assists in helping the faculty grow through academies, workshops, consultations, and conferences. Their "What We Do for You" section of their website outlines the many practical offerings of their office.

The University of Texas at Austin offers faculty development opportunities such as consulting, course transformation program, and course instructor survey through its Center for Teaching + Learning. Workshops, conferences, and events are also held throughout the semesters as opportunities for growth. Their website also contains video archives of their Academic Transformation Speaker Series so faculty can access those on their own time.

I also researched Rice University's Faculty Development and, quite honestly, found it a little difficult to locate information on it. There is one section of their Faculty Handbook titled Faculty Development, which addresses their leave and sabbatical leave procedures because "faculty members are expected to pursue a lifetime of productive scholarship, Rice University is committed to helping its faculty develop and grow."

Even at the collegiate level {and beyond} it's important to constantly be reflecting and pursuing opportunities to further develop your thinking and skill set!

Section 4

Human Performance Improvement

The following chart from chapter 14 outlines some possible issues and interventions that could be implemented to improve performance.

At our elementary school, there have been some issues with the special ed referral process. In the past, if you thought your student might be dyslexic, you talked directly with the dyslexia teacher. For speech, the teacher went straight to the speech teacher. This created some confusion, miscommunication, potentially unnecessary testing, duplications, etc. So this year, a new student review committee was formed to streamline the referral process. Now, when teachers have concerns about a student or would like to request testing, the teacher will fill out a standard set of forms (now known around campus as "the green folder") and the committee meets every other week to discuss the concerns and possible interventions. This process has made referrals much more organized, efficient, and effective across campus.

Electronic Performance Support Solutions

Chapter 15 of the textbook defines a performance support system as: a system that provides performers with varying levels of access to support information and tools at the moment of need.

An alternate definition is: A computer-based system that improves worker productivity by providing on-the-job access to integrated information, advice, and learning experiences.

Definition obtained from: Raybould, B. (1990), Solving human performance problems with computers a case study: Building an electronic performance support system. Performance + Instruction, 29: 4–14. doi: 10.1002/pfi.4160291004

Another definition: An interactive computer-based environment that is intended to facilitate and/or improve human problem solving capability within some target application domain.

Definition obtained from:

Designing Electronic Performance Support Systems

Philip Barker, Ashok Banerji
Innovations in Education & Training International
Vol. 32, Iss. 1, 1995

I, personally, like the definition from the textbook the best. I think the alternate definitions are too specific in their use of the phrase "computer-based" since the support system may be obtained in other formats. I also like how the textbook clarifies that the support may come in the form of information or tools. I can't say that the textbook definition is perfect. I understand it's a definition, not necessarily an objective, but I appreciate how the alternate definitions provide the purpose or outcome of the electronic performance support systems in order to clarify not just what it is, but also why.

It is possible that EPSS have not been widely implemented due to certain technical, economic, social, political, and legal factors, as mentioned in the text. I do, however, believe these systems may become more prominent in the future due to some of those factors lessening, such as the availability of certain technologies that can make it easier to access the support systems. Additionally, the cost factor will probably go down as technology improves and increases.

Knowledge Management

The best use of knowledge management that I can think of is the ability to share data electronically across the campus and district. We use a program called Cognos that makes data retrieval easy by teacher, by class, by student, by campus...there are many queries that can be run. It is nice to be able to track students' progress, test scores, and other demographic information, even if they have moved around. The information is able to be accessed by the teacher, principal, or curriculum specialist to efficiently and effectively obtain data and needed information.

Informal Learning

For some reason, it was a little difficult to think of a scenario in which I was engaged in informal learning. It's almost because the scope is too broad--I feel like I'm always learning, both formally and informally! I enjoy learning, so I'm always on the look-out or listen-out for new and interesting facts, asking questions, looking things up, etc. One thing that springs to mind where I learn quite a bit by "accident" is through recreational reading. Books that we read for "fun" are often great sources of information, albeit very subtle sources, at times. This occurred to me last week when I was taking my librarian certification test. There was a question about a certain author that I had not come across in my official studies, but I knew of her only because I had read several of her books when I was little. Also, there were some questions about technology devices that I had heard of nowhere else but in real-life experiences. It seems to me informal learning is constantly happening to us and around us, even if we aren't seeking it out. Often, we do seek out information based on hobbies and interests. For example, I enjoy sewing. I have never received any formal instruction, but I have sought the help of my sister, online tutorials, blogs, etc. It usually doesn't feel like "learning" because I'm enjoying it. You know that "lost in the book" feeling? It's kind of like that--lost in the learning!

Section 3

MODELS FOR EVALUATION

Evaluation models such as the CIPP and Kirkpatrick models, as well as the two below, are useful in evaluating the success of instructional design and instructional programs. It is important to reflect on the success of a lesson or program so that successes can be celebrated, but also so that the program can be continually be made better.

After all, if better is possible, then good is not enough!

TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION

Our school recently purchased several iPod Touches. I was excited about the prospect of incorporating them into my instruction and having students use them independently. One way I thought they would be useful was to record tests so students requiring oral accommodations (based on their IEP) could perform “independently” while still receiving the necessary modifications. With budget cuts came the loss of many paraprofessionals in the classroom to help with such tasks and I find that when I have to read tests to them, other students have questions, resulting in many interruptions. I investigated some options on how to feasibly record things via various software, apps, etc. There seemed to be a lot of obstacles, such as converting recordings to be compatible with the iPod, the ability of students to stop and start recordings as needed based on their pace, and the efficiency of recording multiple tests each time it was needed. After a few failed attempts, I decided at that point it was more efficient and effective to simply read them aloud. I’m not saying I’ve given up forever! Just at this point, there are a few other things on my priority list.

SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP

To facilitate the professional development, I, as the leader, will follow the process of the 4-Phase model. From the diagrams below, you can see that the experience of the participants and the amount of guidance from leadership are an inverse relationship. Where one is strong, the other is usually weak or lessened.

Phase 1: The participants will most likely have little confidence or knowledge in the subject matter. Therefore, the role of leadership is stronger and more hands-on.

Phase 2: The participants are becoming more comfortable with the subject matter and are gaining confidence. The leader is still very much present in order to clarify decisions, monitor progress, and give feedback the participant's or group's work.

Phase 3: The balance starts to shift in this phase. The participants are much more experienced, confident, and independent, so the need for a strong leadership presence lessens slightly.

Phase 4: In this final phase, the leader is still present, but more as a monitor. The participants are primarily self-sufficient and independent. It is important to note that the leader must still maintain communication.

In all phases, there is a fine line and balance of the participants' roles and the leadership's role. Too much or too little of either thing can make the balance topple!

Section 2

Learning Theories Lesson

113.14.B.17(C) Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of valid sources, including electronic technology. The student is expected to...distinguishbetween fact and opinion...

Objective: The learner will distinguish between fact and opinion statements using a variety of methods, including the Lt. Pigs acronym, catalog activity, and an interactive technology activity.

To introduce the concept of fact and opinion, the teacher will begin by asking students what the best tv show/movie/song is. Ideally, students will answer with differing opinions. Then the teacher will ask a question that has only one valid answer, such as, "How many legs does a dog have?" or "What color is my shirt?"Discuss the difference between the first and second questions. The first allowed for different answers because everyone felt differently--they had different opinions. The second only allows for one answer because it can be proven--it's a fact. Students will take notes in their Reading spiral, noting the definition of a fact (something that can be proven) and opinion (a person's beliefs or feelings, which may not be true for everyone.) Students will also write the acronym Lt. Pigs to help them remember the various words that can signal an opinion. The acronym is as follows:

Love (Hate)

Terrible (Terrific)

Pretty (Ugly)

Important

Good (Bad)

Strong Words (all, everyone)

In partners, students will create Wordles (www.wordle.net) featuring opinion signal words.

As a class, students will use the SMARTBoard to complete the "Binky's Fact & Opinion" game located at: http://pbskids.org/arthur/games/factsopinions/factsopinions.html

Immediate feedback is provided by the game, plus the teacher will be there to observe students' understanding and also provide feedback.

To practice locating facts & opinions, students will use catalogs and document their fact & opinion findings on a T-chart graphic organizer. The teacher will model the activity for students before sending them off to independently complete the assignment. The catalog assignment will be used to assess students' understanding and ability to distinguish between facts & opinions.

This lesson incorporates the Cognitive Information Processing Theory through...

• activating students' schema
• giving the opportunity to absorb information and practice in a variety of contexts
• providing an acronym to help learners retain information

The lesson incorporates the Behavioral Learning Theory through...

• repeated instruction
• repeated practice
• the ability of the teacher to observe the students' understanding
• providing immediate feedback during the interactive game

Gagne vs. Merrill

The following model compares Gagne's 9 Events of Instruction (found here) with Merrill's First Principles, aligning the similar steps in each model.

Application of Merrill's First Principles to Fact & Opinion Lesson

Task-Centered Principle: The lesson centers around a task-centered objective of successfully being able to distinguish between facts & opinions

Demonstration Principle: The teacher demonstrates and guides students through kinds-of examples to show the difference between facts & opinions through the use of the Lt. Pigs mnemonic. Additionally, the interactive fact & opinion game is content-related media that allows learners to observe the demonstration.

Application Principle: Practice and corrective feedback is provided through the interactive fact & opinion game.

Activation Principle: The initial questioning of the students' opinions of the best movie and factual questions helps to engage students and activate their schema and previous experiences, which they share with the class. They also organize their new knowledge of opinion signal words through the mnemonic and Wordle.

Integration Principle: The catalog activity allows students to use their new skills of distinguishing between facts & opinions, which is a real-world example of how they would apply the skill, to know what is true, factual information and what is a persuasive technique to get them to purchase items.

Whole-task approach: The whole task approach focuses on the overall task or goal, increasing in complexity as students progress in their competency of the skill. The fact & opinion lesson applies the whole-task method by focusing on the ultimate skill--distinguishing between the two types. Students practice identifying more simple facts & opinions then move on to independently identifying them in real-world situations (the catalog activity.)

Scaffolding: The fact & opinion lesson uses the scaffolding model in that the teacher initially models and observes students' understanding, students then work with partners, then independently. The involvement of the teacher decreases as students' understanding increases.

Mathemagenic method: The fact & opinion lesson allows for the transfer of skills to real-world situations when the students use the catalog and determine factual descriptions of products vs. opinions that are intended to persuade them to buy something. Additionally, the mnemonic device helps students to remember the opinion signal words, which can be transferred, helping students to identify opinions independently and across multiple situations.

The ARCS Model

Attention: It is necessary to grab the attention of the students (or general listeners. Without their attention, there is no point in going on! The sky is the limit when it comes to grabbing your listener's attention--be creative! Incorporate the elements of surprise, humor, or a personal anecdote. When they can make a personal connection to you, the speaker, there is a higher likelihood of them connecting to the information being presented.

Relevance: Again, connecting to the information is a huge part of listeners being able to retain information. Establishing a purpose and use for the information will, in turn, give the listener a purpose for learning the information, as they understand how it can be used presently and in the future. After all, if there is no need for it in the future, why should they learn it in the present?

Confidence: Students need to feel confident in their ability to complete the task at hand. If they are set up to succeed, then they will succeed. The objective and assessment requirements need to be made known to students so they can assess their own success. This will also give them confidence that what they are pursuing is what they need to be pursuing. Learners need to have a degree of confidence in their abilities, as to avoid a point of frustration that will cause them to give up.

Satisfaction: Learners need to feel a sense of satisfaction in their performance. This can be provided through feedback, affirmation, or motivation, both extrinsic and intrinsic.

The following two [very entertaining!] videos (from thefuntheory.com) show what can happen when a little motivation and satisfaction are thrown into [no pun intended!] an otherwise menial task:

I'm already seeing the benefits of design research as I plan lessons for my third graders! Sometimes administrators require certain parts to be included in the written lesson plans, many of which follow the models that have been discussed in this course. Without knowing the reasoning behind the various instructional design elements, the components might seem insignificant. I'm finding that I do a lot of things naturally in my lessons, but finding out more about instruction is causing me to be more intentional as I plan & teach, which is increasing the value and effectiveness of my teaching and my students' learning!

Section 1

Reflect on the definitions the book has provided and develop your own definition as it relates to your work environment.

The definitions of instructional technology has evolved as much as the technology itself has over the years. I think it's important to continually reflect, both personally and professionally, so it only makes sense that definitions of technology-related concepts should, as well.

As a teacher, instruction and technology go hand in hand. I know from personal experience how technology can enhance instruction, facilitate learning, and help students apply what they have learned. Based on my experience, I have formed the following definition of instruction technology:

Instructional technology uses a combination of the teacher, media, and technological resources to facilitate learning and apply knowledge & skills for the purpose of improving instruction, learning, and performance.

The following Wordle contains a combination of concepts from the definition of instructional technology through the years:

Study the Dick, Carey and Carey model of instructional design. Redesign the model excluding and/or adding components as needed. Describe how the model adheres to the six characteristics of instructional design and how it fits in your work environment relating to your definition of instructional design.

1. Instructional design is student-centered: The model focuses on the needs of the students.

2. Instructional design is goal oriented: The ultimate question that is asked is, "Have the goals of the project been attained?" At that point, the cycle goes back to conducting a needs assessment, allowing for a new process to occur.

3. Instructional design focuses on meaningful performance: The performance of both the deliverer (the teacher) and the recipient (the student) needs to be meaningful.

4. Instructional design assumes outcomes can be measured in a reliable and valid way: The objective written based on the needs assessment, performance problem, and goal should be measurable so that the outcome can be assessed to determine if the goals of the project have been attained.

5. Instructional design is empirical, iterative, and self-correcting: The instructional design model encourages empirical evidence of the desired outcome, the flow is repetitive, and allows for self-correction in the evaluation phase in order to improve performance.

6. Instructional design is typically a team effort: In an optimal situation, the Instructional Design Model is implemented using the efforts, skills, and resources of a team, such as teachers, librarians, and instructional specialists.

The school or education setting offers a prime example of how the Instruction Design Model can be implemented. Often unknowingly, I do follow these steps when planning instruction for my classroom. It seems to be a natural progression of steps that build upon one another.

In Chapter 3, there is discussion on how the Internet and World Wide Web will have a major influence on the way instruction is delivered to learners. Based on what you know about these technological innovations combined with what you have read about the history of instructional films, television, the computer and more, discuss how technology is generally used in the field of education and how you foresee technology being used in the future in the following areas: K12 Education, Higher Education and Adult Education (continuing education). For example, think about how we are using the blog to capture learning in higher education. How could it be used in K12?

It's hard to say what is coming on the technology forefront. If you had asked me this question even just a few years ago, I probably wouldn't have been able to predict the technologies that are available today! My best guesses are as follows:

• Online higher education courses will continue to be an important means of instruction, but will most likely evolve as newer technologies become available.
• For K-12 education, I think online portfolios will become more popular, if not required, so that student work can be easily tracked from place to place, similar to student records.
• Particularly for high school students, I foresee online education becoming more popular for K-12 students.
• Online or computerized textbooks will probably be implemented.
• A dramatic increase in iPads and e-books will occur in libraries.

The extent of my knowledge of how to make certain technologies happen is limited, but one can dream, right? After all...

Today's dreams are tomorrow's realities!