Badrul H. Khan

Badrul H. Khan

Exploring What We Know Exploring What We Know About the Capacity of About the Capacity of Educational Tools to Educational Tools to Improve Education QualityImprove Education Quality toto Promote LearningPromote Learning

National Instructional Design Workshop: Improving the Quality of Education through Good Instructional Design

November 2-4, 2006, Bangalore, India

http://badrulkhan.com/khan

““India has the capacity India has the capacity to become a major to become a major e-Learning hub with its e-Learning hub with its IT prowess and strong IT prowess and strong education system”education system”

(Badrul Khan, 18 Nov, 2003, (Badrul Khan, 18 Nov, 2003, Times of India).).(Please remove the source from the slide)(Please remove the source from the slide)

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/288661.cms

If we can meaningfully If we can meaningfully integrateintegrate TechnologyTechnology withwith PedagogyPedagogy, then , then India will be a world India will be a world leader inleader in ee--learninglearning..

TechnologyTechnologyPedagogyPedagogy

((IInstructional nstructional DDesign)esign)

Designing and delivering e-learning requires Designing and delivering e-learning requires thoughtful analysis and investigation, combined thoughtful analysis and investigation, combined with an understanding of both the Internet and with an understanding of both the Internet and digital technologies’ capabilities and resources digital technologies’ capabilities and resources and the ways in which and the ways in which instructional designinstructional design principles can be applied to tap the Internet principles can be applied to tap the Internet and digital technology potential (Khan, 1997).and digital technology potential (Khan, 1997).

E-Learning E-Learning deals with deals with openopen and and distributeddistributed learning environment, different than our learning environment, different than our traditional traditional closedclosed system of Instructor-led system of Instructor-led classroomclassroom-based instruction.-based instruction.

E-Learning can be viewed as an E-Learning can be viewed as an innovative approach for delivering innovative approach for delivering well-designed, learner-centered, well-designed, learner-centered, interactive, and facilitated learning interactive, and facilitated learning environment to anyone, anyplace, environment to anyone, anyplace, anytime by utilizing the attributes anytime by utilizing the attributes and resources of various digital and resources of various digital technologies along with other forms of technologies along with other forms of learning materials suited for open and learning materials suited for open and distributed learning environment.distributed learning environment.

Digitizing instructor-led classroom Digitizing instructor-led classroom content does not necessarily mean that content does not necessarily mean that you are creating meaningful e-learning you are creating meaningful e-learning materials. materials.

E-learning materials must be designed E-learning materials must be designed with proper instructional design with proper instructional design principles and learning theories by principles and learning theories by addressing critical issues encompassing addressing critical issues encompassing various dimensions of open and various dimensions of open and distributed learning environment.distributed learning environment.

To develop quality e-learning, we need policies and standards to participate in e-learning in India.

The government must play an important role in developing policies for e-learning design and implementation by following international instructional & technical standards.

A Framework for A Framework for Meaningful LearningMeaningful Learning

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Learning and teaching issuesInfrastructure, hardware and software Physical layout and navigation Content development and maintenanceAcademic, administrative & student services Ethical considerations in e-learningAssessment of learner, evaluation of learning environment

Learning

5. MANAGEMENT5.1 E‑Learning Content Development5.2 E-Learning Maintenance

6. RESOURCE SUPPORT6.1 Online support6.2 Resources

7. ETHICAL7.1 Social and Political Influence7.2 Cultural Diversity7.3 Bias7.4 Geographical diversity7.5 Learner diversity7.6 Digital Divide7.7 Etiquette7.8 Legal issues

8. INSTITUTIONAL8.1 Administrative Affairs8.2 Academic affairs8.2 Student services

1. PEDAGOGICAL1.1 Content Analysis1.2 Audience Analysis1.3 Goal Analysis 1.4 Medium Analysis1.5 Design approach1.6 Organization1.7 Methods and Strategies

2. TECHNOLOGICAL2.1 Infrastructure planning2.2 Hardware2.3 Software

3. INTERFACE DESIGN3.1 Page and site design3.2 Content design3.3 Navigation3.4 Accessibility 3.5 Usability testing

4. EVALUATION4.1 Assessment of learners 4.2 Evaluation of the

instruction & learning environmenthttp://BooksToRead.com/framework/dimensions.htm

http://bookstoread.com/framework/scroller.htm

Pedagogical Content Audience Goals Medium Medium Design Organization Methods

What types of content are appropriate to teach via a variety of e-learning approaches?


• Who are the learners?

Does the institution have adequate information about the learners?

Pedagogical Content Audience Goals &

Objectives Medium Medium Design Organization Methods

Do we provide clear expectations of what the student is required to do?

Goal Umbrella Objectives Spokes of an Umbrella


Doe we utilize multimedia attributes of the Internet and digital technologies? - text - audio - video - graphics - other (specify)


• What is the instructor’s role?

- more facilitative than didactic

- more didactic than facilitative

- a combination of both


• Does your e-learning or Computer Aided learning program provide a sense of continuity? (e.g., each unit of the lesson builds on the previous unit, etc.)


• Does your e-learning program promote Inside Collaboration by providing a supportive environment for asking questions, clarifying directions, suggesting or contributing resources and working on joint projects with class members?

Technological Infrastructure

Planning Hardware Software

Do you have personnel who can assist learners to set up for starting the course?

Technological Infrastructure

Planning Hardware Software

Are the hardware & software requirements for the e-learning program clearly stated?

Interface DesignPage and Site

DesignContent DesignNavigationAccessibility Usability

Testing

Do the appearance and functionality of the screen look good?



Testing

Does the design follow “one idea per paragraph” rule?



Testing

Does the program provide structural aids or site map to guide learner’s navigation?



Testing

Is the program designed to be accessible by a wider user population?

(A common accessibility concern in the USA -- Is the course 508 compliant?)



Testing

How quickly users find answers to the most frequently asked questions in the program?

Evaluation Assessment of

Learners Evaluation of

Instruction & Learning Environment

Does the program have a mechanism in which a learner can be truly measured and not cheat?

Evaluation Assessment of

Learners Evaluation of

Instruction & Learning Environment

Does the program have a system to accept students evaluation of the following? - content - instructor - learning environment - learning resources - course design - technical support

Management Content

Development

Maintenance

Is there a project support site for e‑learning production team?

Management Content

Development

Maintenance

Does the program notify students about any changes in due dates or other course relevant matters (e.g., server down) via following means?- e-mail- announcement page- alert boxes- running footer added to a page- phone call- mail

Resource Support Online

Support Resources

Does the course providetroubleshooting (or expert technical support from specialized staff) assistance or a help line?

Resource Support Online

Support Resources

Does the program provide examples of previous student's work available in digitized format?

EthicalSocial/Political

InfluenceCultural DiversityBiasGeographical

DiversityLearner DiversityDigital DivideEtiquetteLegal Issues

Does the institution have to get approval from any external entities (who can serve as political barriers) to implement e-learning?




To improve cross-cultural verbal communication and avoid misunderstanding, does the program make an effort to reduce or avoid the use of jargon, idioms, ambiguous or cute humor, and acronyms?




Does the program present more than one viewpoint on controversial issues?




Is the program offered to geographically diverse population? If yes ...

Is the program sensitive about students from different time-zones (e.g. synchronous communications are scheduled at reasonable times for all time zones represented)?




Is the program designed to have patience for learners who adapt to individualized distributed learning environment slower than others?




Information accessibility issue must be expressed in terms of digital “haves” and “have nots,” a gap expressed in the term “digital divide.”

Is the digital divide issue considered in designing the e‑learning content?




• Does the program provide any guidance to learners on how to behave and post messages in online discussions so that their postings do not hurt others’ feelings?




Does the program get students’ permission to post any of the following on the Web?- students’ photographs - students’ projects

(An excerpt from a listserv posting by Kathy Murrell of South Africa):

“In multiple choice questions the selected option was marked by a "tick" symbol (as apposed to a "cross" sorry no ascii equivelent). I presume the American equivelent to be a check mark, but for most South Africans' this represents the mark next to a correct answer, - it was most disconcerting to get an error or wrong message next to the mark and many students may not even bother to read the message as they would presume it to be the correct answer. “

Institutional

Administrative Affairs

Academic Affairs

Student Services

Is the institution ready to offer e-learning?

Institutional


Academic Affairs

Student Services

Does the e-learning prgram provide academic quality such as one would expect in a traditional course?

Institutional

Are instructor/tutor and technical staff available during online orientation (if any)?


Academic Affairs

Student Services

Within the scope of today’s presentation, I have presented few learning issues in the form of questions that you can ask yourself when planning, designing, evaluating or implementing meaningful e‑learning.

As the scope of e‑learning design expands, design projects change from one-person operations to complex team efforts. The Meaningful Learning Framework can be used to ensure that no important essential factor is omitted from the design of e‑learning, whatever its scope or complexity.

India has the greatest potential for e-learning.

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Learning

The Meaningful Learning Framework can provide guidance in the design, development, evaluation and implementation of:- e-Learning Programs- Blended-Learning Programs- Distance Education Programs- Virtual Universities- Learning Management Systems- Learning Content Management Systems

Furthermore, the Framework can be used by the Ministry of Education to formulate and evaluate:- Virtual Education Policies for Education- Accreditation Criteria for eLearning Programs- Technology Infrastructure for eLearning Programs- Research Funding Criteria for eLearning Projects- National Orientation Plan for eLearners- Online Faculty and Staff Training

Ideas for preparing e-learning Ideas for preparing e-learning professionals in India …professionals in India …

There is a tremendous There is a tremendous needneed for educational and training for educational and training professionals in the Indian professionals in the Indian sub-continent to have sound sub-continent to have sound Instructional DesignInstructional Design skills to create meaningful skills to create meaningful learning materials.learning materials.

Need to see more and more professionals in the Indian sub-continent trained in

Instructional Design and e-Learning to improve education quality using locally available technology tools.

Looking forward to the bright future of e-learning in India.

Questions and comments?

http://BadrulKhan.com/khan




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Badrul H. Khan