Converting to Distance Learning Web viewTechnical Training ... Text used in the traditional setting should be looked at and replaced with “graphics or word ... Learn the software

A B C C o m p a n y | A p r i l 2 0 1 5

B e s t P r a c ti c e s G u i d e

Converting to Distance Learning

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction............................................................................................................................... 3Module 1: Choose a Technology................................................................................................4Module 2: Communication.........................................................................................................9

Trainer Role..........................................................................................................................9Encourage Communication................................................................................................10

References............................................................................................................................... 11

Attachment A..................................................................................................................... 12

Converting to Distance LearningBest Practices Guide

INTRODUCTION If you have made it this far, you have already determined that online delivery makes sense for your project. If you have not, below is a quick reference to help you determine if online delivery is right for your project. The notes below are according to Laureate Education in a video called Delivery Analysis.

÷ Get a clear picture of the content and learning goals from the subject matter experts and stakeholders.

÷ Review the results of the job task analysis.

÷ Write down the delivery method you want to use, in order of preference.

÷ Apply your project constraints to your first choice of delivery methods and see if it will work. If it won’t eliminate it and move on to your second preference.

÷ Keep working through each of your preferred delivery methods until you find the one that will accommodate all the constraints of your training project.

Great Job! You are now ready to start Module 1.

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MODULE 1: CHOOSE A TECHNOLOGY“The key to success in an online classroom is not which technologies are used, but how they are used and what information is communicated using the technologies” (Simonson, et. al., 2012, pg. 115). This guide will help you determine best practices for converting traditional classroom training to a distance learning course.

Step 1: Assess Available Instructional TechnologiesDetermine the lowest common technology of all learners. This will help determine which technology that you can use when converting. Do this “by having students complete a survey in which they clearly identify the technologies that are available to them” (Simonson, et. al., 2012, pg. 116). See Appendix – Attachment A for a sample survey to use.

Determine lowest common technologies

Sample Survey

Use this survey to help determine if you have the appropriate technologies needed for your distance learning course. Answer each question and place an “X” in the appropriate box if you can or cannot do the task asked in the question.

YES NO

When you click on Internet Explorer, can you successfully go to www.google.com?

Once you are connected to the internet, go to Tools > About Internet Explorer.

Do you have version 11? If not, what version do you have?

Do you have Operating System for Windows 8? Follow this link to test your computer.

Do you have a webcam on your computer?

Do you have Adobe Reader IX? To test this go to your Start menu search for Adobe Reader and the numbers that are next to Adobe Reader will tell you what version it is.


http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/which-operating-system

http://www.google.com/


Step 2: Determine the Learning OutcomesLook at your current learning outcomes of your traditional course and determine how the same learning outcomes can be done be in an online environment. “More than likely (the students) will be expected to offer some kind of real-world project that gives an authentic assessment of what they learned” (Simonson, et. al., 2012, pg. 116). Do this be creating rubrics ahead of time so all students are aware of what they will be graded on.

Text used in the traditional setting should be looked at and replaced with “graphics or word pictures that are combinations of text and graphics that represent teaching concepts. Still pictures could be modified and upgraded to animations, and synchronous chats could be more effective by including a threaded discussion strategy that involve asking questions, collecting answers, asking follow-up questions, and selecting the most appropriate final responses” (Simonson, et. al., 2012, pg. 116).

Ensure learning outcomes work in an online environment

Replace text with graphics or word pictures

Replace traditional group discussions with threaded discussion forums



Step 3: Identify Learning Experiences and Match Each to the Most Appropriate Available Technology“Organize a course around themes or ideas that directly relate to student activities or learning activities…The learning activities would be content centered experiences such as reading assignments, PowerPoint presentations, and audio recordings, or learner-centered experiences, such as threaded discussions on specific topics, research assignments utilizing Web search engines, or self-tests” (Simonson, et. al., 2012, pg. 117).

For example, in a new hire course on the topic of learning a company’s products the module could look like this. There would be a reading assignment that has the new hires go to our external websites and read what is available online, read terms and conditions, and reviews of our products. From there, a threaded discussion pointed at different scenarios. So based on the customer, what product would you recommend? The third learning experience would be a PowerPoint or Prezi presentation (with audio) that has recorded interviews of how the products how benefited our employees and customers. Finally, the fourth learning experience would be to write a 1-2 page paper analyzing the competitors and what they sell and how they are priced that compares and contrasts our products versus there’s. In this example all could be done online without the need for anyone to be present in a traditional classroom.

Create modules around themes/ideas that directly relate to the learning activities



Step 4: Preparing the Learning Experiences for Online DeliveryThere are four strategies to potentially use in this step.

1. Linear-programmed instruction

÷ “Requires that all content be organized into concepts that are presented in blocks or chunks (Simonson, et. al., 2012, pg. 119). Students will learn the content, do a learning activity and then move on to the next chunk. This happen sequentially until all content is learned.

2. Branched-programmed instruction

÷ Similar to linear-programmed instruction strategy “except the self-tests are more sophisticated so students can branch ahead if they are exceptionally proficient or move to remediation if they are floundering” (Simonson, et. al., 2012, pg. 119).

3. Hyper-programmed instruction

÷ This allows students to “move through the learning activities at their own rate and pace, in a route they determine themselves” (Simonson, et. al, 2012, pg. 119). After each module the student has a final activity that must be done in order to move on to the next module.

4. Student-programmed instruction

÷ This is the loosest of the structures “where only the framework of the content is provided to online learners who are expected to provide the structure, outcomes, and sequence of learning activities” (Simonson, et. al., 2012, pg. 119).

NOTE: Traditional classroom cannot be created exactly like online, however, it needs to be equivalent.

“When teachers attempt to make instruction equal for all students, they will fail. Rather, the teacher of online instruction should provide a wide collection of activities that make possible equivalent learning experiences for students using an approach that recognizes the fundamental differences between learners, distant and local. Equivalency is more difficult but promises to be more effective” (Simonson, et. al., 2012, pg. 120).

Decide your strategy to deliver the online content



CHECKLIST

Listed below is a checklist that lists the bullets points from above when converting a traditional course to distance learning.

STEP LIST

STEP 1 Determine lowest common technologies

STEP 2 Ensure learning outcomes work in an online environment

Replace text with graphics or word pictures

Replace traditional group discussions with threaded discussion forums

STEP 3 Create modules around themes/ideas that directly relate to the learning activities

STEP 4 Decide your strategy to deliver the online content

For an all-encompassing list, see Attachment A. This list is a great resource to see if the organization is ready for the adoption of the blended learning environment.

Great Job! You are now ready to start Module 2.



MODULE 2: COMMUNICATIONHow does a trainer role change in a distance learning environment?

What steps should a trainer take to encourage trainees to communicate online?

Trainer RoleWhile the methods of teaching remain the same from a traditional classroom, there are some differences when it comes to teaching online. The tips below have been adopted from Laureate Education’s video called Facilitating Online Learning.

Tip #1: Learn the technology softwareLearn the software so you as a trainer become familiar with it so if your students have any questions, you can be their resource.

Tip #2: Review the lesson plan When preparing for a traditional classroom you review the lesson plan, give yourself even more time to review the lesson plan of an online course. Nothing like losing the participants because you don’t know what the activity is (Laureate Education). Spend time with the designer and SME to understand how it was designed and what to do when things go wrong.

Tip #3: Keep in constant contact with studentsWhile each learner learns at their own pace, it is the job of the trainer to be involved in an online environment. Post to discussion boards by responding to posts. Monitor discussion boards. Write weekly announcements.

Tip #4: Show the learners you care about their successA facilitator must participate in all synchronous and asynchronous environments. Send emails if someone is out. Ask them if everything is okay because you notice they are normally on time with all assignments.

The main difference between traditional and online is the simple fact of the technology. Your learners will not be there for you to visibly see their engagement. It will be difficult to see what’s going on with the learner because you don’t see them. Activities and applications are the heart and soul of an online course. If there is traditional lecture in the course, break it up by asking questions to keep them engaged. Use chat features if available or ask to send an email with response to the question or have a poll where everyone needs to respond. Content is critical but it’s the activities within the course that makes the content come alive.



Encourage CommunicationDiscussion in a distance learning environment is as essential as sugar in a cake. Discussions give students time to reflect before responding while simultaneously working with peers to enhance the learning (Simonson, et. al., 2012, pg. 156). According to Simonson, et. al. (2012) discussions are one of the most effective techniques to promote interaction. Having discussions can create a sense of community and that the students are in this together. To help make this happen, the instructor has a role of facilitator. “A rule of thumb for instructor’s involvement in threaded discussions recommends that early in a course, the instructor should post once for every 4 or 5 student postings, then as student take more responsibility for their own learning later in the course, the instructor might post once for each 10 to 12 student postings – primarily to keep the discussions on track” (Simonson, et. al., 2012, pg. 156). By just responding to discussion posts this will not create learners to think critically. Instructors must challenge learners to think beyond the question and support their findings to enhance the learning experience.

Case Study

This case study looked at the use of an online Blackboard site at University of Western Sydney where they wanted to use student feedback to provide evidence to support its effectiveness for encouraging students’ critical thinking. The literature suggested that the ability to critical think was dependent on their developmental levels, their experience with the technology used in academic settings and their levels of engagement (Carmichael, et. al, 2012, pg. 13). “Successful learning about critical thinking in an online environment is also contingent on the quality of online resources and tools. Research suggests that a site embedded within a unit of study with instructional and peer interaction could achieve better critical-thinking outcomes in relation to teaching skills, whether they be thinking or writing skills. However, findings in this case study indicate that stand-alone resources can achieve perceived benefits for students” (Carmichael, et. al, 2012, pg. 13). This case study proves that just because you have a discussion board available, does not mean it will be valuable to the learning experience. It takes the instructor to keep the conversation going by encouraging those that are thinking differently as well as input and engagement of the student.

To sum up this section, use the following as your overall bullet points for success:

÷ Don’t just have discussions, encourage communication

÷ Post once per every 4-5 posts at the beginning then once for every 10-12 posts


“By rethinking our ideas about what a classroom is, what teaching and learning are, where learning can occur, and how to measure it most effectively, we can use the best of what we know that works and discover new ways to facilitate this change. Distance education can be more than doing the same old things in the many places instead of just one, and we need not feel bound to emulate worn-out models. Assessment, as a component of the instructional design process, can explore new ideas and refine the old as we reflect on our best practices for teaching and learning in whatever environmental configurations may confront us in the future” (Simonson, et. al., 2012, pg. 289).


REFERENCESCarmichael, E., & Farrell, H. (2012). Evaluation of the effectiveness of online resources in developing

student critical thinking: Review of literature and case study of a critical thinking online Site. Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice, 9(1), 1-17.

Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Delivery analysis [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Facilitating online learning [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.



Attachment A


Adapted from Graham, C. R., Woodfield, W., & Harrison, J. B. (2013). A framework for institutional adoption and implementation of blended learning in higher education. Internet and Higher Education,18(3), 4–14 as well as from Porter, W.W., Graham, C. R., Spring, K.A., & Welch, K.R. (2014). Blended Learning in Higher Education: Institutional Adoption and Implementation. Computers & Education, 75,185–195. Prepublication manuscripts accessible online at: https://byu.academia.edu/CharlesRGraham/1-Blended-Learning-Research

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Converting to Distance Learning Web viewTechnical Training ... Text used in the traditional setting should be looked at and replaced with “graphics or word ... Learn the software