Providing a Collaborative Learning Environment for Online Students Teams to Work with Corporate

Partners

Timothy L. Phillips, Ph.D.

Department of Instructional Technology

Bloomsburg University

Program Background

• Established in 1985

• MS in Instructional Technology– Corporate concentration– Education concentration

• eLearning Developer Certificate

Program Background

• Prepares students for instructional technology careers in:

– Corporations

– Education (k-12 and higher education

– Healthcare

– Government

– Banking

Program Provides

• Instructional Design Skills

• Development Skills

• eLearning Skills

• Team building skills

• Business / Project Management Skills

Advanced Instructional Design

• Service-based learning course to meet

needs of:– Instructional technology students– Clients

• First offered on campus 1993

• First offered online in 2002

Advanced Instructional Design

• Team-based with four to five students per team

• Students complete all aspects of the instructional design process and deliver instructional technology solution

Student Benefits

• Develop an instructional technology solution for a client

• Gain experience working with clients

• Gain experience working on a team

• Develop communication skills

• Develop and project management skills

Client Benefits

• Receive an instructional technology solution that meets their learning needs

• Expand knowledge of the instructional technology process

• Expand knowledge of new instructional technology tools (hardware/software)

“Real World” Projects• Each team selects a client from a list of

projects provided by the instructor

• Clients are recruited from:– Healthcare– Government– Corporations– Banking– Education (k-12 and higher education)

Team Profile

• Students are placed on teams based upon a skills survey

• Skill areas used in placement are:– Instructional Design– Multimedia– Authoring– Project management

Team Responsibilities to Client

• Regular communications and meetings

• Provide time for approval and sign off on all aspects of the project

• Delivery of a complete instructional technology solution

Student Responsibilities to Team

• Provide leadership in areas of expertise

• Provide support in all portions of the project

• Attend and participate in all team meetings

Project Milestones• Timeline

• Needs Analysis

• Content Outline

• Task Analysis

• Objectives

• Assessment Items

• Instruction Strategies

Project Milestones

• Storyboards

• Flowcharts

• Prototype

• Formative Evaluation

• Delivery of finished product

Online Course Challenges

• Provide an interactive learning environment for class meetings

• Provide an interactive environment for the student teams

• Provide a collaborative learning environment for team/client interactions

• Provide strategies for meeting with individual students

Interactive Class Meetings• Weekly synchronous class meetings

using Centra

• Classes in evening to meet the needs of learners

• Classes normally 2 ½ hours in length

• Documents and PowerPoint files posted for students in Blackboard

Centra Provides

• High level of interactivity for instructor and students

• Real time audio for both instructor and students

• Ability to present using PowerPoint, whiteboard, and application sharing

• Texting capability

• Class recording/publishing capability

Instructor – Team Meetings

• Conducted using Centra

• Weekly meetings at a scheduled time– 20 minutes to one hour

• Open-ended discussions– Instructional design/class questions– Progress on the project– Client issues– Team issues

Team –Client Interactions

• Centra sessions - primary tool

• Conference calls - initial contact and short meetings

• Onsite meetings– needs analysis phase – formative evaluation– one team member located near client

• email

Team Interactions

• Centra- primary tool– teams have Centra accounts

• Blackboard– document sharing

• Email– communication and document sharing

• phone

Individual Interactions• Opportunity to discuss

– Instructional design questions– client issues– team issues– student issues

• Tools– email – primary tool– phone– Centra

Sample List of Clients

• Geisinger School of Radiologic Technology

• Cherokee Pharmaceuticals

• Jersey Shore State Bank

• Bloomsburg Hospital

• Central Columbia School District

• Reiter Automotive

Conclusion

• Online class offered once per year

• average enrollment 20 students

• Positive student feedback

• To date approximately 25 projects produced by online teams

Questions?