WOW!! What a busy week. I've hardly had time to jot down thoughts...too much going on!!...(which is a good thing)

I presented our CD ROM twice this week: once to the curriculum department at the college, and once to an off campus organization that is considering designing learning resources in this format. Both sessions were very well received.

I was particularly happy with the outcome of the presentation to the curriculum department. They were interested in the CD...asked relevant questions...offered insights... This is important. this department will be largely responsible for driving online learning at Red River College (RRC) and for setting the standards of quality. I noticed two things from them: they can see the possibilities of online learning, and they are all on approximately the same page. This offers potential for the growth and development of an online culture at RRC.

HOUSTON...WE HAVE A PROBLEM
Some of the people in attendance at the curriculum presentation raised some valid concerns: instructor time to develop online materials...college resources allocated to this development...changing instructor wages from "contact time" to reflect the development time needed...maintaining enthusiasm for online learning etc. Many of these concerns, while very valid, are far beyond my influence. Someone at a higher level at RRC needs to take the lead in clearing obstacles that prohibit online course development. Some of the issues are far deeper than even the senior management level...some of them need to be negotiated through the collective agreement with the union. YIKES! Online learning is moving so fast that organizational structures impede its development.

THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING...THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING...
The external change is outstripping the internal change at RRC (and this is being repeated over and over at colleges/universities across the world). In order for a college to succeed in online learning...it needs to commit to creating a culture that makes it easy to move courses online...and I think very few higher education institutions are doing this...Perhaps this is why education is at risk of being commercialized. Market-driven elearning companies are able to move at "Internet speed" (man, I hate these overused terms - especially when they actually work)...leaving slower "transformation" institutions (like colleges) behind.

The Project
Enough of that...back to bragging about our CD

When completed our CD will consist of:
Approx 150 web pages
36 video clips
10 interactive exercises
9 quizzes

IT'S ALIVE!!!!
I have "piloted" the CD about 5 times with different groups and different people...each time with GREAT success. The final video clips will be added to the CD this next week...ALRIGHT!!!! Then it is finish...which is about right for time, because the students are back September 4.

"The two of us, are one of a kind"
Effective online learning must do two things: 1) incorporate solid pedagogy and instructional design 2) utilize the unique components of the Internet. Instructors/designers who have worked with online courses typically come away with one common understanding "We're not in Kansas anymore.... (also known as, this is different than teaching in a classroom)". At first glance, this seems obvious - yet, until an instructor experiences the differences, he or she really does not have a deep understanding of the uniqueness of the Internet and education. To understand something, and acknowledge it as "true" is very different than understanding something and knowing how it is true. Once instructors know how online learning is different from classroom learning, they are then able to begin incorporating both pedagogy and the uniqueness of the Internet into their teaching.

"I know that I don't know"
The value of interactive exercises: Interactive exercises allow students the ability to play with knowledge. These exercises serve a primary role of teaching and a secondary role of confirming skill/knowledge mastery (testing). In our online course, Steve designed a Jeopardy exercise (are there copyright laws we are breaking here?!?) to teach/evaluate knowledge of an information heavy section of the course. The first role of the exercise is to teach...and it does this very well. A secondary function of the exercise is to allow students to check their understanding and also to lead them to a place of decision making: "I know this stuff" (self-confidence enhancing - a significant motivator to continue learning) or "I now know that I don't know". This requires the student to decide: continue or review...indirectly teaching the students metacognition...something that most classrooms can not do as seamlessly as online courses.

The value of testing: The role of testing is first to verify knowledge transfer, and secondly to teach. In this sense, testing and interactive exercise are opposites for the purpose for which they are used, yet both lead students to a position of deciding: "I know it" or "I know I don't know". To achieve this, Steve designed a series of self-tests at the end of each module. This allows students to verify their own understanding.

"Just to say what I've already said" (also known as repetition)
Alright...to summarize...here is what our online course looks like:
Driven by text
Video to demonstrate skills
Interactive exercises to "play" with material
Self-tests to verify knowledge
All of the above are examples of utilizing the unique features of the Internet. They can be duplicated in the classroom, but they are more effective online. A further benefit of the Internet is the ability of students to go "deeper" into knowledge/information through hyperlinks.

"The star of the show is..."
Instructional soundness relates to 1) how the resources are structured, packaged and presented (instructional design) and 2) how exercises and discussion questions impact learning (pedagogy). Both of these areas rely on well developed course materials that are available to instructors. These materials are produced by instructional designers, video crew, writers etc. The instructor is the force that makes the materials come alive through synchronous/asynchronous resources, email, lesson structure, assignments etc.

We are currently about two weeks away from implementing this course...we feel that we have designed a course that is engaging and educationally sound...a course that incorporates the best of traditional instructional design, and the best of what the Internet offers. The next stage is to ensure that a quality learning experience is designed for students...the success of this stage relies heavily on the talents of the instructor...

IT'S MINE, ALL MINE!!! (insert disturbing laughter...)
One of the really interesting aspects of designing online learning is that it cannot be done by one person. I had coffee with Steve today, and we started talking about how much time we had spent on this project. We concluded that we had each spent about 3 - 4 months on this...most of it evenings and weekends. Actually, we did development and writing work with no additional expense to our department...our work was done in bits and pieces...(actaully the writing was done in two months, but it was during a time when I did not have any students).

So Steve and I each devoted a ridiculous amount of time to this...and so did the video department...I have no idea of how much time they put in...but it must be comparable to ours. I think that is one of the reasons that quality elearning is so effective - it is the collaborative effort of many people. I think it is impossible for quality online courses to be developed by one person...

What I used to consider as my project (and in many ways still do...), I now see as being "our" project.

"10, 9, 8, 7..."
I'm about two weeks away from "unveiling" this course at the college...this is the first project of this type in our department, possibly in the college, so I'm getting excited about it...One of the things I hope to do with this is to promote it as an example of what online learning really is. In many ways, my future in elearning depends on quality...if quality courses are produced...then I have a career...if poor quality courses are produced, and buys them...then elearning initiatives die at the college. Personally, I would like the opportunity to move from my current department to making elearning my fulltime work...hey, I can dream, can't I??

"The Moment"...a slice of something bigger
We have been showing the course to several people...the response has been phenomenal!!! When online learning is done right (and I think we have), the result is impressive...and people start to see it's true potential...literally, almost everyone who has seen this ends up with a "dropped jaw" look. This look is followed by an awakening..."Hey, this could be used for..." "We can..." "This helps students to...". It's really neat to see...when they see quality courses, it achieves what months worth of talking couldn't...

It's not about technology!!!
Why do people view online learning as being primarily about technology - it's NOT. Online learning is about learning. Technology is the enabler. This is obvious...there really is no reason to state it...yet, unfortunately, many people do not see it.

The terms "online" or "elearning" have been so abused, they lack any meaning. The only purpose they currently serve (mind you, this won't stop me from using them!!) is to create inaccurate mental images in the minds of "newcomers". These mental images are that online learning is about technology.

For example, at the college where I work, the entire push of online learning is coming from the technology/software people. When I started to inquire about resources available, I was given several names...all of them IT people. WHY???

...and electricians will fix your plumbing...
Now, this is not to say that the IT/software end is not important - it is critical. Yet for instructors, the value of these resources fades after development...the implementation of online learning (the most important aspect in ensuring learners come back for more) is where the skill of the instructor(/coach/moderator/whatever else people call this person) ensures a good experience for learners. The technical resources are front heavy - after all the conceptualizing, planning, and developing stages need LMS, video, and network support. After this, the instructor tries to ensure that the work of others (and his or her own) results in learning. Just because a lot of technical resources are needed does not mean that learning takes a back seat.


The horse is not dead yet...
Just to beat this subject to death (as I have a habit of doing): a businesses decision to utilize computers/technology is to increase effeciency, which results in increased profits. In a similar manner...a college uses (should use) technology to increase learning...a corporate elearning initiative is also about learning, the only difference betweeen a corporation and a college is that a corporation has one additional focus to increase learning - increased profits.

Random elearning stuff
Just read an email newsletter about up and coming trends that are interesting. One is the concept of adding ecommerce capacity to an LMS. Not a bad idea...students register, pay, and get going on their course immediately...very convenient. Next concept: PDA (hand-held learning) - initially I thought, what is the use of that?...who would actually need it? Well, thinking on it more, I realize that this would have much potential for someone doing repair work, and rather than using a manual...they could download info as they need it at the site...some potential...but are people really going to get to the point where learning is so critical that they use PDAs? I can see PDAs for just is time information (which would place PDAs more in the realm of knowledge management)...but I can't see them being used for extensive learning...eventually, there will be a backlash as people give up more and more time...no place is safe...no where to run...must learn...AAAAHHHHH!!!!!

Time to process is at least as important as time spent learning.

Alright...yesterday I was yipping about the process we went through to move a course online...because I have this overwhelming urge to classify experiences and processes, these are the main components of developing online learning materials (at least the main components that I see today...for all I know, I'll see things differently tomorrow):

Conceptualizing
Planning
Development
Piloting
Implementing
Evaluating

Brief Moment of Philosophizing: Reflecting on an experience, while in the middle of it, is kind of wierd...I think I'm commenting accurately on the development, yet I realize I'm being subjective...There are many perspectives of our development experience - it is (obviously) only possible to mention one view at a time...I guess I'm saying this so that if I later contradict something I've said here...I have an excuse...

So...quick overview...the conceptualizing process involved the department chair, the curriculum developer, and myself. This literally only lasted about two weeks. The idea started with a request I made to the Chair (David) about developing a personal web page on the college intranet as a resource for students. He recommended that I increase my vision, and directed me to the curriculum developer/instructional designer (Steve).

My initial discussion with Steve changed the concept to one of a web page resource for students, to one of an interactive, multi-media learning resource. Here the idea completely redoing the course, to reflect the uniqueness of the Internet, was born. And, that was the "conceptual" process.

The "planning" stage was also quite informal. When I began to see the potentials of elearning, it took a life of its own...looking back at it now, I see it was an unplanned, unmanaged process. Ideas developed ideas, which developed ideas. So, our project started with very little planning...in fact, with no planning...it started as an idea, and the planning was done on "the fly".

After those two stages, we moved into the development stage, which I want to focus on next (day?? week??).

Oh yeah...I was talking to Steve, curriculum guy, about setting up this webblog. I suggested that he start blogging as well (I used terms like "it's cool" and "it's happening" - you know... terms that make blogging seem like "the thing to do"). Well his response was "I'm not that kind of an exhibitionist". WHAT???? Can you believe that?? Now I'm an exhibitionist?!? Bring it on instructional designer boy...

Ok...here goes...

I'm trying to make the transition to online learning in a college environment. (How's that for a detailed bio!!).

The first several entries will give background information on the project...after that I'll detail my daily struggles...

Development

To put it simply...the process of moving material online is complex. The greatest challenge that I found initially (we started developing the material about a year ago) was to become familiar with the technology and terminology of elearning (and its 1500 cliches and over-used, vague terms). The process began with writing a text for the course. This labor (of love??) lasted for about 3 months, and resulted in a 150 page (text) manual.

We then spent two months video taping aspects of the course that could be/needed to be communicated with video. In total, we planned about 27 video clips, ranging from 2 minutes to 10 minutes each. While the video was being reviewed and edited, we started moving the text to web pages using FrontPage. Ok, in retrospect, writing text for a paper manual, and then moving it online revealed that we possessed (at least in this area) the IQ of a soap dish. This was a nightmare...fortunately not for me!!!...but for the instructional designer...in the future, we will probably write the material specifically for web format.

Due to time limitations, we were not able to do everything that we wanted in terms of creating web page usability. We (the royal we...which means the instructional designer...Steve is his name...yes he has an identity!!!), tried to enhance the text with graphics, pictures, and clip art. Web pages were then created to reflect mainly one "big idea". This was done to minimize students "scrolling" through too many pages. The end result is impressive...but we intend to reduce the word count after the course has been piloted.

More thoughts on the development process later...