DISTANCE LEARNING COURSE DESIGN
What Did We Get Ourselves Into?
Diane Ehrlich, Ph.D.
Professor and Coordinator of Human Resource Development Program
Allison Kommel, M.A.
Visiting Lecturer in Human Resource Development Program
 

The need to develop life-long learners is becoming increasingly more urgent as we move into the 21st century. Technology and the move to a global society demand continuous adaptation and change for those of us in education and business as we strive to upgrade skills and acquire new knowledge. Traditional methods of delivering instruction are no longer meeting the needs of retaining and attracting students; adult learners need to relate to the material presented, see an almost immediate application for the knowledge or skills, and have this information be readily available to them when they need it. However, using distance learning whether it be via web-based courses or interactive television is a decision not to be made because of the seductiveness of the technology. In order to make an informed decision about the appropriate use of distance learning, a systematic approach to designing instruction should be firmly in place and should be driven by the needs and goals of a particular learning situation.

 

  
    Figure1
 
 

Figure 1 is a graphic representation of the design process in a puzzle form composed of a series of interlocking pieces; this process is not depicted as linear because of the reiterative nature of the of the process which may begin at any point. To be most effective, the process must begin with identified learner needs and relate to organizational/institutional goals. This does not mean that during the development of a course that the needs and goals are static because budgetary, technological resources, or the skill limitations of the instructor/designer may have a significant impact on the instruction. The design model we used is derived from traditional instructional design models (Kemp 1985; Dick and Carey, 1990; Romiszowski, 1984, etc.). However, the fluidity of the model lends itself to the ever-changing nature of distance learning.

 
 
Ehrlich/Reynolds Decision Model
 

Since many college courses are designed with a minimum of technological support, let us first look at the basic questions raised by an instructional designer as he/she goes through the process of developing instruction.

Needs and Goals
In the analysis phase, a consideration of the potential problems need to be addressed. These needs and goals may change as the project takes shape because the primary concern is client-centered. Because of the time-consuming nature of front-end analysis, many instructors/clients want to skip this stage. Very often the decision is made to use distance learning so that we may be more competitive in the marketplace, but this is not necessarily the best instructional strategy. For the advanced instructional design course, students will be designing instruction for a client, so using E-mail and other strategies are a more efficient way to not only gain access to the "client" but to keep in contact with other members of the class. The basic needs of the students are to understand key design concepts and terms, see examples of the process so that they can internalize it, and to have access to an instructor or other subject matter experts.

 Questions to identify the needs and goals are:

 

Learner Characteristics
Learner characteristics reflect the demographics, learning styles, readiness, and motivation to learn of the target audience. Variables such as learner expectation affect the amount of time, the level of instruction, and the varied approaches that are required. Web-based instruction enables the instructor to individualize learning to accommodate many of the factors. Examples can be developed to appeal to the cultural differences or experience level of many students. Video and graphics can be embedded in the instruction to support visual learners, while audio can support learners who prefer to "hear" things. By providing a range of examples, students adjust the time they need to spend to grasp a concept. A comfort level and easy access to computers is essential is the course is be web-based.

 Questions to identify learner characteristics are:

 

Topics/tasks
Topics/tasks are identified by performing a content analysis. The advanced instructional design class and the computer-based training class both identified competencies needs by students entering the HRD field. When designing these classes subject matter experts and exemplary performed helped develop the content and provided specific skill sets that needed to be mastered. Because of time constraints, it was also imperative to focus instruction on the "need to know" elements rather than the "nice to know." One of those elements in the design class that fell by the wayside deal with changes in the field of instructional design. In the computer course, it was even more necessary to focus in on instruction and we determined that an overview of web-based course principles was more expedient that learning an authoring language like html.

 Questions to identify task/content issues are:

Objectives
Objectives/Outcomes are related directly to the goals and focus on desired learning outcomes. They need to be communicated in measurable terms, so that the success of instruction can be measured. Learner objectives are similar whether they are in distance learning or on-site instruction. An excellent source for guidance in developing objectives is the work by Robert Mager. Adult learners tend to use objectives to measure their own accomplishments, so it is important to make these known at the beginning of the instruction.Questions to identify whether objectives have been written correctly are:Are the objectives derived from the goals?Are the objectives stated in measurable terms so that the learner understands what he/she is accountable for? Do the objectives contain actions, conditions, and criteria for performance? Are the objectives sequenced appropriately for the tasks/content? Do the objectives reflect the desired domains?

Performance assessment
The methods of assessing performance need to match the desired outcomes of instruction. This may range from simple on-line tests to working through complex case studies. As of this time, we have not been able to develop on-line case studies but they are in process. The use of video, audio, and text-based artifacts to support cases would be a valuable addition to instruction, but many students don’t have the necessary technology to support this. In the design class, we are currently using on-line simulations that can be downloaded. An excellent example for the design class is found at http://www.hrd408.hrd408.htm.

Computers also provide students with the opportunity of getting instant feedback on short quizzes so that they can measure their own progress and review materials at their own pace. Performance assessment should take place immediately following instruction to determine if learning took place and how the student reacted to instruction. If instructors feel that a test needs to be taken in a classroom setting, the students can be asked to come in; however, the equivalent of take-home exams are a better vehicle for on-line instruction.

 Questions to identify performance assessment issues are:

  • What criteria/standard is necessary to demonstrate mastery?
  • Is the level of mastery attainable by the learner?
  • Under what conditions will the performance assessment be conducted?
  • Is a prerequisite skill inventory required before presenting the program?
  • Does the evaluation match the domain specified in the objective?
  • Have activities been to assess learner performance that are congruent with objectives and domains?
  • Is time a relevant factor when evaluating performance?
    •       Instructional Activities
    Instructional activities are the learning experiences developed to present instruction and allow learners to demonstrate their ability to meet the desired performance level. Learning activities may range from delivering lecture-based materials using a Powerpoint presentation package to integrating case studies or problem-based learning. The entire case may be presented on-line or students may use the internet to look up resources to find information suggested by the case. The number of activities and information to support each learning objective must be carefully considered because time is an important element to adult learners. The series of learning experiences need to be sequenced for skill building. In the Instructional Design II class, each component of the model is presented and learning experiences build upon one another as students learn different aspects of the design process. Materials are similarly layered in the Computer-Based Training course, so that students first understand an overall context and then gradually learn additional skills as they add more complex layers to the design of their training.
     
    Questions to identify the issues in designing and developing a range of instructional strategies are: Instructional/Delivery Systems
    Choices for the delivery of instruction are numerous; being freed from a classroom environment provides a whole world for learners to explore via the internet. To just transfer lecture notes to a computer, as many instructors do, is to not take advantage of the technology. The selection of instructional delivery systems requires far more analysis than just to decide to use the technology without exploring how to best take advantage of its capabilities. Examples of changes in the instructional process include both spacial and temporal elements; instruction is no longer space bound or time bound. Students can access instruction when it is convenient and can have access to expertise anywhere in the world. Instructors need to be willing to exploit new technologies and understand the strengths and limitations of a variety of media.

     Questions to be asked when exploring instructional/delivery systems include the following:

    Resources
    Resources impact all stages of the design cycle. Limited resources may determine the level of complexity used in computer-based-instruction. Print-based material like a syllabus is easily transferable and many instructors use the WWW to put their lecture notes on-line. It lowers the cost of reproducing handouts and other materials. However, this use does not add anything to the instruction. Many instructors prefer not to work with the technology because of their own lack of comfort with the equipment and the lack of technical support when the equipment fails. One solution to this problem is to assemble a cross-functional team of people interested in working with the technology, thus maximizing the expertise of the group.

    Key members of the team could include programmers, graphic artists, instructional designers, project managers, media specialists, and writers.

    Questions to ask that refer to available resources include:
     

     The entire design process goes through a reiterative cycle as the course is implemented. As our courses were subjected to a formative evaluation, several changes were made. The instructors wanted control of when students accessed particular segments of the material so that they could not move through the course too quickly. Our courses blended classroom teaching with Web-based instruction. Students used E-mail to communicate with the instructor and then we added chat rooms so that they could communicate with each other. Case studies were added, but still need to be refined. Each time the courses are taught, student input provides us with new things to try, but at this point in time, we are still not completely replacing classroom interaction; we are supplementing it. Our adult students prefer to have the opportunity to meet face-to-face, but they do like the freedom to integrate both distance learning and in-class instruction.
     
    References:

    Dick, W. and Carey, L. (1996) The Systematic Design of Instruction, 4th ed. Scott Foresman Co., Gleview, IL.

    Ehrlich, D. and Reynolds, L " Integrating Instructional Design and Technology: A Model and Process for Multimedia Design" Interactive Learning International, Vol 8: No. 4 October-December, 1992. Pp 281-289.

    Kemp, J.E. (1985) The Instructional Design Process, Harper and Row, New York.
     

    Dr. Diane Ehrlich is a professor and coordinator of the Human Resource Development program at Northeastern Illinois University. She teaches courses in instructional design, consulting, needs assessment, and leadership development. She has presented at international conferences in Russia, the Netherlands, and Australia on multimedia and instructional design. She also has published articles in Interactive Learning International and Computers in Education. She has contributed chapters in several books on interactive teaching methods. Diane also consults in both education and industry, working as an instructional designer for IBM, Eli Lilly, Baxter International, Abbott Laboratories, Marion Merrill Dow, etc.

    Northeastern Illinois University, 5500 N. St. Louis Chicago, IL. 60625. E-mail : D-ehrlich@neiu.edu. Office Number: (773) 794-2779. Fax: (773) 794-6558.

     
    Allison Kommel is a visiting lecturer at Northeastern Illinois University. She is currently teaching courses in Computer-Based training, instructional strategies, instructional design and multimedia, as well as supervising HRD interns. Allison also consults as an instructional designer and works with developing web sites. She is currently balancing taking care of her new daughter with developing computer-based instruction.