Collaborative Training Environment Scenario

Selected Scenario:

Example 1: Collaborative Training Environment A new automated staff information system was recently purchased by a major corporation and needs to be implemented in six regional offices. Unfortunately, the staff is located throughout all the different offices and cannot meet at the same time or in the same location. As an instructional designer for the corporation, you have been charged with implementing a training workshop for these offices. As part of the training, you were advised how imperative it is that the staff members share information, in the form of screen captures and documents, and participate in ongoing collaboration.

Response:

Asynchronous instruction through technology provides flexibility for situations such as the one described in this scenario.  When the task is to provide instruction for individuals separated by time and location, recorded instruction becomes a powerful tool to bridge this separation (Diehl, 2009).  With emerging technology such as Skype, we observe individuals and groups overcoming the issue of time.  With correspondence learning, learners overcome space or geography.  With Course Management Systems, podcasts, discussion forums or blogs, and document sharing, learners can overcome both time and space for an experience that bridges multiple locations without hindrance from schedules or settings. 

To solve the challenge presented in this collaborative training scenario, I would begin by creating recorded trainings through CourseSites (powered by Blackboard).  Creating a dialog and collaboration amongst staff can be facilitated through the use of the discussion feature within this system.  The instructional designer sets up a forum, where participants can respond through blogging.  CourseSites also has a journal piece, which allows users to respond to the instructor in a reflective manner enabling them to make connections between their prior experiences and their new training. 

CourseSites is a free tool provided by Blackboard, which you can use to host your course content.  I set up an account to explore its uses and discovered that you can upload video, audio, images, web links, and more.   According to Bradford and Forbes, the most “connected” campuses use Blackboard (2007, p.2).  Some criticisms include system inefficiencies due to dependency on a portal and network along with high costs (p.5).  However, CourseSites is a free Course Management System provided by Blackboard which eliminates the cost factor.  Blackboard provides many ways of sharing information and it is critical that instructional designers recognize their responsibility in designing relevant content.  A CMS is only as good as the information it presents (p.1-12).  CourseSites and other CMSs are the technology that deliver the content and do so quite effectively, when the course design is equally as relevant and engaging.

For the audio content, the instructional designer can use Audacity which is also free.  Audacity is commonly used for podcasting, which promotes accessibility (McGarr, 2009, p.312).  Since podcasts can be accessed on many portable devices, Oliver McGarr explains that this creates “mobile learning” (2009, p.312).  Another advantage he asserts is the ability for the learner to re-review information as needed (p. 313).  However, McGarr cautions that podcasts, as with any new technology, are only as effective as the pedagogy employed (p. 320).  Audacity simply records the audio content presented, which makes it an effective tool and the instructional designer must ensure that the content is aligned to the learning objective in an engaging and meaningful way.

After saving an audio file in MP3 format, you simply select that file and upload to the course content.  You can also use free visual and audio recorders, such as CyberLink YouCam (free trial version) to record a training or lesson.  Uploading content is very simple and user-friendly.  I also found Debut Video and WebCam Video Capture.  Creating content in Audacity and CyberLink YouCam and then uploading to CourseSites is an effective way to provide training asynchronously.  Combining free online resources, you can create a powerful asynchronous experience for a learner that transcends geography and time zones or other scheduling dilemmas.    

When it is time for participants to share files and items such as screenshots, they can use an application such as AnySend to easily share large files via email by dragging and dropping the files into a virtual balloon.  Participants create screenshots by pressing control/print screen, right click, and paste.  They can save the screenshots and then upload into a document host site, such as MediaFire, and then share the link within the training blog.  This may be a more effective way of sharing files. 

To further encourage participation, staff/users can be either assigned to groups or allowed to self-assign to groups.  There are many dimensions within CourseSites, which I am still becoming familiar.  It may not be necessary to use all of the other free tools that I have discussed and shared below, however until I am more familiar with this CMS I will utilize a blend of free tools to create engaging multimedia experiences.

Through the effective integration of a Course Management System, a video cam, audio recorder, a file hosting site, and other free and useful tools, an instructional designer can create and implement a training workshop across all six regional offices while also overcoming time zones and scheduling factors.  Although asynchronous, using a discussion forum or blog allows participants to be highly engaged in the trainings.  Utilizing a file hosting or file transfer tool, participants can share resources, screenshots, and other relevant materials with other participants and the instructor in multiple locations.  Training no longer must be in a face-to-face setting; it can be flexible and engaging conforming to the unique situations presented.  In face-to-face environments, participation is difficult to track.  However, one of the many advantages to this model is that the instructor can more easily assess how involved each participant was by the number and quality of posts, graded assignments (if included), and resources shared.  While presenting a traditional training, it is difficult to present information while also gauging participation levels at a quantitative level.  The blogs, shared documents/screenshots, and other interactions are entered in a manner that provides the instructor with tangible evidence of learning and participation.

Resources to Utilize for Training:

AnySend: http://www.thesendfilesapp.com/

Audacity: http://audacity.todownload.com/?lp=adwords&gclid=COG2693sibUCFad_QgodR14Aag

CourseSites: https://www.coursesites.com/webapps/Bb-sites-course-creation-BBLEARN/pages/index.html

CyberLink YouCam: http://cyberlink-youcam.en.softonic.com/download

Debut Video: http://www.nchsoftware.com/capture/index.html

MediaFire: http://www.mediafire.com/

WebCam Video Capture: http://download.cnet.com/Webcam-Video-Capture/3000-13633_4-10671720.html

References

Bradford, P., Porciello, M., Balkon, N. &  Backus, D.  The blackboard learning system. (2007).  The Journal of Educational Technology Systems.  Retrieved at http://uupinfo.org/research/working/bradford.pdf

Diehl, W. (2009). Museum of distance education: a glance back at Charles A. Wedemeyer- a short film. Retrieved from http://www.williamcdiehl.com/a/?p=273

McGarr, O.  A review of podcasting in higher education:  its influence on the traditional lecture. (2009).  Australasian Journal of Educational Technology 25(3).  Retrieved at http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet25/mcgarr.pdf

Defining Distance Learning

Distance learning provides instructional experiences no matter where you are or when you are able to study.  When I first considered distance learning, my impression was that it was cohort-based with text materials used dominantly to guide learning.  This initial understanding discouraged me from pursuing learning or employment via this new setting. 

When I served public schools as a brick-and-mortar teacher and administrator, my understanding of distance learning included online experiences that could be applied in a traditional classroom.  I did not learn to appreciate distance learning until I was offered an administrative position with a virtual school.  The more I learned, the more I realized that distance and online learning encompasses so much more than what the public initially assumes.

First, I learned that virtual instruction includes both synchronous and asynchronous instruction and interaction.  I observed and evaluated online teachers, who implemented effective instructional strategies that are not possible in a traditional setting, such as: application and document sharing, polling, simultaneous chat (without distractions), and also gauged student participation and actively encouraged every student to be part of the class.  Then I saw recorded lessons, which could be used at any time and any place.  The asynchronous component is flexible around the schedules of students, families, and instructors.  Many lessons have the potential to be self-scoring, grade books allow students to quickly see their progress, and feedback from teachers is specific and timely.

While my friends and colleagues embraced online learning for themselves as they pursued graduate degrees, I was more reluctant and completed my first Masters at a brick-and-mortar.  However, seeing firsthand how online learning was presented for students in a Kinder-12^th grade virtual school provided me with a more accepting definition of distance learning and I decided to enroll in Walden University.

Walden provides mostly asynchronous instruction, which accommodates my busy schedule and allows me to review certain lessons multiple times.  This experience has shown me an even more flexible side to distance learning. 

Mike Simonson defines distance learning as, “formal education in which the learning group (teacher, student, resources) are separated by geography and sometimes time.”  I agree with Simonson’s definition.  Prior to this Distance Learning course, I thought that distance learning was a relatively new concept.  However, the Distance Learning Timeline Continuum shows that distance learning actually has its roots in the 1800s.  Correspondence learning, learning by mail, was perhaps the first time individuals were provided with a formal education primarily at home.  In the early 1900s, lessons were even provided via radio.  Our modern interpretation of distance learning generally includes the use of a computer and the internet.  As technology advances, so does the delivery of distance learning.

Throughout Huett, Moller, and Foshay’s work, they describe the challenges faced by online schools such as stigma, however as online schools spread like wildfire this stigma has reduced.  In some situations, I have even heard students and families state that online learning is more engaging and useful than the traditional approach.  I also agree with Simonson in that online learning will not replace traditional settings, however will continue to become more widely used, accepted, and respected.

Distance learning has shifted from learn-by-mail to learn-via-internet over the past century.  The technology tools we use to implement distance learning only continue to improve and evolve and the instruction that accompanies it follows suit.  I cannot even imaging what distance learning will be in another hundred or two hundred years.  However, the image of the librarian from H.G. Wells’ Time Machine comes to mind.  Distance learning will continue to improve and more learners will become convinced of its merit. 

References

Huett, J., Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Coleman, C. (2008). The evolution of distance education: Implications

for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 3: K12). TechTrends, 52(5), 63–6 7.

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008). The evolution of distance education: Implications for

instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 1: Training and development). TechTrends,

52(3), 70–75.

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008). The evolution of distance education: Implications for

instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 2: Higher education). TechTrends, 52(4), 66-

70.

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance:

Foundations of distance education (5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson. (pp.32-41)

Distance Learning- General Introduction

 Distance education bridges geography to bring learning directly to students anywhere at any time.  Overcoming obstacles of a traditional brick-and-mortar setting, online learners independently and collaboratively take their learning to a higher level, often providing an even more interactive experience than is provided in a face-to-face setting.  Seat time is replaced by learning time.  There is no need for busy work.  The learning experience becomes unraveled from non-learning activities which bog down learning in traditional settings. 

As an administrator for an online school and a student of yet another online school, I can personally attest to the effectiveness of online schools.  Accessibility is the first and most commonly recognized advantage of distance learning, however there are many others that this blog will seek to explore. 

Throughout this blog, we will share resources, engage in meaningful dialog, and I will continue to add content that corresponds with my Distance Learning course at Walden University, applies my experiences as an online student and also as an online school manager.

To begin, I would like to share a few resources applicable to our shared learning and exploration of online learning and distance education.

Resource Links:
*  http://voices.yahoo.com/online-learning-4-reasons-why-distance-learning-is-11958318.html
*  http://www.usjournal.com/en/students/help/distancelearning.html

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