Selected
Scenario:
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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/
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
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