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EDTC 590 - e-education capstone

Week 3

Instructional/Training Recommendations

  • Utilize research data and needs analysis to propose instructional/training recommendations.

Instructional/Training Recommendations

Designers use the information they gather in a needs assessment to write the instructional goals of the instructional unit. Instructional goals are broad indications of the problem to be solved or the “gap” that needs to be bridged. Instructional goals identify what the learners will be able to do or demonstrate when they complete the instruction.

A complete goal description should include the following:

  • A statement identifying the learners
  • A statement of what learners will be able to do
  • A description of the context in which the skills will be applied
  • A description of the tools that will be available to the learners

Some of the implications of learner characteristics are:

  1. Benefits of doing context analysis
  2. Determine what context characteristics are important, for instance:
    • Work/job setting
    • Characteristics of the training/instructional setting (e.g., regular classroom on work time, after hours, after school, voluntary club, on own at home)
    • Self-instruction versus instructor-led
    • What is the purpose of the instruction or training? (e.g., mandated, new information will be on certification tests, needed for promotion, voluntary for fun)
    • Constraints, opportunities, needed tools, resources to do the instruction/training
    • Constraints, opportunities, needed tools, resources to actually use what is learned later on the job or later in education
    • Organizational issues (e.g., support, structure, philosophies, critical history and current issues, political and business situations)

An important step in this process is to determine how to assess context and gather the information, You will want to start by writing a description of the learning context. Next apply knowledge gained from context analysis to designing the instructional plan. There is an impact on all aspects of designing instructional plan, but in particular, instructional goals and objectives, assessment, the instructional strategies, implementation, and evaluation. Then identify the instructional strategies and select the media you will use.

Instructional Strategies

Purpose of instructional strategies:

  • The instructional strategy is a plan or blueprint of activities that meet instructional goals and objectives.
  • Macro-instructional strategy is the overall course plan; the micro-instructional strategy is the plan of each unit or lesson.

Instructional strategy and tactics:

  1. No one strategy is either right or wrong; rather, it depends upon designer’s philosophy, learners, and type of learning outcome, instructional environment, work environment, and design constraints.
  2. Ethical considerations. Learner and instructor considerations need to be balanced with instructional soundness; giving a client what they want instead of what is instructionally sound is problematic. Discuss how a designer might balance the two based upon your experiences.
  3. Discuss diversity issues and how they relate to online instruction. Highlight issues such as: access to technology, difference in cultural approaches to learning. Draw upon the cultural knowledge of your learners to discuss this topic.

Selecting media

Electronic media is the primary way the instructional message is communicated in an online course. It is the unifying element for instructors and learners. Touch upon the media currently available to facilitate various instructional strategies. Take into consideration the audience/student's computer and network capabilities, as well as what type of media provides the most instructional value for the cost. Cost is a combination of man hours, software and hardware required to produce the piece of media. Provide examples of how each of the delivery modes (mass instruction, group instruction, individualized instruction, and direct experience) can be used in an online environment.

Presenting Recommendations

You have had some practice in creating an Executive Summary that can be effectively used to present your recommendations to your decision makers. Try to anticipate the questions they may have about development time and cost, the identified gap or problem, and your solution.

Week 3 Projects

Review this week's individual and Learning Team projects and check the calendar for due dates.

Week Three Discussion Questions:

There is one individual question and one Learning Team Question.

Individual DQs

Post on Thursday:

Describe briefly a recent instructional or training situation with which you have been involved. Name at least three learner characteristics that had a direct impact on the success (or lack thereof) of the instruction. Would this instruction or training be effective in the e-Education environment? Why or why not?

Post under WK3 DQ1

Learning Team

Post on Sunday:

Answer one of these questions:

  1. How do you know if you have selected the appropriate instructional strategy? How do you know if you have selected the appropriate instructional strategy to use in an e-Education environment?
  2. How do you know if you have selected the appropriate media?

Post under WK3 DQ2

© 2004-5 Eli Collins-Brown