A Friends Question:
"I have another favor to ask. I think you should have never told me about this option for a masters program, because now you are my sme and I am going to hit you up for your thoughts. SO I was hoping that you would give me your opinion of plus and minuses of Distance learning from an instructional designers point of view? This is for a presentation in 2 weeks so don't feel like you need to get it to me tomorrow. Thank you so much for your help."
My Response
Plus: Distance education is a tool that when used effectively has great potential. When used with sound instructional design methods, distance learning can effectively bring knowledge to people in remote locations and difficult personal situations that have various time or location constraints (full-time job, parenting, bed rest, OCD, leprosy, etc.). In addition, with distance learning schools can increase the capacity of students they are able to serve. Thomas L. Russell has well documented data that proves there is no significant difference in student outcomes between alternative modes of education delivery and traditional modes. So if the same results are found while spending less money all while making it available to a broader number of students, I don't see a reason to not use such a tool.
Minus: Distance Edu. is a tool. When a tool is used badly, there are bad results. Because putting things on-line or making a packet is so easy to do, there are many non-examples of distance learning. A professor/teacher can usually get by on the information they've spent their life gathering and their whit & charm. When you put the same professors class on-line there are often problems. Most classes are not instructionally sound all by themselves but the professor makes them fly because (if they are good) they can add their own personality and liven things up. There is no one to do that at a distance. The content has to be arranged in a way that is self motivating and generates the learners excitement & personality independent of a local cheer leader.
The real problem is that most instruction is simply a journey of trivial pursuit. A class should have analysis, discussion, problem solving; these are the types of things that will generate engaged learners, regardless of the professors personality or the mode of delivery. Distance education will only see the results Dr. Russell found when instructionally sound and engaging material is presented.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
What does an instructional designer do?
Friends Question:
"So I have a favor to ask of you. In one of my classes we are supposed to keep a running blog on instructional design. One of the major questions he wants us to answer is how we would describe to friends and family what an instructional designer does. Would you be willing to answer that question and I would anonymously post your response on my blog? "
My Response
Over the last hundred years we have seen a dramatic evolution in technology around us, yet in many ways we have not been able to practically apply our scientific knowledge of learning into instruction; therefore, instruction and our education process has remained pretty much the same. Instructional Design tries to bring instruction into the 21st century. By studying the science behind teaching and learning, Instructional Design tries to improve teaching and learning by identifying sound teaching strategies and incorporating technology when it can enhance learning.
The majority of Instructional Designers work either in academia or the corporate world. I worked at a university's center for teaching and learning. In this job I worked with faculty to help design courses or improve the teaching and learning in current courses. I would mostly do this by providing research-based evidence that a certain aspect of learning was more effective; I would give suggestions to the faculty one-on-one or in small groups, and then let them make their final decision regarding the implementation of the information I presented. Sometimes I would coordinate lectures or trainings for faculty to access the same information in a more traditional way.
Many faculty, because their name is followed by three special letters, figure they already know everything an instructional designer could tell them. At our university, the center for teaching and learning is able to interact with around 20% of our faculty members; in bigger Universities like Florida State and BYU, the centers for teaching and learning have around a 10% faculty interaction rate. This interaction involves faculty that meet with instructional designers individually as well as any that attend a lecture or training on topics regarding teaching and learning.
Because of the resistance many Ph.D.s have to someone critiquing them and giving them advice, instructional design work in education, ironically enough, is sometimes less progressive than in a corporate setting.
"So I have a favor to ask of you. In one of my classes we are supposed to keep a running blog on instructional design. One of the major questions he wants us to answer is how we would describe to friends and family what an instructional designer does. Would you be willing to answer that question and I would anonymously post your response on my blog? "
My Response
Over the last hundred years we have seen a dramatic evolution in technology around us, yet in many ways we have not been able to practically apply our scientific knowledge of learning into instruction; therefore, instruction and our education process has remained pretty much the same. Instructional Design tries to bring instruction into the 21st century. By studying the science behind teaching and learning, Instructional Design tries to improve teaching and learning by identifying sound teaching strategies and incorporating technology when it can enhance learning.
The majority of Instructional Designers work either in academia or the corporate world. I worked at a university's center for teaching and learning. In this job I worked with faculty to help design courses or improve the teaching and learning in current courses. I would mostly do this by providing research-based evidence that a certain aspect of learning was more effective; I would give suggestions to the faculty one-on-one or in small groups, and then let them make their final decision regarding the implementation of the information I presented. Sometimes I would coordinate lectures or trainings for faculty to access the same information in a more traditional way.
Many faculty, because their name is followed by three special letters, figure they already know everything an instructional designer could tell them. At our university, the center for teaching and learning is able to interact with around 20% of our faculty members; in bigger Universities like Florida State and BYU, the centers for teaching and learning have around a 10% faculty interaction rate. This interaction involves faculty that meet with instructional designers individually as well as any that attend a lecture or training on topics regarding teaching and learning.
Because of the resistance many Ph.D.s have to someone critiquing them and giving them advice, instructional design work in education, ironically enough, is sometimes less progressive than in a corporate setting.
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