tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696438189665953262024-03-19T11:57:57.369-07:00Kbellitto Instructional Design BlogAttempting to keep up with the next generationAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00436464281700866309noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-769643818966595326.post-24627696425063010232015-04-09T19:48:00.000-07:002015-04-09T20:08:07.416-07:00Don't Keep Scope Creep Hidden Away in the Basement<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Several years ago, my husband and I owned a condominium and
lived through a major construction project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It turns out that the original builders of the condominiums (1970’s) had
never properly tied the water drainage lines into the sewer system and the
units had been experiencing deterioration and water problems for many
years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As more and more unit owners
requested repairs on their basements, the funds from the regular monthly
assessment and the association budget and reserves were drained.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The association tried to sue the city for
not enforcing building codes, and also tried to go after the original construction company (which was out
of business.) The city claimed it was up to the condominium owners to pay for
the work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a lot of controversy and
legality, the condominium association passed a special assessment onto the unit
owners. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each condominium unit owner’s basement
and unit was evaluated for current damage and potential for future damage and every
unit owner was assessed a large sum of money for repairs to be done regardless
of the condition of their unit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s
how condominium ownership works in Ohio. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Anyway, the project finally got underway in 2004 and had a
two year timeframe for all necessary repairs to be completed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
plan was to start with the worst units first, and a map and schedule were
provided to all owners so we would know when their unit was slated and when our
neighbors units would be repaired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
first couple units had basements dug out and lines redone and we all started
feeling a little better about the whole situation as we started to see
progress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then the third unit was getting repaired
and it was identified during those repairs that the problem was much deeper
than anyone expected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Several basements
(including mine) had to be completely removed one brick at a time and rebuilt
while supporting frame beams were installed under the condominium.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“New requirements and needs become apparent
during a project.” (Portney et al 2008) however scope creep also set in a bit,
because basements that were completely rebuilt also had to have new drywall,
new ceilings and new electrical fixtures etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Things got a little tricky
because typically unit owners have responsibility for repairs and maintenance
of the inside of their units, however, since those repairs were necessary and
caused by the external repairs, they were in fact covered by the project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So,
homeowners whose basements needed minimal repairs wanted to feel like they were
getting their monies worth and pressured the association to have a second set
of engineers review the properties. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
also felt entitled to get new drywall and new ceilings even though they may
have just had one small section of a wall repaired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The toughest part of all of this was the lack
of communication about the changes and new schedules and new game plans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As homeowners, we would get some information
at the monthly meetings and via a monthly newsletter, but given the amount of
information, more frequent updates would have been appreciated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most information came very informally as
homeowners walked their pets and talked to neighbors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We even would get information from the
construction crew at times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
association had advised us at a meeting that the crew was going to work
Saturday and Sundays, however that did not happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
talking with the construction crew, they indicated they had a contract which
prohibited them from working on Saturdays and Sundays. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In looking back, had I been managing the project, I would have
made the change control process very transparent to all of the homeowners and
communicated changes to all concerned parties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I would have stepped up the number of communications “including reports
summarizing changes to date and their impacts.” (Portney et al 2008)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The association had a good initial plan but
when the unforeseen changes started to occur they did a lot of reacting without
any input from the homeowners and very little communication.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because
their change control system was not transparent, I am not sure how much
analyzing occurred for requested changes or what requirements (if any) existed to
determine if they would make a change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
think for this type of project, having a change control process that is very
transparent – perhaps posted to a website and updated every week would be an improvement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As change orders are approved, project plans
and schedules could be updated to reflect the impact of the change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That way, questions fielded at the monthly
meeting could be more productive. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
short, scope creep can and will happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is information that needs to be communicated to stakeholders and how
it is being managed should be in the limelight, not hidden away in the
basement. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">References<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S.
M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E. (2008). Project management: Planning,
scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00436464281700866309noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-769643818966595326.post-21870071885923639992015-04-03T07:27:00.001-07:002015-04-03T07:35:25.290-07:00Project Management Tools<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In my internet search for project management budgeting and forecasting tools, I came across many templates and helpful guides as well as books, articles and discussion forums. As a novice to formal project management, it was gratifying to see all of the free tools and advice available thanks to the collaborative learning environment available to all of us on the world wide web. Two items caught my attention.</span> </span> </span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwZDuEvfYFTYJ-BE3EeJBpGiDkmLaIRqNqh6PN3-M4szRpBCBl5fAjpSlk18SNTVj4YJoT0MO02EpA6lEBfYQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<a href="https://vimeo.com/10168041">https://vimeo.com/10168041</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">First, a budget estimating spreadsheet template with video tutorial from Social Signal (SoSi) is available on their site at </span><a href="http://www.socialsignal.com/blog/alexandra-samuel/how-create-budget-estimates-proposals-and-project-management"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://www.socialsignal.com/blog/alexandra-samuel/how-create-budget-estimates-proposals-and-project-management</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am including a video demonstration because it is a very well done step by step walk through showcasing the functionality of the tool. What I liked about this tool, was that it is ready to use as is, but could be easily customized. It lends itself well to both simple and complex projects. The fact that there is a video tutorial that accompanies it's use is advantageous especially for a novice project manager. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The second tool I came across was the event plan and budget sheet within Smartsheet's menu of project management templates. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Smartsheet provides a user friendly interface and allow you to create online sheets and save them in a portal for easy access later. I set up a free 30 day free trial and each account provides access to a portal with many project management templates geared for a project managers duties. The event plan and budget sheet is just one example. Click the link for a sneak peek that shows the tools on the left hand side. </span><a href="https://app.smartsheet.com/b/home" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Example event plan and budget template in Smartsheet</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This would be a great tool for someone who manages a lot of projects. While there is plenty of online help and the software has a lot of features built in, using the functionality in my opinion would take some time to learn. I don't think for that reason it would be beneficial for someone like myself who may only manage an occasional project at this point in time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">References:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Creative Commons 2010. Open SoSi: The Concept Jam Part 7How to create budget estimates for proposals and project management retrieved from </span><a href="http://www.socialsignal.com/blog/alexandra-samuel/how-create-budget-estimates-proposals-and-project-management"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://www.socialsignal.com/blog/alexandra-samuel/how-create-budget-estimates-proposals-and-project-management</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Smartsheet Solutions: ©2015. All Rights Reserved Smartsheet.com Collaborative project management for projects of any scale retrieved from </span><a href="https://www.smartsheet.com/solutions/project-management"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">https://www.smartsheet.com/solutions/project-management</span></a><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00436464281700866309noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-769643818966595326.post-9459409517826638932015-03-19T19:51:00.001-07:002015-03-19T19:51:04.202-07:00Getting the Message!
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">If the same message is delivered via email, voicemail or
face to face, which one is the most impactful?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How is the message perceived differently depending on the delivery
method?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For my EDUC course on Project
Management in Education and Training, I compared three forms of communication,
the context was exactly the same in these three modalities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In email, I sensed a tone of desperation from
the author.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It came across as very
pleasant, but I felt the sense of importance. - The voicemail audio file came
across less desperate and friendlier, and the F2F video was very friendly,
apologetic even, and although the words were the same, the communicator’s body
language did not convey a sense of urgency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I think that seeing the written words allowed me to focus on
the content itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My perception when hearing
the friendly tone in the voicemail made things seem less urgent and seeing the
person’s casual demeanor in person, even less desperate, but I must admit it is
hard to put off or ignore someone standing right in front of you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone feels more accountable to the in
person requester simply because they looked you in the eye.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However,
email is a form of documentation which in itself should make people feel
accountable because it is time and date stamped and a record of exactly what
was asked. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">While all three communications relayed the true meaning and
intent, for me personally in this communication, the email was the
clearest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t get caught up in the
apologetic nature – just when can you send the data and/or can you just send
the data?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think all of them would make
me act pretty quickly, but the email was the most insistent to me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may be because I deal with email
communications so frequently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps it
has to do with the culture in which I work, (Laureate Video 3) for email is a
very common form of communication there and it is the expectation and standard
that one respond promptly to an email. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">To communicate effectively with members of a project team, I
think the project manager needs to be able to individualize and “tailor
communications to individual stakeholders” (Laureate Video #2) “Communications
are never one size fits all” (Laureate Video #3) Everyone responds differently
to different types of communication and depending on the culture, one form may
be seen as more appropriate or urgent than another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes
email <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">is</b> the best course of action,
and sometimes it is not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It depends on
the receiver, the message, the culture and even the timing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqrvnHRKt6nddQV3XZk7cObj0pZqv54Bb0VbmuV5yIxWx2f3sSsJ1s3aiMpQynIVfk8idMwK8NQgRwIpGQerIpvSPtl6lp3-nHxCnKDIpNLmpedv45fD5FxxSodCGDV_d1Hoad7PGaLTE-/s1600/imagesN9LWR8W2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqrvnHRKt6nddQV3XZk7cObj0pZqv54Bb0VbmuV5yIxWx2f3sSsJ1s3aiMpQynIVfk8idMwK8NQgRwIpGQerIpvSPtl6lp3-nHxCnKDIpNLmpedv45fD5FxxSodCGDV_d1Hoad7PGaLTE-/s1600/imagesN9LWR8W2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">References:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Practitioner voices:
Strategies for working with stakeholders [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://class.waldenu.edu<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Project management
concerns: Communication strategies and organizational culture [Video file].
Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00436464281700866309noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-769643818966595326.post-65188331474501268512015-03-12T18:50:00.000-07:002015-03-12T18:51:23.896-07:00A lesson learned in project management<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">An example of a project that could have gone better dates
back quite a few years to when I was an elementary school teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every year at the school where I taught, a congratulatory
dinner dance party was thrown for the 8<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> graders about a week prior
to their graduation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each year, the
coordination of this event was the responsibility of the 7<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> grade
home room teacher (which in 1991 happened to be me) and so I found myself leading
a project. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thankfully with the help from students,
teachers and parents, we pulled it off, however, I was too naïve at the time to
realize that the team members and stakeholders really carried me through. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Since this dance was an annual tradition, there was already
a pre-event planning process in place and I quickly conformed to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got the students involved early on and we
incorporated making decorations during art class, and fundraising activities
into our general business class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
students really wanted their kickoff dinner dance to top all years prior so motivating
my team members was not an issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did
have clear vision and sold them on the theme of “A night on the town “– with a
silhouetted NY skyline city scape – black white and silver stars and an elegant
glittering disco ball.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They selected an
Italian themed menu and we even restored old wine bottles as candle
holders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Things really came
together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rallying up the parents was easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was a small Catholic school grades 1-8
much like the one I attended as a student and it was really like a community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots of parents came forward throughout the
year and offered to help however they could.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One parent offered her home to make homemade spaghetti sauce two nights
in advance of the party and a group of parents and teachers including me got
together to prepare an Italian feast so nearly everything could be reheated the
night of the dinner in the large utility kitchen at the school. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, those were things that went well, but I was (and still
am) so much more of a ‘doer’ than an organizer/planner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The biggest mistake I made as project
manager was that I failed to plan the details of the actual event and breakdown
the duties for that evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did not outline
roles and responsibilities!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The actual
dance event ended up being quite chaotic behind the scenes, primarily since I
felt that I needed to be personally responsible and involved in every
facet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Confused parents and teachers were
standing around asking me what they should do and meanwhile I was running
around like a one armed paper hanger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">At one point a couple parents came up to me and were like, “Mrs.
Bellitto! You can’t be <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">doing</i></b> all of these details, you need
to step back and oversee how things are going in general!” You’re in charge!” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was stunned, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt
so <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">uncomfortable </b>telling parents
what to do!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was in my early twenties
and had no problem leading my students, but felt very awkward directing
adults.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I very timidly put each parent ‘in charge’
of something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In hindsight, things would
have gone so much smoother, had I mapped out the various duties in advance and
delegated specifics to individual parents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I should have had a work breakdown structure “an organized, detailed,
and hierarchical representation of all work to be performed.” (Portney et al
2008)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, greeting the DJ upon
arrival, assisting him to the area where he should set up, ensuring the sound
checked out okay and answering any questions he may have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having a checklist with subtasks outlined,
would have eliminated a lot of unnecessary frustration and confusion for my
team members.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The other big lesson learned was that we didn’t keep records
or track our progress, like how long planning activities took.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Had we kept and saved organized records, it
would have made things easier for the next year’s 7<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> grade teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">References:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S.
M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E. (2008). Project management: Planning,
scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00436464281700866309noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-769643818966595326.post-40707285555441691422015-03-07T05:02:00.002-08:002015-03-07T05:02:59.604-08:00Welcome to my blogHello classmates and colleagues. A special welcome to all new followers from EDUC 6145 Project Management! I am looking forward to the next 8 weeks as we take on project management and think about our roles and the various hats we may wear in our careers as instructional design professionals. I really feel as though I've gotten to know so many of you as we learn together. I'm doing an informal survey as I am curious <strong>how many of us reside in the purple area shown in the graphic below? And how many do not?</strong> <br />
<br />
I came across this graphic and found it belongs to an interesting free, collaborative and expert reviewed site called the Encyclopedia of Earth and thought - what a great example of knowledge sharing, and the site design is quite fabulous. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4p9tjo5LbsYWX4LSm8LeBjdWx7pObI3wgEJrTzvSFNiqqrBHlksloqHo0MPXrsSXnZAPGLg1zfy-oggmGcQbRxBwBH4-UcNydqXPwI21ouzJZUfLoMHXzHMhMzsWD42QZi5gjW8awkQSc/s1600/world+map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4p9tjo5LbsYWX4LSm8LeBjdWx7pObI3wgEJrTzvSFNiqqrBHlksloqHo0MPXrsSXnZAPGLg1zfy-oggmGcQbRxBwBH4-UcNydqXPwI21ouzJZUfLoMHXzHMhMzsWD42QZi5gjW8awkQSc/s1600/world+map.jpg" /></a></div>
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Regardless, I know it's been a long winter for everyone and the second graphic is representative of</div>
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my attitude as of late! :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHj1I6KTaaym8Fg29KjOBFUc5_X7ifaU45T4eoQ0kaM5M5_uYAiCj9VS6KRL5TRRpVxhhU9rWZ_yYOb99hWBgQjGUw7Itec1qIo2hLZ1L5urEylbFGizq9_6dGHoeNd2HLuuHcTCcpvl1q/s1600/spring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHj1I6KTaaym8Fg29KjOBFUc5_X7ifaU45T4eoQ0kaM5M5_uYAiCj9VS6KRL5TRRpVxhhU9rWZ_yYOb99hWBgQjGUw7Itec1qIo2hLZ1L5urEylbFGizq9_6dGHoeNd2HLuuHcTCcpvl1q/s1600/spring.jpg" /></a></div>
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It's really coming, the calendar says so! </div>
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References:</div>
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Image Location of the D climate types in the Köppen Classification System. (Image Source: Wikimedia) The Encyclopedia of Earth </div>
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retrieved from <a href="http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/162285/">http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/162285/</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00436464281700866309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-769643818966595326.post-16571296399784642912015-03-01T15:48:00.005-08:002015-03-01T15:48:42.444-08:00Reflection on Distance Learning
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As I reflect back on my learning in
this course EDUC 6135 – Distance Learning, I realize that I have hit a turning
point in my thinking. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, I have
learned how to build a course in a CMS, steeped in theory and inclusive of
multi-media presentations some of which I even created myself. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in working
towards this objective, I learned so much more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I learned that it is a challenge to engage a
learner that I may never meet in person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I realize there are strategies to close the gap of distance and time and
that there is an ever growing array of media and learning objects to choose
from to engage the learner and create a comfortable online learning
environment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The design of instruction
captures those elements that create a learning environment that facilitates
student learning.” (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright & Zvacek 2012.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I think in 5 years, we will see an
evening out or leveling of perceptions of online learning being equivalent to
traditional school. Technology in general is changing the way we do everything
and “we are recognizing that distance isn’t as significant a factor as it was
even five years ago.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Laureate Video) I
think both advocates and skeptics will play a part in this leveling out. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Advocates for distance learning
such as online graduates will be more prominent and holding positions of hiring
decision and influence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In education,
business, and government ‘distributed teams’ span across the globe and it is
becoming more and more common for us to communicate with diverse groups for
many different purposes including learning. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Personnel in the technology and knowledge
management arena are in fact advocates for distance learning and distance
communications. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Skeptics will be more accepting of
the idea of distance learning because they will encounter online communication
more often, both informally like seeing video of their grandchildren to more
formally like seeing their children attend school online, and knowing others in
their circle of coworkers, bosses, or family members who have earned an online
degree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Interacting from a distance will become part
of our global culture in the next 10 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It will simply be how we do things as a planet. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Higher education will be no exception.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Howell, Williams, Lindsay (2003) reference <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dunn(2000) who projected by 2025 that half of
the independent colleges of 2000 would be closed, merged or significantly
altered in their mission – with traditional campuses declining yet degree
granting institutions growing overall. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As an instructional designer, I can
be a proponent to improve the perception of distance learning by making
distance learning a quality scholarly experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It all begins with ensuring the learner is
comfortable with the technology and with the distance learning
environment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From there it goes to following
sound instructional design theory and practices to develop the best possible
learning experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think I can be a
positive force for continuous improvement in the field of distance education,
by continuously striving to improve myself and expand my knowledge. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have come to understand that the sharing of
information is what moves each of us forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is difficult for me to speculate what the
educational landscape will look like in twenty years 2035; however, lifelong
learning has already become a competitive necessity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am certain that will continue well past the
next two decades. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">References:</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
Howell, Scott L.;
Williams, Peter B.; Lindsay, Nathan K. (2003) Thirty-two trends affecting
Distance Education:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An Informed
Foundation for Strategic Planning Online Journal of Distance Learning
Administration Volume VI Number 3 retrieved from <a href="http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/fall63/howell63.html"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/fall63/howell63.html</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">
Laureate
Education (Producer). (n.d.). The future of distance education [Video file].
Retrieved from <a href="https://class.waldenu.edu/"><span style="color: blue;">https://class.waldenu.edu</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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</span></div>
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Simonson, M.,
Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a
distance: Foundations of distance education (5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00436464281700866309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-769643818966595326.post-20384136999172305632015-02-22T17:27:00.004-08:002015-02-22T17:27:51.779-08:00Best Practice Guide for Moving a F2F Course to a Blended/Hybrid Learning CourseThis is week 7 in my 8 week Distance Learning Course. The home stretch! This week's application assignment entailed pulling together a best practice guide to use when moving a face to face course into a hybrid/blended learning course. Portions of the course will still be handled face to face, but other portions will be conducted online. In this particular scenario, improving communications was an anticipated outcome. There are many things to consider when taking on a task like this. The attached guide tips are founded in research. References are at the end of the document.
<a href="https://drive.google.com/a/waldenu.edu/file/d/0B8xMSYj8CwppWmlvZk92dklMRnc/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">https://drive.google.com/a/waldenu.edu/file/d/0B8xMSYj8CwppWmlvZk92dklMRnc/view?usp=sharing</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00436464281700866309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-769643818966595326.post-45670788623121831702015-02-08T21:07:00.000-08:002015-02-08T21:07:09.163-08:00MOOC review <br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This week in my EDUC Distance
Learning course at Walden, my assignment was to review a MOOC and analyze how
it measured up to using fundamental online teaching strategies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I selected Yale University’s free course on
Atmosphere, Oceans and Environmental Change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One module titled El Nino (video 23 of a 36 video series) caught my attention
and I joined the online recorded lecture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I have never attended an open course before, so I am not sure why my
expectations were that I would see something different, but I did not expect to
see a straight 45 minute lecture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
many ways it was as though a face to face course was just dumped on the web and
not at all indicative of fundamental online design principles. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Shovel the course onto the Web and say you
are teaching online, but don’t think about it much.” (Simonson, Smaldino
Albright, & Zvacek 2012 p. 134.) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess I have become accustomed to thinking
of online learning as an interactive course where assignments, discussions and
exploring are a substantive part of each course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Learning activities are organized around demonstrable
learning outcomes embedded in course components, including course delivery
mode.” Simonson, Smaldino Albright, & Zvacek 2012 p. 174.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There were a few aspects that
showed some attention and planning was given to designing the course for
distance learners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The instructor made
excellent use of visuals and the visuals were large enough to read and
see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, the camera panned in and
out and the content was very in focus for the entire lecture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could see what was being written on the
whiteboard,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could hear the instructor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However could not hear a student who asked a
question about 30 minutes in to the presentation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The instructor could have repeated the
question which would have resolved that issue. The instructor did advise the
students to feel free to ask questions at the beginning of the course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also used a logical flow starting with
definitions and concepts at the beginning and progressively drilling down into
more detail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, there is so much
more that needs to be considered for online delivery like integrating the power
of the web, and providing for interactivity for students to engage in dialogue
even if it is a discussion thread that occurs after the lecture. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Given that it was designed as a
face to face lecture, there were no course activities that maximized active
learning for the students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, there
was not really any attention given to making the organization and requirements
clear to students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I joined the very
first module which I was hoping would have some introductory material, but in
it, the instructor only mentioned that a lab and attendance at the course were
required (from the f2f participants and would be graded separately.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was no information even eluded to that
the course would be broadcast online and no mention of anything related to the
online audience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since I witnessed no
type of assessment, I’m inclined to think that recalling facts presented for
the lecture portion was the objective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Student
assessment must be designed to reflect the specific behaviors identified in the
course outcomes.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thinking about course
outcomes is the first step in truly transforming a course to an online
course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Simonson, Smaldino, Albright
& Zvacek 2012 p135).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I highly doubt
that the course outcomes were considered for the online learners participating
for free.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In watching the last
segment Review and Overview, I was really hoping I might see some discussion,
or Q & A or student interaction, however I did not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a lecture recap!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">References: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Open
Yale Courses: A free open website offering a number of introductory courses
taught by Yale University professors.<br />
<a href="http://oyc.yale.edu/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #706b5b;">http://oyc.yale.edu/</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Atmosphere, Ocean and Environmental Change - Segment 26 El
Nino retrieved from <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bK-n0CeFWtk&index=23&list=PL902AF247F4163F61">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bK-n0CeFWtk&index=23&list=PL902AF247F4163F61</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00436464281700866309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-769643818966595326.post-31846818113684616602015-01-25T19:31:00.000-08:002015-01-25T19:35:58.971-08:00Interactive Tours - Distance Learning Challenge<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A high school history teacher, located on the west coast of
the United States, wants to showcase to her students new exhibits being held at
two prominent New York City museums. The teacher wants her students to take a
"tour" of the museums and be able to interact with the museum
curators, as well as see the art work on display. Afterward, the teacher would
like to choose two pieces of artwork from each exhibit and have the students
participate in a group critique of the individual work of art. As a novice of
distance learning and distance learning technologies, the teacher turned to the
school district’s instructional designer for assistance. What technologies
would I suggest? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Given that the teacher is a novice of distance learning and distance
learning technologies, I would not opt to put this in a CMS.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would recommend using computers with
internet access and a projector or Smart board.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The teacher can facilitate an initial virtual group tour by using
Google Art Project or the museum’s own virtual tour interface (or if it is a
lesser known museum by perusing for video’s and images in advance) and then
students could be assigned to continue to explore on their own at a computer
lab or on iPads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Questions collected during class or brought
up by individuals can be directed to curators through the museum’s website.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Museums are bringing more and more art to
the public virtually.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many have
specific educational sections for K-12 and some even have blogs for teens like
the Metropolitan Museum of Art. (metmuseum.org) Responses to questions posed
cold be shared with the whole glass. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The group critique could be done F2F but could include using
Turning Point technology “clickers” to keep students engaged and maintain
anonymity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now, this might not sound all that
grandiose from a technology perspective and I must admit, I had thoughts of web
conferencing streaming video from the museum to the class and creating a follow
up discussion forum in a CMS, but I don’t think either of those would fit with
this group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, although, the students
are probably pretty proficient with technology, the instructor is a novice. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“In assessing the available technologies, I
would determine the lowest level of common technologies (LCT).”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Simonson, Smaldino, Albright & Zvacek
2012) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Second, I would strive to “provide
an experience that is no more real than necessary in order for outcomes to be
achieved….Dale (1946) implied when discussing his cone that the tension between
efficiency (abstract experiences) and effectiveness (realistic experiences) is
at the core of instructional design.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
is not necessary to draw additional technology in to obtain the learning
outcomes the teacher has defined. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
is also not necessary to go overboard with technology if the users are not yet
comfortable with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">References: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Durgahee, Ayesha and Gross, Doug; (2011) Google offers
virtual tours of the world’s top art museums retrieved from<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/innovation/02/02/google.streetview.art/<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Iding, Marie & Nordbotten, Joan Selecting Virtual Museum
Exhibits to Support Classroom Teaching retrieved from </span><a href="http://nordbotten.com/joan/publications/2010_Selecting%20V-museum%20Exhibits%20for%20Classroom%20Teaching.pdf"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Calibri;">http://nordbotten.com/joan/publications/2010_Selecting%20V-museum%20Exhibits%20for%20Classroom%20Teaching.pdf</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Martyn,
Margaret (2007) Clickers in the Classroom an Active Learning Approach retrieved
from<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/clickers-classroom-active-learning-approach">http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/clickers-classroom-active-learning-approach</a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S.
(2012). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education
(5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Metropolitan Museum of Art retrieved from
http://www.metmuseum.org/learn/~/media/AA1564368A61472D8BA01764B45F6FD3.pdf<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00436464281700866309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-769643818966595326.post-40349296159905348962015-01-11T15:14:00.000-08:002015-01-11T15:16:27.080-08:00Distance Learning Defined <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCuSX-1s2g-fTGoYgjWQPHI1TWmw_dghVldXYIIlGCuugg927e7N4pXn-KgQBWKh9UEE29fy5-hisc9lL_uhyphenhyphenqphMdKtw58RfrzczwEljB_OFz0UaCtVzjyE50p4HzAL2_EKFzR8fdUvYj/s1600/mindmap.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCuSX-1s2g-fTGoYgjWQPHI1TWmw_dghVldXYIIlGCuugg927e7N4pXn-KgQBWKh9UEE29fy5-hisc9lL_uhyphenhyphenqphMdKtw58RfrzczwEljB_OFz0UaCtVzjyE50p4HzAL2_EKFzR8fdUvYj/s640/mindmap.png" height="234" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mindmap of my definition of Distance Learning and some thoughts on the future<br />
<br />
<br />
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</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00436464281700866309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-769643818966595326.post-75969434976753183332015-01-11T11:42:00.001-08:002015-01-11T19:08:14.371-08:00My definition of Distance Learning<br />
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The first time I had heard the term distance learning was about 10 years ago when an aunt of mine taught high school courses online for students with special circumstances and needs, ie. physical injury, which prohibited them from attending school for significant parts of a school year or an entire school year. Back then, I would have defined distance learning as: <br />
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<strong><em>Formal education where the teacher and student are physically seperated from each other.</em></strong> <br />
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As I entered into the Walden online program, my definition grew to become: <br />
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<em><strong>Formal education where the teacher and students are physically seperated from each other, but interaction between students, teacher, content and each other is accomplished through various media and technology.</strong></em> <br />
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As I studied the definitions, history and theories of distance education in my current EDUC course Distance Learning, I have expanded my personal definition to include the very important clarifying idea of <strong><em>two way</em></strong> communication between and among teachers and students and the idea that "the majority of educational communications between (among) teachers and student(s) occur noncontiguously. " (Garrison and Shale 1987).<br />
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Even with my new definition, I still feel that I am in the 'traditional definition camp' of distance learning. <br />
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The newer and emerging definitions - open learning and virtual school for example, are not quite in my realm yet and I believe the terminology is in the process of being established. Until it is, there is likely to be confusion as today it may come across as conflicting. Open learning, for example, as described by Edwards (1995) focuses on local and individual needs and requirements, however MOOC's (Mass Open Online Course) is just the opposite yet both use the word open within the context of education. Open educational practices (OEP's) are touted as the next phase in 21st century learning where the learners will be like a co-producer of their education. Click the link to see more about OEP's. <br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_educational_practices">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_educational_practices</a><br />
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My vision is that those practices which support quality learning will become popular, recognized and established as the new 'norms' of the future. I feel that current distance learning through accredited universtities will expand significantly and that we will also see an expansion in K-12 and corporate type training. <br />
<img class="rg_i" data-src="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTQZSPrd43XIGwW2Z8iW5oBLMH-D_qyt6QsD_MPR9CjfawU5e6a" data-sz="f" height="423" jsaction="load:str.tbn" name="f2nNqJfdsGOUfM:" sb_id="ms__id9089" src="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTQZSPrd43XIGwW2Z8iW5oBLMH-D_qyt6QsD_MPR9CjfawU5e6a" style="height: 156px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; width: 236px;" width="640" /><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00436464281700866309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-769643818966595326.post-65691829667196786682015-01-08T18:02:00.000-08:002015-01-08T18:03:03.783-08:00So it has been quite a long while since I posted, but my Distance Learning course is underway and we will be using blogs as tools of learning. Looking forward to posting again soon!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00436464281700866309noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-769643818966595326.post-51132643712961129972013-12-15T17:08:00.000-08:002013-12-15T17:08:41.323-08:00Fitting the Pieces TogetherIt is hard to believe that I am coming to the final stretch of my EDUC course - Learning Theories and Instruction. As I reflect back over the past seven weeks, I am amazed at how much information was packed into such a brief timeframe. One of my first assignments in this course was to identify what type of learning theory or style was most applicable to me in my own learning. I did this early on in the course as I was just beginning to study the behaviorist, cognitive, and constructivist theories. <br />
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Originally I identified with cognitive theories since they stress being able to build upon prior knowledge and the acquisition of schema. I have always taken an active role in understanding my environment and have applied various strategies of metacognition. One of my tried and true strategies is to break difficult information down into more manageable chunks so that I can begin to grasp and understand it. <br />
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As the course progressed, we continued to learn about these theories as well as varying opinions and assessments of them. We also studied connectivism, social learning theory, sociocultural theory, and adult learning theory. Each new theory I found applicable to me in some shape or form. The self-direction and self-motivation of adult learning theory sounded very familiar as I realized that when I am motivated by something important to me, I am able to be quite disciplined. Social learning theory reminded me of all of the interactions I had growing up, throughout school and life and how those experiences with others and imitating their examples helped shape the person I am today. I can see from a constructivist perspective how concepts I learned during my undergraduate study of education 25 years ago have evolved as I am reintroduced to educational concepts in this master's program. Experiencing connectivism by setting up a blog with links and RSS feeds from sources related to instructional design was eye opening. I feel like I have discovered a new way of learning.<br />
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In summary, I still think that my own learning is most closely tied to the cognitive theory but I am very excited to see where connectivism leads me. I feel that this is such a new concept and with our ever changing world of half-life of information, one statement captures the essence of what the future holds. "The capacity to know more is more critical than what is actually known." (Siemens, 2008) <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00436464281700866309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-769643818966595326.post-48889874620340155062013-11-30T17:02:00.000-08:002013-11-30T17:50:31.937-08:00ConnectivismThis week's assignment in my EDUC course was to create a mind map of my learning connections using mind mapping software. I thought, okay new tools, old concept. I've created mind maps before with paper and pencil and whiteboards using markers. I had not ever experienced creating one on my PC using software. I thought it might feel a bit clunky, but it was really a smooth process and in some ways easier due to the icons which are readily available to tag and flag things. It also allows you to move things around and regroup things much cleaner than with traditional pen and paper. I used Freemind, but there are other tools out there to utilize. If you click on it, it should expand. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ9YYDvYi4BrMtj0E9-77Lx5MUym3p_s5UQsohQ6rw39dWD9KWmFD7rQ6cIaCg09z22EYu-bzmqpGQQtDGdIokBXcateUMmwoqF5cM0I6U7H16QjyvxGXdmH40PnRIQGTv5HC6haYTbqQA/s1600/Connectivity.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ9YYDvYi4BrMtj0E9-77Lx5MUym3p_s5UQsohQ6rw39dWD9KWmFD7rQ6cIaCg09z22EYu-bzmqpGQQtDGdIokBXcateUMmwoqF5cM0I6U7H16QjyvxGXdmH40PnRIQGTv5HC6haYTbqQA/s640/Connectivity.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Connectivism and My Learning Connections</td></tr>
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The various connections shown above are my connections to learning. These connections date back to my first learning connections as the youngest child in my family to my current day connections at Walden University. I included past experiences, as I believe the impact these experiences had on shaping my future learning and current networks is important. My network has expanded my learning. I have access to hundreds of others who have diverse ideas and thoughts. Two tools on the map above that have had the most impact on my learning are the RSS feeds and the discussion boards. I use the RSS feed as a tool to quickly compile information on the latest trends and articles from other blogs on instructional design. It makes it convenient and easy to collect data. Without this tool, and thinking back to pre-internet studies, I would be spending countless hours in a library conducting research. The discussion boards are extremely enlightening. The students in my courses have a variety of diverse experience and rich knowledge they bring to the table. The scholarly conversations we have are deep and give me a benefit of having collective brainpower at my fingertips. When I have questions, I like to see what others are doing and reach out to them. I believe my personal learning network supports the central tenants of connectivism in the following ways. I am able to transfer knowledge and information obtained from various sources and apply it at work. In turn, I am able to take my experience and learnings from work and apply it to my schooling. In doing so, I may share those experiences with classmates in my learning network. Someone on the other side of the world comments on a discussion board on which I'm participating and in turn that knowledge may affect someone I work with because I may change the way I approach instruction. The network allows me to learn from others which in turn shapes my own learning. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00436464281700866309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-769643818966595326.post-47172686509720248242013-11-10T06:42:00.000-08:002013-11-10T18:38:40.958-08:00Researching the Brain and Learning<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As part of my current EDUC: course, I
am researching journals and websites for information on the brain and
learning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One article I came across in
the British Journal of Education Technology drew me in because it was a study
on the effects of multimedia on problem solving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is actually a study on cognitive load,
self-efficacy, and multiple rule based problem solving based on Engelkamp’s
multimodal theory, but it was the problem solving piece that really intrigued
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I have often been challenged to come up with a curriculum that teaches
our employees to be better problem solvers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In this study, 222 college students
participated in either interactive or non-interactive learning groups to solve
a multiple rule based problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
problem to solve showed a visual diagram of an airport with several gates and
several different colored planes that had to be gated but had rules around
where each could be gated, for example the red plane can’t be gated at A or C,
and can’t be next to the blue plane but can be next to the yellow plane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The key difference was that one group
had the ability to pick up the different colored planes and physically move
them around the diagram.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The group that was able to do this did much
better than the group that could not move the pieces around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The study also showed by surveying the
participants that cognitive load was reduced in the first group and their
feeling of being successful was increased.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The study concluded that providing learners with this type of ability in
multimedia presentations, all of these factors would facilitate their problem
solving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">One thing about the study that sort of
bugged me was that neither group was allowed to use pencil or paper to help
them figure out the complex problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If the second group had pencil and paper, perhaps it would have allowed
them to visualize and deduce their answers similar to the group that could move
the planes around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps not as
quickly, but cognitive load would likely be reduced. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This is valuable information for me as an instructional
designer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Creating a simulated model
that allows the learners to ‘move’ things around will help them problem solve.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I also came across an article on Huntington’s disease at the National
Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) website.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have never heard of this disease but
because the symptoms can show up as impairments to cognitive functions, I
wanted to familiarize myself. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What often starts out as changes in handwriting,
progresses to affect concentration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
those affected, intellectual tasks may become increasingly difficult. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Often, it will begin during middle age;
however there are cases where it affects individuals before the age of 20.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There can be a rapid decline in school
performance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a genetic disease
passed on by parent (father) to child. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes, but not always emotional
disturbance and motor movement are affected. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This article was worthwhile reading and
reminded me that learners come to us with unique circumstances and brain
chemistries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In our roles as
instructors, we have the opportunity to work with individuals and assess their
learning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We should also consider their
learning behaviors and help identify unusual changes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More information can be found on this article
and more about Huntington’s disease at.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></span><a href="http://www.ninds.nih.gov/"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">http://www.ninds.nih.gov</span></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">References:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">National Institute of Neurological Disorders & Stroke (NINDS) </span><a href="http://www.ninds.nih.gov/"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">http://www.ninds.nih.gov</span></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Zheng, Matthew McAlack, Barbara Wilmes Patty Kohler-Evans and Jacquee Williamson (2008) <em>Effects of multimedia on cognitive load, self-efficacy, and multiple rule based problem solving </em>British
Journal of Educational Technology Vol 40 No 5 2009 790–803 <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2008.00859.x<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p>By the way, I also came across an interactive 3D model of the brain on PBS's The Secret Life of the Brain. It also has some really interesting facts and features you can navigate. Just click the link. </o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00436464281700866309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-769643818966595326.post-56927752607932273372013-11-07T17:25:00.000-08:002013-11-07T17:25:20.960-08:00Something strange is happening to me. Now that I am officially back in the role of 'student' I am finding that my perspective is very different in my role as a training consultant. Although, I'm involved in teaching and training, it's been over 25 years since I've been to school. I am having to walk in the shoes of the learner again and struggle to figure out things I don't know. I have to ask questions, (LOTS of questions!) and I am reminded of how it must feel to be a new employee in a new world. This is a great perspective (since I work with new employees) and I am more tuned in to learning and training now that I am learning again! I don't want you to misunderstand. It is not that I have been sitting stagnant with my brain collecting dust. I've taken a few courses, built up my knowledge in various jobs and worked on skill development. I'm always learning, BUT not to the extent that pursuing this degree in Instructional Design entails. It is humbling to be back in these shoes and I feel it will benefit my work. <br />
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The other revelation I've had, is I am remembering the excitement of learning something new ...... I am excited by all the new <em><strong><span style="color: red;">ways to learn!</span></strong></em> Blogging, subscribing to other blogs, online degrees, Wiki's, knowledge sharing, and all of the video and technology tools that go along with our world today just were not around 25 years ago. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00436464281700866309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-769643818966595326.post-78069983709034585032013-11-02T14:25:00.000-07:002013-11-04T03:45:39.998-08:00Welcome to my blogHello everyone, I am starting this blog as part of my journey of learning. I am studying for my masters in education in instructional design and technology. I've read some blogs before and used them as a source of information, but I never really considered writing a blog or having my own. This is a new experience for me. Looking forward to this part of the journey!<br />
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My task this week was to take a look around the web and see what types of blogs are out there. I did a lot of looking and quite frankly, once I got the hang of it I can see how this is addicting. I limited my review to three blogs as requested by my instructor. They are Kapp notes, ELearning Provocateur and Learning Snippets. I've listed a few thoughts on each. <br />
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Kapp notes - Fusing learning, technology and business. <a href="http://karlkapp.com/kapp-notes/">http://karlkapp.com/kapp-notes/</a> <br />
This blog exposed me to such concepts as gamification, edutainment, and ways to make learning interactive and full of adventure. I had no idea that their would be so many similarities in learning simulations and game simulations but it completely makes sense. I also learned a little about the author as he shared his personal experience at an event called DevLearn. This blog has very useful information and seems to focus on some of the very technical aspects that create an excellent online learning experience for the adult learner. <br />
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E-Learning Provocateur - <a href="http://ryan2point0.wordpress.com/">http://ryan2point0.wordpress.com</a> is a blog written by Ryan Tracey an E Learning manager. His blog is all about corporate elearning. Here I discovered what a Mooc is. I also learned about Udemy, which is a free software that allow you to develop elearning modules. Both of these terms are brand new for me. This site is exceptional for finding out what the latest trends are and learning the lingo. His site is listed as one of the 10 EdTech ELearning Blogs. <br />
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Learning Snippets <a href="http://learningsnippets.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">http://learningsnippets.wordpress.com</a><br />
This blog is a diary of what the author is learning about learning. It is as though a trusted colleague is sharing their journey with the rest of us instructional design students. The articles take a look at learner motivation and cognitive load. The author writes several 'showing my work' series where he details what he is learning. This is something I found extremely helpful. In one of these excerpts he shares a process he established for elearning module development. It outlines the kickoff meeting, to working with the SME's to obtaining feedback and all of the challenges in-between. This blog is very insightful and useful for tips and processes that I can implement in my corporate work environment. <br />
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For me, all of three of these blogs have very useful and diverse information around the education of adult learners. I am currently in a role where I have an opportunity to create and develop learning activities and I am very excited to be able to incorporate all of this shared knowledge so quickly. <br />
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