Creating Distance Learning Courses
Lesson Two
Part 1 continued: The Instructional Design Process
The Course Design Process
The distance learning instructional design process is likely very different from what you are used to when creating curriculum for on-site or classroom-based learning. Dr Stephen Kerr, seasoned distance learning instructor and professor in the College of Education, outlines some of these differences and how to address them in his Powerpoint presentation "Developing a Distance Learning Course: How the Process Differs from Developing a Classroom Course".
For those of you who plan to offer distance courses in subjects you are already teaching in the classroom, the design process may also involve reusing existing materials, called repurposing. In her online course "Developing and Managing Distance Learning" (DLDD 102), instructional designer and teacher Linda Ross gives these guidelines for repurposing—
"The question that arises out of these considerations is the relative advantage of working from existing materials vs. creating entirely new materials from scratch. While working from existing books, lectures, lesson plans, or presentation outlines has great appeal, and intuitively sounds like a "time saver," there are many cases when it may actually be more cost effective to begin anew. Questions to be asked when making this decision include:
- How readily can the material be recast using the sorts of "best practices" approaches outlined below?
- Are the materials "closely held" by a particular individual (a faculty member, for example), who might resent having to "give up" a portion of control over the manner in which they are offered?
- Does the style in which the materials were originally written match the requirements of distance learning audiences?
- Are the materials currently available in electronic format that is relatively compatible with the format in which they will be offered for distance learning, or will extensive reformatting (conversions, scanning, etc.) be required?"
Ross outlines several key approaches to modifying existing materials:
Modularization: A long word that basically means breaking up long texts or other materials into chunks. There is good evidence of the value of this when dealing with text; learners commonly resist working with very long strings of text, and appreciate being able to see a series of smaller sections instead. One important way to condense text is through the use of bulleted lists and headings/subheadings.
Bracketing:While materials designed for use in a traditional classroom environment can be introduced, explained, and "placed" within the overall context of the course by the instructor, those used by distance learners must typically stand more on their own. When materials are repurposed for distance learning, they typically need to have some additional things added at the beginning and end to "bracket" them in ways that would happen naturally in a face-to-face environment.
Differentiating: This is an internal variation on bracketing often needed to set off one kind of material from another. For example, in this program, we consistently identify some items as "study questions", indicating you are to treat them in a different way than the text itself. Other items used here are "sidebars", which often provide illustrations, examples, differing perspectives, or commentary on the perspectives offered in the text, as well as "assignments" (whose purpose is probably more obvious!).
Formatting: In some cases, materials presented one way in a face-to-face format may be more appropriately presented in a different format for distance learners. Examples include material presented orally in class being reformatted either to streaming audio or to text; material presented in varied formats that may need to be presented in graphical layout to make its organization and structure clearer; and materials that are provided to face-to-face learners in abbreviated formats (e.g., outlines based on PowerPoint presentations) that may need to be supplemented.
Additional Resources
Index of
Distance Learning Resources on Catalyst. Choosing Technologies for your
Distance Learning Course. Suggestions for repurposing existing materials
in differing media and creating new.
http://catalyst.washington.edu/method/dltech_choices.html
Designing for Accessibility
While the multimedia capabilities of the World Wide Web and other presentation environments are exciting, audio and visual media can be challenging for learners with disabilities. Designing materials to be accessible for all learners is an ethical and legal necessity. The DO-IT project, a joint effort of the College of Engineering and the Department of Computing and Communications, assists faculty in the development of accessible materials, and has these guidelines for those developing distance learning courses.
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on to Assignment 2
