Program Evaluation

I realize that the blog is not part of the Program Evaluation coursework this term.  But I have learned that it serves as a good outlet for me to 'talk through' some of the issues, without stressing about quotes and references.  (Yes, I know that using citations adds substance to one's writing, but right now I just need to get things straight in my head).

As has always been the case while enrolled in this program, time is such a huge factor.  With just less than two classes left, I'm ready to be done.  The University has not been kind to me either (they actually unenrolled me from the current course on Thursday of week 1 through a mistake on their part.  I didn't get things straightened out until Tuesday of Week 2.  Which means that I missed the discussion responses and assignments from Week 1.  On top of that, the professor is docking points off the W1 discussion grade because I didn't participate, AFTER the U told the professor that I was denied access through their mistake. Grr!  The professor did however grant an extension on the paper assignments.  And the U messed up the financial accounts, too.)

Anyway.

Even if I could put all of that aside, the course is difficult.  I am not fond of statistics or politics, both of which are part of the course.  Do I understand their inclusion in a course on evaluation?  Of course.  Do I recognize their importance and affect on evaluation results?  Absolutely.  Do I like dealing with either?  No.  Either subject can be skewed, twisted, and molded to be used for purposes on any side of an issue.  Both are nebulous creatures that creep up and are used for shock value (have you seen the political ads on TV?).

Ethically, morally, and for the sake of justice, evaluators should only convey factual information to stakeholders.  Evaluators should maintain distance from stakeholders, yet involve them in the evaluation process (leads to buy-in and action on program results). Evaluators should practice away from and above the political arena, lest they damage their credibility as objective assessors, past, present, and future.  (Fitzpatrick, Sanders, & Worthern, 2011; Schweigert, 2007, Mohan & Sullivan, 2006).

*See, I can't get away from the references, even when ranting!*

Truth be told, politics leaves a bad taste in my mouth.  I see enough of the currying favor behavior on my daily job as a school teacher.

I am hoping that my current outlook on the course changes (and quickly) but right now, my only thought is that I have 14 weeks to go.

References

Fitzpatrick, J., Sanders, J., Worthern, B. (2011). Program evaluation: alternative approaches and practical guidelines (4th ed.). Pearson, Boston: MA.

Mohan, R., & Sullivan, K. (2006). Managing the politics of evaluation to achieve impact. New Directions for Education, 112. 7-23, doi: 10.1002/ev.204

Schweigert, F. J. (2007). The priority of justice: A framework approach to ethics in program evaluation. Evaluation and Program Planning, 30(4), 394-399.

SOLD Improvements

I finally found a fix to the video hosting issue.  I loaded the video files to Vimeo (free service) and linked them into the Coursesites page.  It works great.  The only downside is that I'm limited on total file size uploads per week (500Mb), which translates to 2-3 video files.  It's not a huge issue, but may be a factor later on.

The test date of the project was moved up to this Friday (tomorrow)!  The admins want to run the program and make any final adjustments over the week.  If all goes well, the rest of the faculty will receive the email invite to Coursesites on Tuesday and the project will be live!

The first development module is completely done (that's the one to be tested on Friday).  A stand-alone video tutorial on fundraising is complete and just needs to be linked to the Coursesites page.  The Money Matters module is in process (one video is done, one yet to be recorded, plus the mod pages still need to be constructed).  I won't be able to add those videos until Wednesday of next week because of the way Vimeo limits uploads.

So far, it's going well.  The tech/video problem really added a lot of time to the project, but a workable solution was found.  Now on to the implementation and evaluation stages.

SOLD Project hits Scope Creep

After grinding out the PM course project, and a flying trip to PA and back for a family emergency, I'm feeling a bit wrung out.

But projects don't halt so that I can take a nap, so onward we go.... sort of.

I'm finding that communications, expectations, and tech issues are my biggest problems right now.  I was tossed the project (courtesy of my description of the Master's program) without much thought towards expectations, just a "do it" attitude.  The VP/SME that I am primarily working with for the first phase is not incredibly tech-savy, and does not take suggestions well that would make implementation easier.  I have been sending regular updates on progress, with a few questions for clarification.  He normally addresses the first issue, and ignores the rest (I limit my items to less than five).

Despite those issues, the majority of Phase 1 is done.  Learner analysis, tech analysis, and assessments are done.  I'm learning more about the tech issues as we progress.  I'm using the Coursesites LMS to host the development training.  One module has an .avi video, made with CamStudio, that lasts about 8 minutes.  The video will play, but there is no sound and some buffering/start/stop issues.  I've tried to compress the video to decrease the byte size, and have contacted the Coursesites tech support about the sound issue.  Since all of the video and file settings are correct, the tech crew thinks its a problem with their video service (QuickTime) and they're still working on it.

Until they figure that part out, I'm have to search for other options to host the video.  YouTube is blocked at our school.  The file size is too big for TeacherTube.  So I'm still searching.  As I'm operating on a $0-budget, the service would need to be free, have a 200 MB minimum or larger upload size, and not be blocked by our county's servers.

Before I could pinpoint the issues with the CamStudio video, the VP/SME went ahead and recorded two more screen capture videos for later modules.  I'm slightly frustrated.

1. He won't use a script - which leads to rambling and excess file size
2. I don't know the content of the subsequent videos or even if a video clip is the most appropriate way to present the content information

And the deadline is looming.  Everything is supposed to be live by next Tuesday.

Scope Creep: Historical Recreation

In my spare time, which there sadly isn't enough of, my husband and I are members of a historical reenactment group. The group focuses on historical recreations from Roman to Elizabethan eras.  Each person picks a particular era, location, and related activities in which to participate.  For example, my particular focus lies in Tudor-era France, stretching to Elizabethan.  Within that broad focus, I research and sew clothing that would be appropriate, along with all the accessories that would also be worn.  I also create bobbin lace, as would a lady during Elizabethan times.

Aside from some budget and time constraints (sewing things at the last minute), the scope creep could relatively be contained if I were the only stakeholder involved in the process.  Often, as with any volunteer group, the baton of leadership is passed from member to member to organize specific events or to coordinate activities for the whole of the group.  Such was the case with me about five years ago.  The organization typically holds the events over weekends outside.  The scope of the project would include security, some accommodations, activities, schedules, and an evening meal on Saturday night.

I was asked to organize a large event that would occur over 3 days in early November.  The regional heads of the organization had specific requirements.  My original bid for the event would safely land within budget and would meet most of the needs of the regional heads.  The original bid was accepted in early September. Then I was told that the original plan for the Saturday evening meal was not acceptable in late September.  This change in the dinner plan cause me to scramble for a new location for the event and readjust both the activities for the weekend, plus the event budget as the second venue was more expensive than the original.  The new location required their own security, plus payment for cleaning crews, and the dinner menu had to be changed (which caused the chefs who would have been preparing the food on site a large amount of displeasure as even the food and recipes are researched with to be historically correct, within safety guidelines).  Additionally, the regionally heads asked in October to change the schedule of activities for the weekend to include events that would require additional volunteers.  Other problems during the planning phase included the resignation of an assistant, a change in chefs, and volunteers changing positions and roles.

The majority of the issues during the project were related to the expansion the scope of the activities (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton & Kramer, 2008).  Some were related to inexperienced people assigned to tasks in planning, namely myself.  Although the event turned out very well, several things would have improved the process.  It would have been hard to anticipate the some of the difficulty (all of the kitchen cabinets were locked when the chefs arrived), some could have been handled better, with a lot less panic on my part.  I did not get a written confirmation of the original bid, for starters.  As Vince Budrovich expounded on in the "Practitioner Voices: You Can't Win Them All" video this week, receiving confirmation in writing for original project goals and for any changes is crucial (Laureate Education, Inc., n.d.).  Secondly, the assistant who resigned was allocated the task of coordinating the building services of the kitchen and ceased to communicate in the middle of October with anyone (thus leading to the kitchen problems).  I should have been more involved with his contacts at the building for the event so that I could follow up on progress personally, rather than having relied on him.

I am glad that I took on the project, despite the problems.  I learned a great deal about the organization, and how to plan an event for the organization.  Sadly, though I have not had the time, opportunity, or the inclination to do so since.

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (n.d.) Practitioner voices: You can't win them all. [Video]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_1342057_1%26url%3D

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.

Timely Studies Update/ SOLD Project

For those that were curious about the real-world project that I was asked to take last week, here is an update with more details.  The blog entries will be titled 'SOLD', so they are not confused with our grad class entries.

The planning and work has begun on the work-project that my principal asked me to undertake.  I've named it SOLD for Staff On Line Development.  I had an initial planning meeting with *some of the stakeholders last Thursday.  There were supposed to be 6-7 VPs involved in the project and only 3 were at the meeting.  One was not at work, two were conducting interviews for the upcoming school year, and one was filling for our head principal, who was also out of the office that day.  The meeting took longer than scheduled (1 hour versus the actual 2.5).

Although slightly underwhelmed by the VP participation, the meeting went well.  The missing VPs will likely be involved at later stages and when/if additional modules are added to the project.  We're using a series of web tools and resources to create and host the learning modules for the staff.  Since I had used the Coursesites.com LMS for a previous grad class project, my familiarity and the price-point of the site (FREE!), the modules will be hosted on Coursesites.  I've already started setting up the site and creating the content and module pages.

One of the VPs is taking an existing PowerPoint presentation, editing, and adding screen-video narration using CamStudios.org.  Another is using Adobe to create PDF forms.  The LMS will allow quizes and drop-boxes for assignments, ensuring that faculty members 1. complete the module training sessions and 2. allow for assessments and feedback to the project team.

The goal of the project is to convert some standard face-to-face content to the web-based forum.  Converting to the web-based forum will:

1. Improve pre-school time efficiency in preparing for the school year
2. Model technology practices that teachers may use with their own students
3. Deliver mandatory training materials to faculty members without the need for en masse time intensive meetings.

With decreased pre-school prep time and changes to teacher-contract hours, there is a growing need for the school to develop methods of delivering training and content to teachers without impinging greatly on teacher hours.  Previous methods of content delivery in face-to-face environments, either in whole-faculty meetings held after school or in smaller groups during teacher planning periods, have not been effective either in content retention or in meeting time restriction.  By moving the content delivery to a web-based platform, time restriction should be avoided by keeping delivery to smaller time intervals that can be completed over a two-week time period at the learner's convenience.

The school also places heavy emphasis on the use of technology in the classroom and in the school.  Previous attempts at incorporating technology applications have had the best of intentions with lack-luster results.  These results can be attributed to content-intensive learning sessions with little application or practice for teachers to effectively incorporate the technology into their curriculum and plans.  By modeling the use of technology through the Staff On Line Development project and through the content focus of specific modules, teachers will be able to refer to the learning module resources as needed, as well as have examples of the applications that they can conform to their specific needs.

The initial phase of the SOLD project will be to create a two-phase learning module on Substitute procedures (using the Sub Finder system and Creating Sub lesson plans/Emergency Lesson Plans) that will be launched by Aug. 21st, the date that the faculty returns to school from summer vacation.  Should the first phase/module meet expectations, additional modules will be added to include:

• School Money Matters (Field Trips, Fundraising, & Club Money)
• Classroom Management & Instruction (Tips & Tools for CM, Teacher Evaluations, Referral Systems)
• Student Support (Reporting Abuse/Neglect, Tier II Assistance, IEPs & 504s)
• School Website (Intro, Basic, and Advanced applications)
• School Safety (Emergency Drills/Procedures, County Required Safety Training)

Some of the modules will be required of all faculty members, some will be voluntary.  New teachers to the school (those with 0-3 years experience teaching at the school) will be required to complete more of the modules than veteran teachers.  Some veterans will be required to complete modules based on past-performance, at the VPs' discretion.  Assessments and feedback will be collected through a variety of applications, including quizzes, surveys, written responses, and form completion/drop-box submissions.

Key stake holders:

• Me - project manager/web developer/instructional designer
• Principal-client
• 6 VPs-instructional design team
• 1 Technology Resource Teacher
• 1 IT/Network specialist
• 250 faculty learners
• 2300 students/secondary clients
• 1 Financial officer (money matters)
• 1 Nurse (for county required blood-pathogen training)

Budget:

• Non-existant - I *might* be awarded a stipend for the work.  Otherwise, I'm paid in learning experience, resume' building, future administrative experiences, and real-world grad class applications.

Ask me questions, leave me comments.  The more I talk about the project, the greater the chance that I'll remember something important. Cheers!

Estimating Costs & Allocating Resources

I started this assignment by looking at the Microsoft Project 2010 website.  I like PC's, so Microsoft is normally the first place that I look for software and templates.  The software package seems to have everything a Project Manager could need in planning, tracking, and adjusting the budgetary and scheduling concerns of a project.  The only problem with Microsoft Project is that it is very cost-prohibitive for a lone Instructional Designer.  The site does offer some sound advice for preparing a project budget here.  Although advice is valuable, so are tools.  I started to look for more pocket-friendly varieties of software and downloads.

Bright Hub

Bright Hub has created several templates for Project Managers to use for free.  The templates are written in Microsoft Excel, which saves PMs from downloading or purchasing expensive software packages.  The download includes an overall budget, a monthly budget, and a task project budget page.  There are no instructions or tutorials to help complete the sheets, but the template designs are clear and easy to read.  I was very glad to come across this resource, as estimating and calculating cost for work-hours is a new skill that I am learning.  This template would save me some of the frustration of setting up digital tables, charts, and calculations.

Smartsheet

Smartsheet does have a small monthly cost for a single user, but it is much more reasonable.  There is also a 30-day free trial.  The web-based system limits the users to the number of sheets (templates/forms) and the size of the files (in Gigabytes).  The Smartsheets product includes many features that PMs would find useful, including Gantt charts, calendars, and collaboration between team members.  The product could help PMs with prioritization of tasks, budgets, performance reviews and task lists.

Timely Studies Part Duex

I talked with one of the VPs yesterday and found out a little more about what the administration wants in terms of the projects from my last post.  It is two separate roles, and I have an initial meeting with several stakeholders next Thursday to discuss the projects more.

Project 1:  Develop a single module for new teachers focusing on procedures and expectations for requesting a substitute in planned and emergency absences, as well as covering appropriate lesson plan content suitable to use with substitutes.  The module will be self-paced, housed either on the school server or loaded to each teacher computer desktop.  Completion would be assessed by a simple quiz or checklist, with the end result being a printout to be submitted to the administration by a certain day in mid September.  The module time frame is about four weeks (starting today).

If the project goes well, then additional modules would be added later.

Project 2:  I'm in charge of the staff development activities (SDA) for the year for integrating technology in the classroom.  The SDAs would occur once a month (totaling approx. 8 sessions) for an hour each.  I haven't been given any specific goals or areas to focus on yet, but my initial thoughts (based on informal conversations over the last few years with coworkers) have included the following:

1. Edline Basic: Setting up individual class webpages on the school website, inputting data on the calendar, uploading documents. (Edline is the website program the school uses).
2. Edline Advanced:  Using the Homework Hand In/Dropbox, creating online quizes, using the Discussion/Blog feature.
3. Wikis/Blogs/GoogleDocs for group projects and student collaboration
4. Podcasting & Videocasting
5. Flipped Classroom techniques for greater student engagement
6. Clickers for on-the-spot classroom assessment
7. Webquests/ Specific Content resources
8. Student Use of Web Content & Plagerism

If you have any other ideas for technology in the classroom, please let me know in the comments.

Timely Studies

I know that there is no blog assignment this week, but I'm finding that this course is incredibly timely and the comments and discussion really helpful, since I'm basically new to the formal process of Project Management.

I've been tagged at school to be the sponsor for the school's chapter of the Science National Honor Society (different than the NHS you may remember from school).  Since this is a brand new group, I have to plan how students will be notified of possible induction, the application and criteria process, and the actual induction ceremony after that.

The topics from the last few weeks in class have been rather helpful, since I now find myself breaking down all of the tasks, trying to estimate times, and identifying stakeholders.  The stakeholders part has been surprising; the data processing IT guy at Central office, the guidance counselors to verify student GPAs, the events coordinator, culinary instructor, students, science teachers, other core teachers,....  At times, it seems like it's a never-ending list.

And on top of that, my principal has asked me to help the VP's convert some of our standard, start-of-the-year required meetings to web-format.  Doing this would allow only those teachers that need the training (newer teachers with 0-3 years teaching experience and those needing a refresher) to complete the training on their own time, and would free up much needed hours for all teachers during our 4-day pre-school work sessions.  It's a daunting task, as my experience with the multimedia side of our program has pretty much been limited to what we have done for the Walden courses.  I am much more comfortable with the ID process and even the PM process (just not the formality of parts of it; language, forms, etc.).  Also adding a bit to the stress is the limited time.  There are only 5 weeks until the faculty returns to school and there are possibly 5-8 training modules that would be converted to web form.

Enjoy your weekend!

UPDATE:  So the number of modules has decreased after the conversation with the principal today, but the initial meeting to discuss the project won't happen until next week.  We decided that if we could get the first module up and running by the time teachers returned, then we could add additional modules during the school year.

Communicating Effectively: Comparisons on Modality

The Art of Effective Communication

This week we are to review a message delivered through three different communication modes: email, voice mail, and face-to-face (F2F) conversation.  Jane needs data and information from Mark to include in a report that is quickly approaching a submission deadline.  Each mode of communication contains the same script and message, and all can be classified as informal communications.  "Informal communications occur as people think of the information they want to share" (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton & Kramer, 2008, p. 357).

My interpretations changed slightly between the written text mode and the voice mail mode because of hearing the tonality and inflection in Jane's voice.  It also changed between the voice mail and the F2F because of body language displayed by Jane in the video clip.  Since the script for the three modes was identical, my perception may have been altered slightly by the time I viewed the F2F mode.

I think that the true meaning and intent of Jane's message is best conveyed by the voice mail mode of communication in this example.  The physical communication modes (voice mail, F2F) hold more urgency with me, as the sender has thought that she may be able to catch Mark at his desk, either by phone or stopping at Mark's desk, and needs a more immediate answer.

The email provides the best form of documentation of the three modes.  It clearly states the purpose and reason for the message, and that the sender expects a reply.  The email does not convey the same urgency, as specific dates and times are not included in the message.  How long does Mark have to get the information to Jane?  When is her deadline?  Written communication does not allow the recipient to ask questions about the message (Portny, et al, 2008).  Although those questions could be asked during each mode, inclusion of that information would have made the email clearer on the urgency of the situation.

The script and body language in the F2F mode seemed very contrived to me.  If Jane is standing there talking to Mark, why would she deliver the message in such a scripted matter?  Why not just simply ask Mark for the information?  Her crossed arms and wandering eyes made it seem that she was uninterested in both her own message and any reply Mark might have had, which undercut the urgency of her needing the data for her own report.  Dr. Stolovitch and his students discuss important components of effective oral communication in the video "Communicating with Stakeholders" (Laureate Education, Inc., n.d.).  In the video, Dr. Stolovitch makes note that the non-verbal communication can be just as informative (and often contradictory to) as the verbal communication through the spirit, attitude, tonality, body language, and timing of the message. (Laureate Education, Inc., n.d.).

For time-sensitive actions and messages, a personal conversation, either by phone or in person (not a contrived script) is best to convey urgent and time-sensitive information or requests, followed by an email clearly stating the purpose, specific deliverables, and any agreements reached including deadlines that the parties need to meet.  Voice mail and email can be more unpredictable as there is a greater change that Mark may not get the messages until much later in the day, especially if he is in an all-day meeting.

References

Laureate Education, Inc., (n.d.) Communicating with stakeholders. [Video]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_1342057_1%26url%3D

Laureate Education, Inc., (n.d.) The art of effective communication. [Multimedia]. Retrieved from http://mym.cdn.laureate-media.com/2dett4d/Walden/EDUC/6145/03/mm/aoc/index.html

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.

Project Post-mortem

Blog Assignment: Learning from a Project “Post-mortem”

Besides my normal teaching duties at school, every spring I serve as the Graduation Coordinator for the senior class.  As the school is rather large (2300 students, graduation class of 500+) this project or process can become quite involved.  Between the parent volunteers, senior class sponsors, administration, sheriff’s department, and vendors, there are many details that need to be adjusted and communicated each year.  The class of 2009 was our first graduating class, and this year was our largest.

Thankfully, I do not have to do the coordination all by myself.  Each year some of our administrative and faculty staffs change; I am the one static person on the Graduation Team that remains constant from year to year (last year I had to fill in as Mistress of Ceremonies for our senior class Vice Principal who was out on maternity leave).  In this position, I am able to help newcomers acclimate to their individual roles (our vice principals are on a rotation and move up as their group of kids move from one grade to the next), as well as advise the team on how well expectations were met in previous years, and how we can improve our deliverables for the coming year.

In some respects, I act as a project manager, in other ways I am a functional manager.  “Functional managers are responsible for orchestrating their staffs’ assignments among different projects, as well as providing the resources to allow their staffs to perform their assignments in accordance with the highest standards of technical assistance” (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton & Kramer (2008).  During graduation practices at the end of the year, I schedule the sequence of practices, guest speakers, student speakers, special events, and parent volunteers.  I also instruct the senior class Vice Principal on what he/she needs to accomplish with the senior class during each day’s practice.  The most difficult part of the position is not having any real authority.  As each role that contributes to the graduation team is either voluntary (in my case) or part of the job requirements (vice principals), there is no incentive to put the best effort forward.  That being said, the entire team always wants the graduation process to achieve the best possible results.  Primarily, the drive is for the students themselves, but also for the parents, guests, VIPs, and the Board of Education members and Executive Staff from the county offices that attend.

There have been several aspects of project management that we have dealt with during the four graduation events since 2009:

                Scope creep: Including a VIP reception and a series of photo booths stretched our resources and didn’t precisely fit in with the overall project.

                Limited budget:  Between the second and third years, our budget available for graduation decreased.  We had to change lighting and sound companies in order to stay within budget.

                Inappropriate staffing assignments:  Staff personalities were sometimes assigned to less-than-ideal locations on graduation night (introverted people assigned to deal with ticket holders at the door, which could sometimes be confrontational).

The team has been able to succeed in the project objective each year, to the satisfaction of most of the guests and graduates.  Our frequent meetings, updates, and communications have been major factors in that success.  For the team, having clearly defined roles and obligations has also helped.  People are not overwhelmed with any aspect and individuals know what their goals and responsibilities should be each year.  After the ceremony is complete, and everyone has had a chance to rest, the team holds a post-mortem to reflect on the good, the bad, and the needs-improvement aspects of the project.

One part of the process that I wish we could do a little better is the communications.  I know I mentioned it earlier as one of the strengths of the project, but it also belongs in the weakness column as well.  The team is pretty good at communicating with each other during monthly meetings, and with each other when working on related aspects of a particular piece.  The communication does not always proceed in the same fashion outside of the Graduation Team.  The Team is comprised of the Principal, Vice Principals, a secretary, the guidance department, me, and the senior class sponsors.  It does not include the group leaders that we utilize on graduation night, such as the faculty member leader for the ticket-taker group, or the leader for the parking crew.  This can, and has, lead to confusion and miscommunications on expectations and established procedures.

With everything considered, I am surprised every year at the graduates and my colleagues for the hard work and accomplishments that go into making graduation happen.  And I am also very thankful that my boss lets me take the day after graduation off.

Reference

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.

Back in the Swing of Things

Welcome and Welcome Back!

I have been on a little hiatus lately from classes.  Between work, home, and school, I found that my attention was far too divided.  As grad school was the optional task, I took a break so that I could focus on work and family.  Now that the school year is finished (work) and the family situations have improved, I’m back at the grad work.  I had hope of finishing the last three courses and the program by December, but I have a feeling that it will be spring before I’m done.

By day, I teach high school Honors and AP physics at a science/technology magnate school.  I am also the sponsor for the school’s chapter of the Science NHS.  At the end of the school year, I am in charge of organizing our administrators, faculty, staff, vendors, and seniors for the graduation ceremonies, which comprises of 500+ graduates and 5000+ guests and VIPs.  In some respects, it is similar to the role of a Project Manager.  I have filled the position of graduation coordinator since the school graduated the first senior class in 2009.  It is a challenging, and often stressful, role, but it is also fulfilling and gratifying when everything goes well.

Outside of work and grad school, I married my best friend last summer and I am a full-time mom to a wonderful 6 year old stepson.  My husband and I are involved with a historical recreation group called the SCA on the weekends (that’s how we met 7 years ago).   Aside from that, I am a football and hockey fan, seamstress and beginning quilter.

Please leave me comments and questions and I look forward to our course together!

~Shelley  

Farewell for now to the Grad Program

It's very rare that I blog about non-grad work assignments, so this will be brief.

My husband left about 2.5 weeks ago to begin carving a new life for our family in the hills of SW PA.  As I am a full-time teacher, I cannot move until the end of the school year.  My stepson is in kindergarten and we decided that he should also finish the school year before making the move.  In the grand scheme of things, I now have a very healthy respect for working, single parents.  Things have been more than a little hectic during the last two weeks of the course.  My stress levels went through the roof and BoyWonder has had a difficult time, too.  I cannot feel good about taking so much time away from him while pursuing the Master's program.  It's just not fair to him (or my sanity).

So for the short term, I've postponed my last three courses in the MSIDT program until at least the Summer terms, when I have more time and we have fully adjusted to not having Hubby/Daddy around.  For those of you continuing with the Project Management course, I wish you the best and look forward to seeing your posts!  I can now say that I love my RSS feed and check it daily.  :)  Hopefully, I will be able to converse with some of you in future courses!

Shelley

The Future of Distance Learning

What do you think the perceptions of distance learning will be in the future (in 5-10 years; 10-20 years)?

            In the next 5 to 10 years, I think the perceptions of distance learning will change a great deal.  People are realizing that geographic location does not need to dictate their access to quality education and that distance can be overcome through the use of distance learning.  The development of quality distance learning programs will continue during this time, as education institutions look to established models of successful distance education, such as the Florida Virtual School, the Digital Dakota Network, and accredited online universities (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2012).  The development of distance learning institutions will continue to grow, not as just a trend or fad, but as institutions, government, and businesses continue to cater to and reach a more diverse and global economy (Siemens, 2010). 

Accreditation will become more important as employers and potential students become more aware of what quality distance learning can achieve.  Institutions offering distance learning programs will improve their course offerings to utilize the new developments of technology and communication, offering a more comfortable and engaging learning environment to students, while meeting (or exceeding) the academic rigor required by accreditation or industry standards.  For established, traditional learning institutions, this may be a painful process in rethinking how content can be delivered to learners, how learners and instructors interact, and how to avoid “the craft approach” (simply transferring face-to-face classroom content to an online forum without regard to the differences between online instructional strategies and classroom instructional strategies) (Moller, Foshay, & Huett, 2008, p. 67).  The quality of distance learning programs will be examined when compared to identical programs offered face-to-face by the same institution in terms of academic fidelity and integrity, meaning that the distance learning programs ought to have the same support from the institution in terms of technology, resources, faculty, and society acceptance (Gambescia & Paolucci, 2009).  

Communication between far-reaching destinations will be all but erased by distance learning and training.  During this time, technologies and interactive communications will improve, as will the use of interactive games, multimedia applications and simulations, providing a more engaging and effective learning environment.  As tools and technologies develop, distance learning and instructional designers will need to keep pace with the improvements to provide learners with the practical experience necessary to be successful in the career field.

            In the following decade, distance learning programs and technologies will achieve mainstream acceptance.  By that time, it may be that more than half of working professionals will have received at least some of their education through distance learning courses.  Communication and multimedia technologies will continue to improve and new innovations will cause us to rethink (again) how people relate and interact with one another and the digital world.  Who knows?  Simulations and video conferencing may achieve 3D capabilities that are accessible to everyone.

How can you as an instructional designer be a proponent for improving societal perceptions of distance learning?

            As an instructional designer, I think one of the main misconceptions of society is the perceived lack of quality in distance learning programs.  Most misconceptions can be overcome simply by talking or showing individuals what a quality program entails.  As an instructional designer, it will be important for me to follow the ADDIE process to ensure that the goals of a program are clearly defined and that the best instructional strategies and tools are utilized to meet those learning goals.  It will also be important to publish the successes of distance learning programs, and educate the public that quality distance learning opportunities are available.

How will you be a positive force for continuous improvement in the field of distance education?

            Although there are days where I feel like I have only just begun to scratch the surface on instructional technologies, it will be important to stay current with new technological advances, and to continue to learn and improve on distance learning theories and methods while incorporating those advances in the products that I develop.   I generally have high expectations for my work and that will continue as an instructional designer.  It will be important to meet those expectations in terms of the development of courses and in working with SME’s and other teams members.  The developments, advances, and collaboration with others combine to produce an efficient and effective learning environment.  Overall, I want to make sure that I provide an environment in which the student feels comfortable and productive.  I want to provide the best learning experience for each student that logs on.

References

Gambescia, S., & Paolucci, R. (2009). Academic fidelity and integrity as attributes of university online degree program offerings.  Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 12(1).  Retrieved from http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/spring 121/gambescia121.html

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008).  The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 2: Higher education).  TechTrends, 52(4), 66-70.

Siemens, G. (2010) The future of distance education. [video program]. Laureate Education, Inc. Retrieved from sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=6290464&Survey=1&47=7309287&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (5^th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Converting to a Distance Learning Format

Converting a traditionally Face-to-Face (F2F) course to a blended or hybrid course can be a daunting task.  One of the many features of blended courses is the opportunity to utilize technology tools that add to the learning experiences of your students while still maintaining a F2F environment.  This week, we were asked to aid a hypothetical training manager who wished to move his F2F course to a blended format to improve the communications among the learners.  The trainer also wants to move the course resources online so that learners may greater access to materials.

Questions to consider:

1.     What are some of the pre-planning strategies the trainer needs to consider before converting his program?

2.     What aspects of his original training program could be enhanced in the distance learning format?

3.     How will his role, as trainer, change in a distance learning environment?

4.     What steps should the trainer take to encourage the trainees to communicate online?

Pre-Planning Strategies

My initial conversations with the instructor will guide the rest of the development of the hybrid transformation.  Gathering information about his course, his goals for using a hybrid environment, and information about his students will be invaluable for the course development.  A learner analysis will help determine the students' skills and readiness in using technology as a learning vehicle.  An analysis of the instructor's goals for the course can help define how the hybrid elements will incorporated into the course. It will be very important for the instructor to establish for the students an organized course, expectations, and student responsibilities (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2012).

F2F Hybrid Best Practices Guide

Distance Learning Format Enhancements

Discussion forums, wikis, and other tools provided by course management systems can help organize and track student progress during a course.  The trainer will need to decide which type of website will best meet his needs for the course and which tools will be added to the course for student use.  Specific guidelines and rubrics would need to be developed, and included, to provide students with the desired expectations for the online participation.  In this scenario, the instructor would like to enhance the students' communications.  Discussion boards for each module or topic could be included as assignment, with a rubric that describes appropriate online etiquette, quality of posts, and meeting the requirements of the initial question or scenario.  The instructor should carefully consider several things when designing the discussion board aspect of the course.  Careful attention to details concerning the initial set up, participation, structure of questions, moderation of the forum, and evaluations can provide for a more engaging and informative discussion (Wade, Bentley, & Waters, 2006).

From Trainer to Facilitator

As a traditional F2F instructor, he is probably used to fulfilling the role as the provider of content and 'sage on the stage'.  As the students communicate more with each other and with the content, the instructor's role will need to shift from being the center of attention to that of a facilitator who coaches the students along in their own learning.   The instructor will need to adjust his interaction with students and find "a balance between structure and creativity" that provides enough support to students, but still allows them to think creatively and critically about the content (Wade, Bentley, & Waters, 2006, p. 3).

Encouragement to Learners

As a facilitator in a blended learning environment, he will need to monitor the discussion boards.  He can offer encouragement to students by commenting on their initial posts, asking questions about their thoughts, and providing additional resources that relate the students' post to the course content (such as an article about the course content and the student's career field). It is important for the facilitator to be 'present' and adding pertinent feedback to the discussion forums and not abandon the discussions to the students' own devices.  Instructors need to monitor and support student engagement  in the online environment (Piskurich, n.d.).

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The following table is a short checklist of items the instructor should consider when converting his course to include the online environment.

	Where will the online course be hosted? Will a CMS be used?
	Is the instructor familiar with all of the technology tools and course components in the online environment?
	Will student help guides be available for those not familiar with the online environment and technology tools?
	How will the course components be organized? Will the topics and modules follow those in the face-to-face environment?
	How often will students be required to engage in the online environment?
	How will the discussion posts be evaluated?
	Provide contact information for the instructor and technical support.

Resources

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (5^th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Piskurich, G. (n.d.). Facilitating online learning. [Study video]. Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=6290464&Survey=1&47=7309287&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1.

Wade, D. A., Bentley, J. P. H., Waters, S. H. (2006). Twenty guidelines for successful threaded discussions: A learning environment approach. Distance Learning, 3(3), p. 1-8.

The Impact of Open Source

Review of Course

For this week’s blog application assignment, I chose to review an introductory astrophysics class for non-science majors.  The course is available on the Open Yale Courses website, entitled “Frontiers and Controversies in Astrophysics with Professor Charles Bailyn”.  The opening page of the course provides information about the course, and the professor, as well as the caveat that it was recorded from a face-to-face (F2F) session of the course taught during the Spring term of 2007 at Yale.  The side bar to the left of the main content includes links to the syllabus, class sessions, and downloads for the course.  The syllabus is atypically of what I would expect from a university course; there is no text book, rubrics, or list of class expectations or attendance (since this was originally presented as F2F).  There are guidelines for late submissions and collaboration listed in a supplemental syllabus, linked from the class syllabus.

The class session pages include information for each class session recorded by Dr. Bailyn’s team.  The page contains a textual overview of where the last session left off and what direction the discussion will take in the next session.  There are downloads for the learner of the lecture recording (transcripts, audio-only mp3 files, and/or Flash or Quicktime video files of the lecture based on internet connection speeds).  There are also PDF files of the presentation notes and links to other resources as they pertain to the individual lectures.  The additional resources are normally articles or websites for learners to explore, but occasionally the resource or assignment cannot be enacted by sole online learners, such as with the “Cosmology: The Game” during session 24.  Periodic problem set were assigned in the F2F course; the sets are included as PDF files as well as the corresponding solutions.

Applied as Distance Learning

From a distance learning (DL) perspective, the course is not very engaging to the learner.  The video sessions are long (~50 minutes) and simply of the professor presenting the material from a podium using the old overhead projector and transparencies, complete with Vis-à-vis markers.  The camera person does make an effort to record both the professor and the overhead through panning and zoom, but the audio is a bit soft as the DL learner cannot hear the F2F student questions to the professor in the video.  The course also has no interactive engagement between the instructor and DL learner or the DL learner to other students.

It does not appear to me that much preplanning (other than arranging for the audio/video crew) went into the course for the purpose of distance education.  Other than hosting and presenting the course material online, there are few to no provisions for DL learners to interact with the course.  There are no discussion boards, no interactive projects, no fellow DL learners with whom to communicate.  There is also no feedback from instructors on work or progress, as the solutions are already given for the DL learner to evaluate their own work.  I believe that the course would fall under the description of “shovelware”, where courses are simply transferred to the web or CMS with little regard to the differences in strategies for effective distance learning (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2012, p. 134).  The materials are not hosted on a course management system thereby ensuring that there is no tracking of progress either by the student for self-evaluative purposes or by the administration.

Distance Learning & Open Source

Despite the rather disappointing review, I believe that Open Source tools are valuable to the instructional designer.  As the materials are free and sometimes adaptable (provided that there is still adherence to all applicable copyright laws), Open Source tools, websites, and courses are still valuable resources to designing a course.  Open Source applications can be used to supplement a course’s resources or activities to further broaden a DL’s learning experiences.

Resources

Bailyn, C. (2007). Frontiers and controversies in astrophysics. Open Yale Courses. Retrieved February 3, 2012, from http://oyc.yale.edu/astronomy/frontiers-and-controversies-in-astrophysics

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (5^th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Selecting Distance Learning Technologies

For this week’s application assignment, I chose the Example 3: Asynchronous Training scenario with the safety training modules for the biodiesel manufacturing plant.  As an entire ID project, content can be delivered through video presentations and flash simulations, as well as in print with diagrams and text for hands-on references.  Assessments and interactive components could be included with discussion boards or blogs, online quizzes (since the content is mostly procedurally based), and interactive flash simulations that the employees can manipulate instead of practicing on real machinery with real consequences while learning.  Employee progress can be tracked by supervisors through the use of a course management system.

As the training is about safety, the learning environment, including learner practice and assessment must also be safe.  In order to provide that type of environment to the employees at the biodiesel manufacturing plant, I believe the best solution is to use online simulations for the employees to interact with, practice their skills, and be tested.  The Training Pro 3D company provides industries, such as the manufacturing industry, with three dimensional simulations for training purposes (http://www.trainingpro3d.com).  As stated on their services website, simulation training provides “a more hands-on experience without putting any of them in danger” (http://trainingpro3d.com).   Medical fields also use virtual simulations for training purposes.  Although more community based, the Play2train websites provide simulations for educators and medical personnel to test their responses in emergency situations situations (http://play2train.us/wordpress/).  Using simulations or other problem-based activities challenges the learner with authentic real-life scenarios (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, and Zvacek, 2012).

To efficiently track and monitor employee progress, I suggest that a comprehensive course management system (CMS) be employed.  A CMS can host all of the elements of the training modules online, which would provide access around the clock to all of the shifts of workers at the plant.  A CMS can also track employee’s progress on module activities, such as quizzes on procedural material or results from the virtual simulations.  Course management systems help corporations by aiding in the administrative duties of training, from tracking progress, and making assignments to hosting learner activities and increasing the accessibility by being online (Simonson et al, 2012).  There are many institutions and companies that utilize CMS software for their employees and clients.  One popular CMS is Blackboard (www.blackboard.com).  Blackboard has been used by educational institutions, corporations, associations, government agencies and the military (www.blackboard.com).  Another popular CMS is one we have studied this week; Moodle (www.moodle.org).  Although the software comes without its own hosting capabilities, Moodle is a very versatile CMS.  I have used both Blackboard and Moodle in recent years.  I used Blackboard as a student and used Moodle as a teacher of a web-facilitated course.

References

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (5^th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Distance Learning Theory

So educational theories are not my cup of tea, so to speak.  I often am confused by the shear number of them, and how closely some are related.  That, and I am never good at linking up a work with the original author.  Just think of it as an epic fail of remembering musical artists with their song titles.  That's how I am with ED Theories.

Anyway, this past week, we were given a great many learning theories to explore and discuss, as well as identifying and comparing key attributes of online courses, blended/ hybrid courses, and web-facilitated courses.  I'm starting to realize that I use and am more familiar with Distance Education that I first realized when posting in the student lounge.  Reading through information on blended and web-facilitated courses, I had several moments of "I do that with my students!!!" and so things are starting to make sense.

Without further delay, on to the Theories! *Note: These are paraphrased from the course textbook cited below!

Equivalency Theory of Distance Education: Simonson
DE and F2F courses need to provide the learner with equivalent learning experiences to reach the objectives, but the learning experiences need not to be identical.  Example from the video: the area of a square and circle may be the same, but the shapes are different (Laureate Education, Inc., n.d.).

Theory of Interaction and Communication: Holmberg
"Guided didactic conversation" - Communication theory relating teaching effectiveness to the impact to feelings of belonging and cooperation.

Theory of Independent Study: Wedemeyer
All about learner independence and the use of technology to facilitate learner independence.  Set 10 characteristics of independent study learners using technology.

1. Be capable of operation anyplace where there are students
2. Greater responsibility on student for learning
3. Faculty members should be allowed more time for educational tasks
4. More choices in courses, formats and methodologies
5. Use effective, proven teaching media and methods
6. Mix media and methods to produce best instructional practice for units
7. Redesign and development of courses to fit "articulated media program"
8. Preserve and enhance individualization
9. Assess students simply
10. Permit students to learn at their own pace

Andragogy: Knowles
Adult education theory.  Characterizes and provides the framework for courses aimed at adult learners.

Transactional Distance Theory: Moore
Three types of distance between learners and instructors; space, time, intellectual distance.  3Dimensional sliding scale between the three characteristics.  Related to structure, dialogue, and learner autonomy.

Theory of Industrialization of Teaching: Peters
Very production-line take on educational theory.  A lot of pre-planning, division of labor (between learner and facilitator), and organization.  Produces assembly-line like product, which may work as an initial framework of ID, but does not leave a lot of room of creativity or individualization.

Reference
Laureate Education, Inc. (n.d.). Theory and distance learning. [Video webcast]. Retrieved from sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=6290464&Survey=1&47=7309287&ClientNodeID-984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1.


Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Next Time: CMSs!

Defining Distance Learning

The definition of distance learning is always changing because the way people learn and what they are learning constantly changes. As new technologies, discoveries, procedures, and adaptations in business evolve, learners must also evolve with those changes. The demand for an adaptable learning model comes with the changes to the learner-audience and the changes to the content being presented. Technology, in best case scenarios, can facilitate the evolution of learning when applied appropriately and effectively. For some professions or industries, the changes in distance learning are more prevalent and evolve quickly. Fields that rely or use technology and/or are communications-based have changed more rapidly as they must mirror the changes in their industry and how their customers communicate. For others, the changes happen more slowly. Fields that rely on more hands-on skills, situation-specific training, or labor-intensive activities have been slower to embrace distance learning as the practicality of distance learning has not kept pace with the need for direct instruction.

My personal definition and observations of distance learning before beginning this course has simply been to learn from afar. The phrase ‘distance learning’ implied to me that there was a physical separation between the learner and instructor. When I was in high school, several classmates enrolled in a distance learning course to learn a foreign language. I don’t remember what language it was now, but it was the Spanish or French offered at the school. The instructor was at another high school a few counties away and the content was delivered either through VHS-taped lessons of the instructor presenting the material or it was delivered through a live-video feed to a conference room. During college, I enrolled in a print-based correspondence class.  The instructor was in Louisiana and I resided in Pennsylvania.

Up until this week and reading the resources for class, I had never really considered the time separation as an element of distance learning. I’m not sure why; it just didn’t occur to me as part of the definition of distance learning. It may have something to do with my teaching physics and the ‘time is relative’ concept. After exploring this week’s resources, the physical separation is a definite part of distance learning, but there are other factors that help to define distance learning. On page 33 of the course text, distance education is described as having four main parts; “institutionally based”, “separation of teacher and student”, “interactive telecommunications”, and sharing of learning experiences through data, voice, and video (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright and Zvacek, 2012, p. 33). Each component of this definition clarifies my thoughts on what distance education and distance learning should be based on. Institutionally based education adds a degree of acceptance and accreditation to the learning process. I have many hobbies and study material online and through books, but my learning for those interests are self-guided, self-directed, and not provided through any kind of educational institution. Although the learning may occur at a distance, it simply self-directed study and would not qualify, by this definition, as distance education. 

I was also surprised to learn the definition or explanation of what qualifies as interactive communications. Students and instructors must be able to interact and communicate during a course so that the instructor can provide feedback and both the student and instructor can assess the student’s progress. In terms of distance learning and in today’s society, I erroneously assumed that the interaction had to be communicated through digital means (computers, email, cloud-based materials, etc.). The method of the communication does not strictly matter, as long as there is some form of interactive communication available to students and instructors.

In the weeks ahead, I am quite certain that my definition of distance learning will continue to evolve. At this moment, I will say that my definition of distance learning closely mimics those presented in our resources this week. There is a need for the content to be supported by a reputable educational entity; geography and possible time will separate learners from instructors; content, comments, and feedback are provided through an interactive communications method; and there must be a component of students sharing new knowledge and learning experiences through a form of data exchange (including multimedia and digital forms). Each component identifies a structural component of distance learning.

The future of distance learning is bright, with a chance of cloudiness. By that I mean that there are endless possibilities where distance learning and instructional designers can go, but a few things need to improve along the way. Instructional designers and distance learning are considered new and somewhat untested, mostly because of the incredible leaps in technology and the tools available for educational purposes. There has been a rush to embrace these technologies, and in that rush, correct instructional methodology and practice has sometimes suffered, resulting in less than adequate examples of what is possible with instructional designers and distance learning. My hope for the future is that there will be a codification in education of what distance learning actually is and how it is best used and implemented. Distance education is growing exponentially, as noted by Dr. Simonson (Simonson, n.d.). This growth can only be sustained by industry, business, and education if it is more widely understood, improved upon, and supported. Distance education cannot be used (in K12) solely as a type of safety net for non-traditional school students (Simonson, Moller, Foshay, & Coleman, 2008). It should be used as a best-choice means of education, dependent on the learner needs, the content constraints, and the instructional design methods used to develop the curriculum. The future of distance education is bright, but it is tempered with the need to proceed with high quality standards and methods.

References

Huett, J., Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Coleman, C. (2008). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 3: K12). TechTrends, 52(5). 63–67.

Simonson, M. (n.d.). Distance education: The next generation. [Study video]. Retrieved from sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/defult.learn?CourseID=6290464&Survey=1&47=7309287&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1.

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education. (5^th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

The mind map is available at this URL: http://www.webspirationpro.com/view/1061643a1c138  I'm trying to figure out how to insert it into the blog.





I FINALLY figured out how to put the Webspiration maps into Blogger!!!!!

New Year, New Class, New Possibilities

Hello to EDUC 6135 - Distance Learning!

It's been quite a while since I have been on this site (over a year by looking at the dates) so please accept my apologies if you expected to see entries from the other courses in the MIDT-OL program.

I am really looking forward to this course and the better understanding of distance learning that I hope to gain from fellow students, our instructor, and the course materials themselves. I look forward to reading your blogs, commenting and reading your comments here.

Best wishes for a great course!

Shelley