Directions: In the discussion section answer the following question:
What are three characteristics of ADVERTISEMENTS? How can you determine if an image is an advertisement or not?
1 Comment
Answer the following questions in paragraph form:
What is one interesting element that you learned from Part 1? What is fake news? What experiences do you have with fake news? Based on the video, what are 2 ways you can STOP fake news? The following links are completed assignments within the IDT 7007 course:
Research Exercise Lesson Plan Web-Based Lesson About Distance Education Peer-Review of Final Project Introduction to the Course
The live class included an overview of the course and course modules. According to the course description, students will explore “the historical, theoretical, and philosophical foundations of instructional technology” as well as conduct “an examination of the literature and status of the field” (Orellana, 2021). In the live session, Dr. Orellana reviewed the shift in the definition of instructional technology to educational technology in 2008. One of the main changes in the definition was the addition of “ethical practice” and the purpose of educational technology to “improve performance” (Orellana, 2021). The textbooks and handbooks in the course provide a history of instructional technology and a development of debates in the field. Dr. Orellana thoroughly introduced the assignments, modules, online discussions, and the final presentation structure in the live session (Orellana, 2021). This course is going to be very interesting. I am looking forward to having a clearer understanding of the landscape of instructional technology and educational technology. I only have two questions:
Orellana, A. (2021). IDT 8008: Principles of instructional technology introduction to the class [PowerPoint slides]. Nova Southeastern University: https://nsu.instructure.com/courses/2478665/pages/watch-and-submit-summary-and-reflections-class-sessions-1-and-2-week-1?module_item_id=42823625 Reflecting on CS 4: Technologies of Distance Education
Class Session 4 was a review of past and present distance education technologies. Distance education technology is the delivery system used to transport teacher created media to students. The technology channels include print-based correspondence, the phonograph, recordings (audio and visual), and live videoconferencing. Reflection Arguably, distance education technologies gain or lose popularity based on national trends, not efficiency or ability to reach the most students. According to Schlosser (n.d.), satellites are highly effective ways to get media to large groups because "the signal from one satellite can reach 40% of the earth's surface" and "is affordable for reaching large numbers of people at the same time" (02:17-02:25). This satellites would have been highly effective technology during the COVID-19 pandemic, when schools were challenged with creating distance education programs quickly. Instead of personal computers for students who may or may not have access to reliable broadband or internet connection, the Department of Education could have turned to past distance education solutions to get public access to K12 courses. The courses would have been prerecorded or broadcast live and presented on public access television at certain hours of the day. These lessons could have served as a temporary solution while local districts worked to train teachers to teach effectively online and transfer curriculum to an effective and equitable distance education format. Perhaps one reason why satellites were not a national solution was because they are not the popular technology today. Question In the readings, we learned how to review the appropriateness of distance education technology. How do we measure the effectiveness of the technology or the positive impact on student learner outcomes? Reference Schlosser, (n.d.). Class Session 4: Technologies of distance education [Video presentation]. Nova Southeastern University. Class 2 was an overview of the scope of distance education. After watching the video, there were three interesting points.
First, the video mentions the Keegan (1996) definition of distance education. According to Keegan (1996), distance education is “a coherent and distinct field of educational endeavor. it embraces programs at a distance at primary and secondary, technical and further, college and university levels in both public and private sectors” (p. 12). Does this mean distance education is a separate program from brick-and-mortar schools? For context, I am thinking about K12 schools that were forced to create a virtual “hybrid” model due to COVID-19. Perhaps a lot of the primary and secondary school struggles originated from the misunderstanding about the logistics of distance education. Following Keegan (1996) distance education is an entirely different program with its own administration, operations staff, and asynchronous/synchronous course design. According to the Class 2 recording, distance education requires “special course design, instructional techniques, communication through various tech, special organizational and administrative arrangements”. This implies in order to create and effectively implement a distance education program, a lot of logistical planning and staffing must take place. These processes take significant amounts of time and were rushed in 2020 for most schools. Also, in Class 2, it was helpful to understand systems theory and distance education following the Moore and Kearsley (2005) definition. According to Moore and Kearsley (2005), distance education is composed of 7 systems and multiple subsystems. In their book, the researchers explain that the systems of distance education are similar to the systems that work together to make up the human body (Moore and Kearsley, 2005). I am curious to read more about systems theory to better understand how each system and subsystem highlights a challenge or gap in distance education. Finally, it was interesting to hear the distinction between media and technology in Class 2. Media, for Simonson, means “text, images, and sounds”. Technology is the vehicle that “carries media”. That distinction between media and technology helps me better understand Clark’s claim that technology is a mere vehicle. If technology is responsible for carrying media from the original space to the learner or the teacher, there really is no magic involved that will help the student learn better, faster, or more efficiently. If anything, the magic is science and careful planning. Distance education professionals need to understand technology, media, and instructional design well enough to craft courses and programs that will help students learn in a deep and meaningful way. Class 3 Reflections In Class 3, Simonson describes the 5 generations of distance education. This video reviewed the history of distance education starting with correspondence study in the mid-1800s. It seems that correspondence schools and distance education allow a greater number of students to attend institutions of higher education. One question is whether there the distance education programs should have lower to no-tuition due to lower overhead costs compared to brick-and-mortar institutions of higher education. For many of the examples in the video, the universities were public or the governments provided tuition assistance to attend. For instance, Athabasca University (AU) has an annual operating budget of $130 million (Athabasca University, 2021). There is a tuition that can be paid by the Canadian government if the student is a Canadian citizen. While it would seem that there are less capital costs, I know that the overhead must be substantial to create, implement, and maintain the vast technology systems for distance education institutions. For instance, the recurring expenditures for Florida Virtual School (FLVS) is $278.4 million dollars for 2021 (Florida Virtual School, 2021, p. 2). Recurring expenses include faculty and staff salaries/benefits, virtual infrastructure, and investment in cybersecurity (Florida Virtual School, 2021). There is no tuition for Florida students; however, there are membership fees, technology fees that are factored into the budget. It is not yet clear how public virtual primary schools, secondary schools, and colleges/universities receive their funding, but that question will tie into the ability for these programs to grow and become more popular in the coming years. References Athabasca University (29 March, 2021). Athabasca university at a glance. https://www.athabascau.ca/aboutau/glance.html#:~:text=AU%20has%20a%20%24130%20million%20annual%20operating%20budget., Florida Virtual School (2021). Financing the strategic vision. Florida virtual school. (1-44).https://www.flvs.net/docs/default-source/district/financing-the-strategic-vision-fy2021.pdf?sfvrsn=6059472a_2 (Links to an external site.) Keegan, D. (1996). Foundations of distance education (3rd Ed.) New York, NY: Routledge. Moore, M.G. & Kearsley, G. (2005) Distance education. A systems view. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Reflecting on Class Session 1: Introduction to the Course
Class Session 1 was an overview of the definition of distance education, a review of the syllabus, and what to expect in the course. It provided a clear definition of distance education as: separation of teacher and learner, influence of an educational organization, use of tech media, provision of two-way communication, and the absence of the learning group (2019). The definition will help me better navigate the readings and theories in this course. I appreciate the peer review form since it will provide guidance on how to receive and give useful feedback. Overall, I’m looking forward to learning more about distance education from the live sessions, projects, readings, and my peers. Reference (2019). IDT 7007: Principles of distance education introduction to the course [PowerPoint presentation]. Nova Southeastern University: https://nsu.instructure.com/courses/2473873/files/139076156?fd_cookie_set=1 Assume you are asked to help design a course at the organization where you currently work. What resources (technology, human, etc.) do you currently have at your disposal that could assist you in doing this?
If I were to write a virtual course for my current organization, I would have various technology and human resources available to me. Technology Our school is completely virtual. In terms of hardware, I would use the school-issued Macbook Pro computers to create lessons. Our school also uses the Canvas Learning Management system to create lessons. Similar to this course, we consider how the course itself is broken down into modules or units based on a theme. I used to teach high school Spanish I and II. So each module was organized based on a unit. For instance, one unit was food and restaurants and another unit would be directions - left, right, etc. Today, I would use multimedia sources such as YouTube or Google Earth to help students understand a concept on a deeper level. Human Most of our curriculum is built using vertical teams - teachers across subjects work together to connect common themes and help plan a grade-wide project-based learning activity. With this in mind, I would say my fellow teachers are a human resource based on their vast wealth of knowledge and the creative ways we can work together to make cross-curricular learning connections. In addition, our school reference librarian is an invaluable resource. Librarians have such a unique role- they are experts in so many areas and are masters at finding knowledge. I would rely heavily on my reference librarian for educational technology and media that I could incorporate into the lesson. What resources do you feel as an instructional designer you are missing that would hamper your efforts? I am hampered by my lack of knowledge. I really need to have a better understanding of instructional systems before I can call myself an instructional designer. Right now I can conceptualize a lesson on the small scale, but it would be so impactful to understand how the lesson fits into the course and how the course fits into the overall World Language curriculum. Specifically, I would need to understand how the lesson objectives tie in directly to the school-wide student learning outcomes and student growth objectives. What am I hoping to measure? How am I collecting student growth data? How does the data from this lesson give me a better understanding of the child’s learning and how effective my lessons are?
Using instant messaging and texting technology for clear communication is my top priority. According to Ko and Rossen (2017), “Instant messaging (IM) and SMS texting are two ways of communicating that are well known to all of us who possess smartphones” (p. 156). In a virtual course, communication among stakeholders (parents, students, and teachers) is vital to classroom success. Technology can be used to help families quickly and efficiently communicate with the IT department to help a child log in to class, help teachers communicate important information to students, and help students relay important information to teachers. Mobile Apps for the LMS can be useful, but they are not at the top of my priority list. According to Ko and Rossen (2017), “if provided with the option for accessing the LMS via a mobile app, for smartphone or tablet, many students will choose to do so at least part of or even a majority of the time” (p. 168). While this mobile app option seems convenient, there can be downsides to students completing all or most of their assignments, class participation, and resource access on their smartphones. Not all multimedia is optimized for mobile devices. This adds an additional variable to the student learning experience that educators can not plan for. In addition, students may not be able to complete all of their homework assignments using only a smartphone or tablet due to limitations in app access, formatting, and document editing capabilities. Reference Ko, S. & Rossen, S. (2017). Teaching online: A practical guide (4th ed.). Routledge. Discussion 3: Instructional Design for Distance Learning
Briefly summarize the major issues, and how they and the process differ from the issues and process addressed and applied when planning for traditional instruction. According to Simonson et al. (2019), “the instructional development process must be based on the unique characteristics and needs of the students, meshed with the style of the instructor and the course goals and content” (p. 135). The instructional development process includes: who are the learners, what is essential content, and what is the learning environment. Major Issue Summary Who are the learners? According to Simonson et al. (2019), “taking time to learn about the learners in the class yields a more productive learning environment” (p. 135). Simonson et al. (2019) explain that teachers must analyze the general abilities of the class, analyze potential for learner interactivity, understand learner characteristics, and help learners understand the context for the learning experience. Once teachers have compiled learner information, they can provide more targeted instruction. Simonson et al. (2019) mention that teachers need to know how many students are in the class as well as the technology available to the students. Students in rural locations, tribal lands, or urban deserts may have limited internet capabilities which could negatively impact learning (p. 136). Being aware of these differences, can greatly improve student learning outcomes. What is essential content? Following Simonson et al. (2019), “the content of a course needs to reflect where this content relates to the rest of the curriculum” (p.138). Teachers must define the goals and objectives for instruction whether they are teaching in a brick-and-mortar setting or virtually. What teaching strategies and media should be used? Simonson et al. (2019) begins this section with a student-centered approach and state “students can provide insight into the design of the learning experience” (p. 139). Distance learning provides various opportunities for personalized, student-centered learning. One way to accomplish this is with student surveys, focus groups, and asking students for direct feedback on instruction and program design. One benefit of this approach is that students gain ownership and buy-in to the course more deeply if they can see that their suggestions or feedback are taken seriously by the teacher. Simonson et al. (2019) also highlight the importance of student engagement in the virtual setting (p. 140). To accomplish this, teachers must focus on the “discovery” of information and focusing on media selection and visualizing information. When students are engaged and take ownership of their learning and become part of the design process, they feel empowered to invest more effort and time into the virtual course. What is the learning environment? Online teachers must consider the technology and resources available to deliver the synchronous “live, video-based class” or asynchronous (pre-recorded, student determines time and pace) class (Simonson et al., 2019, p. 144). The instructor should know how to use the technology, hardware, and software with enough depth to positively impact the student engagement and learning. How they and the process differ from the issues and processes addressed and applied when planning for traditional instruction. Who are the learners? Online teachers need to have a clear understanding of the home internet and technology access for their students. Since most of the instruction is happening on a computer or a tablet, teachers must know whether students all have access to a computer with the minimal connectivity requirements. As we learned from COVID-19, many students did not have access to computers or a reliable internet. Administrators and education leaders needed to provide technology to students and expand connectivity capabilities by buying hotspots, working with local community education centers like local libraries, and providing mobile hotspots on buses. In contrast, traditional teachers in a brick-and-mortar setting do not need to rely on network connectivity or computer hardware to deliver instruction. The in-person experience has less variables to consider because students come to class and the teacher delivers the lesson to multiple students simultaneously. What is essential content? The process for creating goals and objectives works for distance education courses (Simonson et al., 2019, p. 135). If a teacher is using an effective process for creating goals and objectives there should not be a difference between these objectives across modes of instruction. What teaching strategies and media should be used? Online teachers must consider student engagement, media selection, and the visual representation of information. Unlike traditional brick-and-mortar teachers, online teachers cannot use media “off the shelf” (Simonson et al., 2019, p. 139). Teachers must consider the best instructional technology to enhance the student’s learning virtually. Teachers must take time to adapt media – images, audio, text – to the virtual space to ensure the message is delivered clearly to the student. What is the learning environment? The learning environment for brick-and-mortar teachers is the classroom. Virtual educators use technology to interact with students in different locations and/or at different times. 2. Ko & Rossen place their discussion of course design in the context of conversion of traditional, face-to-face courses to distance-delivered courses. What are the advantages of this approach? What are the disadvantages? Ko and Rossen (2017) provide an overview of online course design in a way that helps the traditional teacher understand the similarities and differences between traditional course design and distance education course design. What are the advantages? There are two advantages of this compare and contrast approach. First, this demystifies the online course design process for teachers in easy to understand terms. When presented in clear terms, teachers can easily understand that “putting your course online means more than merely copying your content in an online format” (Ko & Rossen, 2017, p. 33). Also, teachers can see that their formal training in course development is useful when adapting material to online. Certified teachers already possess skills that are very useful in the online classroom such as creating course objectives, planning lessons, and selecting media for each lesson to enhance learning. What are the disadvantages? One disadvantage to the conversational, case study approach is that teachers may feel compelled to duplicate what they have read instead of adapting to their specific students. Each online classroom is unique due to demographics, class size, and subject. The conversational approach may negatively impact the way that teachers interpret the course design information. References Ko, S. & Rossen, S. (2017). Teaching online: A practical guide (4th ed.). Routledge. Simonson, M., Zvacek, S. & Smaldino, S. (2019). Teaching and learning at a distance: foundations of distance education (7th ed.). Information Age Publishing, Inc. Discussion 1: Definitions and History of Distance Education
There are two clear similarities and differences between my definition and that of the researchers. (2019). First, like Simonson et al. (2019), I define distance education as a planned instructional interaction between a teacher and student. Also, Simonson et al. (2019) includes telecommunications systems as a means to connect students with “resources and instructors” (p. 31). However, my definition is not based on a learning group. I also do not define distance education as “institution-based” (Simonson et al., 2019, p. 31). It is not clear what the researchers mean by institution-based. My definition of distance education can happen anywhere, independent of a student’s affiliation with a K12 school or an institution of higher education. Unfortunately, COVID-19 was the first experience that many families had with online learning. Schools were forced to design programs in months or weeks and failed to deliver sustainable, high quality distance education programs. Hodges (2020) noted that to the general public distance education “carries a stigma of being lower quality than face-to-face learning, despite research showing otherwise” (p. 4). This general definition of distance education greatly differs from the effective, quality program that Simonson et al. (2019) describes in their definition.
Simonson et al. (2019) also describe distance education as disruptive to the educational system. I agree that distance education has the potential to revolutionize the education system century due to: a) higher capabilities for personalized assessments; b) rapid growth and advancement in artificial intelligence and data science; and c) greater choices of educational technology. 3, Your reaction after reading the emergency-remote-teaching and online learning article. It was validating to read the distinction between distance education and emergency online teaching. According to Moore (2019), distance education is “teaching and planned learning in which the teaching normally occurs in a different place from learning, requiring communication through technologies, as well as special institutional organization” (p. xii). According to Hodges (2020), emergency remote teaching is the contrast to traditional, high quality distance education (p. 4). This program quality distinction helps laypeople understand that distance education is different from the rushed, haphazard online learning that teachers were forced to do without proper preparation or support over the past school year. The article outlines ways that K12 educators and higher education professionals can improve their emergency online teaching to reach the effectiveness of a high-quality distance education program. Overall, the article provided a helpful definition of emergency online teaching and steps to take to improve instructional design, program evaluation, and teacher preparation. References Hodges, C., Moore, S., Lockee, B., Trust, T., & Bond, A. (2020, March 27). The difference between emergency remote teaching and online learning. Educause Review, 1-22.https://er.educause.edu/articles/2020/3/the-difference-between-emergency-remote-teaching-and-online-learning. Menas, A. (10 March, 2021). What does american rescue plan mean for educators and students? NEA News: National Education Association. https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/new-from-nea/what-does-american-rescue-plan-mean-educators-and-students Moore, M.G., & Diehl, W.C. (Eds.). (2019). Handbook of distance education. Routledge. Simonson, M., Smaldino, S. E., & Zvacek, S. (2019). Teaching and learning at a distance: foundations of distance education. Information Age Publishing, Inc. |