Emphasizing employee development is a sure way to create a work environment that is made of employees that are capable of doing their jobs with a greater purpose in mind. Doing so provides employees with the ability to do that which they value and to grow beyond their initial vision for their careers (Laureate, 2011). As a novice to the field of Instructional Design and appropriately using technology to design training material, I would love to have an employee development plan that would allow me to gain more experience in this profession. Below is a development plan that I believe would get me off to a great start in making the above happen.
Interpersonal/Formal Education
Because I am employed by a learning institution, the classes are available for furthering one’s education in a particular field. However, there is a lack of guidance when it comes to trying to figure out the best path to take. As a result, I believe participating in a staff-to-staff mentoring program would be a great way to establish that. I know that there are several great staff mentor-mentee relationships in existence across campus, but I am sure the majority of them are informal. With that said, I think it would be beneficial to not only myself but other new employees to have the option to pair up with an experienced employee to attempt to establish that great, rewarding mentor-mentee partnership that can offer the needed guidance.
Job Experiences
Experience, quite often, appears to be the best teacher. With that said I believe that incorporating, instructional design and the use of technology into my job duties would be a great way to enforce development as well. Our department just adopted a new housing assignment system that interact with the systems of quite a few other University departments and being involved in the training material development process would be a great way to gain experience in the instructional design arena. I believe the fact of having employees from departments involved as learners will not only allow me to develop a great since of what it means to do the job but also for who the job needs to be done for.
Assessment
When an effort is being made to learn or improve something, I believe that assessment must be included. With my goal to develop as a professional in the ID industry, if the actions/roads that I take to make that happened are not critiqued, I find it hard to be able to get a sense of how well my performance is coming across. With that said, I believe that different forms of assessment must be included in my development plan. Customer, peer, and supervisorial assessment are three forms of assessment that I think will be most beneficial and valuable because they would allow all of the individuals that play a part in my development process to give an evaluation of my progress.
Education
Informal educational opportunities are certainly ways that I see relevant to my development. I think that a person that wants help should first make an effort to help themselves. Informal education is probably the first step taken when beginning to develop a particular skill or concept…one tries to seek out knowledge to help build upon his or her desired skill. I believe that is something I must continue to do in order to stay true to the profession. Time, people, and especially technology these days, change and keeping in the know of how these changes affect the ID field, I feel, will be crucial to my success and contributions to any of my employers.
References
Laureate Education. (2011). Employee Development [Web media]. Retrieved on August 9, 2011 from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5364569&Survey=1&47=6323855&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Thursday, August 4, 2011
HIGH-TECH TRAINING
The use of technology in training is certainly on the rise and, if used properly, brings great advantages along with it. It brings to the training arena a convenient sense of learning that strives to cater to learners of all styles. In this blog, I will point out five different technologies that have had a positive impact in the work of training.
List-servs
List-servs are group emails where trainees comment on topic and the comment(s) are then sent to everyone who is a member of/subscribed to the list-serv. This technology is one that I, personally, like to use. It serves as a great way to sort of continue training after the official training had ended. List-servs allow individuals that use the same software, programs, equipment, etc, to learn from each other. There may be a particular part of a program that you are new to using and as a result you want to get ideas or feedback from other users on they go about making it work for their needs. List-servs provide a great environment for such communication. Below is a link the EDTECH, a list-serv on the use of technology in education. Feel free to check it out.
http://www.h-net.org/~edweb/
Groupware
Groupware is a special type of software application that enables multiple users to track, share, and organize information and to work on the same document simultaneously. This type of software could probably be used for training and also for the training material development process. For the training aspect, such software could be used to help organizations organize and mandate processes for their employees. For the development of training material, it could be used in a similar fashion. With projects to development training material often having a team of individuals responsible for different jobs, using groupware makes it possible for all team members to report on their progress, see the progress of others, share documents, and also share feedback. Below is a video on the purpose of SharePoint, groupware developed by Microsoft. At your convenience, check it out to get an idea of the experience.
Interactive Video
Interactive video combines the advantages of video and computer-based instruction. A problem that is often seen in the training environment is a lack of consistency. Without guidelines and structure, there lies the chance of information being distorted and as a result, you end up with incorrectly trained employees. That in turn, can produce a decrease in performance. Training that is evolved around interactive video technology helps to reduce such situations by providing greater accessibility to consistent training as well as facilitate learning.
Click on the link below for an example of how interactive video is used in training.
http://www.aaae.org/training_professional_development/interactive_employee_training/
Virtual Lab
A virtual lab is a technology that allows trainees to interact with a computer presentation of the job or concept for which they are being trained. Trainees often learn better when they are able to get an actual look at and feel for what it they are trying to learn. This technology is a type of simulation that provides a great way for trainees to get that almost hands-on feeling for their soon to be jobs/tasks. It takes learners through the lessons that actually mimic what they will be expected to perform in reality –again, giving that realistic feeling. This link below
Cisco WebEx
Cisco Webex is a web conferencing program the makes it possible for one to connect to anyone else, anywhere in real time. It combines desktop sharing through a web browser with conferencing and video so everyone sees the same thing while they converse. In my opinion, this technology is an awesome help to the training world. The convenience it provides from one person to several different people, all at one time, in many different locations can be such a great help. Program/software that companies invest in, often have support headquarters that are nowhere close to their location. A technology such as webex makes it possible for that real-time support to happen between individuals that are hundreds to thousands of miles away. It makes it possible for trainees to get that clear explanation that does not quite come across in an email the same way that it may when one is able to speak to a trainer as he or she shares a computer screen to actually show a trainee how to do a particular task.
With my current position and projects, WebEx has been such a help for me and several of my colleagues. I can attest to the convenience and relief its capable providing to the training world. Feel free to click on the link below to check on Cisco WebEx.
http://www.webex.com/
As we all know, there are several technologies available that are being used to enhance the training experience. These were just a few that I thought to share.
References
Noe, R. A. (2010). Employee training and development (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.
The use of technology in training is certainly on the rise and, if used properly, brings great advantages along with it. It brings to the training arena a convenient sense of learning that strives to cater to learners of all styles. In this blog, I will point out five different technologies that have had a positive impact in the work of training.
List-servs
List-servs are group emails where trainees comment on topic and the comment(s) are then sent to everyone who is a member of/subscribed to the list-serv. This technology is one that I, personally, like to use. It serves as a great way to sort of continue training after the official training had ended. List-servs allow individuals that use the same software, programs, equipment, etc, to learn from each other. There may be a particular part of a program that you are new to using and as a result you want to get ideas or feedback from other users on they go about making it work for their needs. List-servs provide a great environment for such communication. Below is a link the EDTECH, a list-serv on the use of technology in education. Feel free to check it out.
http://www.h-net.org/~edweb/
Groupware
Groupware is a special type of software application that enables multiple users to track, share, and organize information and to work on the same document simultaneously. This type of software could probably be used for training and also for the training material development process. For the training aspect, such software could be used to help organizations organize and mandate processes for their employees. For the development of training material, it could be used in a similar fashion. With projects to development training material often having a team of individuals responsible for different jobs, using groupware makes it possible for all team members to report on their progress, see the progress of others, share documents, and also share feedback. Below is a video on the purpose of SharePoint, groupware developed by Microsoft. At your convenience, check it out to get an idea of the experience.
Interactive Video
Interactive video combines the advantages of video and computer-based instruction. A problem that is often seen in the training environment is a lack of consistency. Without guidelines and structure, there lies the chance of information being distorted and as a result, you end up with incorrectly trained employees. That in turn, can produce a decrease in performance. Training that is evolved around interactive video technology helps to reduce such situations by providing greater accessibility to consistent training as well as facilitate learning.
Click on the link below for an example of how interactive video is used in training.
http://www.aaae.org/training_professional_development/interactive_employee_training/
Virtual Lab
A virtual lab is a technology that allows trainees to interact with a computer presentation of the job or concept for which they are being trained. Trainees often learn better when they are able to get an actual look at and feel for what it they are trying to learn. This technology is a type of simulation that provides a great way for trainees to get that almost hands-on feeling for their soon to be jobs/tasks. It takes learners through the lessons that actually mimic what they will be expected to perform in reality –again, giving that realistic feeling. This link below
Cisco WebEx
Cisco Webex is a web conferencing program the makes it possible for one to connect to anyone else, anywhere in real time. It combines desktop sharing through a web browser with conferencing and video so everyone sees the same thing while they converse. In my opinion, this technology is an awesome help to the training world. The convenience it provides from one person to several different people, all at one time, in many different locations can be such a great help. Program/software that companies invest in, often have support headquarters that are nowhere close to their location. A technology such as webex makes it possible for that real-time support to happen between individuals that are hundreds to thousands of miles away. It makes it possible for trainees to get that clear explanation that does not quite come across in an email the same way that it may when one is able to speak to a trainer as he or she shares a computer screen to actually show a trainee how to do a particular task.
With my current position and projects, WebEx has been such a help for me and several of my colleagues. I can attest to the convenience and relief its capable providing to the training world. Feel free to click on the link below to check on Cisco WebEx.
http://www.webex.com/
As we all know, there are several technologies available that are being used to enhance the training experience. These were just a few that I thought to share.
References
Noe, R. A. (2010). Employee training and development (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Planning for a Needs Assessment
The company I chose to explore for this exercise is Men’s Warehouse. Men’s Warehouse is a franchise that caters to those who are seeking to purchase men’s clothing for everyday and special occasions. Not only do they offer the clothing but they also offer to their customers their expertise in finding the right style, fit, and knowledge on other related areas such as how to care for and travel with clothing. With a company like this that is based around something that can be so versatile, if training were to take place a needs assessment to determine their training needs and properly design/prepare for it.
The stakeholders for this needs assessment would be a select group of employees from all of the different organizational areas of the company. Some of those areas would be; General Men’s Wear, the Big & Tall area, Tuxedo Rental, Style Advice, customers/customer support, training and marketing. It would be ideal for each to include a rep(s) from upper-management, middle-management, job incumbent level, and training and customers of Men’s Warehouse’s target market.
Below are the questions proposed to be asked during the Analysis Phase
ORGANIZATIONAL ANALYSIS
Upper-Level Management
· What problems are threats to you all reaching your business objectives makes you believe there is a need for training?
Middle-Level Management
· Are there sufficient resources to devote to training?
· Are there any work environmental features that may interfere with the training process?
Incumbent-Level Employees
· Are there any work environmental features that may interfere with the training process?
Trainers
· Do you have the resources and support to carry out any identified training needs?
PERSON ANALYSIS
Upper-Level Management
· Do you feel the organization is doing all it can to reach its target market? If not, which areas of the organization do you think needs training in order to do so?
Middle-Level Management
· The “Style Advice”, “Tuxedo Rental”, and “Big & Tall” sections are key in helping customers shop as they pick out the best items for their size and occasion and learn how to take care of their merchandise. Do you see a lack of expertise within these areas among your employees that would suggest the need for training?
Trainers
· Do you know how to identify which employees need training?
TASK ANALYSIS
Upper-Level Management
· Does Men’s Warehouse have employees with the drive, skills, and competencies to
compete in the fashion market place?
Middle-Level Management
· What can other areas do differently to make your job better/easier?
· What can your area do differently to help make the jobs of other areas better/easier?
Customers
· How helpful has the information/service provided by the Big & Tall, Style Advice, Tuxedo
Rental, and Ask George sections as well as the option to shop by occasion or brand has
been with your deciding on the right item to buy for your size and/or special occasion?
Trainers
· What past training methods have been successes for you?
Below are the different documents/records that would be requested to be seen to get better results from the needs assessment.
· Samples of questions and comments submitted to “Ask George”
· Customer satisfaction survey results from the different special shops
· Current training material
· Evaluation of past training sessions
Below are the techniques that would be used to employ the needs assessment.
· Questionnaires/Surveys – to reach and get information from the large customer base
· Interviews – can be used to gain very detailed information that can be a key factor in
determining training needs.
· Observations – in this environment where a great deal of action is taking place in a clothing
store, having onsite observations of job processes would be a great way to generate data true
to the work environment.
· Focus Groups - focus groups would be used to get info on how the different areas of the
organization can improve processes in which they have to rely on each other to complete and
reach ideal performance levels.
The first step in a successful training effort is to determine that a training need exits through the needs assessment process (Noe, 2010). Therefore, the analysis phase is very important in designing a training program. Without the true reasons behind the purpose of training, going through with it would be pretty close to pointless. The analysis phase is there to research the organization’s employees and processes in order to find reasons for training and how to go about designing it so that it’s beneficial to its purpose.
References
Noe, R. A. (2010). Employee training and development (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.
Men’s Warehouse. Website retrieved July 6, 2011 from http://www.menswarehouse.com/
The stakeholders for this needs assessment would be a select group of employees from all of the different organizational areas of the company. Some of those areas would be; General Men’s Wear, the Big & Tall area, Tuxedo Rental, Style Advice, customers/customer support, training and marketing. It would be ideal for each to include a rep(s) from upper-management, middle-management, job incumbent level, and training and customers of Men’s Warehouse’s target market.
Below are the questions proposed to be asked during the Analysis Phase
ORGANIZATIONAL ANALYSIS
Upper-Level Management
· What problems are threats to you all reaching your business objectives makes you believe there is a need for training?
Middle-Level Management
· Are there sufficient resources to devote to training?
· Are there any work environmental features that may interfere with the training process?
Incumbent-Level Employees
· Are there any work environmental features that may interfere with the training process?
Trainers
· Do you have the resources and support to carry out any identified training needs?
PERSON ANALYSIS
Upper-Level Management
· Do you feel the organization is doing all it can to reach its target market? If not, which areas of the organization do you think needs training in order to do so?
Middle-Level Management
· The “Style Advice”, “Tuxedo Rental”, and “Big & Tall” sections are key in helping customers shop as they pick out the best items for their size and occasion and learn how to take care of their merchandise. Do you see a lack of expertise within these areas among your employees that would suggest the need for training?
Trainers
· Do you know how to identify which employees need training?
TASK ANALYSIS
Upper-Level Management
· Does Men’s Warehouse have employees with the drive, skills, and competencies to
compete in the fashion market place?
Middle-Level Management
· What can other areas do differently to make your job better/easier?
· What can your area do differently to help make the jobs of other areas better/easier?
Customers
· How helpful has the information/service provided by the Big & Tall, Style Advice, Tuxedo
Rental, and Ask George sections as well as the option to shop by occasion or brand has
been with your deciding on the right item to buy for your size and/or special occasion?
Trainers
· What past training methods have been successes for you?
Below are the different documents/records that would be requested to be seen to get better results from the needs assessment.
· Samples of questions and comments submitted to “Ask George”
· Customer satisfaction survey results from the different special shops
· Current training material
· Evaluation of past training sessions
Below are the techniques that would be used to employ the needs assessment.
· Questionnaires/Surveys – to reach and get information from the large customer base
· Interviews – can be used to gain very detailed information that can be a key factor in
determining training needs.
· Observations – in this environment where a great deal of action is taking place in a clothing
store, having onsite observations of job processes would be a great way to generate data true
to the work environment.
· Focus Groups - focus groups would be used to get info on how the different areas of the
organization can improve processes in which they have to rely on each other to complete and
reach ideal performance levels.
The first step in a successful training effort is to determine that a training need exits through the needs assessment process (Noe, 2010). Therefore, the analysis phase is very important in designing a training program. Without the true reasons behind the purpose of training, going through with it would be pretty close to pointless. The analysis phase is there to research the organization’s employees and processes in order to find reasons for training and how to go about designing it so that it’s beneficial to its purpose.
References
Noe, R. A. (2010). Employee training and development (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.
Men’s Warehouse. Website retrieved July 6, 2011 from http://www.menswarehouse.com/
Thursday, June 30, 2011
The Truth About Training
Hi Everyone,
Play the video for an audio presention of "The Truth About Training" blog posted below.
Change is something encountered in organizations on a regular basis. Processes change, positions change employees and employees change positions. Therefore, when new concepts and people come on board, it is necessary that training takes place to ensure individuals are brought up to speed with concepts and able to sync with one another in order for daily operations to successfully carry out an organization’s purpose. Without training taking place to help communicate the things that are necessary, performance stands a great chance of suffering.
Training has to be presented in a fashion that reaches out to all different types of learners. This necessity can cause training to be complicated at times b/c that implies that training material has to be created and delivered to suit the needs of all learners. And in a case where you are training on different concepts to a group of people who all each have their own unique way of learning, you have to find a way to make that delivery a success.
Because of this need to often reach everyone in their very own special way, training can be fun as well. Learning is usually successfully at taking place when information is given in more than one format and is related to information that learners are already familiar with. Different formats can include learning interventions such as such as group exercises and simulations and that can allow trainees to not only retain information, but bond with and entertain each other as well.
In closing, although challenging at times, training is definitely essential to today’s organizations. If it is structured around assisting organizations to reach their business goals and objectives, training can help them gain a competitive advantage that will, overall, allow them to produce better products, processes, and employees (Noe, 2010).
References
Noe, R. A. (2010). Employee training and development (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.
Play the video for an audio presention of "The Truth About Training" blog posted below.
Change is something encountered in organizations on a regular basis. Processes change, positions change employees and employees change positions. Therefore, when new concepts and people come on board, it is necessary that training takes place to ensure individuals are brought up to speed with concepts and able to sync with one another in order for daily operations to successfully carry out an organization’s purpose. Without training taking place to help communicate the things that are necessary, performance stands a great chance of suffering.
Training has to be presented in a fashion that reaches out to all different types of learners. This necessity can cause training to be complicated at times b/c that implies that training material has to be created and delivered to suit the needs of all learners. And in a case where you are training on different concepts to a group of people who all each have their own unique way of learning, you have to find a way to make that delivery a success.
Because of this need to often reach everyone in their very own special way, training can be fun as well. Learning is usually successfully at taking place when information is given in more than one format and is related to information that learners are already familiar with. Different formats can include learning interventions such as such as group exercises and simulations and that can allow trainees to not only retain information, but bond with and entertain each other as well.
In closing, although challenging at times, training is definitely essential to today’s organizations. If it is structured around assisting organizations to reach their business goals and objectives, training can help them gain a competitive advantage that will, overall, allow them to produce better products, processes, and employees (Noe, 2010).
References
Noe, R. A. (2010). Employee training and development (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Analyzing Scope Creep
A project that comes to mind that involved an issue with scope creep is a project where a campus housing application/assignment system was being implemented. The project process (bidding on and choosing a vendor) began in December of 2008 but really got on its feet in April of 2009. The main objective was to have the system in place in time in order to take housing applications and make campus housing assignments for the Fall 2010-Spring 2011 academic year. Things were running pretty smoothly, therefore stakeholders became very interested in pushing to have the system in place to take applications for the Summer 2010 session as well. Pushing for this early of a release was an issue because the project was to be implemented in certain phases. And there were certain components and integrations that where scheduled to be implemented during the time that applications and assignments for summer housing would normally be taken and made. In other words, if the stakeholders wanted to move forward with using the new system for the Summer session, it would cause the remaining originally scheduled project processes to be hurried in order to have all components functioning in time for Summer 2010 usage.
Some of the stakeholders at the time were disappointed that the possibility of advancing the system that early was slim to none because the new system had been the buzz for a while and they were very amped up about making the new technology available to users as soon as possible. Therefore, it a little difficult for them to accept "no" as an answer. I think that the PM of this project, handled this situation of scope creep fairly well. The PM immediately made it evident that the risk of jumping so far ahead was too high. Rushing to integrate with this new system, systems that were very important to the campus' operations, was not the best thing to do and if anything went wrong while trying to do so, it could really set the project back and even possibly cause the original deadline to be missed.
If I were in control of the project the only thing that I probably would have done differently was constantly remind the stakeholders and team members of the project's goals and why the objectives and schedules were set as they were. It's important to refresh one's memory of the project's goals and boundaries and make sure he or she has a clear of what the desired results should be at points relative to deliverables, schedules, costs and quality (Greer, 2010).
References
Greer, M. (2010). The project management minimalist: just enough pm to rock your projects. Laureate Education Ed. Retrieved February 10, 2011, from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/courses/56607/CRS-CW-4744643/educ_6145_readings/pm-minimalist-ver-3-laureate.pdf
Some of the stakeholders at the time were disappointed that the possibility of advancing the system that early was slim to none because the new system had been the buzz for a while and they were very amped up about making the new technology available to users as soon as possible. Therefore, it a little difficult for them to accept "no" as an answer. I think that the PM of this project, handled this situation of scope creep fairly well. The PM immediately made it evident that the risk of jumping so far ahead was too high. Rushing to integrate with this new system, systems that were very important to the campus' operations, was not the best thing to do and if anything went wrong while trying to do so, it could really set the project back and even possibly cause the original deadline to be missed.
If I were in control of the project the only thing that I probably would have done differently was constantly remind the stakeholders and team members of the project's goals and why the objectives and schedules were set as they were. It's important to refresh one's memory of the project's goals and boundaries and make sure he or she has a clear of what the desired results should be at points relative to deliverables, schedules, costs and quality (Greer, 2010).
References
Greer, M. (2010). The project management minimalist: just enough pm to rock your projects. Laureate Education Ed. Retrieved February 10, 2011, from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/courses/56607/CRS-CW-4744643/educ_6145_readings/pm-minimalist-ver-3-laureate.pdf
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Communicating Effectively
I interpreted the email delivery of Jane's message to Mark to be well mannered buy yet serious and concise about the information she needed from him. I feel this way because, within her email, Jane expresses consideration for Mark's possible situations that has kept him busy. At the same time, she explains the importance of why she is asking him for the information. The voicemail version of this message had a tad bit different affect on me. Even though it's the same verbiage that was sent in the email, the tone of Jane's voice had a slightly different feel. At certain times her voice had an irritated tone to it. It was not a strong tone of irritation at all, but it was noticeable enough to me to have a different effect on how I perceived the message. The sincerity that I heard in her voice when she said "I really appreciate your help" made me not hold on so tight to the "not so nice" vibe I received initially.
In my opinion, the face-to-face modality was the best representation of Jane's message to Mark. The points that needed to be expressed seemed to have been done so just right. Being able to see someone as they speak allows the comparison between body language and tone. That, in turn, helps to interpret how a person intends for a message to come across.
These different modalities are an implication that how one communicates with other members of a project team is very important. It's important for several reasons but mainly because it determines how one will respond to someone's attempt to communicate. With working on a project, there will be times when completing your work depends on the completion of another person's. In the case where one person has to approach the other about it, no matter how bad the case, it's key to come to that person with total respect. Once someone sees that you have respect for them as a person and their possible situations, they are probably more likely embrace your concerns or questions. Engaging stakeholders and communicating with them is an art (Achong, 2010). So getting to know how they respond to communication types is crucial to your relationship as team members and to your survival in the project processes.
When it comes to asking others important questions or questions that may potentially cause an eyebrow to be raised, I think it would be good to rehearse it a few times and then place yourself in the other person's shoes. Doing this, I believe, is one of the best ways to decide on how to say/word something. Word it like so, then ask yourself how you would I feel or react if asked that same question in the same manner. I can see this putting things into perspective fairly quickly, and as a result, it may seem easier to proceed.
References
Achong, T. (2010). Practitioner Voices: Strategies for Working with Stakeholders. [Online video]. Retrieved January 20, 2010, from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn.
In my opinion, the face-to-face modality was the best representation of Jane's message to Mark. The points that needed to be expressed seemed to have been done so just right. Being able to see someone as they speak allows the comparison between body language and tone. That, in turn, helps to interpret how a person intends for a message to come across.
These different modalities are an implication that how one communicates with other members of a project team is very important. It's important for several reasons but mainly because it determines how one will respond to someone's attempt to communicate. With working on a project, there will be times when completing your work depends on the completion of another person's. In the case where one person has to approach the other about it, no matter how bad the case, it's key to come to that person with total respect. Once someone sees that you have respect for them as a person and their possible situations, they are probably more likely embrace your concerns or questions. Engaging stakeholders and communicating with them is an art (Achong, 2010). So getting to know how they respond to communication types is crucial to your relationship as team members and to your survival in the project processes.
When it comes to asking others important questions or questions that may potentially cause an eyebrow to be raised, I think it would be good to rehearse it a few times and then place yourself in the other person's shoes. Doing this, I believe, is one of the best ways to decide on how to say/word something. Word it like so, then ask yourself how you would I feel or react if asked that same question in the same manner. I can see this putting things into perspective fairly quickly, and as a result, it may seem easier to proceed.
References
Achong, T. (2010). Practitioner Voices: Strategies for Working with Stakeholders. [Online video]. Retrieved January 20, 2010, from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Learning from a Project “Post-mortem”
The project that first came to mind for this assignment was fairly small. It refers to the very first time I attempted to bake a pound cake following my mother's (family favorite) recipe. I was hesitant about using it as an example because of its small nature but I think it is a simple example that may work well for this purpose.
The main thing that contributed to the failure of this product was the lack of time that was put into completing some of the processes that were tied to the quality of the wanted finished product: a perfectly baked pound cake. Certain things called for in the recipe, such as having the eggs and butter at room temperature, made a difference in the texture of the cake. Also, the baking temperature and time for the type of cake pan used made a difference as well. If I would have followed the guidelines given instead of melting the butter via the microwave, using cold eggs directly from the fridge, and baking the cake longer then necessary for the type of pan used, I probably would have had a cake of better quality.
For this project, the project manager (PM) was myself - the baker, and the subject matter expert (SME) was my mother. Being that I was acting as both a PM and a supporter of this project, it was I that failed at realizing and enforcing the importance of following the plan designed to complete the project. Corners were cut that still resulted in an editable finished product. However, the product was not nearly as good as it could have been if things were taking more seriously.
A project is defined when the project manager knows the project's needs needs, strategies, objectives, and limitations (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, & Sutton, 2008). Therefore a project is successfully completed when these things are satisfied and properly taken into consideration. With that said, a lesson was definitely learned from this experience: If you want the same finished product, one sure way to get it is the follow the processes exactly as they are given to you.
References
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.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
The Future of Distance Learning - Reflection
Distance learning is certainly a type of learning that is becoming more prominent in today’s society. Although prominent, it is not perceived by all in the same eye. Many will always see the traditional face-to-face learning environment as the best option. However, with the many capabilities and advances made possible by technology, I am convinced that the future of distance learning is very bright. As communication technology increases in quality, we are going to start to see the educational model around it ramp up significantly. So distance education will then become more distributed than it’s ever been (Siemans, 2010).
As an instructional designer, I can definitely be an advocate for improving society’s perception of distance learning. Individuals tend to believe and put trust in things that can be proved to them; therefore, it would be necessary to make known any success in distance education that is encountered. Society’s perception of distance education can also be improved by designing courses that really make a true effort to satisfy the distant learner. This can be done by creating courses that try to create a true learning community and incorporate the proper tools to maximize learning and communication between the learners themselves and the between the learners and the instructor.
Although distance education is not easily accepted by all, it has come a long way to get to its current status. Therefore, it is important for those of us in the field of instructional design to continue to do the things necessary to ensure distance education continues to improve in quality. One of the main differences between the traditional and distance education environments is the line of communication. Traditional’s ability of instant communication gives it an advantage over distance education. As a result of this, one of the main focal points in the development of distance education should be the effectiveness of communication within its environment. By making this a main agenda item when developing/designing distance education courses, I believe I will be able to be a positive force for continuous improvement in the field of distance education.
As I further my career in the field of Instructional Design, the knowledge I acquired from this course will certainly serve as a good foundation. As stated in our text, one key to effective distance education is correct instructional design, a systematic process that applies research-based principles to educational practice. If the design is effective, instruction will also be effective (Simonson, Albright, Smaldino, & Zvacek, 2009).
References
Siemens, G. (2010). The Future of Distance Education. [Online video]. Retrieved December 25, 2010, from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn.
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance (4th ed.). Boston: Pearson.
As an instructional designer, I can definitely be an advocate for improving society’s perception of distance learning. Individuals tend to believe and put trust in things that can be proved to them; therefore, it would be necessary to make known any success in distance education that is encountered. Society’s perception of distance education can also be improved by designing courses that really make a true effort to satisfy the distant learner. This can be done by creating courses that try to create a true learning community and incorporate the proper tools to maximize learning and communication between the learners themselves and the between the learners and the instructor.
Although distance education is not easily accepted by all, it has come a long way to get to its current status. Therefore, it is important for those of us in the field of instructional design to continue to do the things necessary to ensure distance education continues to improve in quality. One of the main differences between the traditional and distance education environments is the line of communication. Traditional’s ability of instant communication gives it an advantage over distance education. As a result of this, one of the main focal points in the development of distance education should be the effectiveness of communication within its environment. By making this a main agenda item when developing/designing distance education courses, I believe I will be able to be a positive force for continuous improvement in the field of distance education.
As I further my career in the field of Instructional Design, the knowledge I acquired from this course will certainly serve as a good foundation. As stated in our text, one key to effective distance education is correct instructional design, a systematic process that applies research-based principles to educational practice. If the design is effective, instruction will also be effective (Simonson, Albright, Smaldino, & Zvacek, 2009).
References
Siemens, G. (2010). The Future of Distance Education. [Online video]. Retrieved December 25, 2010, from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn.
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance (4th ed.). Boston: Pearson.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Converting to a Distance Learning Format
Consider the following scenario:
A training manager has been frustrated with the quality of communication among trainees in his face-to-face training sessions and wants to try something new. With his supervisor’s permission, the trainer plans to convert all current training modules to a blended learning format, which would provide trainees and trainers the opportunity to interact with each other and learn the material in both a face-to-face and online environment. In addition, he is considering putting all of his training materials on a server so that the trainees have access to resources and assignments at all times.
To ensure that students in a distance setting are successful, it is important to consider those elements that can serve as indicators for achievement (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2009). The elements that should be taken into consideration are; the students general ability, their prior knowledge, and their learning styles. I found it appropriate to take these elements and incorporate them into a best practice guide that the trainer could use in his attempt to convert his face-to-face training routine into one that is blended with traditional on-site interaction and modern online interaction between trainees and trainers.
Best Practices Guide: https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B5vzYoOqta_dZDY5OGI5ZjAtN2RlMy00NTc5LWI2NTAtYTU1ODBhNjhkMmJi&sort=name&layout=list&num=50
A training manager has been frustrated with the quality of communication among trainees in his face-to-face training sessions and wants to try something new. With his supervisor’s permission, the trainer plans to convert all current training modules to a blended learning format, which would provide trainees and trainers the opportunity to interact with each other and learn the material in both a face-to-face and online environment. In addition, he is considering putting all of his training materials on a server so that the trainees have access to resources and assignments at all times.
To ensure that students in a distance setting are successful, it is important to consider those elements that can serve as indicators for achievement (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2009). The elements that should be taken into consideration are; the students general ability, their prior knowledge, and their learning styles. I found it appropriate to take these elements and incorporate them into a best practice guide that the trainer could use in his attempt to convert his face-to-face training routine into one that is blended with traditional on-site interaction and modern online interaction between trainees and trainers.
Best Practices Guide: https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B5vzYoOqta_dZDY5OGI5ZjAtN2RlMy00NTc5LWI2NTAtYTU1ODBhNjhkMmJi&sort=name&layout=list&num=50
Sunday, December 5, 2010
The Impact of Open Source
The course I chose was "Listening to Music" (http://oyc.yale.edu/music/listening-to-music/)
from Yale's open course library. This course was taught by Dr. Craig Wright on Yale’s campus during 2008's fall semester: twice a week at 50 minutes each class. Just like the other courses that are available via Open Yale Courses, this course is there to help expand educational materials to all who wish to learn (Open Yale Courses, 2008). The course's focus is to introduce the musical novice to the ways in which music is put together and how to listen to a wide variety of musical styles.
Overall, the course does appear to be pre-planned for the distant learning environment it is being shared with. This is an open course that one takes by choice and is not receiving credit for; therefore, it seems like a whole lot of effort was not put into to giving it a lot of bells and whistles. Learners are provided a copy of the course syllabus so that they have the basics that are needed to understand the purpose of the course. They are given the lessons titles (in order) that will be covered to accomplish that purpose. And they are also given the title of the textbook and other music resources that are used during instruction.
Because this course is about the fundamentals of listening to music, audio is used quite a bit. As a result, the lessons of the course have an audio format option. These lessons are also available in transcript and video format to accommodate the different learning styles. After all, varying the presentation of materials to match different learning styles can also ensure the greatest potential for reaching all learners (Simonson, Albright, Smaldino, & Zvacek, 2009).
This course does seem to follow the recommendations for online instruction. I only wish that some type of reference list that provided links or information to external sources on the different concepts and songs that were used during the lessons, was made available. I say this because not everyone who takes this open course will purchase the book and CD set that was used with it. Although, one could do the online research him or herself, it would be convenient to the learner to have it outlined and available. This correlates to the suggestion to “Integrate the Power of the Web into the Course” when it comes to online instruction ((Simonson, Albright, Smaldino, & Zvacek, 2009).
The designer of this course did implement course activities that maximized active learning for the student. To explain some of the different concepts, popular musical pieces were often used. This was a good strategy because learners are more inclined to pay attention to things they are familiar with or have an interest for. The instructor also, had the class to actively participate in the lessons (where such concepts such as tempo, for example, were being explained) by using certain hand clapping and feet tapping methods. The emphasis on keeping the learners engaged in learning ensures that students will be in tune with the class (Simonson, Albright, Smaldino, & Zvacek, 2009).
References
Open Yale Courses. (2008). Listening to Music. Retrieved December 5, 2010 from http://oyc.yale.edu/music/listening-to-music/
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance (4th ed.). Boston: Pearson.
from Yale's open course library. This course was taught by Dr. Craig Wright on Yale’s campus during 2008's fall semester: twice a week at 50 minutes each class. Just like the other courses that are available via Open Yale Courses, this course is there to help expand educational materials to all who wish to learn (Open Yale Courses, 2008). The course's focus is to introduce the musical novice to the ways in which music is put together and how to listen to a wide variety of musical styles.
Overall, the course does appear to be pre-planned for the distant learning environment it is being shared with. This is an open course that one takes by choice and is not receiving credit for; therefore, it seems like a whole lot of effort was not put into to giving it a lot of bells and whistles. Learners are provided a copy of the course syllabus so that they have the basics that are needed to understand the purpose of the course. They are given the lessons titles (in order) that will be covered to accomplish that purpose. And they are also given the title of the textbook and other music resources that are used during instruction.
Because this course is about the fundamentals of listening to music, audio is used quite a bit. As a result, the lessons of the course have an audio format option. These lessons are also available in transcript and video format to accommodate the different learning styles. After all, varying the presentation of materials to match different learning styles can also ensure the greatest potential for reaching all learners (Simonson, Albright, Smaldino, & Zvacek, 2009).
This course does seem to follow the recommendations for online instruction. I only wish that some type of reference list that provided links or information to external sources on the different concepts and songs that were used during the lessons, was made available. I say this because not everyone who takes this open course will purchase the book and CD set that was used with it. Although, one could do the online research him or herself, it would be convenient to the learner to have it outlined and available. This correlates to the suggestion to “Integrate the Power of the Web into the Course” when it comes to online instruction ((Simonson, Albright, Smaldino, & Zvacek, 2009).
The designer of this course did implement course activities that maximized active learning for the student. To explain some of the different concepts, popular musical pieces were often used. This was a good strategy because learners are more inclined to pay attention to things they are familiar with or have an interest for. The instructor also, had the class to actively participate in the lessons (where such concepts such as tempo, for example, were being explained) by using certain hand clapping and feet tapping methods. The emphasis on keeping the learners engaged in learning ensures that students will be in tune with the class (Simonson, Albright, Smaldino, & Zvacek, 2009).
References
Open Yale Courses. (2008). Listening to Music. Retrieved December 5, 2010 from http://oyc.yale.edu/music/listening-to-music/
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance (4th ed.). Boston: Pearson.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Selecting Distance Learning Technologies
Example 3: Asynchronous Training
In an effort to improve its poor safety record, a biodiesel manufacturing plant needs a series of safety training modules. These stand-alone modules must illustrate best practices on how to safely operate the many pieces of heavy machinery on the plant floor. The modules should involve step-by-step processes and the method of delivery needs to be available to all shifts at the plant. As well, the shift supervisors want to be sure the employees are engaged and can demonstrate their learning from the modules.
In order to accomplish the results desired from this asynchronous training example, I believe some sort of CMS system is the main thing that needs to be in place. I am behind the notion that a CMS needs to be the focal point because of the fact that, in this example, shift supervisors need a way to manage and track the progress of their employees to ensure they are learning from the instruction as they manuever through and complete the modules. A CMS seems to be the sure way to accomplish that.
Due to the seriousness of safety when operating heavy machinery, I believe the modules should be presented using very detailed, step-by-step video demonstrations. Taking this route will allow learners to really see how to do things the correct way. This approach can be accomplished by organizing instruction based on the liner programming strategy. This strategy requires that all content to be organized (by the instructor) into concepts that are presented in blocks or chunks; the student reviews the content; take a self-test; and if succussful, move on to the next block/chunk until all are completed (Simonson, Albright, Smaldino, & Zvacek, 2009).
Each training video can represent a safety concept. Once the video is viewed, the student can be tested on its concepts via quiz or if applicable, a simulation module which will sort of give learners a semi hands-on approach. Once the learner has reached the established level of satisfacory, he or she will proceed to the next lesson. Here is sample video on machine safefy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwU1g3DefFI. It's a designed in an attention getting/keeping fun way, where it shows learners what happens when one practice safety and what happens when one does not. This next example is not a video on machine safety. Its purpose here is to show how videos, can be a sure way to reach learners when dealing with instruction that must be very specific: http://www.commoncraft.com/rss_plain_english.
Using a CMS to host the this training effort has other benefits outside of just being able to host the videos and track assessment progress but also it can be used to help keep the learners engaged. For example, the CMS could be used to the effect where shift supervisors could require their employees to sign into the CMS once every two weeks to either make a suggestion via wiki for improving safty awareness or to collaborate with them and/or their co-workers in some other ways relating to the topic of machine/workplace safety.
References
Common Craft (2007). RSS in Plain English. Retrieved November 21, 2010 from http://www.commoncraft.com/rss_plain_english
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.
YouTube (2009). Safety Initiative, Machine Safety. Retrieved November 21, 2010 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwU1g3DefFI
In an effort to improve its poor safety record, a biodiesel manufacturing plant needs a series of safety training modules. These stand-alone modules must illustrate best practices on how to safely operate the many pieces of heavy machinery on the plant floor. The modules should involve step-by-step processes and the method of delivery needs to be available to all shifts at the plant. As well, the shift supervisors want to be sure the employees are engaged and can demonstrate their learning from the modules.
In order to accomplish the results desired from this asynchronous training example, I believe some sort of CMS system is the main thing that needs to be in place. I am behind the notion that a CMS needs to be the focal point because of the fact that, in this example, shift supervisors need a way to manage and track the progress of their employees to ensure they are learning from the instruction as they manuever through and complete the modules. A CMS seems to be the sure way to accomplish that.
Due to the seriousness of safety when operating heavy machinery, I believe the modules should be presented using very detailed, step-by-step video demonstrations. Taking this route will allow learners to really see how to do things the correct way. This approach can be accomplished by organizing instruction based on the liner programming strategy. This strategy requires that all content to be organized (by the instructor) into concepts that are presented in blocks or chunks; the student reviews the content; take a self-test; and if succussful, move on to the next block/chunk until all are completed (Simonson, Albright, Smaldino, & Zvacek, 2009).
Each training video can represent a safety concept. Once the video is viewed, the student can be tested on its concepts via quiz or if applicable, a simulation module which will sort of give learners a semi hands-on approach. Once the learner has reached the established level of satisfacory, he or she will proceed to the next lesson. Here is sample video on machine safefy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwU1g3DefFI. It's a designed in an attention getting/keeping fun way, where it shows learners what happens when one practice safety and what happens when one does not. This next example is not a video on machine safety. Its purpose here is to show how videos, can be a sure way to reach learners when dealing with instruction that must be very specific: http://www.commoncraft.com/rss_plain_english.
Using a CMS to host the this training effort has other benefits outside of just being able to host the videos and track assessment progress but also it can be used to help keep the learners engaged. For example, the CMS could be used to the effect where shift supervisors could require their employees to sign into the CMS once every two weeks to either make a suggestion via wiki for improving safty awareness or to collaborate with them and/or their co-workers in some other ways relating to the topic of machine/workplace safety.
References
Common Craft (2007). RSS in Plain English. Retrieved November 21, 2010 from http://www.commoncraft.com/rss_plain_english
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.
YouTube (2009). Safety Initiative, Machine Safety. Retrieved November 21, 2010 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwU1g3DefFI
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Defining Distance Learning
Distance learning, to me, has always simply come across as the process of learning that takes place in a non-traditional classroom environment where the instructor and learner are in two different locations. From the introduction of this course, it has been proven to me that my definition is not incorrect but it tries to cover an idea that entails more information than it states. As result, I have been educated on the definition of distance learning and have adopted the following definition from Dr. Michael Simonson: Distance education is institution based formal education where the learning group is separated, and where interactive telecommunications systems are used to connect learners, resources and instructors (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2009).
In my opinion, this definition seems to really break down what distance education is and it seems as if could be fit for all professions and technical knowledge levels. It has four parts: the fact that it is institutionally based (traditional schools/colleges/universities, businesses and corporations); the fact that the instructor and student are separated by location and/or time; the component of interactive telecommunications (systems); and the concept of connecting learners. These things must all take place in order to fully support the idea of distance education. As long as this is occurring, the existence of distance education by this definition would still hold true regardless of one’s profession or level of technical knowledge.
With that said, although they sometimes are, I believe that learners lack of technical knowledge and differences in profession should not be reasons to change the definition of distance learning/education. I do however believe the existence of those differences should influence the way distance education is approached by way of the design of a course. For example, it probably would not be wise to create a distance education course on how to use a certain computer application for the for individuals that work in the IT department of a company the same way you would for those who work in the company's Maintenance department. Two different professions with different levels of technical know-how are involved so two different approaches/formats would more than likely be needed in order to have a successful learning outcome. These differences do not seem to propose a reason to change this definition of distance learning, but they do create a reason to evaluate how it is carried out.
Because of the many differences that exist between the learners and instructors of distance education, it certainly has a future that will continue to evolve and change in the way it is applied to learning. I think that one important piece is to always place high value on the design of distance education courses because their structure, which should mostly be based around the learners need, will affect how beneficial the courses will be. This will then require high importance to be place on course evaluation. As stated by Moller, Foshay, and Huett in their article on the evolution of distance education, since evaluation of e-learning is necessary to demonstrate its worth, the need for better and more widely used evaluation models is critical to the future of e-learning (Moller, Foshay, & Huett, 2008).
Overall, this week's lesson taught me that distance education, although probably now is at its most popular pike, has been around for a very over a hundred years and this definition seems to cover that aspect of history as well. That is one of the main reasons why I saw Dr. Simonson's definition fit. It seems applicable to the concept of distance education during the earlier times just as well as what it seems to mostly be now. And I believe doing that is important because, to me, knowing the history of something makes having knowledge of it that much more valuable.
References
Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 1: Training and development). TechTrends, 52(3), 70–75.
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.
In my opinion, this definition seems to really break down what distance education is and it seems as if could be fit for all professions and technical knowledge levels. It has four parts: the fact that it is institutionally based (traditional schools/colleges/universities, businesses and corporations); the fact that the instructor and student are separated by location and/or time; the component of interactive telecommunications (systems); and the concept of connecting learners. These things must all take place in order to fully support the idea of distance education. As long as this is occurring, the existence of distance education by this definition would still hold true regardless of one’s profession or level of technical knowledge.
With that said, although they sometimes are, I believe that learners lack of technical knowledge and differences in profession should not be reasons to change the definition of distance learning/education. I do however believe the existence of those differences should influence the way distance education is approached by way of the design of a course. For example, it probably would not be wise to create a distance education course on how to use a certain computer application for the for individuals that work in the IT department of a company the same way you would for those who work in the company's Maintenance department. Two different professions with different levels of technical know-how are involved so two different approaches/formats would more than likely be needed in order to have a successful learning outcome. These differences do not seem to propose a reason to change this definition of distance learning, but they do create a reason to evaluate how it is carried out.
Because of the many differences that exist between the learners and instructors of distance education, it certainly has a future that will continue to evolve and change in the way it is applied to learning. I think that one important piece is to always place high value on the design of distance education courses because their structure, which should mostly be based around the learners need, will affect how beneficial the courses will be. This will then require high importance to be place on course evaluation. As stated by Moller, Foshay, and Huett in their article on the evolution of distance education, since evaluation of e-learning is necessary to demonstrate its worth, the need for better and more widely used evaluation models is critical to the future of e-learning (Moller, Foshay, & Huett, 2008).
Overall, this week's lesson taught me that distance education, although probably now is at its most popular pike, has been around for a very over a hundred years and this definition seems to cover that aspect of history as well. That is one of the main reasons why I saw Dr. Simonson's definition fit. It seems applicable to the concept of distance education during the earlier times just as well as what it seems to mostly be now. And I believe doing that is important because, to me, knowing the history of something makes having knowledge of it that much more valuable.
References
Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 1: Training and development). TechTrends, 52(3), 70–75.
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Reflection for EDUC 6115 - Learning Theories and Instruction
Throughout this course as I furthered my knowledge about how people learn, the most surprising thing I found was how big of a part one’s prior knowledge and experience plays in his or her learning. Being able to relate new information to old information makes a huge difference in how fast and how long one retains the new information. Learning this helped me to understand my own learning process especially. I have always had the idea that repetition was the main cause behind my retaining information. Therefore, when I encountered times where I repeated information a lot but still failed to remember or learn it, I had a hard time understanding what was going wrong. This course helped me to understand that the failure was occurring because I was not aware of the fact that when I am fed information that I can tie to what I already am familiar with, I am able to learn and regurgitate it much faster. This notion is one that I believe to be relevant to all learners regardless of their preferred method(s) of learning.
There are several different styles, theories, technologies and reasons for motivation when it comes to learning. Although they are all different, all however are connected because they have a strong dependency upon each other. Motivation is probably the most important of them all. In order to successfully learn, one must have some sort of motivation to do so. After the motivation is established, the different learning theories can be exercised through different learning styles and technologies. Also, the type of technology and learning style can influence and help maintain an individual’s motivation for learning. Presenting a variety in the two can keep a learner from losing interest in the subject at hand.
As I further my career in the field of Instructional Design, the knowledge I acquired from this course will certainly serve as a good foundation. One of the most important things for me to carry along was mentioned in an article by Merrium. It was stated that adult learning is a complex phenomenon that can never be reduced to a single, simple explanation. This article’s focus was on adult learning but I believe these words have relevance to learners of all ages. This simply says that everyone does not learn the same; therefore, there is no one right answer or way to teach individuals. It’s about tuning into learners as individuals to find out how they learn best.
Sheree
There are several different styles, theories, technologies and reasons for motivation when it comes to learning. Although they are all different, all however are connected because they have a strong dependency upon each other. Motivation is probably the most important of them all. In order to successfully learn, one must have some sort of motivation to do so. After the motivation is established, the different learning theories can be exercised through different learning styles and technologies. Also, the type of technology and learning style can influence and help maintain an individual’s motivation for learning. Presenting a variety in the two can keep a learner from losing interest in the subject at hand.
As I further my career in the field of Instructional Design, the knowledge I acquired from this course will certainly serve as a good foundation. One of the most important things for me to carry along was mentioned in an article by Merrium. It was stated that adult learning is a complex phenomenon that can never be reduced to a single, simple explanation. This article’s focus was on adult learning but I believe these words have relevance to learners of all ages. This simply says that everyone does not learn the same; therefore, there is no one right answer or way to teach individuals. It’s about tuning into learners as individuals to find out how they learn best.
Sheree
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Fitting the Pieces Together
The information that this class has presented to me on the different learning theories and learning styles over the last 6 weeks has definitely been enlightening. It has really given me a better understanding on how I personally process information and why others digest information they way that they do as well.
One of the biggest misconceptions that I had about my own learning, was how I viewed the role of repetition. I was under impression that the more I repeated information, the more I would be guaranteed to learn it. However, periodically, when I would experience times where I could not remember things that I has spent a lot time memorizing or repeating, it made me question my learning abilities a little bit. It was after listening to Dr. Jeanne Ormrod’s piece on information processing that I learned that how easy information is retrieved depends on how it was stored. I had trouble recalling some of the information that I has been storing (repeating) because during my storing process, I was not linking it to things or situations I was already familiar with. When new information is linked to old information, it is much easier to recall it because you then know where to look.
When it comes to learning, I have always had the preference to see and actually do (if action is required) what I am being taught. Therefore, I labeled myself as a visual and kinesthetic learner. Also at times, depending on the situation, the need to hear information has made learning more reachable as well. When I have more than one of these styles in progress, learning is much more successful. As Dr. Ormrod said, encoding information in more that one way, increases its chance of reaching the long term memory. That helped me to understand why I feel need to have new information presented to me in more than one form in order for me to grasp it.
Learning about the role of motivation also helped me to understand my learning preferences. I kind of always had its relevance to learning in the back of my mind but I never really gave it much thought until entering this class. Without motivation, the knowledge I gave acquired would not have taken place. Something was present that made me want to learn…may it have been a situation, a person, a certain goal, etc. Motivation is a very important factor for me, as I’m sure it is for others, as I continue this online course and approach those that are to follow. For, as stated in an article on adult learning by Conlan, Grabowski, and Smith, motivation is key to self-directed learning. Therefore, its existence is very necessary.
Technology plays a very large role in my learning as well. It just simply makes things easier and more convenient. Being able to have computers, storage devices, the Internet, cell phones, and the software applications that allow you to use the previous items to research, store, share and process information in just about any location, is pretty close to being priceless to me.
One of the biggest misconceptions that I had about my own learning, was how I viewed the role of repetition. I was under impression that the more I repeated information, the more I would be guaranteed to learn it. However, periodically, when I would experience times where I could not remember things that I has spent a lot time memorizing or repeating, it made me question my learning abilities a little bit. It was after listening to Dr. Jeanne Ormrod’s piece on information processing that I learned that how easy information is retrieved depends on how it was stored. I had trouble recalling some of the information that I has been storing (repeating) because during my storing process, I was not linking it to things or situations I was already familiar with. When new information is linked to old information, it is much easier to recall it because you then know where to look.
When it comes to learning, I have always had the preference to see and actually do (if action is required) what I am being taught. Therefore, I labeled myself as a visual and kinesthetic learner. Also at times, depending on the situation, the need to hear information has made learning more reachable as well. When I have more than one of these styles in progress, learning is much more successful. As Dr. Ormrod said, encoding information in more that one way, increases its chance of reaching the long term memory. That helped me to understand why I feel need to have new information presented to me in more than one form in order for me to grasp it.
Learning about the role of motivation also helped me to understand my learning preferences. I kind of always had its relevance to learning in the back of my mind but I never really gave it much thought until entering this class. Without motivation, the knowledge I gave acquired would not have taken place. Something was present that made me want to learn…may it have been a situation, a person, a certain goal, etc. Motivation is a very important factor for me, as I’m sure it is for others, as I continue this online course and approach those that are to follow. For, as stated in an article on adult learning by Conlan, Grabowski, and Smith, motivation is key to self-directed learning. Therefore, its existence is very necessary.
Technology plays a very large role in my learning as well. It just simply makes things easier and more convenient. Being able to have computers, storage devices, the Internet, cell phones, and the software applications that allow you to use the previous items to research, store, share and process information in just about any location, is pretty close to being priceless to me.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Connectivism: Connections Facilitating Learning
How has your network changed the way you learn?
My network has certainly changed the way I learn. It allows me to tap into information in ways that can present a broader range of knowledge. This is true because I have the opportunity to interact with individuals to exchange thoughts, opinions and ideas on different subjects. My network also allows more convenient ways of learning. For example, having the option to do research within university libraries without having to physically go to one is certainly a change that can be appreciated due to the convenience factor it presents.
Which digital tools best facilitate learning for you?
There are quite a few digital tools that assist me in learning. However, I would have to say that email and online search engines best facilitate learning for me. These two are the most common because I believe they are used the most by the average person.
How do you gain new knowledge when you have questions?
Asking questions is very important part of learning. When I have questions about something that I am trying to learn, I first try to find the answers for myself. This is done through the internet may it be through a Google search or a search through Walden's or USC's online library systems. To me that helps me in learning it. When I take the time to research something, that process or event itself, usually helps me to, in the future, recall or remember what I have learned. However, a lot of the times it depends on what it is I am trying to understand. If it is something I absolutely have no clue about, having the option to personally contact another individual usually helps the most.
In what ways does your personal learning network support or refute the central tenets of connectivism?
My personal learning network definitely supports the concept of connectivism. Within all of my outlets lie a network that allows the use of technology to transfer information between myself and other individuals. I constantly use such technologies as email, listservs, intranets, remote assistance, etc at work to communicate information between myself and co-workers. For purposes related to school, blogs, email, and online libraries are utilized to share and receive information.
My network has certainly changed the way I learn. It allows me to tap into information in ways that can present a broader range of knowledge. This is true because I have the opportunity to interact with individuals to exchange thoughts, opinions and ideas on different subjects. My network also allows more convenient ways of learning. For example, having the option to do research within university libraries without having to physically go to one is certainly a change that can be appreciated due to the convenience factor it presents.
Which digital tools best facilitate learning for you?
There are quite a few digital tools that assist me in learning. However, I would have to say that email and online search engines best facilitate learning for me. These two are the most common because I believe they are used the most by the average person.
How do you gain new knowledge when you have questions?
Asking questions is very important part of learning. When I have questions about something that I am trying to learn, I first try to find the answers for myself. This is done through the internet may it be through a Google search or a search through Walden's or USC's online library systems. To me that helps me in learning it. When I take the time to research something, that process or event itself, usually helps me to, in the future, recall or remember what I have learned. However, a lot of the times it depends on what it is I am trying to understand. If it is something I absolutely have no clue about, having the option to personally contact another individual usually helps the most.
In what ways does your personal learning network support or refute the central tenets of connectivism?
My personal learning network definitely supports the concept of connectivism. Within all of my outlets lie a network that allows the use of technology to transfer information between myself and other individuals. I constantly use such technologies as email, listservs, intranets, remote assistance, etc at work to communicate information between myself and co-workers. For purposes related to school, blogs, email, and online libraries are utilized to share and receive information.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
EDUC 6115-1 Week 2: Interesting Sites on the Information Processing Theory and the Role the Brain Plays in Learning
I came across two sites that seem to be good resources for insight on how the brain relates to learning and insight on the information processing theory. To begin with, besides the information each site gives, the main reason these sites stood out to me was because they both gave good sound information without being too technical/over whelming or going into “information overload”. The information is presented in a simple, easy to read and straight forward manner.
The site on the information processing theory pretty much captures the same information that Dr. Ormrod presented in our resources for this week. It really talks about how relating the newly received material to material one already has in LTM (encoding) really has an affect on how successful one is at storing and retrieving information. This site also gives info on how to go about helping individuals to enable/trigger this information processing strategy.
This site can be reached via the following URL: http://www.uky.edu/TASC/ED/cognitivetheory.php
The site on brain-based learning talks about how learning occurs when the brain is in a state where it’s able function normally. I see this site to be a valuable resource because it gives info on how the brain’s function really plays a big part in how effective learning techniques are. It presents a good look at different techniques and experiences instructors can create to help ensure learning is successful.
This site can be reached via the following URL: http://www.funderstanding.com/content/brain-based-learning.
Enjoy!
The site on the information processing theory pretty much captures the same information that Dr. Ormrod presented in our resources for this week. It really talks about how relating the newly received material to material one already has in LTM (encoding) really has an affect on how successful one is at storing and retrieving information. This site also gives info on how to go about helping individuals to enable/trigger this information processing strategy.
This site can be reached via the following URL: http://www.uky.edu/TASC/ED/cognitivetheory.php
The site on brain-based learning talks about how learning occurs when the brain is in a state where it’s able function normally. I see this site to be a valuable resource because it gives info on how the brain’s function really plays a big part in how effective learning techniques are. It presents a good look at different techniques and experiences instructors can create to help ensure learning is successful.
This site can be reached via the following URL: http://www.funderstanding.com/content/brain-based-learning.
Enjoy!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
EDUC 6115-1 Week 1
After browsing the internet and finding several blogs relating to instructional design, I finally narrowed it down to the three blogs that I believe will be the most useful to me in the instructional design field.
The first site is that of the Instructional Design and Development blog belonging to DePaul University. This blog is focused on providing information on using technology to enhance instruction and it is operated by the staff of DePaul’s Instructional Design and Development department. I believe this site will serve as good resource for me because it will offer insight on how I can be more technology driven with the training and instruction sessions I will be giving in the future. Also the DePaul staff that contributes to this site vary in age, backgrounds, and professions within the ID field and I believe that will give a great mix to the information that will be posted from their end. This blog can be reached via the following URL: http://www.iddblog.org/.
The second site is Instructional Design Central (http://www.instructionaldesigncentral.com/). I believe this site will be a great resource because it seems to offer a little bit of everything relating to the instructional design field from the different relevant jobs and available degrees to upcoming informational conferences and active forums/blogs
(http://www.instructionaldesigncentral.com/htm/IDC_instructionaldesignforums.htm) its purpose is for both the student and the professional in this field; therefore, I believe it will provide an excellent chance to get and provide feedback/information from all educated levels.
The last blog I chose, is that of Tier1 Performance Solutions. Tier1 Performance Solutions is a company that, overall, specializes in training for better performance. They do this by using Performance 1, a software package that allows them to provide training development, web-based learning, application development, communications, content management, knowledge management, change management, web portals, and instructor-led delivery to their clients. Their blog serves as place where topics/ideas relating to their expertise are shared. I believe this blog to be beneficial because a lot of the services that they offer are relevant to some of the job duties I am and will soon be responsible for. The blog for Tier1 can be reached via the following URL: http://tier1.wordpress.com/.
Again, I personally found these three blogs to be resourceful. However, by all means if time allows you, please feel free to check them out as well.
The first site is that of the Instructional Design and Development blog belonging to DePaul University. This blog is focused on providing information on using technology to enhance instruction and it is operated by the staff of DePaul’s Instructional Design and Development department. I believe this site will serve as good resource for me because it will offer insight on how I can be more technology driven with the training and instruction sessions I will be giving in the future. Also the DePaul staff that contributes to this site vary in age, backgrounds, and professions within the ID field and I believe that will give a great mix to the information that will be posted from their end. This blog can be reached via the following URL: http://www.iddblog.org/.
The second site is Instructional Design Central (http://www.instructionaldesigncentral.com/). I believe this site will be a great resource because it seems to offer a little bit of everything relating to the instructional design field from the different relevant jobs and available degrees to upcoming informational conferences and active forums/blogs
(http://www.instructionaldesigncentral.com/htm/IDC_instructionaldesignforums.htm) its purpose is for both the student and the professional in this field; therefore, I believe it will provide an excellent chance to get and provide feedback/information from all educated levels.
The last blog I chose, is that of Tier1 Performance Solutions. Tier1 Performance Solutions is a company that, overall, specializes in training for better performance. They do this by using Performance 1, a software package that allows them to provide training development, web-based learning, application development, communications, content management, knowledge management, change management, web portals, and instructor-led delivery to their clients. Their blog serves as place where topics/ideas relating to their expertise are shared. I believe this blog to be beneficial because a lot of the services that they offer are relevant to some of the job duties I am and will soon be responsible for. The blog for Tier1 can be reached via the following URL: http://tier1.wordpress.com/.
Again, I personally found these three blogs to be resourceful. However, by all means if time allows you, please feel free to check them out as well.
Have a good one!
Sheree
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