A Proposal for Creating an Online Education Program

Student needs and easy access are #1 concerns Divine M. Eseh Management Plans and Implementation issues April 2006

PURPOSE
The purpose of this presentation is two fold: 1. To identify and briefly discuss the issues management must address to accomplish this goal 2. To discuss the best way to organize and implement this online program

Developing a successful distance education program requires proper planning for success.

The following issues must be addressed

Issue #1: Institutional Sponsorship at highest levels Issue #2.Organizational structure and authority Issue #3.Funding Strategy

Issue #4.The need for an Instructional design effort

Issue #1: Get Institutional Sponsorship

Does this initiative have institutional sponsorship at the highest levels of management to Ensures funding allocations and Fosters organizational support? Staff need to buy in to the initiative and be committed for its success

Recommendation #1
The only way to get a ground swell support and commitment from its foot soldiers is to get Institutional Sponsorship of the online training program.

Issue #2: Organizational structure and authority

What sort of organizational and administrative structure should it have? Three choices exist: Single mode (free standing) DE program Dual mode Distance Education (DE) And Mixed Mode DE.

Recommendation #2

Based on my context analysis the structure of the new organization will be mixed mode.

Issue #3. Funding Strategy

Developing and Implementing a Webbased educational or training program will require significant financial resources Will the DE dept . share resources with other departments or will the new department have its own budget ? What should be the funding strategy?

Recommendation #3
It is necessary that long-term funding be ear marked for this new organization for it to be successful.

Issue #4. The need for a professional design effort

Almost without exception courses are designed by subject matter experts which is not an efficient use of his/her time. A systems approach to development will ensure that program goals remain focused on the needs of the organization

Recommendation #4
The unique aspects of online training require a systematic implementation of the ISD process to program development and a teams approach to Course Development

What are the Components of the ISD process?

The ISD process components

Analysis Design Development Implementation Evaluation.

Analysis
The analysis phase is simply gaining an understanding of the problem and determining the scope of the project .

The result of which is a context

analysis of the target group.

Learner / Context Analysis

What is a learner context analysis? and What is its significance in this phase of the ISD process?

Purpose of Context Analysis

Its critical to determine the unique characteristics of your learners and the learning environment. Therefore we consider

General characteristics Personal / Social Characteristics Academic information Specific entry characteristics Learning styles

Learner / Context Analysis

TARGET

GROUP AND ENVIRONMENT NEXT

PROPERTIES

NEXT

Learner Characteristics
Who will be receiving the instruction (training?)

Objectives

Describe various types of academic, personal, and social learner characteristics. Be sure to include general characteristics, specific entry competencies, and learning styles. Describe sources of information for determining learner characteristics. Describe characteristics of nonconventional learners. Describe factors in the instructional environment that should be analyzed.

Knowing your audience

is like knowing about your bike

the gears, tires, shifting, speed, and brakes will determine where you can go and how you will get there.

Target Population
intended audience for instruction

Target Population
intended audience for instruction

try-out audience

pace practice relevance statements attention context of examples context of practice items concreteness / abstraction structure medium grouping chunking

Implications for the Design of Instruction

response mode number of examples amount of practice feedback learner control reading level vocabulary reinforcement time learning guidance

Assessing Characteristics

records interviews surveys observation job descriptions personnel profiles texts and articles

General Characteristics
age gender health language ethnic / cultural background

Personal / Social Characteristics

maturity level motivation level expectations vocation aspirations special talents / interests mechanical dexterity previous or current employment ability to work under various environmental conditions

Academic Characteristics

education completed training levels completed special courses completed previous performance levels standardized test scores GPA

Specific Entry Characteristics

prerequisite skills previous or current experience with topic reading levels attention span attitude towards work or the subject

Learning Styles

visual / auditory sensory / intuitive inductive / deductive actively / reflectively sequentially / globally

Environment Characteristics
What resources will the learners have for instruction (training?)

Policies

Analyzing the Instructional Environment

Training methodology Time allowed for training Support for training requirements

Technology

Hardware Software Network connections

Resources

Meeting rooms Technical help Supplementary learning materials

Design
This includes the identification of learning objectives, strategies, course content, sequence of lessons. The end result of this is the LDD ..Learning Design Document.

What is the LDD?

A Learning Design Document is simply the blue print of your learning and teaching strategy and relevant activities

KEY COMPONENTS / ELEMENTS OF A CONSTRUCTIVIST LEARNING DESIGN

The Development Phase

The training package is produced into suitable media and the proper delivery system or technology is selected to meet the organizational needs.

Course Design and Development 1

Like any other organized educational activity, e-learning, is a team effort, As a number of people and a range of expertise need to be brought together to make e-learning work.. In conventional educational systems, course design and development is the sole responsibility of the subject matter expert who is also the teacher

Course Design and Development 2

E-learning will require the delivery of that subject matter content in alternative forms such as online or on a CD-ROM. Some teachers are able to produce their content themselves. However, this might not be the best use of their time and expertise in most educational settings. A more efficient and effective model of course development is the team approach, This method brings together people with subject matter knowledge and expertise in the development of technology enhanced learning materials

Retrieved from
Naidu, S.(2006,April 3). MANAGEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF ELEARNING[CLASS MODULE] POSTED http://tychousa7.umuc.edu/OMDE607 /0602/9040/class.nsf/2769fc6a6add b1038525710d004d1daa/e7af529b7 9fc67e68525713d0007a3f0/$FILE/C hap07%20Managment%20and%20i mplementation%20of%20elearning_1.1.doc

Course Design and Development 3

Course Design and Development

THE GRAPHIC ABOVE DEPICTS A Team Approach From left to right and clockwise

Stage 1 Proposal , Stage 2 Planning, Stage 3 Production and Stage 4 Implementation

We go from

Implementation Phase
The instruction is tested and put into operation

Evaluation Phase
You perform normative and summative evaluation of the ISD process.

SUMMARY
Employing a Systems Approach through the ISD PROCESS, ADDIE to any Online Training program, is the best way to organize and implement your online training program. Following such a methodology will not only optimize the benefits of such a program but guarantee its success.

Part 2
What follows next are some Course Implementation Issues that Faculty would like Upper Management to address before launching this Online Program.

How do you Implement this online program once the decision has been made?
Who should do the Project management? Do we have the right technology infrastructure in place ? What about Staffing? Do we train, or recruit from outside? What about student registration? Do we have the right systems in place to answer all these questions?

Developing an in-house instructional design capability vs. outsourcing

Any major new undertaking poses the question of whether it should be performed by staff or through outside consultants. Leading considerations include: the availability of the necessary expertise and acquisition costs quality control time considerations/urgency the desired degree of control identification with the Societys overall mission and corporate culture long-term program continuity

Six benefits of having an internal instructional design unit

Lent (1990, p.124-5) cites six benefits of having ones own, internal instructional design unit: dedicated resources efficient use of scarce subject-matter resources control of proprietary information quality control organizational effectiveness, and specialized programs and services

Outsourcing Benefits
He cites three principal benefits of outsourcing (p. 126): buying only what is required obtaining quality and creativity efficiency and focus

You strike a balance

Establishing an instructional design capability is not a question of having it all in-house or outside. Rather, each function must be analyzed separately to determine what is the best overall approach.

STAFFING
Who will perform what function? Below are some functions that should be in place before we start: Project MANAGER Instructional Design Expert Subject Matter Experts (sme) Web Media Specialist

Project Manager
A project manager will have authority over the entire process and will be accountable if needed. The project manager must be familiar with the instructional design process, but need not be an instructional designer per se.

Instructional design Expert

This individual will be primarily responsible for identifying goals and objectives of the series and of each instructional unit, Choosing the instructional methods to be used, defining the scope and content of each unit, developing appropriate assessment mechanisms, and establishing the criteria for the user interface design. The ID will have responsibility for the overall coherence of the program including its supporting services.

Web Media Specialist

This person will have primary responsibility for evaluating how sample materials provided by the ID and SME can be presented on the Web, For developing prototypes, conceptual designs, design and editorial guidelines and standards. Qualifications will include the ability to create and integrate text, graphics, and other objects into an attractive, coherent, navigable and user-friendly Web page.

Other Implementations issues 1

e-learning in itself does not guarantee efficient or effective learning and teaching. For it to be efficient and effective, a great deal of care and attention needs to go into the following implementation issues below ( see also Naidu, 1994, 2003).

Other Implementations issues 2

This comprises attention to the recruitment and registration of students, facilitating and supporting learning, assessing learning outcomes, providing feedback to learners, evaluating the impacts of e-learning on the organization, and a host of other issues related to these functions (see also Naidu, 1994, 2003).

Conclusion
In summary Management will have to address all these issues before an Online Education Program can be successful. Program development and Course Implementation issues Anything short of these measures will guarantee failure.