Week 7: Chapters 28-32

Section 7: New Directions for Instructional Design and Technology: Due 12/17

Please note that this week's posting is due next Friday, not Sunday as with the previous weeks. Hope you all have a wonderful holiday!

The last section of your textbook discusses the concepts of distributed learning, reusability, rich media and the future of instructional design. Focus on the following for your post:

• From Chapter 28 locate 5 examples of distributed learning. You may pick and choose from the following list.
• Corporate distributed learning – Examples include adding a discussion forum or reflection blog section to a learning module on a corporate training website or program.
• Academic distributed learning – includes online courses or degree programs provided by a college or university. Students might also use distributed learning to “meet” electronically to work on a class project—via threaded discussion boards, chat rooms, and/or instant messaging.
• Hybrid classes –a mixture of Instructor-led and Web-based learning, offering both synchronous and asynchronous learning. I have taken a couple of hybrid classes from TAMU-Commerce. In these classes, generally the first session was a face-to-face meeting with the remaining sessions conducted online.
• Skills-based training – provides learners with new specific skills. Examples would include a class (or tutorial program) to teach people to use a software program.
• Knowledge based learning – provides learners with new knowledge or expands their existing knowledge about a particular subject. Examples would be a class or course about Shakespeare, history of theatre, etc.

My information for this response came from the following website: http://mindmaps.wikispaces.com/Distributed+Learning+Examples

• Chapter 29 discusses the concept of reusability. Think back over the courses you've had over your educational career and identify one with poor reusability characteristics. Explain how the course could be redesigned to improve reusability without changing the underlying content.

The first thing that came to mind when I read this chapter was eCollege. Most, if not all, of the online classes I have taken at TAMU-Commerce have used the eCollege system. One thing I have noticed is that the classes are closed after the semester is over. There is no way to access the discussion boards, notes, and online lectures. The only information I have available from those courses is my written assignments that I saved on my computer. To improve reusability, perhaps an archive system could be set up where students could still access material from classes they have taken previously. No new posts could be created, but the existing posts would still be available.

Other types of courses that come to mind when I think of poor reusability include classes that consisted mostly of discussion. I love class discussions, but it is often difficult to get useful information that can be accessed at a later time. Of course, you can always take notes, but that presents another issue of trying to separate information from conversation. It’s also very difficult to take notes during discussions, especially if you are one of the most active participants. It’s also very easy to get caught up in the discussion (listening or speaking) and forget to take notes; this leaves gaps in the information. I suppose the instructor might make arrangements to record the discussion and have the file on a class website for later access, but this might hinder the participation. Many people are very self-conscious about being recorded. Legally and ethically, the participants would have to be told beforehand that the discussion would be recorded.

• Chapter 31 discusses the future of instructional technologies in the near future from metadata to nanotechnology. Describe how nanotechnology could be used to improve a specific job or task you are familiar with.

Nanotechnology is already being used to make laundry easier. Clothing manufacturers Eddie Bauer and Dockers both currently use embedded nanoparticles in the fabric to make their khakis stain-resistant. There are also several types of items (toys, tableware, pens and pencils, etc.) that have embedded antibacterial and/or antimicrobial nanoparticles in their coatings.

One of the most interesting products I discovered is Ag Nano Phytoncide toothpaste According to the product website, the main ingredients are Main ingredients
Phytoncide, Ag (silver), Xylitol, Licorice extract, Colloidal Silicon Dioxide, Fluorine, Aminocaproic Acid, and Allantoine Chlorohydroxy Aluminum. The natural Phytoncide ingredients, which kill germs, prevent gum disease and eliminate bad breath, and the Ag Nano (silver plus nanotechnology) ingredients continuously kill microorganisms in the mouth.

• And finally! Chapter 32 provides two points of view on the direction of the field - the straight and narrow road and the broad and inclusive road. Which point of view do you agree with and why?

I agree more with the broad and inclusive road because I like what it says about incorporating additional areas of science like sociology and anthropology, as well as a broader list of professional practices. This appeals to me because I believe that if you draw information from a wider variety of sources to try to solve a problem, the more universal the solution is likely to be. The straight and narrow road lists “established refereed outlets” for sharing information. To me, this is contrary to technology development and evolution. You can’t be “cutting edge” or “state of the art” and cling to the “establishment,” whatever that may be. Evolution requires some element of risk.