Week 3: Distance Learning Technology

Scenario 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.

Recommendation: 

In response to the above situation and scenario, I suggest using podcasting technology with an interactive quiz to deliver safety modules across all shifts.  There are several types of podcasts to select from, depending on the ease and comfort of the training staff.  The first is a narrated PowerPoint presentation that provides step-by-step graphics and narration demonstrating the best practices used to operate the machinery.  Videos are also able to be embedded in PowerPoint.  The next is an Adobe Flash media file combining images, graphics, video, and audio.  Other acceptable media formats exist to create podcasts, but at a minimum, it should include audio and graphics to be considered successful.

The podcast can be deployed via several means, depending on the security and needs of the company.  The preference is to place the podcast in an LMS or CMS that can track employee participation and determine if a specific employee viewed the podcast or not.  Other options include placing the podcast on a server and sending a link to all employees, uploading to iTunes U, or placing the file on a management system like SharePoint.

A quiz will also be needed to support the supervisors' need to have employees demonstrate learning.  If an LMS or CMS is being used to organize and administer the safety modules, an interactive quiz can be used which incorporates videos, graphics, audio, and text.  Moodle has this capability and other CMS packages like Haiku have similar capabilities.  Another option is to use SurveyMonkey to administer the test and track participation and results.

Rationale:
Podcasting can be successful for safety training.  Because podcasting takes advantage of images and sound, use of two or more media types will help employees retain information by using what is known as the dual-code theory (Ormrod, J., Schunk, D., Gredler, M., 2008; Laureate Education, Inc., 2010).  This application meets Simonson et al (2009) characteristics of an effective podcast:  each piece of machinery can be broken down and safety practices can be explained with the help of imagery and verbal cues within 10 minutes; the training will be part of an ongoing initiative, making each single podcast part of a larger event and program; if best practices change over time, the podcasts can be updated and quickly deployed with new revisions.  Several studies support the effectiveness of podcasting, especially when dealing with spatially and/or geographically separated learners.  Lee and Chan (2007) concluded in their study that learners felt podcasts were beneficial by clarifying and enhancing subject material.  Lonn and Teasley (2009) had similar conclusions in their study, stating that podcasting can help students learn by allowing self-monitoring and self-assessment to occur.


Several examples exist which showcase podcasting as a learning tool.  iTunes U is probably the most recognizable example.  MIT also has an open course, which provides lesson materials, including media files.  Of course, YouTube also provides countless files on everything imaginable -- from music videos to instructional videos.  Here are a sample of YouTube videos:  ear plug safety, personal protective equipment, and hardware simulation and training.

Overall, the use of podcasts and a test will be the most effective for covering all shifts at the plant. The stand-alone modules can illustrate the best practices with audio and visual imagery, be rapidly deployed, quickly edited if needed, and be part of an over-arching site message.
  

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). The technology of distance education [DVD]. In EDUC 6135. Baltimore, MD.

Lee, M., and Chan, A. (2007) Reducing the Effects of Isolation and Promoting Inclusivity for Distance Learners through       Podcasting.  Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education-TOJDE  January 2007 ISSN 1302–6488, Volume: 8 Number: 1 Article: 7 Retrieved from:  http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/detail?accno=ED494811 

Lonn, S., Teasley, S. (2009) Podcasting in higher education: What are the implications for teaching and learning?. The 

Internet and Higher Education (12-2), Pages 88-92. ISSN 1096-7516, DOI: 10.1016/j.iheduc.2009.06.002.

Ormrod, J., Schunk, D., & Gredler, M. (2009). Learning theories and instruction  (Laureate custom edition). 

New York: Pearson.  

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson. 

Distance Learning

Distance learning is gaining popularity in today's world, whether it be within companies or within educational institutions.  But what is distance learning and how is it defined?  To me, distance learning is the process used to acquire knowledge from a reputed organization, institution, or instructor where the learner and instructor are geographically separated.  The process involves interaction, including feedback from both the learner and instructor.  I do not feel like correspondence or self-paced study truly fit my idea of distance learning because, in my mind at least, there is little interaction between the learner and instructor.  In these types of learning environments, I primarily see the instructor's role as grading assignments and tests and not as helping to transfer knowledge between the two parties.  In Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (2009), the authors define distance learning as "institution-based, formal education where the learning group is separated and where interactive telecommunication systems are used to connect learners, resources, and instructors (p.32)."  What stands out to me is the specific inclusion of interactive telecommunication systems within the definition.  I believe the authors' definition, as well as a revised copy of my own, is independent of industry, profession, or technical knowledge of an individual.

Having experienced several types of distance learning, I find many fit the evolution of distance learning as documented by researchers and individuals in the instructional design (ID) fields.  Correspondence, or self-paced study, are purported to be over 100 years old (Simonson et al, 2009; Imel, S., 1998; Sherry, L., 1995) and are recognized to be the first forms of distance learning.  I had previously been enrolled in a self-paced study class where I was given the materials to learn on my own.  There was no interaction with the instructor or other students regarding the learning aspect.  The instructor's role was to grade my exams, not to teach, share knowledge, or provide feedback.  This was my least favorite type of learning, mainly because there was no interaction with anyone.  I had to hire a local tutor to help answer my questions and draw connections to real life examples.  The fact that it was a differential equations class didn't help either.

The next distance learning class I experienced was a taped lecture, similar to what broadcast television offered in the 1950's (Simonson et al, 2009).  This time, I was in the class that was taped and the tapes were mailed to a sister school, approximately 500 miles away.  I remember being glad I was in the class that was taped and not viewing the tapes.  Questions I had were answered in real time, material was clarified when needed, and we were able to review homework problems that specifically gave us difficulty in class.  I recall feeling a bit sorry for the remote students not being able to engage with the instructor as were able to to.

Most recently, I have been enrolled in a distance learning university.  While the concept seems new, distance teaching universities have been around since the 1960's and 70's (Simonson et al, 2009).  The program I am enrolled in takes advantage of technological advances such as two-way communication and media programs which are streamed on demand.  The use of technology in learning has been slowly evolving, with the largest explosion occurring in the late 1980's and 1990's (Imel, S.,  1998; Sherry, L., 1995).  I have learned the most from courses closely fitting my above description.  These classes used technology such as discussion boards, email, and Web 2.0 tools and required learners to collaborate on projects.  Instructors provided quick feedback regarding learner's work, within a day or two.  With the use of technology, learner's have an experience more closely related to traditional, face-to-face (F2F) learning.

The future of distance learning will continue to evolve as technology evolves.  I echo Imel's (1998) sentiments that distance learning will offer more rich interactions, mimicking interactions found in face-to-face learning environments.  While the methods used in distance classes will be different than F2F classes, the goals and objectives for learning will remain the same.  Moller, Forshay & Huett (2008) mention the move to a blended learning environment, where distance education and traditional F2F components will become more popular in the future.  I have already begun to see this at some universities, colleges, and high schools.

Overall, the future changes and possibilities to distance learning will be tied into technology advances.  I cannot begin to predict what that will look like, much like no one knew in 1950 how we would be capable of learning from a distance in 2010.  The trend we are currently seeing with more acceptance and popularity of distance learning will continue to increase.  Distance learning will not replace F2F classes, but will augment and complement traditional classes.  The future I envision and direction we seem to be headed fits my personal definition of distance learning.  My revised definition of distance learning is: distance learning is the process used to acquire knowledge from a reputed organization, institution, or instructor where the learner and instructor are geographically separated and uses technology and telecommunication for interaction, including feedback from both the learner and instructor. 

Elements of Effective Distance Learning

References

Imel, S. (1998). Distance Learning. Myths and Realities. Retrieved from ERIC database.

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008). The Evolution of Distance Education: Implications for Instructional Design on the Potential of the Web. TechTrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning, 52(4), 66-70. doi:10.1007/s11528-008-0179-0.

Sherry, L. (1995). Issues in Distance Learning. International Journal of Educational Telecommunications, 1(4), 337-365. Charlottesville, VA: AACE. Retrieved November 3, 2010 from http://www.editlib.org/p/8937.

 

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.

Life and Death

20 years ago was a great day, sunny & warm, with the start of the crisp fall air beginning to descend upon us. The leaves were turning magnificent colors of crimson and gold. I remember the day, playing outside as I babysat my younger cousin who was 2 1/2 at the time. The two of us were running in the yard, building forts from the leaves that fell from above. We were laughing, having a great time knowing our lives would be forever changed that day. A new addition to the family was arriving, as my aunt was in labor with our newest family addition, James.

Just shy of 20 years to James' birthday, our lives would be once again touched, this time with the loss of James. A week and a half after he was taken from us, it still feels surreal. There are no words to describe the emotions, feelings, remembrances, and thoughts you feel when someone close to you is taken by an act of violence. The grieving process is different - there was no illness to say "He's in a better place now", there isn't a long life to celebrate, there is no sense to what happened. There is only emptiness, loneliness, and confusion in his absence. There is also anger; immense anger that two teenagers aged 16 and 18 could take another person's life so quickly and without thought. Unfortunately, the anger quickly turns to despair and bitterness and you begin to question what this world is coming to. How do two teenagers take some one's life becomes the question of the day - the debate begins about how much are their parents responsible versus society versus the teenagers themselves. There are no single, binary answers.

On James' 20th birthday, a week and a half after he was murdered, no one in our family is the same. We're going through our lives like robots, still in shock over what happened. It's hard to continue on with day to day activities like nothing happened. Something did happen. We are all learning how to push through the pain and be happy like he would have wanted. We all learned a little more about ourselves. Our thoughts and ideals changed. Whether you think you are pro-death penalty or against it, who should be held accountable in cases like this, and what your idea of justice is -- trust me, it may change once you go through something like this. This is what surprised me the most. What I thought I knew about myself prior to this has changed since these events. And I may have a different view than my family and friends, but I respect and understand how they feel and think. Each person is different and needs to process our grief differently.

Our family remains close. We were close before this, and even closer after it. We are relying on each other to get through this. Having someone taken violently from you changes a piece of you. My family is all experiencing this together and there is a certain comfort in knowing you are not alone in how you are processing the grief. Each day, the pain is a little less but the hole still remains in our hearts. All that remains are our memories of James.

RIP - J.A.K
October 14, 1990 - October 4, 2010

Passion and Fire on the Ice

How great is it to say you’ve been in love for 30 years?  How many people can honestly say that they’ve been passionate about something for 30 years or more?  I count myself lucky to have found true passion just shy of 3 years old.  While I don’t remember how I felt the first time I was introduced to ice skating, I know how I feel every time I set foot on the ice for practice or competition.  I’ve heard the stories from my grandparents and parents about the first time I saw an ice rink and people skating; it was love at first sight, according to legend, and I was insistent on ice-skating, unrelenting in my requests to try it out until my parents acquiesced. 

These days, people don’t follow their passions nearly enough.  We rationalize our decisions, often sacrificing following our passions and dreams by choosing what we feel is the more responsible choice or by doing what others expect us to do.  But, does the responsible choice make you happy?  If you answer with something along the lines that you’ll learn to like it, or it won’t seem so bad the longer you do it, you’re only fooling yourself.  Over time, you change and lose sight of the person you once were.  Rarely, it’s for the better; often it’s for the worse.  Everyone needs to do at least one thing they are passionate about.  You need to indulge yourself in that one thing, whether it’s a hobby, job, or activity.

I took a break from my passion for the past 5 years; although not intentional nor planned.  It just 'happened' when I moved to Seattle.  But looking at who I am today, I miss the person I was when I was skating.  It’s indescribable.  Friends even notice that I’ve changed, but can’t pinpoint exactly how I’ve changed.  There’s a certain feeling you have when you do what you love.  Putting that feeling into words doesn’t work; nothing comes close to the emotions you feel when you follow your heart.  Even your worst day is still better most people’s best days.  And that feeling translates into all aspects of your life.  It’s subtle and you may not even realize you’ve changed as person, but you have.   My best friend knows just by talking with me on the phone when I’ve been skating and when I’ve been off the ice for an extended period of time.

 

After a 5 year competitive hiatus, I lace up the skates again next week.  Just thinking about getting back out there gives me a sense of excitement and nervousness.  But the smell of the ice and sound of my blades cutting through the cold, smooth, glass-like surface will welcome me back like it does every time and everything will be right with the world.  And more importantly, everything will be right with me.  What amazes me the most is the passion and fire I feel on the ice, as strong as it was 30 years earlier.  Not a lot of people can say they still do what they loved doing when they were 3 or 4.

Lesson 2: Someone to Believe In

Everyone likes to be "believed in".  What does it mean to believe in someone or to have someone believe in you?  People try to explain it by describing it as trust, support, and faith.  Merriam-Webster defines it as "to have a firm conviction as to the goodness, efficacy, or ability of something".  Belief is an elusive concept; one that is not easy to explain.  If it's not easy to explain, how can it be taught?  None of the words used to describe or define it are concrete or demonstrative.  In essence, belief is an abstract concept, yet ask a person why they think a person was important to them and chances are you get the response, "Because they believed in me."

Believing in others is more than just telling someone you believe in them and more than doing something nice for them.  It's a combination of actions, thoughts, and feelings.  How do you interact with that individual?  Do you lend a helping hand, listen to their troubles, ask questions, allow them to grow and develop on their own?  Are you sincere and humble in your interactions with them?  Do you stick with that person through the good times and bad times?

Cheryl exemplified what it is to "believe in" someone.  She embodied all of the traits I mention above and more!  Cheryl was the head of the PE department at college and also the head coach of the local skating academy, and I know I'm not the only person who was blessed to have her in my life.  She was just an awesome person to know and became a good friend of mine throughout the years.  Cheryl is someone whom I try to emulate, but fall drastically short.  I learned many things from her and accomplished a lot with her help, but her guidance was very subtle and discreet.  She let me make my own mistakes and never chastised me for my decisions. 

I couldn't have accomplished what I did alone, or without her believing in me.  She was patient when I made mistakes, allowing me to come to her instead of approaching me first.  She listened when I needed someone to talk to.  Some times she offered advice, other times she just let me talk.  Cheryl had a way of leading people to the correct answers on their own.  She made sure I had food to eat.  Being a poor college student, working my way through school, there were times I didn't eat right;  either I didn't have the time between classes and work, or more frequently, I didn't have the money to eat more than ramen noodles for months on end.  (Hell, I didn't even have money for Quarters at Uphill 41 were beer was 25 cents on Thursdays!)  Periodically, Cheryl would have me over for dinner or invite me out to eat to discuss coaching or the skating team.  It was her way of making sure I was getting a good meal once in awhile.

After I graduated, we kept in touch and I visited a few times before she succumbed to cancer.  She was upbeat and positive, always asking me about what was going on in my life.  On my last visit with her, we had brunch at Kaleva Cafe.  I'll never forget our conversation or what she shared with me that day.  She shared her first impression of me when we first met and told me how proud she was of what I had become.  (Her first thought when meeting me was, "Oh Dear!")  After some laughs and reminiscing about mistakes I made along the way, I told her I couldn't have done it without her help.  Cheryl just smiled and told me, "I didn't do anything.  It was how you handled each opportunity that made you successful."

That one statement, so simple, combined with her current expression and past actions, told me that she believed in me.  She was humble in the part she played. She created those opportunities for me, but never took the credit for them.  Cheryl provided guidance when I asked, never making me feel bad or unsuccessful for acknowledging I needed help.  Under her tutelage, I became a head coach of another local skating club and the assistant director of another,  earning my Professional Skater's Association coaching certification in Free Skating, Synchronized Skating, Power Hockey, and Sports Medicine & Nutrition.  She and I also formed a collegiate skating team, which placed 7th at Nationals two years after it was started! 

I'll never know what made her take a chance on a little punk with her head half shaved and the remaining hair colored pink, green, teal, black, and flame red.  But all her actions, support, help, and guidance throughout the years tells me she believed in me from the start.  Yet, the memories and examples still don't provide an accurate definition of believing in someone. 

To build on Merriam-Websters' definition of belief in someone:  to have a firm conviction as to the ability of someone which is supported by actions, words, and sentiments occurring over a duration of time.   But it still doesn't provide a tangible definition and is open to subjectivity.  If you can't concretely explain it, how can you teach it?  Believing in someone is a concept you can only teach by example through a combination of words and actions, but it's a demonstration that takes time.  These days, it's hard to find someone willing to invest time in another person.

Lesson 1: How a car teaches many lessons

Recently, I was thinking about my father and everything I learned from him.  Some of it he intentionally taught me, while other items I learned were through circumstance.  The easy items to write about are the skills he taught.  My father believed that his little girl should be able to take care of herself.  So began the intentional lessons and learnings. 

One of the items he believed strongly in was car maintenance.  From an early age, evenings and weekends were spent in the garage with him learning about cars; changing the oil, replacing brake pads, troubleshooting various noises and sounds, replacing CV joints (CV stands for continuous velocity in case anyone was wondering), and all sorts of other things he enjoyed tinkering with.

Of course, these were all items I hated doing growing up.  Really, why was I being punished by doing all this stuff?  My cousin was interested in learning about cars, so why wasn't he over here helping my dad?  (My cousin, by the way, learned all he could from dad and now owns a great body shop!)  But a strange thing happened as I got older, moved away to college, and bought my first car.  I ended up relying on those skills to keep a little beat up Sable I bought for $150 running.  And that Sable lent it's engine and transmission to a Taurus I bought for $200.  I think I invested about $500-$600 at the MOST into my car.  I remember weekends in the school parking lot or at the Wheeler House (MTU's 4X4 club where many members lived and tools and advice were readily available) replacing the axle, doing the brakes, replacing the starter, and other necessary items.  The biggest undertaking was swapping the engine and transmission from one car to the other.  And all of this was accomplished because my father forced me to work with him in the backyard as I was growing up.  To be fair, I did have a lot of guys willing to help me at school, but they taught me how to do the tasks I didn't know how to do rather than do it for me.  Cars and mechanics didn't intimidate me after having grown up around a backyard mechanic and I was eager to learn from a hot guy at school.  Funny how hormones can help change a person's attitude about learning!

But the story continues...I moved to Cleveland (3 hours from my family versus 10 hours at school) for a job.  It was my father's first time seeing my car after hearing about all the work I had put into it.  Amazingly enough, he didn't mention all the times I argued that I shouldn't be helping him fix one of our cars while growing up.  He had a look of pride in his eyes and just said, in normal dad fashion, "Not bad for what you've got invested in it.  Hell, you've already had it for a year and been able to drive it for 550 miles a stretch without breaking down, so I'd say you found a good investment."

A few weeks after that exchange, I was visiting again and knew it was time to replace the power steering pump.  What was supposed to be a quick job ended up lasting several days longer due to a funeral.  What started as me working on the car, with some assistance from my little brother (it was my time to teach him!), ended up in an large argument with my father.  He wanted to help me and thought I still had stuff to learn.  Plus, he just wanted to do what he loved doing with his baby girl and bond over their experience.  Me, being the strong independent female he taught me to be, didn't want help.  I could do this on my own, and I'd done a lot more complex repairs on my own!  So we argued and argued, finally both going off in different directions without saying a word.  Him to the house, me back to Cleveland.  As I was leaving my mother tried to get me to talk to my father.  She explained that he was only trying to help and wanted to spend time with me.

And my next lesson learned around my first car was an unintentional learning from my father.  I got a phone call the next day from my mother.  All she would tell me was that my aunt and uncle were on their way to pick me up and I had to come home immediately.  I knew right then that my father was gone.  He had passed away.  It was ironic because at the time of death, I was thinking I needed to call him and explain why I didn't want his involvement the day before.  He had always told me never to leave someone while you are upset or angry words were exchanged.  That evening, I realized he was right.  I never got a chance to tell him why I didn't want his help with my car.  It wasn't because I didn't love him, want his help, or want to be around him.  It's because I wanted to show him this skill he taught me over the years - how to take care of my car.  I wanted him to see that his baby girl was grown up and could take care of herself and he didn't have anything to worry about.  But I never got that chance.  And I learned the hard way to never leave someone while you are angry.  And all of this is tied to a single car (well, two that combined to make one).

A few months later, I sold that car and bought a brand new one.  I let 12 years go by without working  on a car.  Just the other weekend, I was helping a friend with some car 'stuff', and realized I missed wrenching on cars.  Spending time with friends (or family), complaining about the design and how you would have done it differently, and just general BS'ing with one another are all aspects of working on a car.  It's much more than solely solving a mechanical problem.  Some of my favorite memories among friends involve car maintenance.

And then, I started remembering all the things my father taught me that I never got a chance to thank him for; things he wanted me to learn and actively taught me as well as items he taught me by example.  And the things he taught by example - they are the truly important things I've forgotten over the past few years, but am slowly starting to remember.  Funny how a car can teach us so many lessons...

Intro: Lessons of Love

This blog began as a requirement for a course I took in pursuit of my Masters in Instructional Design & Technology, hence the earlier learning theory posts.  But, just the other day, I was thinking about all the other ways we learn aside from formal education; how we learn, who we learn from, and what learning shapes us into the individuals we are today.  A lot of who we are as adults is shaped through our experiences when we were younger.  Most of the time, we don't even recognize the skills and traits we are being taught or even appreciate them until it is much too late to thank our instructors.

As I turn another year older this week, I began reminiscing about my father and all he taught me during our time together.  Honestly, I didn't realize the impact he had on me until now, 13 years after he passed away.  And there are others, too, who I might not have known very well or remember their names, but who have had a huge impact on who I've become.  The sad thing is, I lost the person I once was and everything I once knew and am just now letting this person re-emerge. 

Over the following weeks, I hope to post snippets about each of the lessons I learned throughout the years from all the wonderful individuals who taught me skills, ethics, leadership, and values that I learned along the way.  Some of these items are not things someone can hand you a book or lecture you on.  The learning occurs through constructivism, sometimes social, most of the time individual, but is a combination of cognitive development and social context. 

Some posts will be short, others may ramble, but the link to them all is love.  Think about what values you would like to live by and how you share those with others as you read the posts to follow.  How would you demonstrate to your children or family the importance of loyalty, family, great friends, compassion, empathy, leadership, pursuing your dreams, and the value of hard work?