Meaningful Distributed Learning Badrul H. Khan Presentation at The Information Resources Management (IRM) College, National Defense University. November 7, 2007 http://McWeadon.com

Distributed learning is an instructional model that allows instructor, students, and content to be located in different, noncentralized locations so that instruction and learning occur independent of time and place. Content Students Instructor

A high quality distribute learning system must be meaningful to all stakeholders groups: Learners Instructors Technical & Support Staff Organization

A high quality distribute learning system must be meaningful

to all stakeholders groups:

Learners

Instructors

Technical & Support Staff

Organization

A Distribute Learning (DL) is more likely to be meaningful to learners when it is easily accessible clearly organized well written authoritatively presented learner‑centered affordable efficient flexible, and has a facilitated learning environment.

A Distribute Learning (DL) is more likely to be meaningful to learners when it is

easily accessible

clearly organized

well written

authoritatively presented

learner‑centered

affordable

efficient

flexible, and has a

facilitated learning environment.

When learners display a high level of participation and success in meeting a course's goals and objectives, this can make DL meaningful to instructors .

When learners enjoy all available support services provided in the course without any interruptions, it makes support services staff happy as they strive to provide easy-to-use, reliable services.

Finally, DL is meaningful to an organization when it has a sound return-on-investment (ROI), a moderate to high level of learners' satisfaction with both the quality of instruction and all support services, and a low drop-out rate.

Today, I would like to introduce a Framework which I believe will help us identify important criteria for quality distributed learning.

Ethical Institutional Resource Support On-line and off-line resources & support Management Meaningful Pedagogical Evaluation Technological Interface Design Learning and teaching issues Infrastructure, hardware and software Physical layout and navigation Content development and maintenance Academic, administrative & student services Ethical considerations in e-learning Assessment of learner, evaluation of learning environment Learning

5. MANAGEMENT 5.1 E‑Learning Content Development 5.2 E-Learning Maintenance 6. RESOURCE SUPPORT 6.1 Online support 6.2 Resources 7. ETHICAL 7.1 Social and Political Influence 7.2 Cultural Diversity 7.3 Bias 7.4 Geographical diversity 7.5 Learner diversity 7.6 Digital Divide 7.7 Etiquette 7.8 Legal issues 8. INSTITUTIONAL 8.1 Administrative Affairs 8.2 Academic affairs 8.2 Student services 1. PEDAGOGICAL 1.1 Content Analysis 1.2 Audience Analysis 1.3 Goal Analysis 1.4 Medium Analysis 1.5 Design approach 1.6 Organization 1.7 Methods and Strategies 2. TECHNOLOGICAL 2.1 Infrastructure planning 2.2 Hardware 2.3 Software 3. INTERFACE DESIGN 3.1 Page and site design 3.2 Content design 3.3 Navigation 3.4 Accessibility 3.5 Usability testing 4. EVALUATION 4.1 Assessment of learners 4.2 Evaluation of the instruction & learning environment http://BooksToRead.com/framework/dimensions.htm

5. MANAGEMENT

5.1 E‑Learning Content Development

5.2 E-Learning Maintenance

6. RESOURCE SUPPORT

6.1 Online support

6.2 Resources

7. ETHICAL

7.1 Social and Political Influence

7.2 Cultural Diversity

7.3 Bias

7.4 Geographical diversity

7.5 Learner diversity

7.6 Digital Divide

7.7 Etiquette

7.8 Legal issues

8. INSTITUTIONAL

8.1 Administrative Affairs

8.2 Academic affairs

8.2 Student services

1. PEDAGOGICAL

1.1 Content Analysis

1.2 Audience Analysis

1.3 Goal Analysis

1.4 Medium Analysis

1.5 Design approach

1.6 Organization

1.7 Methods and Strategies

2. TECHNOLOGICAL

2.1 Infrastructure planning

2.2 Hardware

2.3 Software

3. INTERFACE DESIGN

3.1 Page and site design

3.2 Content design

3.3 Navigation

3.4 Accessibility

3.5 Usability testing

4. EVALUATION

4.1 Assessment of learners

4.2 Evaluation of the instruction

& learning environment

Pedagogical Content Audience Goals Medium Design Organization Methods What types of content are appropriate to teach via a variety of distributed learning approaches?

Content

Audience

Goals

Medium

Design

Organization

Methods

Pedagogical Content Audience Goals Medium Design Organization Methods Content Suitability Testing S TABLE Content D YNAMIC Content

Content

Audience

Goals

Medium

Design

Organization

Methods

Pedagogical Content Audience Goals Medium Design Organization Methods What is the instructor’s role? - more facilitative than didactic - more didactic than facilitative - a combination of both

Content

Audience

Goals

Medium

Design

Organization

Methods

What is the instructor’s role?

- more facilitative than

didactic

- more didactic than facilitative

- a combination of both

Interface Design Page and Site Design Content Design Navigation Accessibility Usability Testing Is the program designed to be accessible by a wider user population? (A common accessibility concern in the USA -- Is the course 508 compliant?)

Page and Site Design

Content Design

Navigation

Accessibility

Usability Testing

Ethical Social/Political Influence Cultural Diversity Bias Geographical Diversity Learner Diversity Digital Divide Etiquette Legal Issues To improve cross-cultural verbal communication and avoid misunderstanding, does the program make an effort to reduce or avoid the use of jargon, idioms, ambiguous or cute humor, and acronyms?

Social/Political Influence

Cultural Diversity

Bias

Geographical Diversity

Learner Diversity

Digital Divide

Etiquette

Legal Issues

Ethical Social/Political Influence Cultural Diversity Bias Geographical Diversity Learner Diversity Digital Divide Etiquette Legal Issues Is the program offered to geographically diverse population? If yes ... Is the program sensitive about students from different time-zones (e.g. synchronous communications are scheduled at reasonable times for all time zones represented)?

Social/Political Influence

Cultural Diversity

Bias

Geographical Diversity

Learner Diversity

Digital Divide

Etiquette

Legal Issues

Is the program offered to geographically diverse population? If yes ...

Is the program sensitive about students from different time-zones (e.g. synchronous communications are scheduled at reasonable times for all time zones represented)?

Within the scope of today’s presentation, I have presented few learning issues in the form of questions that you can ask yourself when planning, designing, evaluating or implementing meaningful distributed learning.

Questions and comments?

Meaningful Distributed Learning Badrul H. Khan Presentation at The Information Resources Management (IRM) College, National Defense University. November 7, 2007 http://McWeadon.com