DEALING WITH SCOPE CREEP

DEMANDS FROM A SACRED COW

During the month of August, preparations for the school year are made. Projects from each grade level, individual class, teacher, and student is mentally screened as an analysis is made of what worked well and with whom (teacher and student). Some projects are tossed, some kept, others revised, and new ones designed. A list of projects are prepared and then contact is made with teachers to solicit their interest in meeting in late August to fine tune and implement a project for the upcoming school year. These projects typically begin in late September and take several months (at least five) to finish.

Several years ago, a project was discussed, agreed upon, and implemented. The project contained the construction of a diorama and a PowerPoint presentation (including pictures of the diorama). The word diorama refers to a three-dimensional full-size or miniature model (Wikipedia, 2011). The project entailed an introductory course in PowerPoint for Second Graders. Based on scheduling demands and time constraints, the course was limited to topics in the table below.

Towards the end of the project, as the final artifact (PowerPoint presentations) was taking shape, the classroom teacher began to request the inclusion of additional topics to improve the project outputs. The teacher specifically wanted to add action buttons, animation, voice narration, and movie clips. The movie clip portion required students to learn new software and software technology. This phenomenon is called scope creep or requirement creep in project management and refers to uncontrolled changes in a project's scope (Wikipedia, May 2011).

The changes were reviewed and the impact of the changes identified and communicated as recommended in the course material (Portny, S., et al pp346). Several meetings took place between the teacher and me. During each meeting, we went through her request and each time I referred to our written plan, the schedule, and time constraints. While overjoyed by the enthusiasm displayed, additions so late in the project would extend the deadline and prohibit implementation in other classes. The items were placed at the top of the list for a second level course.

As I went through the course materials in preparation for this blog post, the one item that it does not discuss or include is the need to be aware of "SACRED COWS!" The term sacred cow is an idiom, a figurative reference that appears to have emerged in America in the late 19th century. A figurative sacred cow is a person, institution, belief system, etc. that is considered immune from question or criticism, which, for no reason other than the demands of established social etiquette or popular opinion, should be accorded respect or reverence, and not touched, handled or examined too closely (Wiktionary, April 2011).
After denying several requests for scope change, the teacher met privately with the principal who then directed me to add the components to the course for her class only. The impact to the schedule and delay rolling the program out to other classes was inconsequential. His final comment was, "Give her what she needs!" Therefore, I did. The scope of work was changed to reflect the added material. Course modules were written, approved, and implemented. The project team (principal, teacher, IT person, and myself) was notified of the change in writing after it was approved in writing (Greer, M., pp36). I taught, the students learned, and the project turned out great!

Later that school year I learned of their romantic involvement and the fact that she "literally" ran the school. She was always given the best students, best schedule... best of everything. Anyone who got in her way found themselves in the Principal's office. Although she was hated amongst her colleagues, everyone feared the principal (especially non-tenured teachers) so people just went along without commenting. As I think about that experience, I realize there is nothing I could have done differently. In all projects since then I always try to obtain a list of influential leaders, authentic leaders, and sacred cows.

Resources:
Beach, L. R. (2006). Leadership and the Art of Change: A Practical Guide to Organizational Transformation. Thousand Oaks, Ca: Sage Publications, Inc.
Greer, M. (2010). The Project Management Minimalist: Just Enough PM to Rock Your Projects! (Laureate custom ed.). Baltimore: Laureate Education, Inc.
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.
Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia (2011). Diorama. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diorama
Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia (May 2011). Scope Creep. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scope_creep
Wiktionary (April 2011). Sacred Cow. Retrieved from http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sacred_cow

COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY

In order to effectively communicate the vision, the plan, and build consensus; the following six rules are needed:
1) Use concrete language to outline goals and sequence.
2) Follow up with other people to make sure they understand the vision and plan.
3) Maintain credibility.
4) Request small, incremental changes to enable people to adjust.
4) Promote the plan's potential for success.
5) Reiterate the vision and plan as opportunities arise (Beach, pp 78).

In the multimedia program, "The Art of Effective Communication, a message was delivered via text only, audio only, and video. After reviewing the typed (text) message, I was left with the impression that fault was being applied by the originator. The message appeared accusatory, as if one was finger pointing and applying blame. It appeared as though the person was being blamed or setup as a scapegoat. Scapegoating is the process of assigning blame to the closet person when things go wrong (Portny, et al, pp294). I drew this conclusion from the text message in the video that read,"I cannot get my work done because you did not..." The video message, on the other hand could best be described as bland, casual, and nonchalant. There is no sense of urgency in her attitude, body language, and tone. By fair, the best message is the voice recording. The voice is pleasant and the message is clear, concise, and direct. It is easy to sense both urgency and importance so much so that one understands further action is required.

When the need to deliver a message arises, one must think not only of the venue (text, voice, and video), but how also how the recipient will receive the message.

Resources:
Beach, L. R. (2006). Leadership and the Art of Change: A Practical Guide to Organizational Transformation. Thousand Oaks, Ca: Sage Publications, Inc.
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.
Stennes, B. The Six Rules of Effective Communication Retrieved from http://www.resourcesunlimited.com/images/The_Six_Rules_of_Effective_Communication.pdf

Reflections on a Past Project

EDIT 6100-Instructional Design required the creation and delivery of a course. Using the ADDIE Model and tools learned, a course entitled, Introduction to PowerPoint for the Mac was developed and presented to two fifth grade classes, one fourth grade class, and one second grade class; four classes in all. The instructor led course consisted of a course manual, syllabus, activities, final project, student evaluation form, and teacher evaluation form (grading rubric with anecdotal notes). This course, which took two class periods, preceded two others, an intermediate and advanced course scheduled to follow immediately after.

Students and classroom teachers who took part in the project graded the course as "Excellent". Newly learned skills were immediately transferred and incorporated into other subject areas like language arts, science, and social studies. Hallway displays quickly became the envy of other teachers and students. Parents and visitors were impressed by student accomplishments. At 90% completion, the Introductory Course was stopped by the school principal. So what could have possibly gone wrong? I will begin with these words of wisdom. "Caution: If you don’t involve all stakeholders in an active and engaged fashion from the beginning, you are likely to suffer the consequences of rework* when they finally figure out what you and your project team are up to…. and they then take action to leave their mark on it (Greer pp 10)"!

Here is the condensed version of what happened. $100,000 worth of new computers were purchased and used by 84 students (those in the classes referenced above) and one classroom teacher. This could be viewed as problematic since there is a total of 540 children in the building and 45 teachers. Mathematically this equates to spending $100,0000 on 16% of your student population and roughly 2% of your staff. The administrative branch of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) reportedly questioned their children and children's teachers about the issuance of new computers and whether their child was learning PowerPoint. None of their children's classes were issued new computers and therefore none of their children were learning PowerPoint.

Representatives of the PTA (reportedly) complained to the Principal and Board of Education. The result was a complete shutdown of this learning initiative. No kidding. I was told by the principal that I could no longer teach the students on their new computers and that all students had to be treated the same. This resulted in students with the new computers coming into the lab (like all other students) and learning on eMacs originally placed into service in 1995. The PTA appears to have used their position as vocal stakeholders to stop an important learning initiative because their children did not directly benefit from it!

When examining project risks initially, concerns focused on a lack of Internet Service and equipment failure. This project failed because I did not anticipate the actions of the PTA. As stakeholders, the PTA, especially vocal PTA groups are demanding. Additionally, the more involved a parent is in "doing" for the school, the more vocal and demanding they are. Below is a list of things I would have done different.

1. Examine the culture of the school. The culture embodies what is desirable and undesirable-how things should and should not be-it dictates the kinds of activities that are legitimate and not legitimate (Beach 30). In hindsight a review of school culture would have sounded an alert that none of the executive board's children would be involved in this initiative. Alternate plans for inclusion could have been developed and discussed with the principal before or during the initial implementation phase. Lunchtime, afterschool, or Saturday classes were all viable options.

2) Communicate the plan in writing and get written approval. Although school policy requires lesson plan approval, time should have be put aside to write a plan and get written approval. Written documentation would have made it easier for me to for continuation with perhaps a change of scope to include other children a stated in 1), above.

3) Communicate with all stakeholders, especially the PTA. Beach's six rules for effectively communicating the vision and the plan and of building consensus about them could have been utilized (Beach pp78). A review of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs could have provided guidance on what types of issues stakeholders might have and how best to meet their needs (Laureate pp 230). I missed an opportunity to enlist the PTA as change agents and supporters, to help get newer computers into the lab for all student use.

Resources:

Beach, L. R. (2006). Leadership and the Art of Change: A Practical Guide to Organizational Transformation. Thousand Oaks, Ca: Sage Publications, Inc.

Greer, M. (2010). The Project Management Minimalist: Just Enough PM To Rock Your Projects! (Laureate custom ed.). Baltimore: Laureate Education, Inc.

Intulogy (2004). The ADDIE Model. Retrieved from http://www.intulogy.com/addie/implementation.html

Laureate (2009). Learning Theories and Instruction (Custom Edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Lockitt, B. (2000). Practical Project Management For Education And Training. London: Further Education Development Agency.

Stennes, B. The Six Rules of Effective Communication Retrieved from

COURSE REFLECTION

DISTANCE EDUCATION'S FUTURE

From 1953 - 1956 there was a television situation comedy (sitcom) called The Honeymooners The show centered around a married couple; Ralph Kramden, his wife Alice and their married friends and neighbors Ed and Trixie Norton. In one episode, Alice is upset because Ed brought Trixie a television and Ralph refused to purchase one for her. Ralph and Alice get into an intense argument wherein Alice demands to know why Ralph will not buy her a TV. Ralph replies, "Because I'm waiting for 3D TV" (Katsigeorgis, J., 1995). The audience burst into laughter. In the 1950's, when television was in its infancy, 3D TV was a preposterous notation.

As a young girl watching reruns of this show in the 1970s, I remember being doubled over with laughter the first time I saw this episode. The notion was silly. Fast-forward 60 years after this inane statement from Ralph Kramden and 40 years since my childhood and its here, 3D television. The same is true of the cell phones, computers, and other gadgets encountered on space age television shows. Episode after episode, children all over America watched people communicate with hand held devices resembling the current day iPhone and iPad. The high tech dream ware of one generation became commonplace tools for another!

Over the next 5 - 10 years, continued advances in face-to-face communication devices like Face-Time for the iPad2, webcams, and Skype will make the visual and auditory elements of distant learning better. In 10-20 years, it will be thoroughly ingrained in all aspects of learning and at every level of our educational system. Students will learn more in less time; contact with subject matter experts will be commonplace, and all instructors will have backgrounds and experience as instructional designers and course facilitators. While it will never replace the traditional classroom, we will look back and wonder what the fuss was about.

As an instructional designer, there are several things that can be done to improve the perception of distance learning and serve as a positive force.

1. Lead by example. In addition to teaching and facilitating online courses, the instructional designer must be committed to taking classes online. This action can serve as continued professional development, a method to acquire prospective from other instructors, and to maintain a student's prospective.




2. Become an advocate for distance learning now! Technologies also change the ways in which learning takes place (Partnership for 21st Century Learning). For grades 3 and up, find a way to add an online component. Educational experiences that are enabled by mobile devices and applications provide a multitude of un-tethered opportunities for students to be more engaged in learning and extend the learning process beyond the classroom (Project Tomorrow 2011 pp7).This can be as easy as moving short constructed response questions or picture prompt worksheets into an online format.




3. Develop courses that meet or exceed the highest professional standards. Require this of yourself and others in your circle of influence. In addition, speak up when poor quality and workmanship is evident.

Resources:
Katsigeorgis, J., (March 29, 1995). The Honeymooners. Retrieved on June 25, 2011 from http://www.honeymooners.net/
Article: Partnership for 21st Century Skills. The Intellectual and Policy Foundations of the 21st Century Skills Framework. Retrieved on June 16, 2011 from http://www.education.rec.ri.cmu.edu/roboticscurriculum/research/21st%20Centery%20Skills%20Framework.pdf
Project Tomorrow, 2011 (April 2011). The New 3 E's of Education: Enabled Engaged Empowered: How Today's Students are Leveraging Emerging Technologies for Learning. Retrieved April 27, 2011 from http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/pdfs/SU10_3EofEducation(Students).pdf%20%20

Converting to a Distance Learning Course

Greetings:

The PDF file below provides an assessment and information on how to convert a face-to-face course to an online course. At the end of the document there is a form that can be used for this endeavor.

When moving from a face-to-face to an online environment, there are several features to consider, mainly, the reason for moving to an online format, the course and/or segments of courses that will be offered online, the technical support needed by students and instructors, and lastly the mechanisms to monitor the effectiveness of the online course. During the pre-planning stage, one of the most important things a trainer should do is evaluate student readiness. Students at a distance have to assume more responsibility for their own learning earlier in the process than do those students who are enrolled in traditional classes (Simonson, et al., 2009, pp168). If students are not independent, they are likely to fail. Secondly, the trainer must investigate background and prior knowledge in terms of course content and skills, including the use of computers and multimedia technologies. The availability of additional tutoring, pre-placement testing, and help desk services may require investigation during the pre-planning stage. When an Instructor accounts for the background and prior knowledge of students, the learning setting is more successful (Simonson, et al., 2009, pp168). Lastly, the trainer must ask questions about the infrastructure (hardware and software resources), and whether the communications network can handle the additional load from the online course.
Course discussions could be significantly enhanced. Students can be trained (video and print) on how to participate in an online discussion forum. The trainer can provide samples, detailed directions, and examples on how to post; all of which students can access anytime anywhere. This will enable the extension of discussions over several days rather than a class period.

The role of the trainer will change as the course moves from an Instructor-Centered, face-to-face course to a Student-Centered one. The trainer has six critical roles; that of a guide, mentor, catalyst, coach, feedback-giver, and resource-provider (Prestera, et al, April 2001). The intensity of each role will change as the students move through the course. For example, at the beginning of the course, students may require more guidance, feedback, and help acquiring or using resources. As they become more independent, the intensity of these roles lessen and other roles like that of coach or mentor intensifies.
The trainer must ensure student participation in the course. Every effort must be made to provide shy students with a nonthreatening means for participating in discussions (Simonson, et al, pp194). Suggested steps for the trainer are listed below.

1. Describe the background and prior knowledge needed to successfully complete the course.


2. Describe the resources (hardware, software, and printed materials) needed for the course. Special attention should be paid to software. For example, if Adobe Professional will be used extensively in the course then it should be stated at the beginning. A list of online training resources would also be helpful.


3. Provide clear and concise instructions for the discussion post, including the topic, question(s) to answer, and due date.


4. Provide samples of graded posts that range from failing to excellent. Add comments that explain why one grade was a 5 (excellent) and another was a 1 (failure).


5. Place learners in small groups of no more than 10 people.


6. Closely monitor discussions. Ensure misinformation is not accepted as fact, that the discussion threads do not go off track, and that erroneous information is not shared (Simonson, et al, pp187).


7. Use "weaving" skills to keep the discussion on target while not inhibiting the value of all discussion (Hiemstra, 1994).


8. Provide detailed feedback in a timely manner, including writing resources, observed problems, and ways to improve one's score.


9. Send e-mail messages to individual students or student groups to alert them to problems associated with inactivity, lateness, or quality of communications, before their grade is adversly impacted.

Exhibit 1, located at the end of this document is a checklist that can be used by the trainer as preparation for converting to an online class. The exhibit contains three sections, one for the course, one for the student, and one for the equipment.


References:
Austin Community College (April 2010). IDS Distance Learning Project Retrieved on June 17, 2011 from http://irt.austincc.edu/ids/dlproject
Hiemstra, R., (1994). Computerized Distance Education: The Role for Facilitators Retrieved on June 14, 2011 from http://www-distance.syr.edu/mpaea.html

Prestera, G. and Moller, L. (April, 2001). Facilitating Asynchronous Distance Learning:
Exploiting Opportunities for Knowledge Building in Asynchronous Distance Learning Environments. Retrieved on June 15, 2011 from http://frank.mtsu.edu/~itconf/proceed01/3.html

Simonson, M., Sandino, S., Albright, M., Zvacek, S., (2009). Teaching and Learning at a Distance: Foundations of Distance Education: Chapter 13 Evaluating Teaching and Learning at a Distance (4th Ed). Boston, Ma.
 

EXHIBIT 1. TRANSITION CHECKLIST

This is a checklist designed to assist the trainer in pre-planning the move of a course from face-to-face to online.

SECTION 1. COURSE FOCUSED QUESTIONS
1. Title of course to be transitioned from face-to-face to online.
2. Duration of course (units of hours): 3. Number of students per class:
4. Briefly describe the course objective(s):
5. List in order the steps (objectives or goals) used to fulfill the course objectives stated above.
6. For each step listed above, complete the table below.

• 
  
  Step #


• 
  
  Step Name


• 
  
  Print Media used Multimedia Used


• 
  
  Assignment(s)


• 
  
  Assessment(s)

7. For each step listed in 6, above, which ones would you like to change to an online environment?

• 
  
  All course components:


• 
  
  Steps:
  

8. For the steps listed in 7, above, complete the table below.

• 
  
  
  

  Step #



• 
  
  
  

  Mechanism used for delivery now. What is needed to move the component online. Include all resources; hardware, software, venue (PDF file, video, audio) and storage requirements if known.



• 
  
  
  

  Are resources readily available? Reply Yes or No



• 
  
  For all "No" replies, state what is needed. Be specific.

9. Re-examine and modify the information contained in Steps 1 through 8 as needed. For the information contained in Step 8, which ones can be placed online now. Do not list those steps that require acquisition of additional resources.

• 
  
  Step #


• 
  
  Step Title
  
  

SECTION 2. STUDENT FOCUSED QUESTIONS
1. Has the student population taken an online or hybrid course recently (within the last year)?
Yes No

2. Do students have experience using the following technological tools. Check all that apply.
2a Using a computer Yes No
2b Word-processing Yes No
2c Creating audio files Yes No
2d Creating video file Yes No
2e Accessing the Internet Yes No
2f Email Yes No
2g Cell Phone Yes No
2h Texting Yes No
2i You Tube Yes No
2j iTunes Yes No

3. Are the students prepared for an online learning environment?
Yes No
If the answer is Yes, move on to Section 3. Equipment Focused Questions.

4. What additional skills and/or training will students need to prepare them for online learning? Complete the table below.
Area of concern What they already know. What they need to know for online learning. Resources needed. Be specific. Are the Resources readily available (in-house) Yes or No

1. 
   
   Using a computer


2. 
   
   Word-processing


3. 
   
   Creating audio files


4. 
   
   Creating video file


5. 
   
   Accessing the Internet


6. 
   
   Email


7. 
   
   Other 1


8. 
   
   Other 2


9. 
   
   Other 3
   

For all No responses in 4, above, state whether additional funding is needed and estimate how much money is require.
List areas of concern with a No reply.
Estimate the aunt of money needed to acquire the resource.

SECTION 3. EQUIPMENT FOCUSED QUESTIONS
Review and modify (as needed) the information in Sections 1 and 2 before completing this section. Complete the table below.

• 
  
  List the equipment needed for the online course. Be specific and make sure to include a list of d system requirements (i.e., sound card, 2G memory, etc.)


• 
  
  Is pre-course training needed? Answer Yes or No.


• 
  
  If you answered Yes, how will students get/receive pre-course training?


• 
  
  Is technical support needed? Answer Yes or No


• 
  
  If you answered Yes, how will students get help?


• 
  
  Student Equipment Requirements


• 
  
  Company Equipment Requirements
  
  
  

DISTANCE LEARNING: PART 1

DESIGNING FOR DISTANCE LEARNING:PART 1

The assignment for this week was to select and analyze a free Open Course. The course I selected was from Open Yale courses. The title of the course was Environmental Politics and Law with Professor John P. Wargo. The URL for the course is http://oyc.yale.edu/environmental-studies/environmental-politics-and-law. After reviewing the course, the following four areas of concern were noted; a) antiquated appearance of the material; absence of transition from face-to-face lecture; absence of activities that promote learning and collaboration; and a missed opportunity to integrate multimedia technologies that enhance learning and understanding. Each concern will be addressed in the paragraphs below.

The first concern is the age of the course. The course appears "old," antiquated. One reason may be the Professor's monotone voice. Some of the video clips used by the professor dated back to the 1950s based on the mannerism, wardrobe, and Technicolor appearance of the clips. Technicolor was the second major color motion picture process, after Britain's Kinemacolor, and the most widely used color process in Hollywood from 1922 to 1952 (Wikipedia 2011). This surprised me because course structure information stated the course was recorded in the Spring, 2010 and placed on Open Yale in 2011. Perhaps the professor has used the same lecture material since the 1970s.

Secondly, the course appears to have been dumped on the web. It looks as though the Media Department went to every class in the Spring 2010, taped each class, and then placed the material online. Several things led me to this conclusion. The first was information contained in the course structure overview that states the course is taught twice per week for 50 minutes, and was recorded for Open Yale Courses in the Spring 2010 (Open Yale Courses 2011b). Meeting twice a week for a 12-week semester equates to 24 lectures, which is exactly the number of videos presented in the class session page. When you look at the videos, they resemble a typical college lecture. The professor is at the podium or walking in front of the slideshow talking for almost 50-minutes, very few questions are asked, basic PowerPoint presentations are projected to a wide screen, and students leave the lecture hall. When videos are played, the on-line viewer gets to watch the Professor watch the video. In essence, the interaction is between the professor and students without any acknowledgement that there is or will be an on-line viewer. Shovelware is the term that comes to mind. The term shovelware has evolved to describe this practice: Shovel the course onto the web and say you are teaching online, but did not think about it (Simonson pp248).

The third issue is an absence of activities that promote learning and collaboration. In order for distance education to be effective, the focus must move from Instructor focused to learner focused. This philosophy of education has become known as student-centered learning because it strongly promotes active learning, collaboration, mastery of course material, and student control over the learning process (Simonson pp232). A review of the syllabus reveals a paper or midterm and final exam as 90% of the grading. Several short assignments will be prepared by the student. There are no projects or activities designed to ensure learning, nor is there interaction between the learners. Open Yale Courses is not designed to offer users the opportunity to interact with Yale faculty (Yale Open Course, 2011a). Additionally, the online learner receives no training on how to use the course web site.

The last concern is the missed opportunity to integrate the powers of the web. The web offers powerful opportunities for resource utilization, collaboration, and communication (Simonson pp250). Instead of standing in front of the podium talking, it would have been more engaging to display animated clips of radiation formation and leakage, or movement of mercury and pesticides into the human food chain.

The topic is relevant and interesting. The course, with a little boost can be used to engage and recruit both the face-to-face and on-line learner.

RESOURCES:

Open Yale Courses (2011a) About Open House Yale. Retrieved on June 2, 2011 from http://oyc.yale.edu/about#q6

Open Yale Courses (2011b) Environmental Politics and Law with Professor John P. Wargo. Retrieved on June 1, 2011 from http://oyc.yale.edu/environmental-studies/environmental-politics-and-law

Simonson, M., Sandino, S., Albright, M., Zvacek, S., (2009). Teaching and Learning at a Distance: Foundations of Distance Education (4th Ed). Boston, Ma.

Wikipedia (2011). Technicolor. Retrieved on June 6, 2011 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technicolor

EDUC 6135-1

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SELECTING DISTANCE LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES INTERACTIVE TOUR

According to Example 2, the history teacher has several objectives for the Instructional Designer to meet; 1) showcase new exhibits being held at two prominent New York City museums; 2) tour each museum and interact with the museum curators; and 3) the teacher will choose two pieces of artwork from each exhibit and have students participate in a group critique of the individual work of art.

According to Paul Boag, choosing a CMS can be tricky. Without a clearly defined set of requirements, one can be seduced by fancy functionality that will never be used (Boag, 2009). As the Instructional designer, my first step would be to talk to the teacher to better understand the objectives, learning outcomes, available equipment, time constraints, budget constraints, hardware and software resources,  and the groups experience using distance learning or components thereof (e-mail, group discussion boards, and multimedia). It is also necessary to understand whether interaction with museum curators should be synchronous, asynchronous, or both. Synchronous distance learning is same-time, different-place education whereas asynchronous distance learning is anywhere, anytime learning (Simonson pp10). This is critical because of the three-hour time difference between the West Coast and East Coast. A visit to the website of each museum and contact with the person in charge of school/group tours would be next. All prominent museums in New York City have interactive tours and lesson plans for teachers on their websites. The image below depicts the Resources for Learning Web Page from the Museum of Natural History.

Teachers can investigate various topics and gather information to assist in developing their project.  The last step would be contacting the museum to explain the project and determine what "distance services" are available (live chat vs. e-mail, video messaging). These steps are critical because they determine what can be done, how it is to be done, and what modifications, if any, are needed. When the correct media is selected, it maximizes efficiency and makes available more resources for other learning experiences (Simonson pp115). For this assignment, the following assumptions were made:

Although the EduTools and Tech Evaluation Center (TEC) websites provide impartial, online evaluation of CMS, they were not used for this determination because they are designed for businesses and large-scale institutions, not a class. The evaluation was based on the free course management systems provided by Walden University.

The key to successful distance learning education are the design, development, and delivery of instruction, and are not related to geography and time (Simonson pp9). Based on the availability of online tours and the need for two-communication, SchoolRack and Voice Thread are recommended. The primary CMS would be SchoolRack. Voice Thread is provided as an option for the view and critique part of the project. The justification for each is provided below.
A. Tools that enable a synthesis of existing theories is preferred. Perraton's theory of distance education is composed of elements from existing theories of communication and diffusion, as well as philosophies of education (Simonson pp44).  It incorporates key features required by the history teacher, specifically effective group discussion, anytime-anywhere access, interaction, multimedia use, and feedback.
B. All prominent museums in New York City have online, interactive tours and lesson plans for the teacher. For example, the Museum of Natural History's (MNH) website contains a wealth of information on a current exhibit entitled Brain: The Inside Story. Click the link to see a short presentation about the exhibit. MHN-The Human Brain.
C. Computers are equipped with hardware and software resources that enable, live chat, video and audio recording, Instant Messaging, and email. These features provide the widest range of options for the teacher when deciding which distance-learning activities will be synchronous and which will be asynchronous. It will also enable students to provide feedback in a variety of ways.

D. SchoolRack is recommended as the primary Course Management System. The website is free, easy to setup, and easy to manage. The Dashboard, shown below enables the history teacher to add content, create groups, manage groups, and hold discussions.

The added benefits of this site is that it was designed for use by teachers, students, and parents; email messaging enables private conversations with students and their parent; and a password is needed to access the webpage.

E. Although SchoolRack enables the teacher to post images for review and critique by students, the postings are linear (straight up and down). Voice Thread is a free, online service that places the image at the center of the screen with comments posted around it as shown in the image below.

Students can critique the artwork using text, audio, or  video. Other students and the teacher can review their post and provide additional comments. Teacher Training Videos, Inc. provides an online training that takes approximately one and one-half hour.

In conclusion, by understanding the skill set of the teacher and students, learning outcomes, available hardware and software resources, and researching the offerings of prominent museums in New York City, distance-learning technologies that provide the best learning experience for students, flexibility for the teacher, and monitoring by parents was recommended.

RESOURCES:
Boag, P. (2009).10 Criteria for Selecting A CMS. Retrieved May 21, 2011 from http://boagworld.com/technology/10-criteria-for-selecting-a-cms
Simonson, M., Sandino, S., Albright, M., Zvacek, S., (2009). Teaching and Learning at a Distance: Foundations of Distance Education (4th Ed).Boston, Ma.
Museum of Natural History. Resources for Learning. Retrieved on May 22, 2011 from http://www.amnh.org/education/resources/
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