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/
Museum of Natural History (2010). Introducing the Human Brain. Retrieved on May 22, 2011 from http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/brain/
Museum of Natural History (2011). ABC News Video. Retrieved on May 22, 2011 from http://www.amnh.org/news/tag/abc-news/
SchoolRack (2003). About SchoolRack. Retrieved on May 20, 2011 from http://www.schoolrack.com/about/
SchoolRack (2010). Understanding the Features. Retrieved on May 20, 2011 from http://schoolrackwiki.pbworks.com/w/page/15034104/Understanding-the-features
Voice Thread (2007).Voice Thread Overview. Retrieved on May 21, 2011 from http://voicethread.com/about/features/
Voice Thread. National Museum of Women in the Arts. Retrieved on May 22, 2011 from http://voicethread.com/?#q
Teacher Training Videos. Voice Thread on-line training videos. Retrieved on May 22, 2011 from http://www.teachertrainingvideos.com/voiceThread/index.html

My First Encounter With Distance Learning

As an avid user of technology, it appeared difficult to recall a first encounter with distance learning and how I came to define it. The memory eventually recalled was not my own but a few fleeting moments shared with a departed love one. A few years before I met my husband, his father was in an automobile accident that left home partially paralyzed. At that point, he became a stay-at-home Dad and my mother-in-law went to work. In essence, they switched roles.

When my husband and I started dating we went to visit his parent's for Spring Break. One day my father-in-law walked into the house giddy, with a small box wrapped in brown paper in his hand. He said. "My homework is here! I have to go do my homework! My homework is here!" I followed him into a room at the back of the house. At first glance it looked like a junk room, filled with electronic wires, transistors, tools, and all sorts of gadgets. Over time, I noticed letters on the wall, certificates of completion, and completed projects. Each time it looked less like a junk room and more like an electronics lab. As you might have guessed, my father-in-law was taking an electronics correspondence course.

My earliest memory of distance learning is that of an Electronics Communications Correspondence Course. The roots of distance education are at least 160 years old (Simonson pp4). Distance learning was initially defined as an institutionally-based, formal education where the learning group and instructor are separated geographically and mail service was used to connect the learner to the instructor and resources. As shaped by my experiences, distance learning was initially defined by correspondence courses wherein registered students would receive a series of reading assignments and projects via the mail. The student would complete the assignments, tests, and projects, and then return key items for grading before the next course was delivered. After completion of all course requirements, the student received a diploma.

Improvements in Internet connectivity and computers moved some aspects of distance learning from mail to online. For example, at Walden University students still receive course text through the mail. The basic definition of distance learning remains but was modified to include electronic delivery. My current definition of distance learning mirrors that of the course text. Distance learning is an institution-based, formal education where the learning group is separated, and where interactive communications systems are used to connect learners. resources, and instructors (Simonson pp7).

The next evolution of distance learning will be three fold. First, the incorporation of the Kindle, Nook, or other eReader will enable course textbooks to be delivered electronically. Second, virtual reality and game simulators will be used to meet the objectives of hands-on project construction and applications. Lastly, the definition of teacher will be adjusted to distinguish between the lead instructor and a facilitator. In the future, the current definition may be revised as follows: Distance learning is an institutionally based, formal education wherein interactive telecommunications systems are used to connect the learner to the group, resources, and instructor-facilitator. The instructor is defined as the professional, including virtual instructors and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), directly responsible for educating the learner. The facilitator is the person managing the learner.

RESOURCES:

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009) Teaching and Learnin at a Distance: Foundatios of Distance Education (4th Ed.), Pearson Education, Inc., Boston.

EDUC 6135-1

Guidelines for Using Text in Multimedia Presentations

1. WATCH YOUR TEXT COLOR

1. The human eye can see approximately 7,000 different colors. Some color and color combinations are soothing while others can cause headaches and visual fatigue. Red text represent danger and the color yellow is an eye irritant.



2. Different cultures interpret colors differently. In the United States, white is a symbol for purity, whereas in other cultures it is used for death and funerals.



3. Color blindness affects text color.

2. USE BOLDFACE SPARINGLY

Place key terms in boldface for emphasis.


3. THINK BEFORE YOU UNDERLINE TEXT

1. The rules are underlining are different for printed text in a magazine and text on a website.

4. DO NOT TYPE IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS

1. Typing in all capital letters is analogous to yelling at a person.



2. Use capital letters for emphasis and title casing only.

5. WATCH YOUR TEXT SIZE

The size of the text matters. If the text size is too small eyestrain can occur, if it is too large, few words will fit in the screen window which can frustrate the viewer.


6. WATCH THE FONT SELECT

Make sure the font or font family is readable on several systems (Mac and PC).

1. Fancy fonts like script can be illegible and common fonts like Courier are boring. Look for fonts that stand out and are easy to read.

RESOURCES
Color Matters Color: The Magic and the Mystery of Words http://www.colormatters.com/
Hume, Andy, December 9, 2005, The Anatomy of Web Fonts http://articles.sitepoint.com/article/anatomy-web-fonts
Weinschenk, S. January 12, 2011, The 1oo Things You Should Know About People: #51 - You React to Color Based on Your Culture http://www.whatmakesthemclick.net/