Putting It All Together: An Instructor’s Perspective on Designing, Developing, Implementing, and Evaluating Instructional Technology Connie K. Varnhagen Department of Psychology

Enhancing Teaching and Learning?  Needs Assessment and Analysis  Finding and/or Developing Content  Implementation  Evaluation Guide to Distributed Learning

Enhancing Teaching and Learning or An All Consuming Endeavor? Guide to Distributed Learning The Doomsday Machine

Needs Assessment and Analysis  Pressure to use new technologies Administration Students Research results “C’mon, c’mon -- it’s either one or the other.”

Pressure from Administration By the Year The university of Alberta will incorporate a learner- centred instructional model which integrates multi- media and technology-based delivery methods with traditional classroom instruction to serve students who are locally, regionally, nationally and globally based. This model will feature a variety of opportunities for lifelong learning. Report of the senate task force on technology and learning, September, 1995 (

Pressure From Students  What do students want? Lecture notes Course schedule Syllabus Practice quizzes Study guide to instructor  Less important Interactive modules, links, discussion, to students

Research on Teaching and Learning  Well prepared lectures are associated with better lecture notes  Simulations and demonstration lead to better comprehension of the associated concepts than verbal and/or pictorial descriptions  Online course components don’t hurt and can help

Finding and/or Developing Content  MUST align pedagogical goals with functions of the technology e.g., overheads are immediately updateable and allow for spontaneity  Search for content before developing content Repositories Text book publishers Teaching journals Web Colleagues

Developing Content  Get help Pedagogical Technological Evaluation and Instructional Design  Grossly overestimate the time it will take to develop content  Develop a research component

Implementation  Be prepared for anything Technology Personal response  Be open with the class Rationalize innovation Request feedback Humor helps  Be firm with implementation strategy

Evaluation  Need for formative as well as summative evaluation  Student course evaluations  Faculty Evaluation Committee

Formative and Summative Evaluation  Consult with Evaluation Group  Get ethics approval  Mid-course evaluation(s)  Focus group feedback  Summative questions along with (or after) course evaluation  Consider peer consultation

Student Course Evaluations  Innovation associated with lower than normal course evaluations  Prepare students for the innovation Rationale Reinforcement Be gracious under fire  Develop multifaceted course evaluation procedures with Chair

Faculty Evaluation Committee  Must have Chair support  Good idea to have tenure as well  Follow through on research component of any development project  Prepare a dossier with specific emphasis on innovation  Don’t overemphasize your innovation

Continued Innovation  Once an innovator, always an innovator  Share your experiences With colleagues At University presentations At teaching conferences Through publications

Great Resources  ATL Guide to Distributed Learning  Web Guides and Tutorials fm?c=1&s=72 fm?c=1&s=72  WebCT  University Teaching Services

Some Database Repositories  CAREO  Merlot  LearnAlberta  Departmental Resources BioDITRL ITRL