Instructional Design for Blended & Online Courses Cheri Toledo Cheri Toledo Summer Institute for the 21 st Century Educator Summer 2007

Why Teach Online? ► More students can be reached ► Different students can be served ► Students can be reached with a different educational method ► Instructor has more flexibility ► Students have more flexibility ► Rise to a new challenge ► Just plain curious

Distinctions Between F2F and Online Teaching and Learning

F2F vs. Online Classroom ► Continuous prep throughout semester Online ► Pre-prep, everything ready to go on 1 st day of semester Get everything up and running before class starts … staying one step ahead of the students will not work. It will come back to haunt you.

F2F vs. Online Classroom ► Visual queues ► A few speak up during class discussions ► Hard to tell what they are thinking Online ► Absence of non- verbal queues  Build in redundancies ► Everyone discusses ► Can see their thinking in their comments

F2F vs. Online Classroom ► Same time, same place ► One pace – instructor decides ► Classroom interactions more immediate ► Limited 1-to-1 interactions ► Minimal technology skills required Online ► Different time, different place ► Multiple paces – student decides ► Increased 1-to-1 interactions ► Schedule flexibility ► Multiple technology skills required

Creating an Effective Learning Environment

What Frustrates Students? ► Instructions and directions that are confusing and/or ambiguous ► Content that is poorly organized ► Technology that is problematic ► Little or no interaction with the instructor

What frustrates instructors? ► Too much time spent in preparation ► Feeling chained to the computer ► Feeling isolated from students ► Uncomfortable with assessing online

Key to Relieving These Frustrations: Instructional Design

Instructional Design Defined The systematic development of instructional specifications using learning and instructional theory to ensure the quality of instruction. The entire process of analyzing learning needs and goals and the development of a delivery system to meet those needs. Source: Berger, C. (1996). Definitions of Instructional Design. Retrieved May 27, 2007, from

Instructional Design Defined It includes development of instructional materials and activities; and tryout and evaluation of all instruction and learner activities. Source: Berger, C. (1996). Definitions of Instructional Design. Retrieved May 27, 2007, from

The Three C’s ► Clientele  Who are your learners and what do they need? ► Context  How are you setting up the learning environment? ► Content  What are the expectations in regard to the content?

Clientele ► Who are your Learners? ► What do they ‘look’ like? ► Where are they? ► What are their technology experiences? ► What computer configurations are they using? ► What network access – dialup, broadband – are they using?

Clientele ► Are they  fulltime or part-time students?  working?  raising a family?  baby-boomers?  millennials?  net generation?

Clientele ► What do your students need, to be successful in your class? ► How will you know if they are successful?

Context ► What type of class will you be conducting?  Fully online ► No face-to-face sessions  Blended ► Reduced seat time – online activities  Web-enhanced ► Materials and some activities online

Course Focus ► Content ► Project ► Process

Content ► Organization  This will set the tone for the class  A way to emphasize what is most important ► Presentation  Provides continuity and comfort  Be redundant and explicit ► What you decide here will drive your design decisions

Our Design Model

ADDIE ► Analyze ► Design ► Develop ► Implement ► Evaluate

Instructional Design Process Analyze ► Identify audience  What is their previous experience?  What are their specific entry skills? ► Identify the context  What type of course delivery?  What is the overarching goal of the course?

Instructional Design Process Design ► Content/process is king and it must drive the technology decisions ► It’s not about the technology – that’s the tool  Use it when it enables better performance ► Design with the end in mind ► Design from the student perspective

Develop ► Delivery mechanism  Web-based?  What are you putting in the CMS? Why? ► Get some input from experienced instructors  Look at exemplary courses online  Talk with colleagues Instructional Design Process

Develop ► Course goals ► Objectives ► Organization ► Navigation ► Be consistent – be redundant ► Practice moving through course Instructional Design Process

Develop ► Design for multiple browsers ► Design for multiple platforms ► Provide information about plugins and other software they will need ► Verify links  If they disappear use the Wayback Machine Wayback MachineWayback Machine Instructional Design Process

Develop ► As course elements become more complicated, you will need to provide support for your students. ► What _____ must they have to be successful?  technology  abilities  knowledge Instructional Design Process

Implementation ► Before the course begins  Practice moving through your course  Ask others to review the course ► Colleague with online teaching experience ► Colleague without online teaching experience Instructional Design Process

Evaluate ► During and after the course, ask students for feedback  Provide a discussion forum for questions on the technology and on the course ► Techie Questions ► Schoolie Questions  One minute papers or summaries  Muddiest point Instructional Design Process

Evaluate ► What worked? ► What didn’t work? ► What questions were asked? ► Where did the students experience trouble? ► What did the majority of students misinterpret? Instructional Design Process

Evaluate  Redesign ► Improve organization of course ► Improve student interaction ► Revise for accuracy and currency Instructional Design Process

Evaluate  Redesign ► Clarify instructions ► Rearrange topics:  Smaller units?  Larger units? ► Increase feedback mechanisms Instructional Design Process