ID1342: Instructional Design for Online Course Development - Wiki of Resources

Symbiosis (http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/EJ968187.pdf)

This article discusses the importance of Project Management and the role of the Instructional Designer (or, I suppose the lone instructor acting as their own ID) in the course development process. "Meredith and Schafer (2010) define project management as managing a special form of process in an organization, the output of which is some type of value of desire and interest. Such value creation is one of the most essential organizational activities, and it helps justify the existence of the organization. In project management, each project is characterized by an ultimate goal, tasks that are interrelated and coordinated, a limited timeframe, and its own uniqueness (Layng, 1997)". Based on this definition, online course development falls into this type of activity and is worth of applying Project Management principles and processes to it.
"PMI (2008) argues there are four phases in a project life cycle (starting the project, organizing and preparing, carrying out the work, and closing the project). They claim that each phase includes five project process groups:

1. initiating
2. planning
3. executing
4. monitoring and controlling
5. closing"

Key points from the article include:

• "Project management and instructional systems design (ISD) need to be coordinated in a concerted effort to complete an instructional design project effectively and efficiently (Smith & Ragan, 2005)." 
• "Project management methodologies with a strong point in efficiency (e.g., by planning and scheduling) can complement ISD's effectiveness in the design of instruction (Morrison, Ross, & Kemp, 2001)."
• "Because each approach has its strengths and weaknesses, the coordination of the two can create a synergy and improve the output of the instructional design project. This argument is not a new proposition. Based on the literature reviewed and reported earlier in this position paper from both researchers and practitioners perspectives, project management and ISD should be regarded as two of the core skills of instructional technology."

Other related articles worth noting are:

• Project Management Toolkit (from CIO at University of Illinois)
  http://www.cio.uillinois.edu/cms/one.aspx?portalId=996270&pageId=1076624
• Closing the Loop in e-Learning Development: How to reconnect instructional design and project management
  http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/283/closing-the-loop-in-e-learningdevelopment-how-to-reconnect-instructional-design-and-project-management

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Virtual Ethnography: Interactive Interviewing Online as Method

Susan Crichton, Shelley Kinash

http://www.cjlt.ca/index.php/cjlt/article/view/40
 For this article, researchers looked at the possibilities of “virtual forms of ethnography.” They wanted to see in what ways online interactive interviewing might have advantages over face to face interviewing. This project used only text-based conversations. The authors argue that in an online space people can “write the story of their situated context.” They report on the results of three research projects that used these methods.
Some strengths they found in online interactive interviewing were that it “contributes to a sense of self,” and allows for thoughtful, reflective, responses that could be revised before they were posted. A couple limitations found were the lack of nonverbal cues, and it did not allow for a multi-media presentation of results.
Online interactive interviewing as ethnography resulted in evolving inquiry, and fostered a continual relationship. The technology “facilitated stimulating dialogues” and sustained conversation. One researcher reported that “the process was so enjoyable that it was “hard to quit their interactions with us.”



Technology Skills Assessment by FGC University
http://www.fgcu.edu/support/techskills.html
For those interested in developing a comprehensive online tech skill self-assessment for students before they begin an online course.

Online Course Evaluation Literature Review and Findings
byJessica Wode and Jonathan Keiser, Columbia College Chicago
http://www.colum.edu/Administrative_offices/Academic_Affairs/evaluation_and_assessment/courseeval/Course%20Evaluation%20Literature%20Review.pdf
This pdf document provides a comprehensive overview of the course evaluation process with an emphasis on onlne courses. The article highlights some of the pitfalls of student evaluations and makes suggestions to overcome these obstacles.

ADDIE is dead: Long Live ADDIE by Tom Gram, 2009
http:www.gramconsulting.com/2009/09/addie-is-edad-long-live-addie/
This article discusses the Love/Hate relationship instructional designers (ID) have with the ADDIE model.  The autthor suggests that rather than consider ADDIE as an instructional design methodology, it should be seen as a project management process.  The article is divided into three phases, the Hate, Love and summative evaluation phase.
The hate phase describes how and why ID have come to hate the model even though the five stages are the basis for the design of a lot of systems.
The Love phase is discussed by highlighting ADDIE's success with e-learning and how the five stages have been a sucess with e-learning.


http://www.simplypsychology.org/learning-kolb.html
This article describes Kolb's learning theory which sets out four distinct learning styles (Accomodating, Diverging, Assimilating, Converging) based on a four-stage learning cycle (Concrete Experience, Reflective Observation, Abstact Conceptualization, Active Experimentation).


“e-Learning, online learning, and distance learning environments: Are they the same?”
scholar.vt.edu/access/content/group/5deb92b5-10f3-49db-adeb-7294847f1ebc/e-Learning%20Scott%20Midkiff.pdf
This article focuses on the differences between e-learning, online learning and distance learning. Topics such as: characteristics of learning environments, tools, terminology perceptions, and the role of the student within these specific environments are discussed.


Indiana University: Center for Innovative Teaching & Learning
http://citl.indiana.edu/consultations/assess_student_learn/index.php
This site includes a number of resources for both formal and informal assessment of student learning, including examples of CATs (classroom assessment techniques), how to design an effective test, and how to create a rubric.

In Search of the Elusive ADDIE Model
http://iptde.boisestate.edu/FileDepository.nsf/bf25ab0f47ba5dd785256499006b15a4/693b43c6386707fc872578150059c1f3/$FILE/Molenda_03.pdf
In this article, Michael Molenda researches when and where the ADDIE model originally came from.  By looking at dictionaries and various other sources, he gives an overview and history of ADDIE.  In the end, he concludes that ADDIE does not have one single origin or author, but that many agree that its a process standing for Analyze, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation.

Research for Practitioners: Are There Basic Principles Across All Instructional Design Models?
http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/1233/
This is the summary of an aritcle but the table the author creates will be very helpful in instructional design. It would complement Horton quite well with the questions it provides for consideration in each principle. One example directly from this summary is:

Principle	Learning is promoted when…	Questions to ask yourself
Problem and task centered	Learners are engaged in solving real world problems and tasks	Does the instruction involve real world problems and tasks relevant to the learner? Does the instruction show the learners what they’ll be able to do at the end of the learning experience? Does the instruction include the components or chunks required for the successful completion of the problem or task? Does the instruction show multiple examples of the problem or task?

How-to Guide for Creating Accessible Online Learning Content
http://projectone.cannect.org/
Ensuring accessibility for learners with visual impairments and learning differences is just as important in online learning environments as it is for face-to-face courses.  This online web publication by CANnect, "a nonprofit consortium, decided to raise the awareness of just how unfriendly the Internet can be for people with disabilities, in particular, people with vision loss" is an excellent resource for helping you understand why as well as how to make content in your online learning environment accessible.  It includes the seven principle of universal design as well as best practices for HTML coding and other content such as PDF files, audio, and video.

Evaluating Online Courses
http://fod.msu.edu/oir/evaluating-online-courses
This site provides a variety of rubrics and evaluation tools targeted at evaluating online courses due to their differences with traditional classrooms.


Durdu, P.O., Yalabik, N., & Cagiltay, K. (2009). A distributed online curriculum and courseware development model. Educational Technology & Society, 12(1), 230-248. Retrieved from http://www.ifets.info/journals/12_1/18.pdf
The researchers behind this study adamantly declare collaboration of multiple disciplines is essential to the effectiveness of developing VLE’s (virtual learning environments). They offer a model that combines multiple approaches and tested them in two online courses, or case studies, in order to identify problem areas as well as suggest best practices for model development. Following the case studies, interviews of strategic decision makers of the design and extracted principles which were developed and applied back to the model using a layered perspective. One interesting finding suggests degradation in quality when variations in text and video are present, and that “there is a need for common style guidelines” in online courses. The DONC²  development methodology emerged as a complex circular model depicting the layers of development along with multiple components with no hierarchy. Also shown is a workload model further refined within each layer of the process. This is an excellent prototype of the ID process for online learning design, however only introduces the model, and calls for future testing.


The Flawed Four Level Evaluation Model
http://groups.medbiq.org/medbiq/download/attachments/229542/Moving%2BBeyond%2BTraditional%2BEvaluation-2.pdf
Elwood F. Holton III (1996)
This was a neat paper I came across.  Holton III suggests that, while the Kirkpatrick model of training evaluation is most notable and most widely used, it lacks rigour as it pertains to validity.  He suggests this is primarily the case as it fails to touch on such topics as motivation of the participants, trainability levels, attitudes and personal characteristics that can influence trainee behaviours, training transfer and learning.
Holton III, suggests that a shortcoming of the Kirkpatrick model is that it is solely a taxonomy and doesn't consider all constructs underlying the phenomena of interest, therefore making validation impossible.  Additionally, Alliger and Janak (1989) have indicated that research currently doesn't exist that connects the various levels of this taxonomy through causal relationships.

Patterns of Engagement in Authentic Online Learning Environments
Herrington, J. and Oliver, R. (2003). Patterns of Engagement in Authenic Online Learning Environments, Australian Journal of Educational Technology, 19(1), 59-71.
Link:  http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet19/herrington.html
One of the topics that most captured my attention and interest in this course was developing the skill to develop engaging and interesting online learning activities or assignments, the "develop" step of the instructional design process.  As such, I was interested to find this article which discusses the development of "authentic" learning activities in the online environment.  The use of more authentic and relevant learning activities within a wide variety of fields provides numerous benefits to students, particularly the established adult learner.  As I have been aiming my course design to a graduate level audience of young adults, I worked to develp activities which were more authentic by simulating real-life clinical scenarios via case studies, for example.
While "authentic activities" may have multiple interpretations, they are generally taken to mean "activities based on real situations to models that focus on applying conceptual knowledge or skills, such as critical thinking or problem solving 10 characteristics of authentic learning activities".  This article also concisely reviews 10 characteristics of authentic learning activities, a few of which include:

1. Authentic activities have real world relevance.
2. Authentic activies comprise complex tasks to be investigated by students over a sustained period of time.
3. Authentic activities provide the opportunity to collaborate.
4. Authentic activities provide the opportunity to reflect.

I found this article and its discussion on the importance of creating authentic learning experiences useful for inclusion in a course on instructional design.

Kirkpatrick's Four Level Evaluation Model

 http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/isd/kirkpatrick.html
The Kirkpatrick Four-Level Training Evaluation Model helps trainers to measure the effectiveness of their training in an objective way. The model was originally created by Donald Kirkpatrick in 1959, and has since gone through several updates and revisions.
The four levels are: Reaction, Learning, Behavior, Results.
This article includes descriptions of the four levels (steps) and also criticisms. It suggested that the name of 2 steps shoud be changed: Reaction -> Motivation, Behaviour -> Performance.


The Role of Rubrics in Advancing and Assessing Student Learning:
http://uncw.edu/cte/et/articles/vol7_1/Wolf.pdf 
This pdf article analyzes the Role of Rubrics in assessing student learning. It shows steps in developing a rubric. It also describes the benefits of rubrics and limitations of them.


How (Unfavorable) Student Feedback Improves Online Courses
Online Learning Insights, a blog about open and online education
http://onlinelearninginsights.wordpress.com/2012/06/01/how-unfavorable-student-feedback-improves-online-courses/
This article discusses how negative feedback from students can improve your course.

Various Types of Grading Rubrics for Different Types of Online Activities
http://www2.nau.edu/d-elearn/support/tutorials/discrubrics/discrubric.php
Using rubrics is especially important in online courses because clear statement of expectations is sometimes the only guideline students will receive. However, designing rubrics specifically targeted at certain tasks might be tiring for the teachers - this website provides different types of rubric "templates" teachers can use (e.g. journal post rubrics, discussion rubrics, general participation rubric).