Design Concepts forLearning

Presented by

David E. Nettles

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OBJECTIVES

Define e-learning and examine varieties

Explain e-learning and instructional design

Discuss design perspectives and influences

Align learning goals and objectives

Examine various teaching sequences

Analyze learning activities

DEFINITION

What is E-Learning?

There are several definitions for this term, but in a general sense e-learning is…

“The use of electronic technologies to create

a learning experience.”

- William Horton, 2012, p. 1

3Horton, W. (2012). E-learning by design (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: John Wiley and Sons

VARIETIES

There are multiple forms of E-Learning. For example:

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Standalone

• Classes taken by an individual learner• Self-paced• No interpersonal interaction

Games / Simulations

• Perform simulated activities • Learning occurs through exploration /

discovery• May incorporate real world or

hypothetical situations to build skill

Mobile Learning

• Learning on-the-go• Aided by mobile devices (smartphones,

electronic notepads, etc.)• Classroom environment may be

conventional or standalone

Social Learning

• Learning through interaction• Thought sharing and collaboration using

online discussion, blogs, wikis, etc.

Virtual-classroom

• Online courses using formal structure• Employs traditional learning activities

(e.g. reading, presentations) • Format utilizes virtual classroom

software (e.g. WebEx)

• Standalone course• Games / Simulations• Mobile learning• Social learning• Virtual classroom

Design Development

The decision making process (based on both large and small questions)

Determines what the material should help the learner to accomplish

Governs how decisions will be carried out

Selecting, organizing, and specifying learning experiences

Construction of the coursematerials and learning resources

CREATING AN EFFECTIVE E-LEARNING PROJECT HAS

TWO ELEMENTS

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“Unless you get

instructional design

right, technology can

only increase the speed

and certainty of failure.”

- William Horton, 2011

There are many

instructional design

models such as the

Universal Design for

Learning (UDL), or the

Dynamic Instructional

Design (DID) model

shown here.

DESIGN

DYNAMIC INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN

1. Know the Learners

2. State Your Objectives

3. Establish the Learning Environment

4. Identify Strategies

5. Select Technologies

6. Make a Summative Evaluation

SIX STEP PROCESS:

DID Model Graphic from Lever-Duffy, 2011, p. 52

“Good design makes all

the difference. Designing

e-learning requires more

than traditional

instructional design.”

- William Horton, 2011, p. 66

DESIGNDesign must be applied to all

units of E-learning…

Image from Horton, W. (2011). E-learning by design (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: John Wiley and Sons

Understanding these units is critical as each level influences the design technique (e.g. selection of activities, media, etc.).

The things that may have an influence on e-learning design

come in a variety of shapes and sizes.

Consider these influential variables:

Adult learning principles

Complexity of objectives

Budgetary constraints

The audience

Time

DESIGN INFLUENCES

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For example, when selecting

the type of media to best

satisfy the overall goal of the

lesson, the decision is directly

influenced by both the power

and complexity of the format.

Image from Horton, W. (2011). E-learning by design (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: John Wiley and Sons

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Training is most effective when aligned with specific goals.

For example, if the company is suffering from low customer satisfaction scores, the goal may be to improve those ratings by X% over a defined period of time.

Training efforts aligned with this need help the company perform better, while enhancing necessary employee skill sets (e.g. communication, problem solving, conflict resolution, etc.).

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Design begins with a goal in mind.

Consider:

Employee turnover affects efficiency and profitability. Your organization wants to retain high performing employees as a means to increase productivity.

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Design begins with a goal in mind. Consider:

Employee turnover affects efficiency and profitability. Your organization wants to retain high performing employees as a means to increase productivity.

The company goal is to increase employee retention by 20% by encouraging managers to cross train staff to increase skill and enhance career interest.

The problem is the managers do not know how to delegate tasks effectively.

Designing a Delegation Workshop for

the management staff that will

empower them to develop their team,

demonstrates goal alignment.

Course objectives act as milestones

(e.g. learning to determine what to

delegate and to whom), and are

intentionally designed to incrementally

enhance the manager’s skill to meet

the overall goal.

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IDENTIFY TASKS

DETERMINE POTENTIAL

TEAM MEMBER

TEACH

COACH

DELEGATE

TEACHING SEQUENCES

Hierarchy of Objectives

Once the lesson

objectives have

been identified,

the designer must

determine the

order in which

they are to be

accomplished.

This order establishes

the Hierarchy of

Objectives.

The teaching

sequence of these

objectives can be

established in one of

three ways depending

on the needs of the

learner(s).

TEACHING SEQUENCES

Sideways sequencing allows the learners to

explore the material independently, and to satisfy

any prerequisite information as it is discovered.

Horton, W. (2011). E-learning by design (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: John Wiley and Sons

Top Down

sequencing

assumes the

learner has the

basic concepts,

allowing them to

review essential

information as

needed.

Bottom Up

sequencing allows

the learner to obtain

fundamental

knowledge/skills in

order to understand

advanced concepts.

Hierarchy of Objectives

SELECTING LEARNING ACTIVITIES

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“Activities are necessary to provoke learning experiences.”

- William Horton, 2011, p. 66

To accomplish the established learning objectives, learners

typically require three kinds of activities:

Learners absorb

knowledge by

reading, observing,

or listening

Physical activities

that build skill and

reinforce the

learning objectives

Learners connect

the learning with

real world

performance

SELECTING LEARNING ACTIVITIES

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Learning activities also enhance the learning event by

incorporating multiple learning intelligences.

Using activities related to interpersonal skills, math and

logic, music, language, spatial relations, self-reflection, the

natural world, or physical activity substantially increases

positive learning outcomes.Well designed activities enhance

comprehension, retention, and the

ability to build skill.

STEP 1

STEP 2

STEP 3

STEP 4

STEP 5

STEP 6

Reference

Armstrong, T. (2009). Multiple intelligences in the classroom (3rd ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Lever-Duffy, J., & McDonald, J. B. (2011). Dynamic Instructional Design Model Graphic retrieved from Teaching and learning with technology (4th ed.). New York: Pearson Education, Inc.

Lever-Duffy, J., & McDonald, J. B. (2011). Teaching and learning with technology (4th ed.). New York: Pearson Education, Inc.

Horton, W. (2011). E-learning by design (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: John Wiley and Sons

Smith, P. L., & Ragan, T. J. (2005). Instructional design (3rd ed.). San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons/Jossey-

Bass.