Converting to a Distance Learning Format

There are many considerations that instructional designers or anyone who needs to convert a traditional course into an online course must take into account.  Planning an online course is essential to a successful learning environment.  All components need to be planned, developed, and tested before the course is ever offered.

Below you will find suggestions and tips on pre-planning strategies, ways to enhance courses in a distance learning environment, how the role of the trainer will change, and steps the trainer should take to encourage trainees to communicate online.  After all, interactive communication is the core of the online learning process.

 Best Practices Guide

Pre-Planning Strategies

Provide equivalent learning experiences for online learners. Do not dump a traditional class online. Distance education classes should not be identical to face-to-face classes (Simonson & Saba, n.d.).

Use concepts and principles that are theory driven. Basing courses on sound theory provides the best chance that instruction will be effective (Simonson & Saba, n.d.).

Do not use theory that is not well researched (Simonson & Saba, n.d.).

ALWAYS keep the needs and characteristics of the learners as your primary focus.

Use a design model, such as ADDIE (Piskurich & Chauser, n.d.).

Plan just like you would for face-to-face class. Know what you are going to say and do (Piskurich & Chauser, n.d.).

Create a very complete syllabus. In online learning, the syllabus reflects the instructional plan (Piskurich & Chauser, n.d.).

Make sure to establish an online social community by creating social interactions and collaborative experiences (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2009, 165).

Incorporate adult learning experiences into the curriculum and make sure learning activities are relevant to the learners’ immediate needs (Simonson et. al., 2009, 169).

Clearly define learner responsibilities.

Learning experiences should utilize multiple media instead of basing learning on one perspective. Learners should be required to evaluate and synthesize these multiple sources, rather than accepting what is presented (Dede, 2005, 7).

The materials need to be more visual to illustrate key concepts. Represent key concepts with graphics, tables, figures, etc. (Simonson et. al., 2009, 134).

Conduct a thorough analysis of what the learners need to learn (objectives) and how you will evaluate the learners. Ask the SME what activities they would use to teach these objectives (Piskurich & Chauser, n.d.).

Learners need to be actively engaged in distance education. Activities should be planned to increase learner interactivity (Piskurich & Chauser, n.d.).

Make sure your have the necessary technology and make sure the learners can use it (Piskurich & Chauser, n.d.).

Checklist for Pre-Planning Strategies

• Create a storyboard to map out the flow of the course. Each page represents a segment.

• Develop a site map to show how students will move through the online environment.

• After you have a clear map, collect or create the assets needed for the course. Then create the course shell, set up the website, and make the final decision for software options.

• Get the course shell up and running, then populate the course by creating sections and breaking each section down into activities and resources.

• Conduct an alpha test to work through the course and discuss thoughts while looking for mistakes. Go back and fix any mistakes.

• Conduct a beta test with students where they are actually taking the class and get feedback. Revise the course based on their feedback (Developing online courses, n.d.).

Traditional Aspects to Be Enhanced

Planning is essential for online courses. Courses must be designed and developed before instruction begins (Simonson et. al., 2009, 9).

Activities and applications are the heart of an online course because the activities make content come alive and be interesting. Activities must be interactive (Simonson et. al., 2009, 127).

Visual representation of concepts and ideas are essential for online learners (Simonson et. al., 2009, 9).

Since the learner and instructor are physically separated, the student must be able to use the materials without the instructor (Simonson et. al., 2009, 135).

Learners need access to resources and services, just like traditional students. Support systems must be established for these learners (Simonson et. al., 2009, 9).

Learners are responsible for their learning. They must be intrinsically motivated to continue self-study. Instructors can increase this motivation by giving learners choices that are relevant to learners’ current lives (Simonson et. al., 2009, 42).

A supportive social environment is crucial to learner success. Plan activities that utilize group work to promote a social environment (Simonson et. al., 2009, 127).

Technology will fail. Always have a back-up plan to work around technology failures. Make sure learners know what to do and who to contact in the event of technical difficulties (Simonson et. al., 2009, 127-128).

There are time constraints for actual online time for delivery of content, so while the scope of content must be enough to achieve learning outcomes, all extraneous information must be removed (Simonson et. al., 2009, 131).

Changes to Trainer Role

It is more difficult in the online environment to communicate.

It is hard for the instructor to see what is happening with the learner.

Instructors must be trained in effective instructional strategies (Simonson et. al., 2009, 9).

It is essential for the instructor to give feedback to learners, both acknowledgment and corrective (Simonson et. al., 2009, 187).

The instructor is a facilitator, rather than an authority figure. The instructor should redirect, clarify, correct, and guide (Simonson et. al., 2009, 187).

As the course progresses, the instructor’s role should be reduced and the learners should assume more responsibility for the learning process (Simonson et. al., 2009, 187-188).

The instructor needs to correct misinformation promptly, so it is not accepted as fact (Simonson et. al., 2009, 187).

Instructors need to choose instructional methods that encourage student interaction (Simonson et. al., 2009, 188).

Instructors should select a variety of instructional techniques and strategies that engage learners in active learning experiences (Simonson et. al., 2009, 189).

Instructional methods must be chosen to reflect the type of instructional setting, such as synchronous or asynchronous (Simonson et. al., 2009, 189).

The syllabus is one of the most important pieces of the online course. It provides students with the structure of the course and their role in the learning experience (Simonson et. al., 2009, 191).

 Tips to Improve Trainee Communication

Effective communication is designed based on “the situation, experiences, and competencies of learners” (Simonson et. al., 2009, 91).

Students must have a way to communicate their concerns and questions (Simonson et. al., 2009, 167).

Instructors must make clear expectations of minimal and exceptional expectations for communications. Rubrics are the best way to convey these expectations (Simonson et. al., 2009, 186).

Instructors must provide feedback, so the learners can be sure that they understand the material correctly (Simonson et. al., 2009, 91).

The communication environment should support the learners, providing an open forum for discussion. Learners should be instructed to be respectful to everyone and considerate of other cultures (Durrington, Berryhill, and Swafford, 2006, 191).

Develop a detailed syllabus with clear instructions, deadlines, and guidelines that will help students manage their responsibilities and time (Durrington et. al., 2006, 191).

Use a personalized, positive tone when communicating with learners. Since learners cannot see the instructor, provide clues to the tone, such as emoticons or abbreviations (Durrington et. al., 2006, 191).

Ask in-depth, specific questions related to learner posts. Address these questions to all the students (Durrington et. al., 2006, 192).

Choose topics that can be discussed from multiple viewpoints (Durrington et. al., 2006, 192).

Give the learners a chance to redirect before intervening. This may take longer in an online environment than in face-to-face courses (Durrington et. al., 2006, 193).

References

Dede, C. (2005). Planning for neomillennial learning styles. Educause Quarterly, 28(1), 7-12.

Developing online courses. (n.d.). Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). Video.

Durrington, V., Berryhill, A., & Swafford, J. (2006). Strategies for enhancing student interactivity in an online environment. College Teaching, 54(1), 190-193. Retrieved from http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/433631/strategies_for_enhancing_student_interactivity_in_an_online_environment/.

Piskurich, G. & Chauser, J. (n.d.). Planning and designing online courses. Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). Video.

Simonson, M., & Saba, F. (n.d.). Theory and distance learning. Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). Video.

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.