Inquiry about Successful eLearning

1. According to the Five eLearning Components, “there are five eLearning components that are essential for all successful online courses. Understanding these components will help you design and develop a course that meets computer-based training objectives. Each eLearning component plays an important role in designing an online course” (par.1).

The five components are course structure, page design, usability, content engagement, and most importantly, audience. These components are essential in the design and development of any course.

Course Structure: The success of any online course comes from a straightforward, explicit course plan. A student taking an online course relies on instructor information to enhance critical thinking and reach instructor expectations. The development of this course plan should be discussed with an Instructional Design team in order to ensure a positive academic experience. The structure should “group content into logical modules, incorporate interactive concepts, and use pictures/graphics to help explain ideas, concepts, or statements” (par.10).

Page design is essential in gaining a student’s attention. If a page is bland or with too little or too much information, the learning experience will be lowered. In addition, “navigation must be intuitive, appearance must not hinder the learning process, the balance between text and graphics is critical, white space in good, and consistency is golden, ease of scanning is imperative, and chunking information is crucial” (par. 11).

Content Engagement is where a student more or less forms an independent relationship with the content presented to them. The more structured and relatable the content is, the higher the chance the student will exercise-free thinking and exude an expertise over the material presented to them. To keep learner’s involved, “use hyperlinks for additional concepts, explanations, and definitions, incorporate interactive graphics such as animations or simulations,  provide additional options/choices for the learner, incorporate quizzes, tests, skill assessments, keep activities focused on the course objective, and avoid letting the technology overshadow the course objectives” (par. 13).

Usability refers “the testing of eLearning content and application...Verify that all links work properly, ensure that activities function as designed, inspect content to ensure that grammar and spelling are correct, ensure that graphics are visible, verify that the course works appropriately in all applicable server environments, verify that screen resolution works for the intended audience, and verify that course objectives and expectations are met” (par. 14).

Audience refers to the end user. If not for an adequate audience (the students), the course may not even exist. It is important to remember that at the end of the day a university is still running a business, so creating and promoting a cost-effective class structure is essential. This is why it is so important to advertise the content of the course, create an engaging learning atmosphere, and help to shape lifelong learners.

2. I believe the future of eLearning is bright.  As a student who has participated in online courses in both my undergraduate days and now in my current graduate courses, there is definitely a new sense of academic perspective. Learning is different structurally, but expectations, assignments, concepts, and even interaction is just as if the class were face-to-face. There are deadlines and means of communication that are essential. The general atmosphere of the course may be different, however, expectations are always attainable. In addition, I believe that eLearning will continue to thrive due to many industries asking for higher education or the unemployed having no choice but to go back to school. The art of eLearning may actually save person money, since they do not have to drive to their university. Also, online learning helps learners create a stronger self-reliance on themselves and improve their technology skills. According to John Engler’s, STEM Education Is the Key to the U.S.’s Economic Future,  Engler is quite secure that our economic downtown will change with more people employed in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. He adds, “according to the recently released study from Change the Equation, an organization that supports STEM education, there are 3.6 unemployed workers for every job in the United States. That compares with only one unemployed STEM worker for two unfilled STEM jobs throughout the country” (par. 4).

3. The Instructional Design and Development crew has been addressed a great deal throughout the quarter and would include a graphic designer, a video editor, and a web programmer.

A) The web developer, according to The development of online courses (2004), creates an atmosphere of confidence and illustrates content and interactive options available. In addition, an organizational template is used that emphasizes evident “learning objectives” [provided by the instructor] (par. 37). A course template will inevitably be enhanced with the web developer who will, “help the instructor to use tools to make the course interactive, such as e-mail and chat utilities; working with the graphic designer to conceptualize the screens, backgrounds, buttons, window frames, and text elements in the program. This creates interactivity, and creates story boards” (par.37).

The role of the graphic designer would include any technical drawings related to the PowerPoint, the development of templates, icons, and graphics to enhance the content presented. Great tools that could be used are Adobe Photoshop, a tool to format images, and Macromedia Freehand, used for creative design. The programmer would use specialized tools to increase the interactivity in the PowerPoint presentation. There are two tool classes: code-based programming language and graphical user interface (par.43). Open-source code-based programming language includes:

•          Hypertext markup language-page requests are sent to server and World Wide Web if needed in PowerPoint presentation
•          Java-enables chat, games, and computing
•          JavaScript-creates user interface and websites
•          Perl-programming language
•          MySQL-database language
•       Proprietary GUI web-development software packages include:
•          Macromedia-macromedia tools for software CDs
•          Microsoft .NET and Visual Basic-enables programs like PowerPoint to run
•          Adobe GoLive, Photoshop-manages web sites; enhances imagery

The Digital Video Editor would help in the development process by helping in the creation of any videos needed to be used for the online course. There are universal components in any editing software such as “dragging and dropping”, transitions, sound tracking, and storyboard techniques. The editor has knowledge of audio, visual, and S-video inputs and outputs (Brown, 2006). A culmination of this Instructional Design team will create a successful, professional, and aesthetically pleasing video. 

B) I greatly enjoy web development. Page design comes from the feedback of an instructor; however, there is much independence in creating a layout to any online course. I would make sure to add an artistic touch to the web page to keep the students engaged and ready to learn more.  I want to illustrate content and create an academically pleasing atmosphere for the students.

C, D, E, F) The type of course template I would like to create would be for a business- centered Instructional Technology course. This course would focus on business administration and management in developing online courses. In addition, cyber security foundation will be discussed along with how emerging technologies may affect the status of online learning. This course will also examine eLearning planning and practice applications in a business setting.

According to Theory and Practice of Online Learning, presented are a few business elements required of any online course:

·         The World Wide Web: The transition from predominately print-based curricula presented in electronic format. This would also enforce the needed use of open-source software required of online development.

          -How do we keep development cost-effective?

          -How do we ensure the safety of or course? Copyright and intellectual   property?

·         Communication: The dramatic expansion of computer-mediated communication system to facilitate electronic distribution

          -Email correspondence between students and staff

          -Computer conferencing between students and academic staff

·         Command line: The provision of library, registry, and other student support services

          -Access to electronic databases

          -Electronic formative and summative information

          -The provision of assistance to students learning to use systems (x)

Resources

Brown, Z. (2006). Digital video editing. Educational Technology. 23 November 2012. Retrieved from

http://edtech.wetpaint.com/page/Digital+Video+Editing

Caplan,D. (2004). The development of online courses. Design and Development of Online Courses.

            23 November 2012. Retrieved from http://cde.athabascau.ca/online_book/ch7.html
              

Engler, J. (2012). STEM education is the key to the U.S.’s economic future. US News.

                Retrieved from http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2012/06/15/stem-

                education-is-the-key-to-the-uss-economic-future

The Five eLearning Components.  Instructional Design Expert. Retrieved from

                http://www.instructionaldesignexpert.com/eLearning_Components.html

Theory and Practice of Online Learning. Toward a Theory of Learning Online.

                Retrieved from http://cde.athabascau.ca/online_book/pdf/TPOL_book.pdf