A flow process for considering the design of courses online

1. The Intentional Design of
Distributed Learning
Prof. Frank Rennie

2. Intentional Design of Distributed Learning
1. The Learner 2. The Options
3. The Media
4. The Tools 5. Interaction
6. Evaluation

3. A System for Distributed Learning
1. The Learner 2. The Options
3. The Media
4. The Tools 5. Interaction
6. Evaluation

4. In Summary….
• 1. Establish your Learning Framework.
• 2. Agree your Course Style Template.
• 3. Select your Media Palette
• 4. Sketch the Architecture of your mix
• 5. Confirm your Delivery Strategy
• 6. Pilot and Evaluate your Distributed
Learning System

5. Stage 1 - The Learner
• 1. What do you want the learners to
understand by the end of the module?
• 2. Write 10 to 12 key points/concepts.
• 3. From these write 3 learning outcomes
• 4. Consider how knowledge of the
concepts and outcomes could be tested.
• 5. This is your Learning Framework

6. Stage 2 – The Options
• 1. How can you make available what the
learner needs to know?
• 2. Does each element need to be
synchronous or can it be asynchronous?
• 3. Prioritise which elements need
text, audio, images or video learning
resources.
• 4. Consider the cost implications for your
situation.
• 5. This is your Course Style Template.

7. Stage 3 – The Media
• 1. Which media is best suited to help you
develop understanding in the learner?
• 2. Make a list of the elements that would
benefit from text, audio, images, and video
• 3. Make a list of the types of technology
that you think may be available to you.
• 4. Try to prioritise according to ‘comfort
factor’
• 5. This is your Media Palette

8. Stage 4 – The Tools
• 1. How can you utilise these media tools in
an optimum and integrated manner?
• 2. How will learners access these tools?
• 3. How can you provide alternatives?
• 4. How can you assess their efficiency for
the tasks?
• 5. This is your Distributed Architecture

9. Stage 5 - Interaction
• 1. How can you get the best mix from this
distributed architecture?
• 2. Do you need to provide training?
• 3. How do you enable learner choice?
• 4. What mixes are possible and
pragmatic?
• 5. This is your Delivery Strategy

10. Stage 6 - Evaluation
• 1. Does it work for the learners?
• 2. How easily can learners access
resource materials?
• 3. Are the methods of interaction
appropriate for the tasks?
• 4. Can learners/staff measure progress?
• 5. This is your Distributed Learning
System

11. Prioritise for Comfort ….
Email
VLE
BBS
Skype
VSkype
Resi
f2f Txt VC AC IM
3 7 4 4 6 5 7 1 4 2 1
Staff
Student
4 6 5 1 6 7 7 4 4 4 1
7 13 9 5 12 12 14 5 8 6 2
Total