Online Teaching and Learning

My learners are end users of new and changing web-based business software. They are age 18 through 80; come from (and may be currently located) across the United States and around the World; and their primary language may be something other than English. Effectively communicating and providing interactive and immersive instructional technologies are paramount to their success.

Looking at online resources and technologies, Sustainability and Life-Long Learning Skills are the primary characteristics I deem most important. The majority of instructional and technical support that is provided to my learners is online-based.

There are two technologies that I would be interesting in using to meet this learning need: setting up a Learning Management System (LMS), or developing and posting Videocasts. LMS would be my preferred learning technology, as it is the most robust. I would use it to create and perform on the following:

a. A few weeks before new web-based software is released, create and issue a learning overview (video presentation with audio commentary) on the new software. Follow this up with interactive demonstrations and exercises that would provide students with the experience of using the new software, ahead of it being officially released to them.

b. Develop additional “add on” courses that break down the business processes into smaller sections, and include troubleshooting information that assists users when they encounter issues with the software.

c. Track progress; ensure viewing and interactive exercises completed. Provide feedback to questions, and use student’s results and questions to fine tune the content where needed.

I would design the LMS courses to utilize the following pedagogical strategies:

1. Chunking of the information - to present it in quick, easy to absorb sessions (limit to ten minutes in length).

2. Engagement strategies – Very important to have the learner’s focus; start each session by outlining what content will be shared, and how it impacts the learner in their daily job.

3. Effort and Recognition – to provide them with tangible evidence of the information they have viewed.

4. Cues and Hints – to build on the information they already possess related to their business software, in order to more quickly grasp changes from what they had performed in the past.

The technologies I would avoid using are ones that don’t employ full video and audio: podcasts would be very difficult for the students to accurately grasp concepts, due to the complexity and amount of processes and acronyms these users face on a daily basis. WebQuests and Wikis could provide the information, but it would be more difficult to track who had accessed these delivery methods, and whether the content sufficiently informed and updated their knowledge of the new instructions they need.