Introduction
The purpose of this blog is to assist me, my fellow Walden colleagues, and others to learn more about the field of instructional design. Along the way, I'm hoping to learn more about the world of blogging!
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Monday, November 25, 2013
Resource Allocation and Budgeting
One resource that came up during my search is one that I have utilized in previous instructional design courses: Don Clark’s Big Dog & Little Dog’s Performance Juxtaposition website. What I found most helpful on this site were some actual budgeting guidelines from different expert sources that could be plugged into a budget. For example, the eLearning Guild (2002) estimate suggests that to create one hour of simple asynchronous e-learning, 117 hours of development time should be budgeted. This site reminds us that the budget is an estimate and may not be correct the first time, but should be evaluated and adjusted as more information is obtained (Clark, 2010). The link contains many more project details that are useful to begin your cost estimates.
A second site that I found helpful is Freelance Switch and an article by Jennifer Stakes Roberts titled 6 Budget Planning Steps to Professional Project Estimates. This article comes from the perspective of a freelancer and walks the reader step-by-step through creating both top-down estimates and bottom-up estimates. In the top-down approach, the article breaks the estimating down into direct costs and indirect costs. For someone new to budgeting, I like that this article reminds the reader to include those indirect costs such as office costs, equipment, and administrative costs. The author also gives suggestions on questions to ask the client and what to do if your estimate is too high.
A third site that I found helpful as someone studying instructional design and project management was the Microsoft Office Project 2013 site and the section titled 5 steps to prepare your project budget. This area of the Microsoft site goes through the three different types of cost associated with a project: resource rates, fixed costs, and per-use costs. There are also key terms in red that when clicked on give a definition. Embedded within the steps to preparing the project budget are also the steps on creating the budget using Microsoft Office Project. So, for someone like me who is trying Microsoft’s Office Project for the first time this week, this support site is a great resource.
Microsoft Corporation (2013). 5 steps to prepare your budget. Retrieved from http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/project-help/5-steps-to-prepare-your-project-budget-HA001141182.aspx
Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E. (2008). Project management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Resource allocation image retrieved from http://www.strategicmanagementbureau.com/home/2013/7/18/are-resource-allocation-decisions-the-key-to-achieving-agili.html
Roberts, J. S. (2013). 6 budget planning steps to professional project estimates. Retrieved from http://freelanceswitch.com/the-business-of-freelancing/plan-project-estimate-budgets/
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Communicating Effectively
Dr. Stolovitch in Communicating with Stakeholders advises that project managers are diplomats (Laureate Education, n.d.). The website dictionary.com defines a diplomat as someone “who is tactful and skillful in managing delicate situations, and handling people”. Dr. Stolovitch also suggests that clear, concise, and focused communication helps everyone stay on target; however communication is more than just words (Laureate Education, n.d.). We need to be mindful of our spirit and attitude, tonality and body language, time, and the personality of the person with whom we are communicating (Laureate Education, n.d.).
This week we examined how the mode of communication can affect how the message is received or interpreted. During our Walden presentation, we received the same message as an email, voicemail, and delivered face-to-face. Here are my reactions to these different modes:
- The most formal of the three communication modes
- The message came across as casually polite, but made it clear that the missing report/data was needed.
- The message was documented in writing. The information could easily be reread for clarity and understanding. It could also be printed and filed or added to an email folder as part of the project record. Mark should also take note that because it is in writing, Jane has documented her request for the needed information.
- There was no specific timeframe given, just that an ETA was needed and let me know when you can do it.
Voicemail
- Less formal because the request was not documented in writing
- Tone still came across as fairly polite, but the sense of urgency was apparent in the tone of voice and some of the words that were emphasized.
- As the receiver, I needed to listen to the message several times to get all of the details.
Face-to-Face
- At first glance appears very casual and informal – over the partition conversation, not even sitting down
- The tone, body language, and facial expressions however seemed condescending.
- Jane could have kept the visit friendlier by sitting down for a moment to “chat” first, and then ask the question about the needed data.
- If the message is delivered in person, it is harder to ignore than a voicemail or email message.
- There is nothing in writing to Mark about this request, but Jane could document the conversation with Mark for her records.
What can we learn from these scenarios about how to communicate (or how NOT to communicate) with project team members?
- After receiving the same message in three different modalities, it helped me to realize that how a message is delivered is as important as the content of the message. Vince Budrovich recommends that project managers tailor their communication strategy to fit the specific needs of each stakeholder (Laureate Education, n.d.). Jane needs to put her request in the context of the project and consider her working relationship with Mark in order to select the best communication mode for that message.
- Assuming Jane is the project manager, has she created and shared a project timeline with her stakeholders? A well communicated plan with due dates may have helped avoid this confrontation with Mark and helped Jane to receive her data in time to create her own report.
- Another important communication strategy is to hold regularly scheduled team meetings. This would give team members the opportunity to give and receive progress updates as well as “sustain productive and trusting interpersonal relationships” (Portny et al., 2007).
- Sometimes as the project manager, we don’t have direct authority over some or all of the project team members. Portny et al. (2007) offer some suggestions to overcome this.
- First, make sure your communications are clear and specific and formalize agreements in writing.
- Also, make the person accountable to the team, because his/her actions affect the progress of the team. Let team members know about commitments made and acknowledge when those promises are met and also communicate to the team when they are not (Portny et al., 2007).
Laureate Education, (n.d.). Communicating with stakeholders. Retrieved from
https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_4065699_1%26url%3D
Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E. (2008). Project management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Project Management Institute, Inc. (2013). Three must-have communications skills. Retrieved from http://www.pmi.org/Professional-Development/Career-Central/3-Must-Have-Communications-Skills.aspx
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Creating an Inquiry-Based Unit
- Lack of clear communication: The literacy coach, who was the school liaison for the consultant, apparently did not explain the expectations or goals clearly to the grade levels. The preparatory work that we completed prior to the actual meeting day to define and outline the theme for the units of study was not what the consultant was looking for and we basically had to start from scratch that afternoon.
- Lack of buy-in: As with any type of change, there can be resistance. Many of the teachers were less than thrilled to attend this workshop. Using these units meant changing teaching models in the middle of the year. There were concerns that with minimal training, teachers would not be prepared to change from a more teacher-direct approach to a student-directed approach.
- During the planning phase, the project manager (PM) ensures that the specific results to be achieved are clearly defined (Portny et al., 2008). When determining the project scope and the objectives, I think that the goal of learning about inquiry-based classrooms AND creating two complete units of study was too aggressive and intimidating. Prior to even attending the workshop, teachers were already overwhelmed regarding that goal. After the workshop, teachers were left feeling that they did not accomplish the set task and now had the pressure of more work to complete on their own time to finish creating the units.
- During the initial phase of the project, the PM could have made more of an effort to create buy-in for the workshop and the teaching style changes that it necessitated. Dr. Bligh cautions about this very idea in her video podcast, Transformational Leadership, by suggesting that one challenge is to get buy-in because change often feels imposed (Laureate Education, n.d.). The teachers at my school did feel that this project and change was imposed on them without any input.
- Communication is critical. Portny et al. (2008) suggest that a common cause of project failure is poor team communications (p. 107). Project managers should share key information with team members “in a timely fashion” (Portny et al., 2008). More timely information from our PM and our literacy coach about the expectations, workshop agenda, preparatory work, and materials needed would have helped contribute to a more successful project experience.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Sunday, October 20, 2013
- Pre-planning Strategies
- Enhancements of the Original Training Program
- Role of the Trainer in a Distance Education Setting
- Communication Online
- Checklist for Converting to a Blended Environment
- Sources
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Image courtesy of altrapoint.com |
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Selecting Distance Learning Technologies
Scenario: Collaborative Training Environment
- Scenario: A new automated staff information system was recently purchased by a major corporation and needs to be implemented in six regional offices.
- Problem: The staff is located throughout all the different offices and cannot meet at the same time or in the same location.
- ID Challenge: Implement a training workshop for these offices. As part of the training, it is imperative that the staff members share information (in the form of screen captures and documents) and participate in ongoing collaboration.
Discussion of Possible Solution
Research has shown that “distance education can be as effective as any other category of instruction” (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, and Zvacek, 2012). Learning about new ideas, new systems, and new approaches is a regular part of any job, and many companies have offices separated geographically (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, and Zvacek, 2012). Distance learning allows for flexible asynchronous training and online collaboration, without the time and travel expenses for gathering distant employees together for a more traditional workshop training event.
One solution for this company and the instructional designer is to use a wiki. A wiki can be “an excellent tool for collaborative online writing assignments and group activities compiling information in a single online resource” (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, and Zvacek, 2012). The purpose of this training is to familiarize employees with a new automated staff information system. According to Holden et al. (2010), asynchronous media, such as using a wiki, may be better suited to lower cognitive levels. This does not appear to be highly technical or difficult in nature, so a wiki may be an appropriate Web 2.0 tool. By using a wiki, employees can upload and share documents, share screen clippings, and collaborate. Most adults tend to be independent and can direct their own learning (Cercone, 2008). Using a wiki allows employees the flexibility of choosing the timing and pacing of their learning. Adult learners also bring with them a vast collection of background knowledge. Using a wiki to collaborate will allow these employees to not only learn from others, but to share their own “reservoir of life experiences” (Conlan, Grabowski, and Smith, 2003). Gordon (2006) found that the use of wikis can “increase social interaction, while enabling swift collaboration and interaction while exchanging information and creating knowledge” (Gullet and Bedi, 2007).
Real World Examples
Brian McKeiver of BizStream writes in his blog that one benefit of using wiki is that all employees can contribute to and benefit from the information on the wiki. BizStream creates a wiki about each one of its clients (like the file folders of days gone by) which allows employees to collaborate easily and document project information.
Another example comes from CORT, a subsidiary of Berskshire Hathaway. CORT has around 2,500 employees who are spread out across 180 locations. Instead of clogging up email boxes, they use wikis to help employees across departments and locations collaborate (Lynch, 2007).
Other Considerations
The wiki website asks users to consider whether their wiki will be public and editable or if it needs security and privacy (wiki.com, 2008). This is a corporate training wiki, so the instructional designer should take steps to make it private and secure. Another major consideration is the learner. Dr. Ana Donaldson cautions instructional designers that if they remember nothing else about the design process to remember these three elements: the learner, the learner, and the learner (Laureate Education, n.d.). If many of the employees are like me, they have limited working knowledge and experience using wikis. Like with anything new, there is a learning curve. When I used a wiki for a group project in the Instructional Design course, it took time to figure out how to navigate around and use a wiki. The instructional designer will need to determine the characteristics of the company employees, perhaps through the use of a survey. If there are many employees that are unfamiliar with wikis, a prerequisite wiki tutorial may need to be added to the training program. The instructional designer may need to create a video with screen shots and voiceover or utilize the many wiki training videos that have already been created.
References
Cercone, K. (2008). Characteristics of adult learners with implications for online learning design,
AACE Journal, 16(2), 137-159.
Conlan, J., Grabowski, S., & Smith, K., (2003). Adult learning. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/
Gullet E., & Bedi, K. (2007). Wiki: A new paradigm for online training and development of faculty. Proceeds ascilite Singapore 2007. Retrieved from http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/singapore07/procs/gullett.pdf
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (n.d.). Instructional Design Models. [Video Podcast]. Retrieved from http://mym.cdn.laureate-media.com/Walden/EIDT/6100/CH/mm/eidt6100_instructional_design.html
Lynch, C. (2007). CIO. Retrieved from http://www.cio.com/article/166904/How_One_Company_Is_Using_Wikis_and_Blogs_to_Unclog_E_mail_Boxes
Mcbeeve.com. Retrieved from http://www.mcbeev.com/Blog/July-2010/9-Reasons-Why-Your-Company-Needs-a-Wiki.
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance:
Foundations of distance education (5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.
Wiki (2008). Retrieved from http://www.wiki.com/
Saturday, September 7, 2013
My Definition of Distance Education Expands
Distance Education – What’s Your Definition?
This week we began a journey to broaden our understanding of distance learning. Prior to beginning this course, I had a narrow definition of distance learning. I thought of distance learning as what I’m doing here at Walden, sitting home alone with my laptop, reading support material (articles, books, and videos), learning through discussion postings from my instructors and colleagues, writing lots of papers, and completing projects. Basically, I thought of distance learning as learning online, separated by time and space from your instructor and classmates.
Last night I had an “ah-ha” moment. Part of our family routine is discussing what happens during our day, so we often engage in conversations about what I’m learning in school, just as we discuss what my sons are learning in high school. My husband and I were reminiscing about a course we had as undergrads (we met in college). I realized that I had actually taken part in on-site distance learning in the 1980s! My husband and I were both enrolled in an Accounting 101 class where we sat in a classroom with other students and a teacher’s assistant (TA) and watched on a television set as the professor taught accounting. There were similar classrooms spread over the campus. If a student had a question, he/she would let the TA know and the TA would press some button to let the professor know there was a question. We both remember it as an awful learning experience; the professor was unengaging, and there was definitely a feeling of disconnect.
Fast forward to the new millennium. I realize that I’ve also taken part in distance learning through my school district, such as watching videos online to fulfill yearly ethics and abuse training requirements. The school district has conveniently added these videos to our “teacher portal” so that we now have the opportunity to view these at home (on our own time). Part of my staff development this summer for the first time took place online through a live webinar training to introduce a new computer program purchased by the district. I’ve actually had more distance learning experience than I thought.
After much reading and reflecting, my thinking about distance learning after week one has already broadened and deepened, and so, my definition has changed. Distance learning isn’t just about being online and it isn’t just about the learner. Historically, distance learning dates back much further than the 1980s. I was surprised to read about distance learning in the past, including the University of Wisconsin’s correspondence program which began back in the late 1880s (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, and Zvacek, 2012). Even earlier, European newspapers began offering courses through mail as early as 1833 (Laureate Education, n.d.).
Dr. Simonson offers us a definition of distance education, as opposed to the term distance learning, so that it encompasses both the distance teaching and distance learning (Laureate Education, n.d.). He states that distance education is formal education in which the learning group (teacher, students, resources) is separated by geography and, sometimes, by time with technology sources linking the learning group for the purposes of teaching and learning (Laureate Education, n.d.). I prefer this term distance education because it is more than just the learner; we have to consider the institutions, instructors, and instructional designers involved in the teaching and learning. Dr. Simonson also suggests that distance education is not going to replace our traditional brick and mortar K-12 and higher education institutions (Laureate Education, n.d.). I agree that our established schools are not going to disappear over time, but rather distance education will continue to grow and play a larger role in education: K-12, higher education, and corporate education.
So, where does that leave an instructional designer-in-training? Moller, Foshay, and Huett (2008) suggest that “the challenge for ID professionals is not only to evolve the field (distance learning), but also to assure that the products of sound professional design practice lead the e-learning enterprise”. The authors go further to state that ID professionals should be at the forefront of the evolution of distance education (corporate, K-12, and higher education) to promote the development of “cost-effect models and tools for distance education” (Moller, Foshay, and Huett, 2008). One reason that I chose this master’s program in instructional design over a more traditional education master’s program, such as assessment or special education, was I do see continued growth and acceptance of distance education. I see this evolution of education melded with technology as an opportunity to reach more learners in new and exciting ways, some of which haven’t even been thought of yet.
References
Laureate Education, n.d. Distance Learning Timeline Continuum. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_3467554_1%26url%3D.
Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 2: Higher education). TechTrends, 52(4), 66-70.
Simonson, M. (n.d.). Distance education: The next generation. Lecture presented for Laureate Education, Inc.
Retrieved from
https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_3467554_1%26url%3D
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.