tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81917012837185055232012-02-15T22:48:40.246-08:00This blog journals my design ideas and decision making for an online course entitled, Instructional Message Design. Besides allowing me to document my process, I hope this blog helps students in the course better understand the rationale behind the course design. I further hope that students will share their thoughts by posting comments throughout. My plan is to continue to document my thinking about the course until the term is over.Joni Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01031290925513589638noreply@blogger.comBlogger311100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191701283718505523.post-79573164698338881202009-02-08T13:59:00.000-08:002009-02-09T15:33:09.737-08:00

I have purposely put IT 5130 aside for a couple of months, to allow for the necessary space and time for new ideas to bubble up and take shape. Although I think that the course worked for many people, it didn't work for all of the students. And, although I was able to attend to my creative-side-of-instructional-design agenda a bit, I was/am dissatisfied. I just don't think I did enough to promote

Joni Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01031290925513589638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191701283718505523.post-14507622644632845472008-12-06T10:56:00.000-08:002008-12-06T11:15:43.320-08:00

One of the design decisions I made early on was to try to reduce the number of things students had to turn in. I didn't want to have things due every week. Instead, I wanted to require just three significant projects (significant in terms of authenticity and relevance...projects that could have a life outside of the course), and give students adequate time to work on them. I wanted students to

Joni Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01031290925513589638noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191701283718505523.post-19943242705756896442008-11-17T09:34:00.000-08:002008-11-17T09:46:49.961-08:00

Dr. Marty Tessmer was the 2nd guess speaker for the course. He spent close to two hours answering questions about creating online tutorials. During the previous 1-1/2 weeks, the students had read his book on the topic. The original plan was that they would provide Marty with formative evaluation data about the book before he published it. So, the students completed a "Final Post" discussion about

Joni Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01031290925513589638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191701283718505523.post-54150538656286553082008-11-09T11:28:00.000-08:002008-11-17T09:47:26.936-08:00

I received some very useful feedback from the Zoomerang survey…I really appreciate when people take the time to share their thoughts and ideas. I haven’t posted to this blog for awhile as I have been focused on the course (grading the second Culiminating Project), and making appropriate adjustments to the course based on the feedback.Only about ½ the group responded to the Zoomerang survey. Right

Joni Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01031290925513589638noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191701283718505523.post-50158561104176056552008-11-06T09:24:00.000-08:002008-11-17T09:28:24.208-08:00

So, I am now quite clear that eliminating required discussions of readings was a bad idea. As one student in the class described, discussions are a place to work out a comprehensive understanding of the readings in preparation for applying the readings to their projects. If something is optional, which the discussions have been, very few folks choose to participate. Not because they don’t see

Joni Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01031290925513589638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191701283718505523.post-51155203010867057822008-10-27T23:40:00.000-07:002008-10-27T23:43:48.251-07:00

The first guest speaker will be tonight from 7-8pm. We are using Adobe Connect. I hope this one (and the other two I have planned) reenergize things. This is the time in the semester where there is often a dip in energy as folks sort of gear up for the final push. So, my hope is that some new voices and views will be the right mix to keep folks engaged and processing the course material as they

Joni Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01031290925513589638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191701283718505523.post-63268069692474217832008-10-22T21:42:00.000-07:002008-11-17T09:48:02.890-08:00

I created a Checking-In Survey in Zoomerang to gather some anonymous data from the students about how things are going in the course. This is the text I provided as an introduction to the survey:Hello, everyone! We are at the midpoint of the course. Although I've been receiving feedback from various individuals in the course since the start of the term, I want to formally collect feedback. As you

Joni Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01031290925513589638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191701283718505523.post-69769568322196878902008-10-14T21:38:00.000-07:002008-10-27T23:40:04.768-07:00

Yes and no. I have had several comments from students that it is a relief to not have the typically required weekly discussions on readings. And, I understand that. It is a relief because they are actively working on projects…and the discussions could feel like a disruption to that work. However, I have found two things that are problematic for me:I miss the opportunity to process the readings

Joni Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01031290925513589638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191701283718505523.post-10540603586298123012008-09-08T23:17:00.000-07:002008-10-02T15:48:49.561-07:00

A few folks have taken me up on trying to use Twitter to stay connected during the course. I wanted a way for us to connect in a more playful, informal way...as we would if we were on-campus together. Just regular chit-chat, in contrast to the much more formal communication done in the course shell via asynchronous threaded discussion. I'm enthusiastic about it because I think it will also help

Joni Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01031290925513589638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191701283718505523.post-5379756987521661182008-09-06T12:53:00.000-07:002008-09-06T13:01:36.203-07:00

Typically, I set up my online courses in the LMS using a week-by-week structure. However, I have never really liked that structure because it seems more natural to me to think in terms of activity, especially when those activities occur over multiple weeks. From a student-scheduling perspective, I realize that a week-by-week structure might help folks. But, I am always afraid that the

Joni Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01031290925513589638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191701283718505523.post-25767842253422969182008-09-04T19:42:00.001-07:002008-09-04T19:51:02.766-07:00

One of the things I've been concerned about with my design for the course is my decision to not requiring weekly discussions, as previously mentioned in this blog. For the first two weeks I did have an organized discussion set-up in which participation was listed on the Weekly Agendas as a to-do. My thinking with these early discussions was to make sure people were connecting to the course, each

Joni Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01031290925513589638noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191701283718505523.post-78246543004919393002008-09-01T20:01:00.000-07:002008-09-04T20:10:43.849-07:00

There are three Culminating Projects for the course. One is focused on print, one on stand-alone presentation, and one on multi-modal presentation. I am pleased with the projects, and think that they will lead to quality products that are relevant to the students' workplace or community, and relevant as professional portfolio examples. But, here's my problem. I don't like creating assessment

Joni Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01031290925513589638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191701283718505523.post-39196260107144295302008-08-31T07:51:00.000-07:002008-09-04T19:56:13.150-07:00

I knew from the get-go that I wanted to include 2-3 guest speakers during the semester. I am well-experienced with the ebbs and flows of a course, and around November we will need some new ways of connecting and some new folks to connect with. I feel really good about lining up three folks...they will really add new life and energy to a typically low point in the semester.I am glad that we have

Joni Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01031290925513589638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191701283718505523.post-66576360659894780072008-08-27T23:11:00.000-07:002008-09-04T23:21:45.088-07:00

I selected Edward Tufte's essay on The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint for the group's first reading. I did this on purpose because this essay can either (a) resonate with people's feelings and experiences about conventional presentations and the limitations of PowerPoint (e.g., low resolution), or (b) rile folks up because they disagree with Tufte's hard-line or his message style. Regardless, it

Joni Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01031290925513589638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191701283718505523.post-5180997577420020862008-08-25T19:35:00.000-07:002008-09-04T19:41:53.983-07:00

During the first week, folks completed the Soundtrack of Your Life activity. This went over very well. It worked as an alternative to bios, and -- hopefully -- it also achieved two important instructional message design objectives too:* To remind everyone of the potential of audio -- including music -- as a layer in an instructional message...a layer that enhances the message, makes it richer,

Joni Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01031290925513589638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191701283718505523.post-14836910738216073092008-08-18T15:30:00.000-07:002008-08-18T15:36:52.322-07:00

Well, the course is live. Not too much activity yet, but that is pretty normal. Folks are at work, so it tends to be more important for me to check in and answer questions during the evening hours. I am antsy about not having the Culminating Projects posted. I really do need to wait to gather data from the group, but I prefer to have everything posted when the course starts. Although that has the

Joni Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01031290925513589638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191701283718505523.post-18361516563546313072008-08-15T22:40:00.000-07:002008-08-17T22:48:04.555-07:00

I realized, a bit too late, that I have been making a number of assumptions about the technical skills of the audience as I designed the assignments. I think most of the assignments have reasonable technical requirements (e.g., Word, PowerPoint), so it should be fine. But, for the three Culminating Projects in particular, I was planning on requiring the integration of Web 2.0, podcasting, digital

Joni Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01031290925513589638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191701283718505523.post-12782428319431234702008-08-14T20:33:00.000-07:002008-08-16T20:35:26.910-07:00

With the support of a colleague who participated in a formative evaluation, I think I've fixed all major (and a few minor) issues with the course shell and content. But, even now, I just noted a couple of little inconsistencies that weren't caught earlier. Let's hope it is good for launch.

Joni Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01031290925513589638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191701283718505523.post-78538455718693295302008-08-13T12:24:00.000-07:002008-08-18T00:30:48.818-07:00

I was plugging in Web 2.0 tools everywhere, into every assignment. I am still committed to making a go with Twitter, and to asking folks to use Web 2.0 tools creatively in support of the instructional messages they are designing. But, I have just gone through the course, and pulled out the instances of tools-because-they-are-cool. For example, for the In My Life activity, I originally asked folks

Joni Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01031290925513589638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191701283718505523.post-83125525744661941082008-08-12T15:50:00.000-07:002008-08-18T16:08:46.347-07:00

I always have trouble selecting books. There is never one book that does it all, and I am reluctant to ask students to purchase a ton of books knowing we will only read a chapter here and there. For awhile, I was convinced that I would ask the group to purchase three books: Tufte's Beautiful Evidence, Medina's Brain Rules, and Reynolds' Presentation Zen. I like all three of these books. But, the

Joni Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01031290925513589638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191701283718505523.post-51472853810100153412008-08-08T20:25:00.000-07:002008-08-16T20:36:51.718-07:00

Because I am a "veteran" of online teaching, I was asked to be one of a handful of faculty piloting the new version of eCollege this fall in preparation for a big roll-out in the spring. Although there are some clear improvements (e.g., how discussion forums are displayed instead of using a pull-down menu, and the cleaner general look-and-feel of the interface), there are some challenges:* The

Joni Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01031290925513589638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191701283718505523.post-42419623281174608752008-08-07T13:31:00.000-07:002008-08-16T13:37:28.263-07:00

When I started layout out activities, assignments, and projects, I had about 25 things. Yikes! So much for simplicity and balance. It has been very effortful to get the workload under control. My concern -- one of many, I guess -- is that the learners feel they have read, practiced, and discussed enough in advance of completing a "Culminating Project" (which is a project I assess against a rubric

Joni Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01031290925513589638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191701283718505523.post-7060743833480536552008-08-06T12:21:00.000-07:002008-08-16T12:31:38.483-07:00

I think it can be hard to track multiple due dates within a week. When I think about teaching on-campus, I don't do that to my on-campus students. Assignments and projects are typically due at the beginning of a class meeting...with the expectation that learners will complete everything for the week by that date and time. So, for this course, I am going to try to avoid multiple due dates for

Joni Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01031290925513589638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191701283718505523.post-46117253947421774992008-08-03T16:33:00.000-07:002008-08-18T10:30:30.954-07:00

With the elimination of required weekly discussions, and some collaborative team work, I have concerns about social connection. To try to address this, I have added in a few collaborative activities (for "Hands-on/Minds-on" assignments) and no-penalty peer reviews for Culminating Projects. But, I have been thinking about something more organic, more natural. So, I would like to invited everyone

Joni Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01031290925513589638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191701283718505523.post-6533322508181888062008-08-02T13:37:00.000-07:002008-08-16T13:43:07.017-07:00

Without required weekly discussions, I am worried that folks won't read. And the readings are really critical to getting this stuff... I am making an effort to require annotations and citations with Culminating Projects, but that isn't necessarily an immediate application of the reading to something. Yet, I don't want to add back in required weekly discussions...I just think it is an overload. I

Joni Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01031290925513589638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191701283718505523.post-5991778678051473302008-08-01T16:14:00.000-07:002008-08-14T23:16:12.153-07:00

My thinking about requiring people to participate in weekly threaded discussions has really changed lately. What I really want is for discussion to flow naturally, because people want to connect and share ideas related to what they are reading and experiencing. But, I also know that adult learners have many demands on their time, and when push comes to shove may neglect to pursue these sorts of

Joni Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01031290925513589638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191701283718505523.post-11060771303117783102008-07-26T12:15:00.000-07:002008-08-16T12:21:13.190-07:00

One of the strategies I've decided to use for the course -- one that I always use in my face-to-face courses and really like -- is the weekly agenda. I like having a one-page document, or checklist, that spells out what needs to be done. The weekly agendas are pithy on purpose...the details are elsewhere (pointed to from the agenda). This means that learners have to click to other parts of the

Joni Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01031290925513589638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191701283718505523.post-16985726110963138332008-07-23T16:07:00.000-07:002008-08-14T17:06:03.674-07:00

I think of Hands-on/Minds-on assignments as similar to the type of learning activities I would ask students to participate in during an on-campus class session. In other words, they are activities that are designed to help you process the readings (hence the "minds-on" part), and practice the application and creation know-how and skills (the "hands-on" part) that are needed for the Culminating

Joni Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01031290925513589638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191701283718505523.post-70302003109964584582008-07-21T18:54:00.000-07:002008-08-18T18:57:35.369-07:00

I know that many of the folks who will take IT 5130 have been involved in a lot of complex teamwork activities. For this course, I'm going to focus on individual activities, with a lot of encouraged sharing and required peer review of the three Cumulative Projects. I'm pretty fond of groupwork for online learning communities for a number of instructional reasons. But, time to give them a break.

Joni Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01031290925513589638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191701283718505523.post-71762346160814359712008-07-19T13:52:00.000-07:002008-08-18T10:28:19.944-07:00

When I took Instructional Message Design a gazillion years ago, the required text was Fleming and Levie's classic -- but out of print -- text, Instructional Message Design. Chapter after chapter of principles...really dense material, but incredibly valuable. That course -- above any other course -- made me a better instructional designer. Them I taught the course for a number of years,

Joni Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01031290925513589638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8191701283718505523.post-54718907654656331162008-07-14T22:21:00.000-07:002008-08-16T13:52:44.880-07:00

It has been a month since my father died, and it is a month out from when the course starts. So, I think I am ready to start going through all of my notes for this course and plan the experience. A few months ago I had an interesting conversation with Raymond Wlodkowski (well-known author of texts on enhancing adults motivation to learn, and diversity in the classroom) regarding my application of

Joni Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01031290925513589638noreply@blogger.com0