Getting Started in Designing Online PD

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Subject: [PD 3365] Getting started in Designing Online PD
From: Jackie A. Taylor jackie at jataylor.net
Date: Mon Jun 15 10:32:55 EDT 2009

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome, Crystal, Leslie, and David, to our discussions this week of Design Elements for Training Adult Educators to Teach Online. I encourage everyone to continue sharing their challenges with teaching online; we'll keep revisiting these over the next 2 weeks. In the meantime, my questions to you and to subscribers: How does one "get started" in designing online PD for distance educators?

  • Is the demand for distance learning increasing, thus creating a "labor shortage" of adult educators trained to do online teaching? Why should we be concerned? For example, from your perspective (local, state, or national) what factors currently, and in the near future, may increase the demand for distance learning, and thus increase the need for trained distance educators?
  • How does online PD for adult educators who teach online differ from that of other adult educators teaching in a face-to-face setting?
  • Are there unique skill sets for online / distance teachers? What must they be able to do well?

Any comments as to why and how we get our toes into these waters is much appreciated. I encourage everyone to draw from the considerable expertise in this room to explore these and other questions.

Thanks, and looking forward :-)

Jackie

Subject: [PD 3369] Re: Getting started in Designing Online PD
From: Leslie Petty leslie.lpetty at gmail.com
Date: Mon Jun 15 11:33:12 EDT 2009

Hi, and thank you all for your interest in this topic. I am delighted to be here, and quite excited about what we, as a group, will be able to learn over the next couple of weeks. I'll do my best to respond to the questions Jackie posed below as a good way to start us off. I'm going to start with a combined response to her first and third questions, as they seem closely integrated.

I think that there is, and will continue to be, a growing interest in offering distance learning to adult learners, for a variety of reasons including the ability for adult educators to serve students who cannot or will not come to traditional classroom programs, increases in the number of adult learners with computer and internet access and acceptance of online learning as a viable alternative to serve learners. Perhaps the biggest factor may be the fact that distance learners can now be reported in the NRS. I do think it is important to note that distance learning can be online learning, but can also take other forms (e.g., multi-media curricula using video and print components).

Project IDEAL has always stressed that distance teaching is significantly different from classroom teaching. So, yes, there will be an increased need for trained distance teachers. Even a highly skilled classroom teacher will need to learn new skills to effectively teach at a distance.

  • Frequently, the role of the teacher takes a dramatic shift, from being the content expert and primary provider of instruction to being a facilitator or coach for students working in a distance curriculum that provides the primary instruction.
  • In addition, depending on how distance programs are established, distance teachers often take on tasks, such as recruitment and orientation of students, that typically don't fall within the realm of classroom teachers.
  • Distance teachers also need to hone their communication skills so that they're able to effectively communicate with, support and motivate students they rarely (if ever) see fact-to-face.
  • Distance teachers must be flexible, organized and willing to try something new.
  • We strongly urge agencies to identify teachers who are excited by the possibility of teaching at a distance rather than simply assigning someone to a distance class.

For teachers and administrators who want to learn more about the skills involved in distance teaching, I would suggest checking out the Distance Teacher Self-Assessment (www.adultedonline.org. This is a free, online tool to help teachers determine if they have the skills for distance teaching. It includes video clips of a master distance teacher talking about her teaching approach, offers examples of distance teaching skills and provides suggestions for resources to help teachers build their skills. It also has an option for an administrator to invite his/her teachers to take the assessment and share their results as a way of identifying areas where additional PD might be needed.

The second question is more difficult for me to answer, because my experience in online PD has been limited to online PD for distance teachers. I wonder if teachers who are teaching at a distance or online might have stronger tech skills and may be more comfortable in an online environment than those who teach in a classroom setting. Crystal will probably be better able to speak to this, as the GEDi is used by both distance and classroom teachers.

Leslie

Subject:[PD 3367] Getting Started in Designing Online PD for Educators
From: Crystal Hack chack at cait.org
Date: Mon Jun 15 11:20:22 EDT 2009

Hello All,

I am excited about our week of discussions. I know there is a lot of ground to cover so I am ready to get started.

I feel there are several pieces that need to be looked at when getting started with online PD for instructors (or whatever professional group might be your audience).

Getting Started Question #1: Should you do online PD or at a distance PD or both? This is something I think needs to be discussed upfront as there is a difference and both online and distance PD serves a very valuable purpose.

My response: We do both. We have online modules (costly to create but effective) and we do live chats, hot topic discussions (such as this), webinars, video conferencing and conference calls. Our decision to use all these methods/tools to provide PD is based on four things. (1) The topic to be presented, is this a topic that everyone needs to have access to info all the time? Is this a topic that is something that is valuable for the moment but the need will go away, such as an update on a new feature, policy, procedure, etc. (2) The budget we have to reach an audience on the topic to be presented. (3) The skill level or access of our audience as far as the needed technology is concerned. (4) The overall goals that we have for our participants. All these things and probably some others I am overlooking need to be considered when you are deciding where to go with your online/at-a-distance PD efforts.

Getting Started Question #2: How do we pick the topic that we want to move to distance PD from our traditional face to face method?

My response: Well, it might be a forced choice in that someone might direct you to do this. If this is the case then you need to see Getting Started Question #3. If you are selecting, consider starting with the workshop/training that is always needed in your field (this may vary from field to field) something that is solid, well put together, and packed with info. You need to focus your efforts, not on creating something new as far as presentation content, but on the best way to present the solid content you have so that others can access it beyond the face-to-face (F2F) setting. I am sure you can all think of a topic that you are continually presenting on, whether it be a one hour presentation or a full day, there are those topics that we always seem to need to address. Very good starting point as you have all the info, you just need to decide how to deliver it the best at a distance and the best way for your audience.

Getting Started Question #3: What is the best way to present the topic at hand when offering it as a PD offering at a distance?

My response: Once you have pinpointed your topic, you need to think about your budget, the skill set of your audience, the time you have to put the at a distance offering together, your goals for the overall presentation, etc. If you have little to no budget and you are looking for easy access, then you might want to consider a few of the following at a distance options for presenting your PD.

  • Option 1: A conference call or series of conference calls.
  • Option 2: A structured email training that spans several weeks.
  • Option 3: A live chat using some kind of chat software. It does not have to be anything fancy. It can be something free such as Yahoo Chat or TappedIn.org's chat feature. Both are free and easy to use.
  • Option 4: A structured listserv discussion (much like you are participating in now).
  • Option 5: This is for the low budget, easy access way to get started...use a combination of any of the above.

NOTE: It can be really easy and cheap to get started. You do not have to purchase software and employ an instructional designer and/or webprogrammer. Use the easy and cheap technology that most have at easy access to and that most are familiar with and build from there. Start small get your group into distance learning PD using what they are familiar with so they do not have the technology fear barrier to overcome.

Getting Started Question #4: How do I develop my content or move my content from F2F to an at a distance format?

My response: This is one of your biggest responsibilities. You must move your content to the new presentation mode and maintain its integrity and effectiveness. You must start with the goals for your training listed. You must look at those goals and the content you have to present and think about how you are offering it (email, chat, listserv discussion, etc) and decide a structured format for the presentation. You must have everything clearly outlined even if you are doing a conference call. You must have your examples handy and listed and the direct ties to your overall goals must be clear in everything thing you do. If you do a "fluff" activity in your F2F training, you need to revisit it and see how the "fluff" activity can be repurposed to be directly tied to your goals for the training so that you are clear on this and your participants are clear on this. Every activity and everything you present at a distance must be focused on the overall goals you have for the PD or those that your participants have shared with you as their goals for the PD. This is not all that different than F2F with the exception that you must be sure that you provide all info that you would share in face to face with your at a distance audience. Putting a powerpoint up for participants to review is not effective if you do not share all of your talking points and examples that go with the PPT as just seeing those bulleted lists in a PPT does not cover all that one would cover in F2F when there is discussion surrounding that point that take place that need to be brought to life in the at-a-distance setting.

The questions listed above are my questions and the response attempt to share my approach. The questions are questions I ask myself and my team when we are moving a training from F2F to at a distance or when creating a new presentation for at a distance. Others may have other ways to approach the development process (and I look forward to learning more about how others do this). What I have shared is just the GED-i's approach. We offer well over 50 at-a-distance PD opportunities per year serving just at 200 participants per year. The 200 is not individual participants but participants who may choose to participate in more than one at-a-distance PD per year as they find them meaningful, engaging, and applicable to their jobs/programs.

I look forward to conversation and questions surrounding how we get started moving our topics from F2F to at-a-distance. We tyically do the same steps for creating new at-a-distance PD. It is just must easier to get started if you deal with something you already have a great deal of info on.

Talk to you soon.

Crystal Hack
GED-i Project Director

Subject: [PD 3381] Re: Getting started in Designing Online PD
From: David Rosen DJRosen at theworld.com
Date: Mon Jun 15 15:29:57 EDT 2009

Hello Jackie and others,

Thanks for inviting me to join this discussion.

On Jun 15, 2009, at 10:32 AM, Jackie A. Taylor wrote:

How does one “get started” in designing online PD for distance educators?

  • Is the demand for distance learning increasing, thus creating a “labor shortage” of adult educators trained to do online teaching? Why should we be concerned? For example, from your perspective (local, state, or national) what factors currently, and in the near future, may increase the demand for distance learning, and thus increase the need for trained distance educators?


I do not know if the demand from potential students has suddenly increased but, because of the downturn in the economy, I see evidence of increased interest from teachers who want to add "teaching online" to their repertoires and resumes. Also, here are some factors that may increase the demand for distance learning in the coming months and years:

1) The need that an increasing number of unemployed and underemployed people feel for re-training as they prepare for new “knowledge society” jobs that require higher basic – and academic – skills and knowledge;
2) The increased cost of gasoline, making people more interested in taking online courses;
3) H1N1 (Swine Flu") or "Bird Flu" viruses, that might make face-to-face classes less appealing or possible;
4) Availability of more engaging, higher quality online learning;
5) More demand for certification http://www.careerinfonet.org/acinet/certifications_new/Default.aspx ; and
6) Increased interest by some in Congress to have technology solutions to reach a greater percentage of adults in need of English or basic skills.


  • How does online PD for adult educators who teach online differ from that of other adult educators teaching in a face-to-face setting?
  • Are there unique skill sets for online / distance teachers? What must they be able to do well?


Online teachers need to be able to do most of the things that face-to- face teachers do well, and they need some other skills, knowledge and attitudes. For example. if you take the self assessment for those interested in teaching online at a distance ( See AdultEd Online, at http://adultedonline.org ) here are some of those additional skills and attitudes:

  • Being comfortable using technology and helping online students troubleshoot technology problems
  • Useing phone, email and/or IM to build rapport (in the same way you use casual conversation before and after class)
  • Providing feedback on student assignments electronically
  • "Reading" your student's reactions over the phone and through email
  • Keeping distance students engaged in course content
  • Helping distance students develop independent learning and study skills
  • Being familiar with a commercially developed curriculum and showing students how to use it (and/or)
  • Being familiar with a courseware platform (Moodle, WEBCT, Angel etc.) and showing students how to use it
  • Being willing to acquire new skills and adopt new teaching strategies
  • Recruiting distance learning students and
  • Managing intake and assessment for new students

David J. Rosen
DJRosen at theworld.com

Subject: [PD 3383] Re: Getting started in Designing Online PD
From: Melinda Hefner mhefner at cccti.edu
Date: Mon Jun 15 16:14:16 EDT 2009

Is the demand for distance learning increasing, thus creating a “labor shortage” of adult educators trained to do online teaching? Why should we be concerned? For example, from your perspective (local, state, or national) what factors currently, and in the near future, may increase the demand for distance learning, and thus increase the need for trained distance educators?

I believe that the demand for distance learning is indeed increasing and that there are insufficient numbers of adult literacy educators qualified to develop and/or delivery high quality online instruction for either professional develop or student learning. That is not said to be critical but merely to emphasize a belief that I have which is that high quality online instruction and/or professional development is much, much more that simply transferring an existing body of work to be delivered via the Web. While there are many commonalities between effective face-to-face instruction and online instruction, there are significant differences as well which should not be ignored.

How does online PD for adult educators who teach online differ from that of other adult educators teaching in a face-to-face setting?

Just a few thoughts about this:

  • Must have current, varied, reliable, and easily accessible technology to utilize communication, presentation, collaboration, etc. tools that not only help with the delivery of the course but that also help learners experience a sense of community, collaborate on projects, communicate with one another and with the instructor, etc., etc.
  • Multi-tasking takes on a whole new meaning when working with online students whose courses are available 24/7. How do you deal with students in a different time zone, who are online at times opposite of the instructor's "normal" hours, etc.?
  • Must address the more technical aspects of technology. How do you help a student who is trying to use Google Docs to make an online presentation? Do you post course documents in only a doc file format or do you give students options, i.e. doc and pdf? Do you post transcripts of audio and video files? What tools do you use to enhance learner/instructor interaction? Etc., etc., etc. How do you assure that hyperlinks are active or have not changed URL addresses?
  • Being a master of subject matter does not make up for poor online instructional design any more than it makes up for poor face-to-face instructional skills. In fact, good instructional design is even more critical in an online environment.

Are there unique skill sets for online / distance teachers? What must they be able to do well?

A few thoughts about this:

  • They must embrace the idea of instructor as facilitator.
  • They must be technically competent.
  • They must make a concerted effort to "keep current".
  • They must have knowledge of effective online instructional design. (See above.)
  • They must be willing to modify an online curriculum to meet learner needs as well as modifications necessary for sychronous versus asynchronous delivery.
  • They must be adept at formative assessments and place less emphasis, when possible, on summative assessments.

Melinda

Melinda M. Hefner
Director, Literacy Support Services
Basic Skills Department
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute
Hudson, North Carolina

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