Planning and Process

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Subject: [PD 3432] Planning & Process
From: Crystal Hack chack at cait.org
Date: Wed Jun 17 01:40:26 EDT 2009

Hello Group,

Ahhh...finally sometime to participate in the listserv discussion. :)

Jackie posed these questions on Tuesday AM.


2) Planning & Process:

  • How important is planning and process, and why?

I believe planning and process is important so that there is consistency in the quality of what is being presented. The process has to be set up with checks and balances and also input from the field, the audience for the online PD. Our process and procedures take a lot of time and I know that my team members sometimes get frustrated with me when we have to go back and forth to hammer out a topic, but the quality of the end product is greatly improve by our processes.


  • What do you see as phases in the process of designing online PD for distance educators?

I tried to hit on this in my opening email on Monday. To list them in order might look something like this.

Topic selection (The topic might selected for you by the state as a need, it might be a field driven need based on feedback from other trainings, it might be based on the need to reach a great audience for a training and to cut down on travel time for participants, there are many things that might drive your topic selection. If you just have the freedom to choose, I would select a topic that you often need to repeat in your F2F trainings and a topic that are very familiar with so you are not starting your efforts with a learning curve related to the topic itself.)


Poll the field concerning their needs related to this top. Sometimes their needs are different than their perceived needs on a topic.


Determine your goals for the training as they relate to the audiences needs and the audiences goals for the professional development.

Determine the best presentation mode for this PD. Sometimes the presentation mode is dictated based on the direction of the higher-ups. If you have this decision available to you there are a few things you need to consider. 1. The time and budget you have to make the PD happen. Putting something in an online, interactive, self-paced module in a content management system is much more involved and expensive than other ways of doing at a distance PD. Budget and time play a huge role. If you have several months and a decent budget you can do a lot of nifty things online. If you have a short time span and little to no budget there are several ways of presenting the PD and you might want to consider your audience. 2. The best presentation mode might be determined by time and budget, but it might also be determined by the skill level of your audience and the technology available to you. For example, if you know your group has lower technology skills, you might do a phone conference PD and follow email correspondences where documents are shared and ideas are exchanged. If you know you have a more tech savvy group, you might do an online chat followed by a continued discussion of the topic on a discussion board. Again, knowing your audience and their skill level may impact your mode of delivery.

Design your PD to fit your mode of delivery. This is a huge piece to explain.


Do a practice run if possible, especially if it is your first time presenting at a distance PD. Let me give you an example. I have trainers who facilitate online chats for me. If they have not done a structured online chat PD experience before then I have them walk through the chat with me and a couple other trainers. We share strategies, etc so that the "real" presentation is not the first time the presenter has experienced presenting that way.


Present and evaluate

Revise based on the PD experience and feedback from the field.

Schedule it again in its revised mode and see what happens...there may need to be more revisions. Also note that, just like in F2F trainings, the audience participation plays a huge role in how the PD goes.


NOTE: This is a quick look at the process we go through. I am sure I have missed something but I have definitely hit the high points. :)


  • What are design considerations or questions to ask yourself during the online design process?

I think I hit on some of that above. The answer to this question is dependent on budget and time and audience (number of participants, skill level, etc.). There are a lot of variables that have to be consider in the design of at a distance PD.


  • What design strategies do you use to keep the online PD from “reading like a book?”

We do interactive pieces. We do reflective submissions. We do interaction with others via discussion boards and chats. Again, it all depends on the budget of the project at hand.


  • What do administrators need to understand about funding and design of online PD?

Hmmm...what kind of administrator are we talking about here? I guess overall, online PD can be done on a shoe string budget and still be effective. It can be done via email and discussion boards, listservs, blogs etc and does not have to be a big elaborate production to be effective. If you are looking to do stand alone online PD modules there is a significant financial commitment for the development, instructional design, web programming, etc. I think I need more info on who this administrator is...is this someone that oversees staff developing online PD or a program administrator who overesees the instructors taking part in the PD?


  • What are the pitfalls to avoid in online design?
  • Not having enough information available for the online experience to be beneficial. *Assuming your audience will make the connections you want them to make from your presentation to their world.
  • That putting a PPT with an accompanying outline up is online PD.
  • That a bunch of text on a topic placed in a Course Management System is online PD.
  • That every presenter who is good presenting F2F will be good at designing online PD.


I look forwarding to hearing from others on this.

Crystal Hack
GED-i Project Coordinator
info.ged-i.org

-- Center for the Application of Information Technologies

Subject: [PD 3436] Re: Planning & Process
From: Leslie Petty leslie.lpetty at gmail.com
Date: Wed Jun 17 08:32:57 EDT 2009

I think Crystal did a terrific job of identifying most of the key issues in the planning process for online PD. I would like to echo her emphasis on the importance of finding the technology that best suits your content and your intended audience, rather than letting the technology be the driving force. The goal is to create PD that is pedagogically sound and contains the characteristics of effective PD (as discussed earlier this week). And of course, the other crucial element is the instructor. I'd like to take Crystal's identification of the idea "that every presenter who is good at presenting F2F will be good at designing online PD" as a potential pitfall a step further. *Our experience has shown that not every effective F2F PD facilitator will be an effective online PD facilitator* (regardless of whether they, or someone else, designed the online PD). Facilitators for online PD need to build their skills in providing effective instruction in the particular environment in which the PD will occur; this is a very different task from providing PD in an online setting. How are people receiving or providing training to help PD facilitators make this transition?

Leslie

Subject: [PD 3468] Suggestions for training Adult Educators to Become DL Facilitators
From: Kristin Kicza kkicza at collaborative.org
Date: Wed Jun 17 15:25:44 EDT 2009

Crystal picked up on one of the most important areas to stress: the intended audience.

Crystal Hack said: "Determine your goals for the training as they relate to the audiences needs and the audiences goals for the professional development."

There are a set of best practice strategies for teaching any online course. You will need to adjust according to the audience's needs and the goals for the professional development. Preparing adult educators to teach online will require:

  • understanding what preconceptions and misconceptions they currently have about online learning (reflecting about their own experience/ inexperience, attitudes about different aspects, and appropriateness for adult learners)
  • experiencing a learner-centered environment and be able to practice the strategies
  • understanding how to make a healthy online community of learners
  • learning about who they will teach (adults)
  • and the difference between f2f and online learning (many adults lack independence, confidence and /or resources) Leslie Petty said: "Our experience has shown that not every effective F2F PD facilitator will be an effective online PD facilitator* (regardless of whether they, or someone else, designed the online PD).

Facilitators for online PD need to build their skills in providing effective instruction in the particular environment in which the PD will occur; this is a very different task from providing PD in an online setting."

  • understanding how to use your voice online (how will one perceive what you wrote)-so important
  • learning how to promote self-directed learning; (see below)

The following list summarizes points made by several writers (Ash 1985; Bauer 1985; Brockett and Hiemstra 1985; Brookfield 1985; Cross 1978; Hiemstra 1982, 1985; and Reisser 1973) regarding how adult educators can best facilitate self-directed learning:

  • Help the learner identify the starting point for a learning project and discern relevant modes of examination and reporting.
  • Encourage adult learners to view knowledge and truth as contextual,to see value frameworks as cultural constructs, and to appreciate that they can act on their

world individually or collectively to transform it.

  • Create a partnership with the learner by negotiating a learning contract for goals, strategies, and evaluation criteria.
  • Be a manager of the learning experience rather than an information provider.
  • Help learners acquire the needs assessment techniques necessary to discover what objectives they should set.
  • Encourage the setting of objectives that can be met in several ways and offer a variety of options for evidence of successful performance.
  • Provide examples of previously acceptable work.
  • Make sure that learners are aware of the objectives, learning strategies, resources, and evaluation criteria once they are decided upon.
  • Teach inquiry skills, decision making, personal development, and self-evaluation of work.
  • Act as advocates for educationally underserved populations to facilitate their access to resources.
  • Help match resources to the needs of learners.
  • Help learners locate resources.
  • Help learners develop positive attitudes and feelings of independence relative to learning.
  • Recognize learner personality types and learning styles.
  • Use techniques such as field experience and problem solving that take advantage of adults' rich experience base.
  • Develop high-quality learning guides, including programmed learning kits.
  • Create an atmosphere of openness and trust to promote better performance.
  • Help protect learners against manipulation by promoting a code of ethics.
  • Behave ethically, which includes not recommending a self-directed learning approach if it is not congruent with the learners' needs.

Training teachers how to successfully incorporate these strategies online. WOW, what a challenge.

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