Team Roles versus Individual in DL Curriculum Development

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Subject: [PD 3404] PD Roles in DL Curriculum Development
From: kramer at tiac.net kramer at tiac.net
Date: Tue Jun 16 09:28:57 EDT 2009

Hi,

I'm developing a DL course, ESL for Medical Professionals--my first time developing a DL course.

I'm curious about role distribution in other programs. My job is to write the curriculum for the modules, suggest multimedia elements, and review the results. We have a director, an instructional designer who posts everything in Blackboard, a multimedia company who creates interactivity based on my descriptions, and a medical team to review content. This process allows me to focus on my area of expertise only and not to be distracted by design.

Is this the usual way DL courses are developed?

This summer I will also be writing curriculum for an online computer course, based on the computer class I taught at a community college.

Although I got my Master's recently (from School for Internat'l Training), we had no training in developing DL courses. I am totally winging it--I do have a background in web development so I have a sense of what works online but as far as curriculum development and teaching a DL course, I am learning as I go.

Would be very interested in attending a course taught by experts on how to do this work! (I am taking two online courses myself to get the student experience.)

Eileen Kramer
ESL and ABE Instructor

Subject: [PD 3413] Re: PD Roles in DL Curriculum Development
From: David Rosen DJRosen at theworld.com
Date: Tue Jun 16 10:21:54 EDT 2009

Hello Eileen,

I would guess that you are an "Instructional Developer" (using our terminology). We wrote: "Instructional Developers (IDs) create the flow of content so that it is logical, organized, and engaging for the learner. The ID must have a clear picture of the intended audience, instructional needs of the learners, and goals of instruction in order to develop an effective course or other online or blended learning mode."

The Design Elements Document is a pretty good answer to your question. We look at all the roles of the instructional development team throughout the document. Perhaps it will prompt other questions that some of our colleagues may be able to answer.

David J. Rosen
DJRosen at theworld.com

Subject: [PD 3414] Re: PD Roles in DL Curriculum Development
From: Kathy Olesen-Tracey ktracey at cait.org
Date: Tue Jun 16 10:30:31 EDT 2009

Hi Eileen,
The team process you are describing is very similar to how many organizations may approach designing PD. I believe the key to developing a high quality project is that you have clearly defined goals, outcomes, and expectations. Additionally, it is vital to the development process that these goals are communicated and revisited often.

I have found when there are several different perspectives in a project, the end result can be innovative, creative, and very learner focused.

-- Center for the Application of Information Technologies

Subject: [PD 3415] Re: PD Roles in DL Curriculum Development
From: Katrina Hinson khinson at almanid.com
Date: Tue Jun 16 10:38:30 EDT 2009

Hi Eileen.

I think you're very fortunate to have so many people helping you in the process of developing your DL course. I'm not so sure others are as fortunate though - and perhaps it may vary depending on program and resources available. With the DL courses I've had to develop in the past, I was responsible for all of it - developing the content, the multimedia aspects, uploading information to the whichever content management system was being utilized and reviewing the contet to keep it up todate and relevent - in addition to actually teaching the students enrolled. Where as you feel you were winging it - I remember feeling like a one man show :). Like you, I was learning, am learning as I go and discussions like this sometimes remind me of how little I feel like I know and I sometimes find myself second guessing what I've done in the past and making notes on what I want to change in the future.

Regards,
Katrina

Subject: [PD 3416] Re: PD Roles in DL Curriculum Development
Date: Leslie Petty leslie.lpetty at gmail.com
From: Tue Jun 16 10:57:51 EDT 2009

One thing that has struck me is the complexity of the trainings that people are talking about developing/offering. This was also a topic of discussion at the round table session that Crystal and I moderated at the COABE pre-session. However, both Crystal and I encouraged people to think about the possibilities of providing distance PD that doesn't depend so heavily on extensive (and often expensive) technology components. Crystal talked about how GEDi uses short, single topic online chats to address narrow PD topics. I talked about the online study groups that Project IDEAL offers (and mentioned earlier today by my colleague Jere Johnston). The advantage of these approaches is that they reduce the technological demands (both on the course developer and on participants), while being flexible enough to address pertinent PD issues in a timely fashion. Are these ways that this type of approach might fit with your goals for online PD?

Leslie

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