Pedagogy, Problems

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Pedagogy, Problems Pitfalls of Developing
Web-Based Distance Learning Courses
A Survival Guide for Beginners

• Dr. Pete Bill
• Purdue University
• School of Veterinary Medicine

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Petes Top 5 Reasons Not to do Distance Learning
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Petes Top 5 Reasons Not to do Distance Learning
5 Im an
educational-fad junkie .
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Petes Top 5 Reasons Not to do Distance Learning
4 Ive got a couple of hours
free a month so I thought Id do it then
just to see how it goes 5 Im an educational-fad
junkie .
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Petes Top 5 Reasons Not to do Distance Learning
3 I think computers are fun and a great
way for me to avoid having social
interactions with real humans 4 Ive got a
couple of hours free a month so I thought
Id do it then just to see how it goes 5 Im an
educational-fad junkie .
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Petes Top 5 Reasons Not to do Distance Learning
2 I dont know anything about education, but
I can create Web-pages that will knock
your socks off 3 I think computers are
fun and a great way for me to avoid having
social interactions with real humans 4 Ive
got a couple of hours free a month so I
thought Id do it then just to see how it goes 5
Im an educational-fad junkie .
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Petes Top 5 Reasons Not to do Distance Learning
1 My department head told me to do it 2 I
dont know anything about education, but I
can create Web-pages that will knock your
socks off 3 I think computers are fun and a
great way for me to avoid having social
interactions with real humans 4 Ive got a
couple of hours free a month so I thought
Id do it then just to see how it goes 5 Im an
educational-fad junkie .
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5 Bad ReasonIm an education fad junkie looking
for a new fix
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New MathEducational Television
(60s)Programmed LearningAutotutorial tape
laboratoriesCBI, CAI, Intelligent Tutor Machines
Been There, Done That (dont really want to do it
again)
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Remember
Todays fad is often tomorrows punchline
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Remember
Todays fad is often tomorrows
punchlineLemmings do rush to the sea en masse
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Remember
Todays fad is often tomorrows
punchlineLemmings do rush to the sea en masse
There is a grain of truth in every folly
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4 Bad Reason Ive got a couple of hours free a
month so I thought Id do it then just to see how
it goes
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You cant cross a chasm in two steps

• Development of VT-DLP Pharmacology Web Based
  course (1 credit)
• 80-90 hours to develop exercises
• 260 hrs Web development and trouble shooting
• 30 hrs post-launching updates, corrections
• This was with an already established on-campus
  course, a previously done needs assessment, and a
  well defined target audience

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3 Bad Reason I think computers are fun and a
great way for me to avoid having social
interactions with real humans
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Main reason for attrition in DL programs is
perceived isolation and lack of support

• Peer groups provide social support and motivation
  for on-campus students
• Asynchronous DL programs are most often
  independent learning environments
• As instructors our role is more critical in DL
  and on-campus teaching to help provide
• social contact
• extrinsic motivation
• academic guidance
• formative/summative feedback

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2 Bad Reason I dont know anything about
education, but I can create Web pages that will
knock your socks off
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Computers dont teach.Web pages dont teach.YOU
teach.
The technology works only if it can capture what
YOU normally do that makes your classroom
work Avoid the seductive allure of gee-whiz
technology --- it is a tool, but like any tool it
is only useful in the hands of someone who knows
WHY he/she is using it. No panacea for
educational woes has yet been found we
instructors still have to struggle, think, create
to engage and inspire the student
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1 Bad Reason My department head told me to do it
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Okay thats between you and your department
head.
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Why do Distance Learning via the Web?

• Your target audience can not come to campus
• It is inconvenient for your target audience to
  come
• It is expensive for your target audience to
  come
• There is a demand for your material off campus
• Legislative credentialing (license, mandatory
  CE)
• Advantage of asynchronous delivery
• (asynchronous not all students are in one place
  at one time)

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Why we selected Web based courses over other
deliveries
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Why we selected Web based courses over other
deliveries
1. Wide availability of computers in homes and
businesses public library access
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Why we selected Web based courses over other
deliveries
1. Wide availability of computers in homes and
businesses public library access 2. Allows
for asynchronicity -- different time zones,
different work schedules, different family
routines
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Why we selected Web based courses over other
deliveries
1. Wide availability of computers in homes and
businesses public library access 2. Allows
for asynchronicity -- different time zones,
different work schedules, different family
routines 3. Society and business trends in North
America are improving accessibility (high
speed line services, Internet service
providers, etc.)
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Why we selected Web based courses over other
deliveries
1. Wide availability of computers in homes and
businesses public library access 2. Allows
for asynchronicity -- different time zones,
different work schedules, different family
routines 3. Society and business trends in North
America are improving accessibility (high
speed line services, Internet service
providers, etc.) 4. Flexibility and tools for
capturing educators teaching and translating
it into this medium
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What do I have to do to have a successful Web
based course?
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Formula for Success
1. Put YOU into your delivery system
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Putting You in Your Media
Capture your teaching style (personable or
concise, humorous or straight-forward, etc.)
Introduce yourself (photographs, real
human) Have a clear and easy means for students
to communicate with you (e-mail click
icons) Have bulletin boards, on-line office
hours, class announcements board,
joke-of-the-day, links to fun web sites
(tasteful, of course!)
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Formula for Success
1. Put YOU into your delivery system 2. Have
EVERYTHING about your course mechanics
CLEARLY stated and outlined on your web site
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Clarity in Everything
How do I access the course content? How do I
turn in assignments, tests? Do you set deadlines
or do I have flexibility? How am I graded? Do I
get my tests back? How do I get help on the
course material? Where do I get textbooks or
notes? What kind of computer equipment or
software do I have to have? Where do I get
technical assistance? How can I contact my
classmates? Incompletes? Dropping classes?
Refunds?
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Clarity in Everything
We provide the students with a VT-DLP Student
Handbook
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Formula for Success
1. Put YOU into your delivery system 2. Have
EVERYTHING about your course mechanics
CLEARLY stated and outlined on your web site 3.
Content should be INTERACTIVE whenever
possible
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Interactivity
Interactivity engaging the brain, not just the
fingers Pose a question to the student that
requires them to use the information
source Provide feedback that is customized to the
response (either manually or automatically) Avoid
gimmicks that artificially create interactivity
(interactivity just for the sake of
interactivity) Encourage peer interactivity
(group assignments, collaborative/pair problem
solving, peer critiques) For exercises that may
be repeated, avoid sound effects or cuteness
--- becomes very annoying
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Veterinary Technology Distance Learning Program
Module 5 - Exercise 3 - Question 2
The veterinarian states that these two drugs both
decrease gastric acidity, but do it by two
different mechanisms. Compare and contrast their
mechanisms.
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Exercise Submitted?Feedback from the
Instructor ?Apply Feedback to other exercises
and examination
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Formula for Success
1. Put YOU into your delivery system 2. Have
EVERYTHING about your course mechanics
CLEARLY stated and outlined on your web site 3.
Content should be INTERACTIVE whenever
possible 4. Create a feeling of COMMUNITY and
reduce isolation
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Create a feeling of Community
Virtual class composite - interests, hobbies,
picture, information about pets, link to
e-mail Receiving group memos from instructor
Student bulletin boards for each course -
sharing news, tips on studying, course chit
chat Student only bulletin board - allows
students to gripe and moan with each other
(Petes Pub, Paiges Place) Ability to
provide feedback to the instructor or program
director on each course
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Formula for Success
1. Put YOU into your delivery system 2. Have
EVERYTHING about your course mechanics
CLEARLY stated and outlined on your web site 3.
Content should be INTERACTIVE whenever
possible 4. Create a feeling of COMMUNITY and
reduce isolation 5. Select a web
designer/developer who will LISTEN to you
and work with you
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Selecting a Web Designer/Developer
Technical knowledge is required BUT Understanding
of your discipline is helpful Understanding of
fundamentals of education is too Enthusiasm and a
positive attitude Wanting to be a team member 1
Characteristic Ability to LISTEN to you and to
take your ideas and translate them into an
educationally sound format
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Potential Pitfalls!
Although you are not going to be developing the
Web pages yourself, there are some things you
should watch for!
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Navigation
What does this mean?
What does this mean?
What does this mean?
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Navigation
Keep navigation intuitive if your programmer
has to explain it to you, it isnt
intuitive! Keep navigation icons the same shape,
size, and color Use colored words or color cues
consistently Dont add color just to make things
pretty Put navigation icons in same location
from page to page . Especially the Next button
icon
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Make Site ADA Compatible
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Sounds, Bells, Whistles
Use VERY selectively to draw attention
ONCE Repetition of sounds REALLY gets on the
nerves after awhile Better to not have any audio
distraction from the content unless the content
IS audio
Useful audio pronunciation of terminology audio
representation of content listening to heart
beats characteristic sounds of equipment accents
and dialects (realism)
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Images
Ask yourself Is this image important (essential)
to the educational point of the instruction? Does
this image focus on the key element of the
instruction Im trying to get across?
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Impact of Alpha 1 receptor stimulation on blood
pressure, cardiac output, baroreceptor activity,
and vagal activity
Baroreceptor Activity
Blood Pressure
Alpha 1 stimulation
Ef fect
Heart rate
Cardiac Output
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Minutes
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Impact of Alpha 1 receptor stimulation on blood
pressure, cardiac output, baroreceptor activity,
and vagal activity
Ef fect
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Minutes
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Impact of Alpha 1 receptor stimulation on blood
pressure, cardiac output, baroreceptor activity,
and vagal activity
Alpha 1 stimulation
Ef fect
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Minutes
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Impact of Alpha 1 receptor stimulation on blood
pressure, cardiac output, baroreceptor activity,
and vagal activity
Blood Pressure
Alpha 1 stimulation
Ef fect
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Minutes
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Impact of Alpha 1 receptor stimulation on blood
pressure, cardiac output, baroreceptor activity,
and vagal activity
Baroreceptor Activity
Blood Pressure
Alpha 1 stimulation
Ef fect
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Minutes
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Impact of Alpha 1 receptor stimulation on blood
pressure, cardiac output, baroreceptor activity,
and vagal activity
Baroreceptor Activity
Blood Pressure
Alpha 1 stimulation
Ef fect
Heart rate
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Minutes
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Impact of Alpha 1 receptor stimulation on blood
pressure, cardiac output, baroreceptor activity,
and vagal activity
Baroreceptor Activity
Blood Pressure
Alpha 1 stimulation
Ef fect
Heart rate
Cardiac Output
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Minutes
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Photo vs. Diagram
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Photo vs. Diagram
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Images
Ask yourself Is this image important (essential)
to the educational point of the instruction? Does
this image focus on the key element of the
instruction Im trying to get across? Complex
diagrams/images for experts Simple
diagrams/images for novices Realism for
experts Representations of realism for novices
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Downloading
Still video Remember that photographs with any
detail can easily take a student several minutes
to download Crop images to smallest size Use
resolution just enough to show what you
want Motion video 30 second clip may take 20
minutes to download from your server to the
student!
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Detailed Images and Video
Consider using alternative media Video tape for
motion CD-ROM (we use it for course notes
also) Hard copy photograph packet (cost built
into the course fees) Products purchased from
educational supply companies (models,
manipulatives, etc.)
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Testing and Evaluation
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Testing Concerns
Security Is this really the student taking the
test? Is the student taking the test open
book? Is the student cheating in some
way? Possible Solutions Proctored
examinations Testing centers (Sylvan,
university) On-line timed tests
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Information is available at the VT-DLP Web Site
www.vet.purdue.edu/vtdl