Planning and Delivering an ELearning Course

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Planning and Delivering an E-Learning Course

• Andrew Booth
• (for the e-FOLIO Programme Team)

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Outline

• Planning an E-Learning Course
• Curriculum Content
• Storyboarding
• Tasks and Logistics
• Delivering an E-Learning Course
• Buddy/Group Interaction
• Facilitator Support
• Summary

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This presentation will draw on our experiences
with the FOLIO Programme and other courses

• It will present an issue or problem and ask you
  to suggest a strategy for tackling it. You should
  consider your suggestions and then advance to the
  next slide. This exercise is for reflection only
  - you do not need to record your suggestions in
  your portfolio.

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Planning an E-Learning Course - 1

• Planning an e-learning course takes time but is
  time well-spent. You need to
• Establish the Rationale for the course based on
  your training needs analysis
• Define what the Course is about what it will
  try to do and not try to do.
• Examine Constraints by exploring the logistics of
  time, resources, staffing, funding, and
  feasibility.
• Determine Scope in terms of the level at which it
  will be pitched, its sequence, duration and
  curriculum content.
• Estimate Time to be taken in designing and
  developing the course. 

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Planning an E-Learning Course - 2

• Identify Subject Experts It is unlikely that you
  have all the skills and knowledge to produce a
  course on your own. Even if you have it will be
  stronger as a team effort.
• Form Development Team containing all the
  expertise that you will require to design and
  implement the project (e.g. academic, lecturer,
  graphic artist etcetera).
• Assess Available Resources including any learning
  objects (course components that already exist)  
  
• Propose a Budget that acknowledges the time to be
  taken, the scope, the constraints, and available
  resources. 

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Issue Curriculum Content

• Having identified the topic for your course from
  a training needs analysis you now have to plan
  the content of your curriculum.
• The topic is not necessarily one that you know
  particularly well

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How would you develop the content of your
curriculum?

• Consider your answer then advance to next slide

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What we did

• We surveyed existing course outlines from the
  Internet either specific to librarians or
  generic.
• We examined key textbooks to see what they cover
• We conducted literature searches for support
  materials
• We shared our own course outline with external
  experts

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Issue Storyboarding

• Having resolved the curriculum content you have
  to decide the ordering and sequencing of content
• You have to devise an easy way to plan and manage
  the course content

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What techniques/technology would you use for
storyboarding?

• Consider your answer then advance to next slide

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What we do

• We use Microsoft Powerpoint each task or
  message is a slide
• Responsibility for each task is identified on the
  slide
• Notes pages are used to record supplementary
  instructions, resources etcetera
• Hypertext links link to resources or learning
  objects
• Slide Sorter is used to organise sequence
• Slide Show is used for rapid review of course

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Issue Tasks and Logistics

• You have resolved your curriculum content and are
  now storyboarding the course.
• You are now planning the activities that you will
  require course participants to undertake.

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What considerations would you need to take into
account regarding task allocation?

• Consider your answer then advance to next slide

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What we do

• Consider the main learning objectives of the
  course tasks should support these
• Consider the pacing (intervals between) tasks
• Consider the adjacency of tasks (e.g. number of
  reading, writing, reflecting tasks)
• Consider the variety of task formats (e.g.
  briefing, guided reading, interactive powerpoint,
  telephone lecture, quiz, competition)
• Consider any time dependencies (tasks that must
  be completed before progressing or
  knowledge/learning required to perform tasks)

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Delivering an E-Learning Course

• In delivering a course it is important to create
  an initial impression that will stimulate
  development of the learning community. Important
  ingredients will include
• Welcome Email and Announcement
• Introductions
• Icebreaker
• Reinforcing of Syllabus Structure, Linkages,
  Review
• Established Ground Rules
• Valuing of Individual Contributions
• Sense of Group Identity and Belonging
• Behaviour Modeled by the Facilitator

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Buddy/Group Interaction

• In delivering the course you wish to provide some
  form of social support beyond whole group
  activities.
• You decide to employ a system of buddy or small
  group interactions

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What factors would you consider when assigning
people to small groups or buddies?

• Consider your answer then advance to next slide

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What we do

• We try to avoid pairing people from the same
  locality/organization
• Where tasks require varied experience we mix up
  groups
• We try to make groups large enough to be
  sustainable but not too large
• We start buddy/group activities early
• We precede task activities with a social activity
• We make contingencies for buddy or group problems
• We communicate between buddies if necessary

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Facilitator Support

• You want to provide a supportive facilitated
  environment to course participants
• You are giving consideration to the scale and
  nature of your involvement as a facilitator

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What facilitator behaviours can you suggest to
help the course?

• Consider your answer then advance to next slide

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What we do

• Provide responses within 24 hours
• Use a team email to ensure cover
• Separate Administrative and Course communications
• Communicate daily (even if only to manage
  participant expectations)
• Seek to give clear task instructions
• Support the Course facilitator with other team
  roles (e.g. group mentor)

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Summary

• There are no right or wrong answers your
  solution should be determined by the needs of
  students, the resources available and the course
  objectives
• Nevertheless it is helpful to anticipate major
  areas for your attention

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Further Reading

• Jolliffe A et al. (2000) The Online Learning
  Handbook Developing and Using Web-based
  Learning. Routledge Falmer.
• Salmon, G. (2002) E-tivities The Key to Active
  Online Learning. Routledge Falmer.
• Salmon, G. (2004) E-moderating The Key to
  Teaching and Learning Online. Routledge Falmer.
• Thorne, K. (2002) Blended Learning How to
  Integrate Online and Traditional Learning. Kogan
  Page.        

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