The last section of your textbook discusses the concepts of distributed learning, reusability, rich media and the future of instructional design. Focus on the following for your post:
From Chapter 28 locate 5 examples of distributed learning.
Distributed Learning Examples
The U.S. Army Distributed Learning System
Skills-based Training
Information:
The U.S. Army Distributed Learning System (DLS) acquires, deploys and maintains a worldwide learning infrastructure that innovatively combines hardware, software and telecommunications resources with training facilities and course content to deliver a cohesive, Web-based solution.
DLS is part of the U.S. Army >>Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems (PEO EIS). PEO EIS is responsible for project management of DoD and Army business and combat service support systems, as well as related Army communication and computer infrastructure.
Virginia Tech Online
Virtual Classes
Information:
VT Online is a part of Virginia Tech University that allows undergraduate and graduate students to obtain degrees completely online, much like TAMU-Commerce.
Mohawk University
Corporate Distributed Learning
Information:
This site includes online courses and training for employees of the Mohawk/Dal-Tile Corporation. My husband uses this site for job training, i.e. communication, leadership, time-management, software certification, etc.
English Teachers’ Companion Ning
Academic Distributed Learning
Information:
This site is a huge social networking group of English teachers and librarians. Teachers can post questions, lessons, ideas, etc. and receive feedback/help from their peers. They also host book studies over current literature concerning English education. I use this site often as a reference when planning new lessons/units.
Comedy Guys.com Defensive Driving Online
For-profit Distributed Learning
Information:
Using text, graphics, and video, this online defensive driving course lets you finish on your own time and promises to be entertaining as well. Applications work on iPhone, iPad, and Android as well.
Chapter 29 discusses the concept of reusability. Think back over the courses you've had over your educational career and identify one with poor reusability characteristics. Explain how the course could be redesigned to improve reusability without changing the underlying content.
One of my early classes (I won’t mention which one) that focused on a certain aspect of education was so boring I hated attending. It wasn’t that the information was boring but the professor certainly made it that way. Every week it was the same old same old. Come into class, pick up notes, watch the power point while the instructor read it, go home, do reports, come back to class, take a test, etc. The material was certainly reusable but that was about it. There could have been more interaction between instructor, student, and classmates that would have made the information presented become much more interesting. This information could have also been presented in online modules. They could have been broken down into different chunks of information. The modules could have allowed the ability to practice working on some of the content and then come to class with questions for discussion. The modules could have been reused for upcoming classes since the basic information will not change.
Chapter 30 takes a look at using rich media. Find or create a visual for instruction describing its surface and functional features.
I love this site for it’s online science stimulations and use them quite a bit in my classroom
PhET: Online Science Simulations—University of Colorado at Boulder
This site contains several basic simulations for physics, biology, chemistry, earth science, and math. Students are able to play with the simulations and see the cause and effect of their actions.
The surface features include animation, sound, and interactive simulation properties that give automatic feedback (created using Java).
The simulations’ communication functions are representational, relational, transformational, and interpretative.
The psychological functions include minimize cognitive load, build mental models, support transfer of learning, and support motivation.
The functional features of the simulations are meaningful and allow the student to achieve success through their own understanding. They show definite cause and effect relationships, allow student interactions, and keeping animations simple and sound to a minimum. Overall, this is a great site for middle school and secondary science teachers to use to help students understand difficult concepts.
They also have a blog that you can follow for updates, questions and new stuff that is introduced on the site.
Chapter 31 discusses the future of instructional technologies in the near future from metadata to nanotechnology. Describe how nanotechnology could be used to improve a specific job or task you are familiar with.
Here is a clearer definition of nanotechnology and its implications for the future: http://www.howstuffworks.com/nanotechnology.htm
Wouldn’t it be cool to use nanotechnology to put tiny computers in student ID cards? The computers could communicate with the classrooms and do “administrative paperwork” so the teachers could have more instructional time. They could take attendance as the student came in the door, track the student’s location, locate them quickly, be their library card, log into school computers, and maybe even lead to finding out where behavior and discipline problems appear. It would be the bathroom pass, hall pass, and a pass for school functions as well. Now, this would be cool!
And finally! Chapter 32 provides two points of view on the direction of the field - the straight and narrow road and the broad and inclusive road. Which point of view do you agree with and why?
I know I drive down more of the broad and inclusive road. Technology is an ever-changing endeavor and one can never be to prepared. A narrower agenda would not afford the technological expansions that might present themselves in the near future. One of the major factors for my preference emerges in the broad and inclusive road to results. This exemplifies a more diverse array of research accomplishments and a similarly diverse set of tools and models useful in different field settings.
This is a good video introduction and series to ID!
You described an excellent nanotechnology that has relevant functionality as you so accurately described. Thanks for sharing these great videos!
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