effective instruction is achieved by design

New Article on First Principles of Instruction

2011-11-30T10:51:00.000-08:00

My friend--Dr. Joel Gardner--recently started a Wikipedia article on M. David Merrill's First Principles of Instruction. Joel has conducted an extensive amount of research into First Principles, and published the result in his dissertation and this journal article.

PDF-based GrantSAT Tool

2011-11-23T09:38:00.001-08:00

At the request of an instructor that uses the GrantSAT instrument in her course, I've created a PDF-based tool that automates the process of scoring the 75 different criteria that GrantSAT uses to rate a grant proposal. The video is on YouTube and the file can be downloaded from the FACT website.

PDF Assignment Builder surpasses 4000 views

2011-11-17T14:06:00.000-08:00

I was on YouTube today and saw that the "how-to" video on the first version of the PDF Assignment Builder now has more than 4000 views. When I posted the latest version, the original only had about 2500, but I guess people are still watching it :)

Presentation on the OAR model at Utah State University

2011-11-07T12:31:00.000-08:00

On Thursday I presented to the Instructional Technology Student Association (ITSA) from the Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences (ITLS) department at Utah State University. I was speaking to graduate students and gave them an overview of the Objectives-Resources-Activities (OAR) model, explored the FACT Instructor Guidebook for online course development and answered their questions about Instructional Design.

Here's the video.

Course Activity Maps

2011-11-02T15:39:00.000-07:00

I've posted a new video to YouTube that shows a Course Activity Map featuring the new Acquisition Activity and Application Activity icons from the OAR model. This CAM also incorporates Activity Layers and Activity Increments.

oarmodel.com

2011-10-27T08:56:00.000-07:00

In September I was dismayed to learn that a Wikipedia Administrator decided to delete the OAR Model article. This article had been up for two years, is still (as of this post) linked to from the Instructional Design article on Wikipedia, and about six months after its creation was the top result on Google. I haven't decided if/when I will appeal the decision.

So, I bought the domain www.oarmodel.com today. Right now it just has a picture of the OAR model, but more to come....

FACT Instructor Guidebook 3

2011-10-18T11:03:00.000-07:00

The FACT Instructor Guidebook uses the OAR model as a framework for online course development. It guides them through the process of identifying their basic pedagogy, creating a Course Statement, and exploring some acquisition and application activities.

Here's a "how to" video.

The latest version of the FACT Instructor Guidebook is available at the Faculty Resources page.

Updated version of the Assignment Builder available

2011-09-15T12:26:00.000-07:00

I have recently released an updated version of the Assignment Builder. The new version allows users to add delete/questions with the click of a button, as well as lock the title, instruction and question fields before sending an assignment to students.

Here's a video.

Here's a link to the PDF file.

Online Course Syllabus Template

2011-03-22T13:07:00.000-07:00

In the current issue of the Journal of Interactive Online Learning, authors Lewis, Baker and Britigan recommend the use of a template for designing an online course and syllabus:

"Use a sample course and materials as a template or foundation on which instructors can build a new course, customizing it as necessary. The template provides the basic course structure and navigation, introductory information modules, and suggestions for content to enhance the course site. Using the template also speeds up development time and may also facilitate the course development process for new online instructors - for example, a course syllabus template that shows all the key components and content areas in detail."

Here's a link to the full text.

Online Syllabus Template Tool (OSTT) Licensed from Utah State University

2011-02-22T01:26:00.000-08:00

I have entered into a licensing agreement with USU to develop the Online Syllabus Template Tool.

I have also developed a version 3, which can be downloaded from Google Docs.

PDF Assignment Builder update

2011-01-20T08:51:00.001-08:00

Well, I had an interesting few minutes this morning :)

I created a post on AcrobatUsers.com about the PDF Assignment Builder. This morning I received several comments that suggested I was violating Adobe's EULA.

I contacted a Adobe representative, a very nice young man that I will call "Carl". He spoke to an Acrobat licensing specialist, and confirmed that because no third-party (non-Adobe) software was used to create the file, that I was in compliance with their license.

Subject Matter Expert Personal Resources Inventory (SMEPRI)

2011-01-14T14:34:00.000-08:00

I've created a video that shows how to use the Subject Matter Expert Personal Resources Inventory (SMEPRI).

You can download the SMEPRI here.

PDF Assignment Builder

2010-11-24T10:57:00.000-08:00

For a while now I have been building assignment files for instructors using Adobe LiveCycle and Adobe Acrobat Pro. I have also been building Instructional Design tools in PDFs, such as the Online Syllabus Template Tool (OSTT).

Creating assignments in PDF format came from my frustration at instructors receiving submissions in an endless variety of formats (.docx, .doc, .wpd, .txt, etc.) in spite of putting very specific language about acceptable file formats in their syllabi. With PDF files, that problem was eliminated.

As I created more assignments in PDFs, I began to realize the potential of these files:

1. No software to buy: They open in Adobe Reader, so there is no need for students to purchase Microsoft Word if they are working on a personal machine, as many distance and non-traditional students do.

2. Built-in accessibility tools for disabled instructors and/or students (more on this in a future post).

3. PDF files work with all browsers, on all operating systems.

Anyway, for me the "holy grail" was to build a tool that would allow instructors to create assignments as PDFs, WITHOUT having to purchase Acrobat Pro.

And I think I've gotten there with the PDF Assignment Builder.

Click here to watch a tutorial on using the Assignment Builder. You can download the file here.

OAR model citation

2010-10-15T20:28:00.000-07:00

The OAR model got a "shout out" in the Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education (TOJDE). Here's the link.

Updated Data-driven Design Course Evolution Illustration

2010-05-19T10:12:00.001-07:00

An updated version of the data-driven design evolution illustration is available here.

You can see the original post here.

Interview with Blackboard's Dr. C

2010-03-29T15:03:00.000-07:00

On March 17 I sat down with Kevin Reeve to give a brief overview of the OAR model.

Here's the link.

Course Activity Map (CAM) Presentation at SWBUG 2010

2010-03-23T10:22:00.000-07:00

Last week I participated in the Southwest Blackboard Users Group conference and presented on Course Activity Maps (CAMS). The conference was delivered via Wimba, and the archive does start a few minutes into the presentation. Here is a link:

Expanding TPACK to Address Beliefs and Practices

2010-03-03T14:03:00.000-08:00

TPC 3D is an expansion of the TPCK/TPACK framework.

By adding a layer for practices (TPCP) and a layer for beliefs (TPCB), TPC 3D is able to address the personal resources used by SME/Fs (Subject Matter Expert/Facilitators) to develop and deliver online courses via a LMS (Learning Management System) in higher education. For more information on the relationship between beliefs, knowledge and practices read this article by Peggy Ertmer referred to in this post-- pedagogical beliefs in online classes.

Course Activity Map II

2010-02-19T14:18:00.000-08:00

I have been using Inspiration to create CAMs, but I have recently been working in Visual Understanding Environment (VUE), an open-source mapping program from Tufts University.

I really like the crisp graphics in the workspace and in the exported files.

Course Activity Map

2010-01-25T11:05:00.000-08:00

A Course Activity Map (CAM) is an Instructional Design tool that facilitates communication between Instructional Designers, Course Facililtators and other members of an online course design team. CAMs use symbols based on the OAR model to plot the connections between goals, content and activities in Blackboard. CAMs represent the ratio between Acquisition Activities (opportunities for students to gain knowledge and skills) and Application Activities (opportunities for students to demonstrate knowledge and skills).

Online Course Syllabus Template Tool

2009-11-18T15:26:00.000-08:00

At FACT we have developed the Online Syllabus Template Tool (OSTT) to provide instructors developing online courses for higher education with:

- a context-specific syllabus structure consistent with the OAR model
- a sample syllabus that models best practices
- an easy-to-modify Microsoft Word template

The OSTT is an Adobe .pdf file that can be opened in the free Adobe Reader program. Users can navigate in the tool just as they would in a web page by mousing over buttons and clicking. Users can use "show info"/"hide info" buttons to toogle between a pageview that shows the sample language and or a pageview that shows descriptive information.

A download of the OSTT is available here.

Merrill's First Principles Situated in the OAR Model Domains

2009-10-29T15:43:00.000-07:00

Merrill's First Principles of Instruction (2002, 2006) state that learning is promoted when:

• Instruction takes place in the context of real-world tasks that are progressively difficult
• Learners activate relative cognitive structures by recalling or demonstrating prior knowledge or experience
• Learners observe a demonstration of new knowledge
• Learners apply new knowledge, receiving feedback and coaching that is gradually withdrawn
• Learners integrate their new knowledge by reflecting on, discussing, defending, presenting new knowledge and creating personal ways to use it

We have developed a instructional design model which situates Merrill's First Principles in the OAR Model domains:

The task (or problem) is a Resource and the core component available to influence and/or measure student behavior. Objectives are statements created to define and/or measure desired student behavior. Activities are opportunities created to inlfluence and/or measure defined student behavior.

There are two types of Activities: Acquisition and Application. Merrill's activate and demonstration phases are Acquisition Activities, where opportunities to gain knowledge and skills are created to influence defined student behavior. Merrill's apply and integrate phases are Application Activities, where opportunities to demonstrate knowledge and skills are created to influence and/or measure defined student behavior.

References:

Merrill, M. D. (2002). First principles of instruction. Educational Technology Research and Development, 50(3), 43-59.

Merrill, M. D. (2006). First principles of instruction: a synthesis. Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology (2nd Ed.). Prentice-Hall, Inc.

OAR model page on Wikipedia

2009-10-27T13:53:00.000-07:00

I have created a page on Wikipedia describing the OAR model: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OAR_model

I would appreciate feedback from interested parties!

Discovering and Documenting Faculty Pedagogical and Technological Beliefs

2009-10-16T11:22:00.000-07:00

The Subject Matter Expert Personal Resources Inventory (SMEPRI) is a context-specific instructional tool developed to aid Instructional Designers in understanding the pedagogical and technological beliefs of Instructors. It is not designed to conduct an exhaustive inquiry, but rather to gather critical data from a short interview.

The SMEPRI gathers qualitative and quantitative data from four categories: time, experience, attitude and pedagogy. In our practice, Instructional Designers use this data as the development foundation for new online courses delivered through our learning management system-- Blackboard. We have seen that course designs based on the Subject Matter Expert/Facilitator's beliefs provide the greatest opportunity for alignment with their practices.

If you are interested in learning more about the SMEPRI, please contact me at george.joeckel@usu.edu.

Pedagogical Beliefs in Online Courses

2009-09-30T15:18:00.000-07:00

Here is another excerpt from a chapter my colleagues and I have in publication:

"Our experience has led us to conclude that the pedagogical beliefs held by the SME/F are the best instructional foundation for original designs of courses delivered online through a LMS. This conclusion is supported by Ertmer's (2005) examination of the research conducted on teacher beliefs: '…beliefs are far more influential than knowledge in determining how individuals organize and define tasks and problems' (p. 28). She also draws a direct connection between pedagogical beliefs and technology skills:

Given that these [technology] skills are unlikely to be used unless they fit with teachers’ existing pedagogical beliefs, it is imperative that educators increase their understanding of and ability to address teacher beliefs, as part of their efforts to increase teachers' technology skills and uses (Ertmer, 2005, p. 37).

Ertmer (2005) demonstrates how pedagogical beliefs have a global effect on a teacher’s perceptions about new instructional tools and practices when she states 'Even new information (about technology, alternative teaching methods, etc.), if attended to at all, will be filtered through these existing belief systems' (p. 30). Our instructional process recognizes and embraces this filter by systematically exploring, documenting, and integrating the SME/F’s pedagogical beliefs into the course design."

We have created an Instructional Tool to facilitate the systematic discovery and integration of pedagogical beliefs called the Subject Matter Expert Personal Resource Inventory (SMEPRI). In an upcoming post I will provide more information on this tool.

Reference:

Joeckel III, G.L.; Jeon, T.; Gardner, J. (2009). Instructional Challenges in Higher Education Online Courses Delivered Through A Learning Management System By Subject Matter Experts. In H. Song (Ed.), Distance Learning Technology, Current Instruction, and the Future of Education: Applications of Today, Practices of Tomorrow, Idea Group Publishing, New York. Chapter accepted for publication.

Data-driven Design Evolution

2009-07-17T14:49:00.000-07:00

Instructional Designers at FACT support all the instructors from the departments to which they have been assigned. Because the instructor is the Subject Matter Expert and the course facilitator (SME/F), they are involved in all of the ADDIE phases. We have created the Data-driven Design Evolution to guide the process of creating original course designs, and course redesigns, in this unique context.

Here is an excerpt from a chapter that my colleagues and I have in publication:

"An ongoing relationship between an ID and a SME/F may lead to an evolution of the course design. Ideally this evolution would be the result of evidence derived from course data that led to changes in the SME/F's pedagogical beliefs. We have created the term “data-driven design evolution” to describe this process. We propose a three-stage model in which the course design shifts from “SME/F-driven” towards “learner-driven”.

In Stage I, there is an insufficient quality of course data to justify changes to the course design decisions/revisions based on learner feedback. This occurs in courses which have yet to be delivered, but it may also be the result of an insufficient quantity of course data. The ID creates a course design based on instructional alignment between the SME/F's pedagogical beliefs and assumptions about learners.

In Stage II, the quality of the course data is high enough to identify learner characteristics that can replace the SME/F's assumptions. The ID provides the SME/F with evidence based on course data that demonstrates instructional alignment or misalignment. When the evidence produces a shift in the SME/F’s pedagogical beliefs, the ID recommends changes to the course design that will increase instructional alignment, and implements the approved changes.

In Stage III, the increase in the quality of the course data has led to a fundamental shift in the SME/F's pedagogical beliefs. He or she has become willing to learner feedback drive design changes to the course. The ID assists the SME/F in interpreting the learner feedback from the latest cohort of learners by using the entire set of course data to control for anomalies. The ID recommends changes and implements the approved changes."

Reference:

Joeckel III, G.L.; Jeon, T.; Gardner, J. (2009). Instructional Challenges in Higher Education Online Courses Delivered Through A Learning Management System By Subject Matter Experts. In H. Song (Ed.), Distance Learning Technology, Current Instruction, and the Future of Education: Applications of Today, Practices of Tomorrow, Idea Group Publishing, New York. Chapter accepted for publication.

OAR model

2009-07-17T12:50:00.000-07:00

The OAR model is an Instructional Design model created for a specific context: distance education courses delivered through a LMS (Learning Management System) in higher education.

This is an excerpt from a chapter which my colleagues and I have in publication:

"The OAR model is a visual tool which represents the components of SME-F (Subject-Matter Expert facilitated) online courses in higher education, and their relationship to each other. The OAR model was developed to meet four criteria: a) maintain a strict focus on our particular learning system context, b) create a simple graphic-based aid which facilitates communication among design stakeholders, c) remain inclusive by avoiding the use of jargon, and d) represent the basic order of operations in our ID (Instructional Design) process. The OAR model has proven effective in meeting these criteria by organizing the components of SME-F online courses in higher education into three domains: Resources, Objectives and Activities.

The OAR model defines resources as the physical, electronic and intellectual assets with which a course can be created. These resources are determined by an analysis of the learners, SME/F (Subject Matter Expert/facilitator), ID (Instructional Designer), learning and performing environments, available instructional technology, and other relevant contextual factors associated with a course. IDs and SME/Fs use the results of this analysis to identify real-world problems and tasks to inform the design of objectives.

The objectives domain contains the learning and performance goals that are designed to guide the course. Objectives determine which resources will be delivered to influence learner behavior under specified conditions to meet defined criteria. Opportunities for learners to accomplish the objectives are created through activities that are as closely aligned with real-world problems and tasks as the available resources will allow.

Activities are the actual events that learners engage in to acquire and develop new knowledge and skills. At a minimum, these events involve an agent (most often the learner, but at times the facilitator) following an objective to engage with a resource. Activities are primarily delivered by a LMS and are facilitated and assessed by the SME/F."

Reference:

Joeckel III, G.L.; Jeon, T.; Gardner, J. (2009). Instructional Challenges in Higher Education Online Courses Delivered Through A Learning Management System By Subject Matter Experts. In H. Song (Ed.), Distance Learning Technology, Current Instruction, and the Future of Education: Applications of Today, Practices of Tomorrow, Idea Group Publishing, New York. Chapter accepted for publication.

Hello World

2009-06-16T15:25:00.000-07:00

If you are interested in context-specific instructional design for online courses in higher education, check out my presentation from TTIX 09:

Context-specific Instructional Design in Higher Education - Part 1

Context-specific Instructional Design in Higher Education - Part 2