Emerging trends in distance learning and instructional design
- 1. Emerging Trends In Distance Learning and Instructional Design EDID 6506 C.B-W
- 2. The integration of Open Educational Resources as core components of Distance Learning UNESCO (2012) describes Open Educational Resources as ‘teaching, learning or research materials that are in the public domain or released with an intellectual property license that allows for free use, adaptation and distribution’. This is important because OER ‘provide a strategic opportunity to improve the quality of education’ (UNESCO, 2012) globally. EDID 6506 C.B-W
- 3. Crosslingual translation in real time. This particular resource is important for instructional design professionals because it allows for collaboration across boundaries. The specific boundary here is a linguistic one. There will no longer be the need for a common language since professionals can now collaborate, design and learn from each other irrespective of their linguistic background. Microsoft Research (2014) points out that ‘There have been many attempts over the years, several within Microsoft Research, to demonstrate such aspects of translating human speech. But delivering something that is usable in real life, to fit the voice and utterances of many different users and the nuances of different languages’ is a trend that opens the gates to enriching experiences in the fields of Distance Learning and Instructional Design. EDID 6506 C.B-W
- 4. Cloud based authoring Pappas (2013) indicates that ‘More and more eLearning tools are migrating to the cloud’. Pappas (2013) also points out that this situation relieves developers of concerns regarding ‘IT configurations, software set-ups and licenses’. This fact proves to be particularly important for the field of instructional design since such sites provide a variety of options for instructional designers and subject matter experts in areas as diverse as ‘textbook’ publishing, courses that are designed using interfaces that are affordable and easy to use. EDID 6506 C.B-W
- 5. Cloud Computing as a necessary tool for Distance Learning This trend will be of particular value to those involved in planning, designing and implementing courses for distance learners. Jalgoankar and Kanojia (2014) point out that it provides support in terms of cost, continuous access to infrastructure and content alongside offline usage and synchronization opportunities (p. 18). EDID 6506 C.B-W
- 6. Personal Learning Networks EDID 6506 C.B-W
- 7. Personal Learning Networks Personal Learning Network will become an integral part of the learning process for students. Instructional designers using the principles of connectivism proposed by Siemens and Downes to design courses that allow for students to expand their knowledge and skills through interaction with others. At present courses require group work which allow for this to some degree but there will be deliberated efforts in course conceptualization and implementation to make the creation/ establishment of networks a core component of learning. Bull (2013) points out that ‘This resonates with the experience of many in this digital and information age, as we often find that our connections with others is what enables us to work and flourish’. Added to this woulbe the application of some principles of problem based learning which would require the expertise of others in related fields and thus the need to connect with them. EDID 6506 C.B-W
- 8. Data Driven Learning and Assessment. New Media Consortium (2014) producers of the Horizon Report lists this as an emerging trend that will drive changes in education especially higher education over the next three to five years. The authors indicate that learning analytics will drive improvement in teaching and learning ‘at the course and institutional levels’ (p.12) as students and teachers ‘generate more and more data’ (ibid.). Instructional designers and subject matter experts will be able to use the data generated to engineer more personalized learning experience through the use of statistical data and data mining tools. EDID 6506 C.B-W
- 9. Students as Creators The New Media Consortium (2014) lists this as an emerging trend that will change the face of education in the next three to five years. The NMC notes that ‘a shift is taking place in terms of pedagogical practice…where students across a wide variety of disciplines are learning by making and creating rather than from the simple consumption of content’ (p. 14). This will be of particular value to the area of instructional design since professionals will now be required to design courses that facilitate the creative process so that students ‘can learn and create together integrating content and product centred activities as part of their instruction’ (ibid.) EDID 6506 C.B-W
- 10. SMOOCs All MOOCs incorporate principles of autonomy, self-directed learning and to some degree a level of openness and connectedness. MOOCS according to Wenger (2012) have led to disconnected students who often do not make it to midterm. SMOOCs on the other hand will solve this problem by dint of its size and the ‘return’ to greater student facilitator interaction especially through the implementation of synchronous sessions at determined intervals (NMC, pp.19). EDID 6506 C.B-W
- 11. Micro-Learning. This trend will grow take off in coming years and will become a feature of Distance Learning Courses or an element of the new pedagogy for Distance Learning. Instructional designers in this milieu will be required to create micro-learning objects that motivates students to apply what they have learned, in order to build accurate mental models that will support learners in the process of retrieving information (Thalheimer, 2014). Thalheimer (2014) also proposes that micro-learning objects ‘provided the learners with retrieval practice, aligned with meaningful performance contexts, and spaced repetitions of realistic practice over time’ EDID 6506 C.B-W
- 12. Badges in Distance Learning. Digital badges will prove to be an integral part of distance learning in the age of flexible pedagogy. They will contribute to student motivation and instructional designers and subject matter experts Pagowsky (2014) asserts that badges can be ‘tied to learning outcomes or standards’ which in itself will reinforce criterion referenced assessments. EDID 6506 C.B-W
- 13. References Bull, B. (2013). Helping Students Develop Personal Learning Networks. Retrieved from: http://etale.org/main/2013/11/22/helping-students-develop-personal-learning-networks/ Edutopia (2014). Open Educational Resources (OER): Resource Roundup. Retrieved from: http://www.edutopia.org/open-educational-resources-guide Jalgaonkar, M. and Kanojia, A. (2013). Adoption of Cloud Computing in Distance Learning in International Journal of Advanced Trends in Computer Science and Engineering, Vol.2, No.1, pp. 17 – 20. New Media Consortium (2014). Horizon Report 2014 Higher Education Report. Retrieved from: http://cdn.nmc.org/media/2014-nmc-horizon-report-he-EN-SC.pdf Microsoft Research (2014). Enabling Cross Lingual Conversations in Real Time. Retrieved from: http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/news/features/translator-052714.aspx Pagowsky, N. (2014). Keeping Up With … Digital Badges for Instruction. Retrieved from: http://www.ala.org/acrl/publications/keeping_up_with/digital_badges Pappas, C. (2013). The Ultimate List of Cloud – Based Authoring Tools. Retrieved from: http://elearningindustry.com/the-ultimate-list-of-cloud-based-authoring-tools Portolese Dias, L. (2014). Congress, Tech Have Their Eyes on Rethinking the Textbook — And Educators Should Too. Retrieved from: http://www.wired.com/2014/10/rethinking-the-textbook/ Thalheimer, W. (2014). Micro – Learning Simulation Cases to Augment Classroom Learning. Retrieved from: http://www.subscriptionlearning.com/2014/03/micro-learning-simulation-cases-to-augment-classroom-learning.html UNESCO (2012). Open Educational Resources. Retrieved from: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and- information/access-to-knowledge/open-educational-resources/ Wenger, J. (2012). MOOCs SMOOCs: What’s So Disruptive about a Massive Class.? Retrieved from: http://johnwegnerblog.wordpress.com/2012/10/16/moocs-smoocs-whats-EDID 650s6o C-d.Bis-rWuptive-about-a-massive-class/