Preparation is Everything

As an Instructional Designer preparing for the class takes on a new meaning then in traditional learning environments.  Best practices can combine a number of learning principles.  Instructors need to identify the core concepts to be learned in a course, the performance goals and learning outcomes and then guide and mentor learners through a set of increasingly complex, personalized; and customized learning activities to help learners apply these core concepts and develop their own knowledge structures. 

In practical terms for online courses, it means designing options and choices within learning experiences, assignments, and special projects.

For this week discussion develop 2 performance goals and learning outcomes.  After you have developed the goals and outcomes focus on the best tools and techniques to present the content.  Discuss the rationale for selecting these tools and technique.

Wednesday:

Post your  goals and objectives.. Propose two tools and techniques to present the content.  Be sure to cite information from the Learning Resources to support your thinking.

By Sunday:

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings. As you read their responses, note those to which you would like to respond with advice, questions, comments, and/or encouragement.

Respond to two or more of your colleagues’ postings in any of the following ways:

·         Build on something your colleague said.

·         Explain why and how you see things differently.

·         Ask a probing or clarifying question.

·         Share an insight from having read your colleague's posting.

·         Offer and support an opinions

·         Validate an idea with your own experience.

·         Expand on your colleague's posting.

·         Ask for evidence that supports the posting.

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Reflect on what you learned in this activity and/or insights you gained this week.

Resources

·         Article: Fish, W. W., & Wickersham, L. E. (2009). Best practices for online instructors: Reminders. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 10(3), 279-284.
Retrieved from the Walden Library using the Education Research Complete database.

·          

Article: The New Media Consortium. (2009). The horizon report: 2009 edition. Retrieved from the EDUCASE Learning Initiative website:http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/CSD5612.pdf


Please see the Discussion Rubric below.