Revised Personal Design Framework
Joel C. Simmons
IST 626
8/26/2014
Introduction
As a frequent consumer of military online and eLearning courses, I have over
time developed ideas about how an ideal course should be designed. I have found that
most common are mediocre or even bad online courses that can make ten minutes spent
engaged in learning the material seem like hours. On the rare occasion that I have
stumbled across an excellent eLearning course, I have often wondered why there can be
such a range in educational and technical quality. Equipped now with a background in
instructional technology, I have focused in on a few areas for a personal design
framework that includes application of sound instructional theory and design to the
instructional materials to be placed in the online learning environment, and using the
online learning environment to maximize learner engagement and motivation.
Instructional Theory and Design
The application of sound instructional theory and design principles needs to take
place before even selecting online and eLearning as a delivery platform. If an
instructional designer selects eLearning as a delivery platform before analyzing learners
or the performance objective, the result may be yet another dull and mundane learning
experience for the student. Therefore, I believe Robert M. Gagne’s Conditions of
Learning are very useful to use in any instructional medium, especially in that they can be
directly applied to principles of instruction.
Main components of Gagne’s Conditions of Learning are the five varieties of
learning, with internal and external conditions of learning necessary to acquire skills
associated with each of them. In addition, Gagne elaborates on nine instructional events
and their corresponding cognitive processes needed to achieve learning outcomes. For the
design of instruction, Gagne espoused the development of a learning hierarchy, starting
with a terminal objective that is analyzed into subordinate skills and tasks (Gredler,
2009).
Basic strategies. Two of the most important aspects of Gagne’s Conditions of Learning
are the nine instructional events and the design of instruction to include task analysis of
learning objectives. The nine instructional events are:
1. Gain attention
2. Inform learners of objectives
3. Stimulate recall of prior learning
4. Present the content
5. Provide “learning guidance”
6. Elicit performance (practice)
7. Provide feedback
8. Assess performance
9. Enhance retention and transfer to the job
Examples of the application of these nine instructional events to instructional design are
found in a broad range of learning settings from the traditional classroom to eLearning
environment (Kruse, 2006; University of Florida, 2013).
Another process widely used in instructional design from Gagne’s learning theory
is analysis of the performance objective to be broken down into subordinate tasks.
According to Gagne (1962), breaking down the objective into component tasks and then
arranging the learning situation in a sequence ensures positive transfer from one task to
the next and achievement of the learning outcome. Construction of a learning hierarchy
through a learning task analysis forms the foundation of instructional systems design
models such as the Dick and Carey model.
Globalized eLearning. In carrying out the learner analysis process, an additional factor
should be considered: a culturally competent instructional design. A 2011 case study
researched instructional designers’ views on cultural inquiry of distance learners and
discovered there is often a lack of knowledge and awareness among the designer
community about how to approach the process of cultural analysis (Saxena, 2011).
Although there are a number of organizational and personal barriers to conducting a
cross-cultural learner analysis, this can be a critical consideration in the development of
effective eLearning for students with diverse cultural backgrounds.
As a result of a thorough analysis of the performance objective and the learners, it
is possible that the online learning environment is ruled out as a means of instructional
delivery. However, if eLearning is found to be the best method to deliver the
instructional content after learner and task analyses are completed, the chances are good
that the eLearning will be well received by students.
Learner Engagement
Using the full potential of the online learning environment is important for the
student to attain the desired knowledge. Some of the more effective eLearning courses
that the military uses are simulations or ‘gamification’ of the instructional materials.
While some may consider this to be only effective to a younger generation of learners, I
can personally attest that I remembered more of the online instructional content when
presented as a game or simulation, compared to previous online versions of the same
topic in slide or PowerPoint format. As described by Kapp (2012), games are engaging
because they provide an environment and a context in which actions provide direct
feedback and lead to direct consequences. The online environment can deliver unique
aspects to a game or simulation with multimedia graphics, interactive characters and
avatars, and automated scorekeeping.
However, as Kapp (2012) notes, the drawbacks to gamification of instructional
material are that they can be time-consuming, costly and difficult to develop. In addition,
the right balance between learning and gameplay has to be struck. As an alternative to
development of a learning game, Kapp (2012) proposes that certain game elements, such
as freedom to fail, interest curve, storytelling, and feedback are useful to making content
more engaging.
As instructional designers in the online environment, we must strive to develop
the skills and creativity to incorporate more game aspects into ordinary content in order
to engage students and bring the full capability of eLearning to bear in helping them to
learn the material.
Learner Motivation
Another important factor to consider is students’ motivation to learn the
instructional material in an online environment, and how to put strategies into practice to
internalize their motivation. Internalized or intrinsic motivation is critical to the success
of a learner engaged in an online learning environment. Guyan (2013) suggests that
certain strategies can be used to assist learners in internalizing motivation, such as giving
learners some level of control as they work through the module; providing regular
feedback; incorporating social elements; providing opportunities for collaboration
between learners; keeping stakes low and allowing learners to practice; and allowing
learners to make meaningful choices and pursue challenging goals. The focus of these
strategies is on creating the conditions to internalize students’ motivation towards the
eLearning module or course.
Conclusion
With software programs such as Adobe Captivate and Articulate Storyline, it has
become fairly easy to make an eLearning product and place it online with software
programs. However, the true art of presenting instructional material using this medium
comes from combining instructional theory and sound instructional design practices with
the knowledge of how to engage and motivate learners in this environment. In today’s
online learning environment, a careful and detailed analysis of the intended learners, to
include consideration of cross-cultural issues, will go far in determining how to maximize
effectiveness of online learning.
This course was interesting in that in allowed us to finally put most of the
pieces of previous classes together and work toward an actual instructional design
product. I think the challenge was in the beginning – there were many materials to
reference and several assignments, such as making the Webliography or writing the
Personal Design Framework, which did not seem connected to our main goal. This
led to a certain level of confusion among all of us at the beginning of the class as to
what we were trying to accomplish by the end. In addition, I believe there were
some changes made in the original document, Dr. Lara’s Teaching Online
Workshop, and changes to what was assigned to the teams that was confusing.
For these reasons, the class started slowly and by the time we all caught on,
we had lost two weeks out of the eight weeks total. I would have liked to have seen
Dr. Lara’s iLearn website right from the start so we could have gathered more
context in moving forward with the project. Scope and time needed to achieve each
milestone was harder to define until we actually saw where our modules would fit in
with the overall Online Teaching Workshop.
I did like your “CEO” approach and thought it was effective in this
particular class. Overall, we all came together in the end and accomplished a decent
product in only six weeks. So, I learned a great deal from the processes involved in
completing each step of an instructional design project.
References
Gagne, R. (1962). Military training and principles of learning. American
Psychologist,17(2), 83-91.
Gredler, M. E. (2009). Learning and instruction: Theory into practice. Upper Saddle
River, N.J: Merrill Pearson.
Guyan, M. (2013). Improving motivation in eLearning. eLearn Magazine. Retrieved from
http://elearnmag.acm.org/archive.cfm?aid=2527388
Kapp, K. M. (2012). Games, gamification, and the quest for learner engagement.
T + D, 66(6), 67+. Retrieved from
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA292513787&v=2.1&u=csumb_
main&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&asid=3f43b1797d395bb8d5390f3acb1e5470
Kruse, K. (2006). Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction: An Introduction. Retrieved from
http://modps34.lib.kmutt.ac.th/documents/Ajarn09/8.GagneStyle.pdf
Saxena, M. (2011). Learner analysis framework for globalized e-Learning. The
International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 12(5), 93-107.
University of Florida Center for Instructional Technology and Training (2013). Gagne’s
9 Events of Instruction. Retrieved from http://citt.ufl.edu/tools/gagnes-9-eventsof-instruction