Mid-South Instructional Technology Conference
Teaching, Learning, & Technology
Transforming the Learning Environment
April 4-6, 2004
|
Diane M. Duell Albert Unrath Track 1 - Effective Technology-Based Learning Resources |
Abstract
Curriculum redesign can be a daunting process without a systematic approach. At Millersville University, the Instructional Designer has recently introduced an interactive workbook that methodically steps faculty through the process of converting their curriculum from face-to-face instruction into online instruction. This workbook integrates goal-setting, assessment, and learning activity development.
Description
As more instructors shift their instruction from a face-to-face format to an online format they often struggle with how to redesign the curriculum to use the new online tools while maintaining curricular goals.
Millersville University has seen a large increase in the number of courses using online instruction, from 8 in 2001 to approximately 365 in 2003 with distance education courses increasing from 4 in 2001 to 21 in 2003. As the need increased, the requests for a structured guide for converting curriculum for distance instruction became apparent and a curriculum redesign team was created.
The curriculum redesign team consists of: the Vice President for Information Technology, Director of Web and Multimedia Services, Faculty Liaison, Director of Professional Training & Education, Program Manager for Credit Programs, and the Instructional Designer. This team collected data on faculty needs in relation to developing online and distance instruction and a system called the Curriculum Redesign Workbook was developed.
The goal of the workbook is to provide faculty with a tool to assist them review, evaluate, and reconfigure existing curriculum into a format that will work successfully in an online environment. The three main goals for the workbook are to: reduce time for creating an online course; assist faculty in understanding the role online tools can play in supporting learning activities; and to generate formatted documents that can be used as blueprints for constructing the components of an online course.
The Curriculum Redesign Workbook consists of three main sections, developed from the concepts of "Understanding by Design" by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe. The three sections are Identifying Desired Results, Determining Acceptable Evidence, Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction. Each of these sections has subsections that contain instructional examples and workspaces where the faculty member can enter his/her own information.
Faculty members that use the workbook are guided through the workbook based on the subject they teach. For example, English teachers are provided with English examples for Desired Results, Acceptable Evidence, and Learning Activities. Based on the subject selected, a series of examples are presented. Following each example area is a text entry area where faculty can enter their own information related to that section. Since the design of the workbook is progressive, faculty can see how each previously completed section relates to the section in which they are currently working. Once all of the sections are completed, the result is a curriculum document that will contain the goals/objectives for instruction, assessment correlated to the defined objectives, and learning activities that integrate online tools that meet both the objectives and assessment requirements.
The workbook has only recently been released to the faculty, but early feedback has been positive. Faculty that have used the workbook have found that creating their online course took far less time and in one case cut the development time from two weeks to two days. Additionally, faculty are using the "Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction" section as a reference of online tool solutions for all of their courses.