A Presentation for eLearning DevCon

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A Presentation for eLearning DevCon
Integrating Four Dimensions into Learning
Solutions
June 18, 2009
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Stephen K. Henn

• President, SmartPros Legal Ethics, Ltd.
• Founder, Cognistar Corporation
• eLearning since 1998
• Focus on Professional Education
• BA, Economics, University of Chicago
• JD, Corporate Law, University of Connecticut
• shenn_at_smartpros.com

Biography
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Richard M. Thall

• Founder, GrandWorks
• Director, Platform Technology at Cognistar Corp.
• Recognized thought leader in LMS Design
• Experience in Medical Device and Military
  Software
• BSE, Engineering Physics, University of Michigan
• MS Software Engineering, University of Michigan
• rthall_at_grand-works.com

Biography
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What We Will Cover

• Title Was a Mistake
• Perspectives Objectives
• The Hammer and the Nail
• Restrictions
• One Approach
• eLearning is Very Broad
• High School Chemistry
• Students Teachers
• Other Stakeholders

Agenda
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Some Initial Thoughts

• Conversation with an Investment Banker
• eLearning Increasing
• But per Student Classes Decreasing
• eLearning Via Twitter?
• Sturbridge Village
• One Room Schoolhouse
• Older Students Taught Younger Students
• Find Help Where You Can

One Room Schoolhouse
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eLearning Systems Design

• Designed for the User of the System
• Student-centric (Player)
• Flexibility regarding Learning Experience
• Longer Production Cycle
• Teacher-centric (Content)
• Ease of Course Publication
• Cookie cutter
• Other Stakeholders Matter

Differing Perspectives
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Student Centric Systems

• Pros
• Designed for Ease of Use (Student)
• Individualized (not Customized)
• Account for Differing Learning Styles
• Interactivity
• Cons
• Expensive Production Cycles
• Unplanned Obsolescence
• Wait, a New Technology
• Is It Reliable?

Differing Perspectives
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Teacher Centric Systems

• Pros
• Designed for Ease of Use (Teacher)
• Ease of Course Creation
• Standards Based
• Cons
• Teacher ? Designer (aka Zzzzzzzz Factor)
• One Size Does not Fit All
• How Do I Use this New Feature?

Differing Perspectives
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What is Your Objective?

• Time to Market? Engaging Design?
• Refresher Course? Advanced Technique?
• Self-motivated? Unmotivated?
• Teaching Tool? Teaching Vehicle? (Reliance)
• What is Our Own Skill Set?
• How Important is Consistency?
• ROI?
• Proving Its Worth

Differing Perspectives
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How Will This Content be Used?

• In a Conventional Classroom Setting?
• To Supplement and Replace Conventional Materials?
• Is the Instructor a Subject Matter Expert?
• Teaching Professional
• Synchronous?
• Is Your Audience Homogeneous?
• Goals
• Comfort with Technology
• Motivation

Learning Objectives
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What are Your Constraints?

• Time and Space?
• Classroom
• Schedule
• Financial and Human Resources?
• Limitations of the Audience?
• Corporate eLearning at a 5th Grade Level (LCD)
• Cultural Barriers
• State Bars
• Weve Always Done It This Way
• Real Culture Differences

Hold On a Second
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Multi-dimensional eLearning

• Engaging Experience
• Complex, but Scalable, Subject Matter
• Highly Reliant on eLearning
• Master Teachers, not SMEs
• Consistency of Opportunity and Results
• A Path of Varied Experiences
• Slightly Motivated
• Dont Fight the Learning

Our Perspective Today
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Multi-dimensional eLearning

• Stakeholder Approach
• Democratize Learning
• Distributed Resources
• Context of High School Science and Math
• Best of In Person and Web-based Education
• Participants are Engaged with the Learning

Our Perspective Today
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Four Environments for Learning

• Classroom
• Drives Current Education
• Referential
• Tutoring
• Large Group
• Each Has Strengths and Weaknesses

Student View
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Classroom - Small Group

• Our Eternal Frame of Reference
• Independent of Technology
• Teacher-led
• Ideally Less Than 20 Students
• Immediate
• Tied to Time and Space?
• After Hours Study

Student View
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Self Study Referential Learning

• Student Driven
• Highly Variable
• Reference Research
• Experimentation
• Labs
• Independent of Time and Place
• Working it Through

Student View
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Tutor One on One

• The Educators Dream
• Socratic Method
• Teacher Guided
• Live or Web-based
• Individualized
• Peer Aided?
• Learning from Our Forefathers

Student View
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Large Group Subject Matter

• Tying Students Together
• Subject Matter Focus, i.e. Chemistry 101
• Forum-based with Breakouts
• Independent of the Classroom
• Learning Support
• But Subject Matter Focused

Student View
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What the Student Sees

• Main panel for Video, Labs and Material
• Transcript Included
• Panels for Supplemental Material
• Glossary
• Web 2.0
• Forums
• Blogs
• Clouds/Tags

eLearning View
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Differentiated Instruction
Spy Shots
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Emphasis Changes Role

• Classroom Socrates
• Deeply Involved with Students
• Training Places Greater Emphasis on Pedagogy
• Personal Connection
• Allows for Special Subject Interests
• But Does Not Require Expertise
• Pace of Technology Change
• Experience Contributes

Teacher View
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Online As a Equal Partner

• Focus on Professional Teaching
• Our Very Best Teacher-Presenters
• Our Very Best Instructional Content
• Professional Production Values
• Available On-demand at Any Time or Place
• Self-Paced and Infinitely Repeatable
• Differentiated Instruction Built-in Multimedia
  Adaptable to Many Learning Styles

Teacher View
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Measuring the Class

• Who Likes Tests?
• Progress Metrics by Class and Student
• Time Spent by Defined Increments (Lessons?)
• Rate of Progress
• Students Showing Slow Progress
• Problem Lessons
• Mentor and Educator

Teacher View
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Increase Connections

• IM/Chat with Teacher
• IM/Chat with Online SME Tutor
• Help Desk for Teachers
• FAQs
• When Does the (School) Day End?

Teacher View
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Educations Stakeholders

• Student
• Teacher
• Parents
• Administration
• Community

Other Factors
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Greater Involvement, Less Effort

• No Waiting for Quarterly Grades
• Data Driven Help
• WSJ Article on EdLine
• StudyRails
• In Focus and On Task
• Fine Tuning Help

Parent View
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Great Involvement, Less Effort

• No Waiting for Quarterly Grades
• And Angry Parents
• Proactive Rather than Reactive
• Data Driven Help
• Quantifying Efforts and Results
• Balanced Scorecard?

Administration View
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Great Involvement, Less Effort

• Juniors vs. Seniors
• Rising Education Bill
• Focus on Value Rather than Cost
• No Child Will be Left Behind
• Less Emphasis on Standardized Tests?

Community View
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Lessons Learned

• Engaging Experience
• Using Each Dimension to Greatest Effect
• Master Teachers, not SMEs
• Professional Educators
• Consistency of Opportunity and Results
• A Path of Varied Experiences
• Measurable to Stakeholders
• Technology Critical
• Data Drives Results
• But Culture Must Change

Our Perspective Today
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Advancement

• What would be needed to demonstrate this concept?
• How would a demonstration be organized?
• How can culture change be obtained?

What Next?
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Thank You

• Stephen Henn
• shenn_at_smartpros.com
• Richard Thall
• rthall_at_grand-works.com

Crescat Scientia Vita Excolatur