This will probable be my last post for a while ....

Critical reflection on the development of an e-Learning intervention

I have managed to almost finish the written part of the first part of this assignment I have used storyboarding and PowerPoint in the design and development phase of the ADDIE model.
Based on this, I have created a clinical teaching e-learning event using the VTS interactive e-learning tool. I have read numerous suggestions on bloggs such as “The e-Learningcoach ( available at http://thelearningcoach.com), and have explored tools such as iSpring, Moodle and in a lot of detail, the VTS interactive e-learning tool. With some help I have created and used a blogg, discovered what RSS feeds mean and used “Google Reader” to keep me up-to-date with activities on bloggs I followed. In short I have learned so much in the past week, and may I say, I have barely scratched the surface of what is out there.

Once you enter the world of e-Learning it is an amazing journey. It is also a journey that never reaches a destination. What is new technology today is old news tomorrow. The never ending pool of new developments, new applications, and new search engines just keeps on spiraling. It will consume your life if you do not manage it. It will make you forget you have family and friends, and it will make you forget to live. The trick is, as with all things in life, to find a balance between what is out there and what is here and now.

As was discussed at the recent SAAHE conference, the concept of open source or open access to information is not out there in the future, it is very much here and now. Neil Burcher delivered a key note address on the topic of open education resource (OER) (available at : http://www.oerafrica.org). What struck me most of his presentation was his comment that if universities do not become involved in open access resources, they will find themselves at a disadvantage. Across the globe universities are exploring the possibilities of OER. In the UK a university called The Open Resource University (OU) is a university dedicated to distance learning. They have around 150,000 undergraduate and more than 30,000 postgraduate students. 10,000 of their students have disabilities. The Open University's style of teaching is called supported open learning.

Littlejohn et al (2006) in an article called “Characterizing effective eLearning resources” discusses the key characteristics of learning resources that have proved effective in changing learning and teaching. They have identified twelve key characteristics shown to be effective learning resources. These are:
Materials can be easily sourced
The resources are durable and maintained
The resources have a degree of quality assurance
The resources are free from legal restrictions
The resources are available at an appropriate cost
The resources are in formats that are accessible and ubiquitous within the community
The resources are in media that present intelligible representations in terms of language
The resources are easily repurposed
Resources should be sufficiently small to be reusable, but large enough to ensure that tutors do not have to spend time aggregating large numbers of resources
Resources should be presentable in a context that is meaningful for the user
Resources should engage the learner
Resources should be reusable in a range of educational models or learning designs

I am in favor of OER as it will allow educators across the globe to freely exchange learning material, and it will allow students to freely access and benefit from its use. Perhaps in Africa it is time that we start sharing our knowledge instead of keeping it guarded to benefit a privileged few.

A little reflection....

Hallo my fellow students 5/8/2009 11:59 pm

The past two weeks have been most challenging to me. I have really battled with the technology and have had many frustrating evenings trying to figure out how the e-learning tools work. I have used VTS as was shown by Debbie early in the year. I must say, although it is an easy tool to use for those experienced with the software, for me it was and still is a challenge. It took me close on four evenings, 4 hours each, just to make sense of it. I have kind of gotten the nack of it, but am still struggling with some quality issues, especially where pictures are concerned. The smaller the picture the poorer the quality; labels become imposable to read which renders the application useless.

A few tips if I may:
Do your presentation in power point beforehand
Include all the data, pictures, sound and video clips you will need in the above presentation
You will have to populate the object pool in VTS with everything you will insert, per page
Chunks of data will have to be broken down in manageable bits, so get to know the space you have available per page in VTS
The word processing in VTS is very limited. Do all your text adjustments before you import into VTS.
There is one font only. You cannot change the text size.
Do not overcrowd the space. The pages become full very soon. Distill your content to the absolute facts.


In the object pool you would import all your data. Once you have composed your pages, you can adjust the size of images in the object pool. It will then automatically adjust to the new settings in the composer section. In preview you can view your presentation and make the necessary changes. Remember if the text chunk is too big, you will have to delete that chunk, select a smaller piece of data in power point and import and label the smaller sections. You cannot manipulate chunks of data in VTS.

As you can see, this is page 1. The section tabs appear at the top, and the page scroll buttons at the bottom. The “G” is a glossary for terminology, which help save space in the text.. Here you can insert a nice funky piece of music to set the mood. The program allows you only one sound clip per page.

You can insert test questions. Only true or false answers can be selected. You will therefore have to be very innovative with your questions if you would like to encourage deep learning.
If a wrong answer was given, the student is refered back to the text. Unfortunately no feedback can be given to the student as to why an answer is wrong

I have run out of space and time. I will tell you more at a later stage if time allows.
Signing off
Estelle

Making some progress...

Hallo to my fellow students

These past weeks have been most trying for me. I have realy battled with the learning module I have tried to create using the VTS interactive learning tool. It took me about a week just to understand how the tool works and where and how I must insert the learning material. The idea with the module is to export it unto a CD which students can borrow and warch at their leasure before an OSCE or clinical training event.

Let us be gratefull ......

Yesterday was my eldest son's 17th birthday. I look at him and wonder where time went. Just the other day he was a chubby todler playing with his plastic lawnmower..... He has grown into a tall 1.7 meter young man. I feel priveledged to see him grow up and become the man he will soon be. Let us be grateful to people who make us happy and thankfull for the grace to enjoy our children.