Professional Documents
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Definition
Instructional design of web based distance education courses is written
about frequently, partly due to the focus on instructional design in distance
education course development. In a print-based distance education context,
the course is designed prior to the beginning of the course and its form is
fixed during the time the course is offered. Revisions of course material are
difficult to make because changes often result in the reprinting of large
portions of the course so occur infrequently. In web-based distance
education, there is a similar emphasis on course design prior to the course
offering, although revisions are easier to make than in print-based course
modules. As well, instructor-student interaction can be built into web-based
course development, increasing the instructor’s opportunities to assist
students in completing the course.
Program Development
The development of web-based courses raises issues that apply to program
level decision-making. Meyen, Lian et al. (1998) summarize several
important issues that should be addressed during course development:
Course Design
An important part of course design is identifying the purpose of each
module, its primary audience and the expectations for learner outcomes and
experiences. Also, it is important to identify the kind of collaboration,
interaction and communication required, including how students will access
the instructor. (Duin, 1998). Equally important is assessing the target
audience for the course and ensuring that the course delivery method does
not prevent students from participating in the course. Another consideration
is to identify the origin of the material and the copyright/use issues
associated with it. (Duin, 1998).
In a traditional course you can assess student perceptions, but the other
evidence is in the form of the syllabi, exams, and supplemental resources. In
online instruction, however, even the interaction in the form of e-mail is
potentially available for review, as are the frequency and quality of faculty
responses to inquiries from students. The question then becomes whether
teachers of online instruction will be subjected to more rigorous evaluation
than instructors of traditional courses because their instruction is public and
all aspects of online teaching are accessible. (Meyen, et al., 1998, p. 53).
References