The title of my post this week is the same as the chapter we read for class. It is time again to put together a group presentation and this time, we aren't quite as organized as we were last time...but then, I think we are more comfortable as a team and with our expectations of what must be accomplished for the allotted time.
There were some fabulous quotes in the text this week. My favorite was:
"Imitating paper on a computer screen is like tearing the wings off a 747 and using it as a bus on the highway." (Ted Nelson, 1999)
I think my initial inclination when starting a new assignment for this class is to outline the class in ppt slides - like a presentation. But then I stop and think about what needs to change to make this relevant for the learners I'll be speaking to. I suppose that would be the same for an instructor led training (ILT) (face-to-face) class as well (e.g. where to incorporate exercises)...but consideration of the different environment does mean simply not translating an ILT class to online. This chapter had very useful points on what needs to be considered (generational cohorts, concept mapping/storyboards, learning styles, teacher styles and especially packaging).
Another quote I liked was, "Designers must do two seemingly contradictory things at the same time: They must design for perfection, and they must design as though errors are inevitable. And they must do the second without compromising the first." (Bob Colwell 2002)
As we all have experienced...errors - and particularly technical issues - make it difficult to design for perfection. It's also hard to make the perfect presentation, because there are so many variables in the audience (as mentioned above - learning styles, generational cohorts - to name a couple). As noted in the text, you must incorporate many different approaches and some will have more impact on your audience than others...so it'll never be perfect, unless you have an audience of clones.
At the end of the chapter there are a list of several other quotes. I feel that the quote "The most powerful designs are always the result of a continuous process of simplification and refinement." (Kevin Mullet & Darrel Sano 1995). I definitely prefer simple and strive for this...but it does take many iterations for me to get to a point where I'm satisfied. I'm already slow at building online learning, so going the extra steps to simplify often takes more time than I have. But I try to do at least one or two passes on simplification.
"Tell me, and I'll forget. Show me, and I may remember. Involve me, and I'll understand." (Chinese proverb). I love this quote as participation is my learning style. But, student involvement is definitely a key for both ILT and especially online as the teacher doesn't have the body language in which to determine if students are listening and learning.
And...I'll leave you with one more which I found an AMAZING vision..."Someday, in the distant future, our grandchildren's grandchildren will develop a new equivalent of our classrooms. They will spend many hours in front of boxes with fires glowing within. May they have the wisdom to know the difference between light and knowledge." (Plato)
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Love the Colwell quote- even when you think you're practiced and well rehearsed something is bound to disrupt the flow or make things more interesting. Regarding your rxn to the Nelson quote, I've been so concerned with the presenting tools themselves that I put far less weight on the factors that are definitely at play in the ILT courses. Funny, but I stopped thinking as much about learning styles and generational gaps because 1) those who can actually sign on are OK by me (this step usually weeds out the people who struggle in my systems-focused ILT) and 2) since I can't see anyone I'm less in tune with who is 'checking out' who needs more attention, etc. Definitely going to have to balance this out in future courses, as it is too important to slip through the cracks.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!!
~shayna
Laura, I think simplification and refinement is key to the design process. One of my professional mentors once told me "A project isn't at its best when you can't add anything else to it, it is at its best when you can't take anything away from it.
ReplyDeleteThe lack of organization in the beginning was stressful. I think the most crucial lapse was communication gaps. In the future I would use more forums or wikis to keep communication flowing more freely when we are unable to meet in real time.
-Ben