Designing Instruction for Web-Based Distance Learning

Introduction

Overview
Our audience
Our goals
Using this site
    What you need to know
    Browsers, networks, plug-ins
    External links

Unit I: Beyond the Classroom -- Introducing the Online Medium
    The Web as an Educational Tool
    Six Questions for This Unit

Session 1: What Is Distance Education?
Introduction
    Defining Distance Education
    Your Own Distance Learning Experience
Varieties of Online Resources
Their Common Characteristic: Separation
Compensating for Separation through Instructional Design
    Strategy 1: Build a Channel into Your Design
    Strategy 2: Anticipate and Respond to the Underlying Need
Activities
    Activity 1: What's Out There?
    Activity 2: How Do Sites Bridge the Gap?

Session 2: Why Is Local Context Important?
Introduction
School, Work or Home?
Technology concerns
    At School...
    At Work...
    At Home...
    The Bottom Line
The Social Context
    In Elementary Schools...
    In High Schools...
    In Middle Schools...
Activities
    Activity 3: How Did Your Sites Deal with Local Context?
    Activity 4: Your Own Project Begins

Session 3: Moving from Face-to-Face to Online Instruction
Introduction
The Events of Instruction
    Setting the Stage
        Gaining Their Attention
        Creating Expectancy
        Always Be Thinking: "Who is the audience?"
    Building on What They Know
        Stimulating Recall of Prior Knowledge
    Teaching the New Material
    Feedback and Assessment
        Feedback
        Assessment
    Practice Makes Perfect
Playing to the Strengths of the Online Medium
    Use It for What It's Good for
    Focus on Benefits, not Barriers
Accessibility Issues
Activities
    Activity 5: The Events of Instruction in Your Own Classroom
    Activity 6: Spotting the Events of Instruction in Other Online Resources
    Activity 7: Making Your Lesson Happen Online

Session 4: A Teacher's Hidden Work: Managing Online Instruction
Introduction
Monitoring Student Performance
Documenting Student Achievement
Materials Distribution
    Copyright
    "Educational Purposes"
    Security and Privacy
Activities
    Activity 8: The Role of Assessment in Your Current Practice
    Activity 9: Keeping Track of Progress in Online Learning
    Activity 10: Distributing Learning Materials

Session 5: External Policy Issues
Introduction
Access Control at the Receiving End
    Blocking Software
    Appropriate Use Policies
Online Culture and Netiquette
Activities
    Activity 11: Privacy and Security in the Face-to-Face Classroom
    Activity 12: Identify Strategies that Other Online Resources Use to Protect User Privacy and Preserve Security

Session 6: Your Own Distance Learning Experience
Introduction
Activities
    Activity 13: Your Own Experience as a Distance Learner
    Activity 14: Memo to the Designers

Unit II: Producing for Net-Based Learning

Session 7: Organizing Your Content
Introduction
What Objectives Are -- and Aren't
    What They Are
    What They Aren't
What Do Your Learners Need to Know?
Sequencing Instructional Materials
    Using a "Natural Order"
    Using a Hierarchy of Behaviors
Activities
    Activity 15: Organizing Your Resource
    Activity 16: Making a Content List
    Activity 17: Pathways to Mastery

Session 8: Presentation/interaction Formats
Introduction
Presentation Tools
    HTML
    Graphic Elements
        Static Graphics
        Simple Animations
    Audio Elements
    Embedded Multimedia
        Advanced Animation
        Video
        Virtual Reality
Interaction tools
    Synchronous Interaction
        Text-based chat
        Video Conferencing
        MUDs, MOOs and MUSEs
    Asynchronous interaction
        Email
        Mailing Lists
        Newsgroups
        Web Boards
    Maintaining the Learning Community
Activities
    Activity 18: Neat Things You've Found Online
    Activity 19: Technology's Role in Your Online Resource
    Activity 20: Identifying Real Possibilities

Session 9: Production tools
Introduction
HTML Editors
    "From Scratch" Editors
    Page Generators
    Hybrids Offer Comprehensive Support
    A Cautionary Note about Navigator Gold, a Combination Browser-Editor
Visual Elements
    Production Tips and Tutorials
    Graphics Software
    Simple Animation
    Graphics in the Public Domain
Audio Elements
    Production Tips and Tutorials
    Sound Capture and Editing Software
    Formatting Sound For the Web
    Sound and Music Files to Download
Multimedia and Virtual Reality
    Production Tips and Tutorials
    Authoring Tools
Scripting and Programming
Activities
    Activity 21: Memo to Potential Supporters

Session 10: Providing unique learning experiences
Introduction
    Hubble Space Telescope Observations
    Telerobotics
    Virtual Dissection
    CoVIS Data Visualization Tools
Activities
    Activity 22: Wildest Dreams for Your Online Resource

Session 11: Your project plan
Introduction
Activities
    Activity 23: Your Project Plan
    Activity 24: Help Us Improve this Resource