Emerging Trends In Distance Learning and Instructional Design

EDID 6506 C.B-W

The integration of Open Educational Resources as

core components of Distance Learning

EDID 6506 C.B-W

UNESCO (2012) describes Open

Educational Resources as ‘teaching,

learning or research materials that are

in the public domain or released with

an intellectual property license that

allows for free use, adaptation and

distribution’. This is important

because OER ‘provide a strategic

opportunity to improve the quality of

education’ (UNESCO, 2012) globally.

Crosslingual translation in real time.

This particular resource is important for instructional design professionals because it allows for collaboration across boundaries. The specific boundary here is a linguistic one. There will no longer be the need for a common language since professionals can now collaborate, design and learn from each other irrespective of their linguistic background.

EDID 6506 C.B-W

Microsoft Research (2014)

points out that ‘There have

been many attempts over the

years, several within

Microsoft Research, to

demonstrate such aspects of

translating human speech.

But delivering something

that is usable in real life, to

fit the voice and utterances of

many different users and the

nuances of different

languages’ is a trend that

opens the gates to enriching

experiences in the fields of

Distance Learning and

Instructional Design.

Cloud based authoring Pappas (2013) indicates that

‘More and more eLearning tools are migrating to the cloud’. Pappas (2013) also points out that this situation relieves developers of concerns regarding ‘IT configurations, software set-ups and licenses’. This fact proves to be particularly important for the field of instructional design since such sites provide a variety of options for instructional designers and subject matter experts in areas as diverse as ‘textbook’ publishing, courses that are designed using interfaces that are affordable and easy to use.

EDID 6506 C.B-W

Cloud Computing as a necessary tool for Distance

Learning

This trend will be of

particular value to those

involved in planning,

designing and

implementing courses for

distance learners.

Jalgoankar and Kanojia

(2014) point out that it

provides support in terms

of cost, continuous access

to infrastructure and

content alongside offline

usage and synchronization

opportunities (p. 18).EDID 6506 C.B-W

Personal Learning Networks

EDID 6506 C.B-W

Personal Learning Networks

EDID 6506 C.B-W

Personal Learning Network will become an integral part of the learning

process for students. Instructional designers using the principles of

connectivism proposed by Siemens and Downes to design courses that

allow for students to expand their knowledge and skills through

interaction with others. At present courses require group work which

allow for this to some degree but there will be deliberated efforts in

course conceptualization and implementation to make the creation/

establishment of networks a core component of learning. Bull (2013)

points out that ‘This resonates with the experience of many in this

digital and information age, as we often find that our connections with

others is what enables us to work and flourish’. Added to this woulbe

the application of some principles of problem based learning which

would require the expertise of others in related fields and thus the need

to connect with them.

Data Driven Learning and Assessment.

EDID 6506 C.B-W

New Media Consortium (2014) producers of the Horizon

Report lists this as an emerging trend that will drive changes

in education especially higher education over the next three to

five years. The authors indicate that learning analytics will

drive improvement in teaching and learning ‘at the course

and institutional levels’ (p.12) as students and teachers

‘generate more and more data’ (ibid.). Instructional designers

and subject matter experts will be able to use the data

generated to engineer more personalized learning experience

through the use of statistical data and data mining tools.

Students as Creators

The New Media Consortium (2014) lists this as an emerging trend that will change the face of education in the next three to five years. The NMC notes that ‘a shift is taking place in terms of pedagogical practice…where students across a wide variety of disciplines are learning by making and creating rather than from the simple consumption of content’ (p. 14). This will be of particular value to the area of instructional design since professionals will now be required to design courses that facilitate the creative process so that students ‘can learn and create together integrating content and product centred activities as part of their instruction’ (ibid.)

EDID 6506 C.B-W

SMOOCs All MOOCs incorporate

principles of autonomy, self-directed learning and to some degree a level of openness and connectedness. MOOCS according to Wenger (2012) have led to disconnected students who often do not make it to midterm. SMOOCs on the other hand will solve this problem by dint of its size and the ‘return’ to greater student facilitator interaction especially through the implementation of synchronous sessions at determined intervals (NMC, pp.19).

EDID 6506 C.B-W

Micro-Learning.

This trend will grow take off in coming years and will become a feature of Distance Learning Courses or an element of the new pedagogy for Distance Learning. Instructional designers in this milieu will be required to create micro-learning objects that motivates students to apply what they have learned, in order to build accurate mental models that will support learners in the process of retrieving information (Thalheimer, 2014). Thalheimer (2014) also proposes that micro-learning objects ‘provided the learners with retrieval practice, aligned with meaningful performance contexts, and spaced repetitions of realistic practice over time’

EDID 6506 C.B-W

Badges in Distance Learning.

Digital badges will prove to be an integral part of distance learning in the age of flexible pedagogy. They will contribute to student motivation and instructional designers and subject matter experts Pagowsky (2014) asserts that badges can be ‘tied to learning outcomes or standards’ which in itself will reinforce criterion referenced assessments.

EDID 6506 C.B-W

References

Bull, B. (2013). Helping Students Develop Personal Learning Networks. Retrieved from:

http://etale.org/main/2013/11/22/helping-students-develop-personal-learning-networks/

Edutopia (2014). Open Educational Resources (OER): Resource Roundup. Retrieved from:

http://www.edutopia.org/open-educational-resources-guide

Jalgaonkar, M. and Kanojia, A. (2013). Adoption of Cloud Computing in Distance Learning in International Journal

of Advanced Trends in Computer Science and Engineering, Vol.2, No.1, pp. 17 – 20.

New Media Consortium (2014). Horizon Report 2014 Higher Education Report. Retrieved from:

http://cdn.nmc.org/media/2014-nmc-horizon-report-he-EN-SC.pdf

Microsoft Research (2014). Enabling Cross Lingual Conversations in Real Time. Retrieved from:

http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/news/features/translator-052714.aspx

Pagowsky, N. (2014). Keeping Up With … Digital Badges for Instruction. Retrieved from:

http://www.ala.org/acrl/publications/keeping_up_with/digital_badges

Pappas, C. (2013). The Ultimate List of Cloud – Based Authoring Tools. Retrieved from:

http://elearningindustry.com/the-ultimate-list-of-cloud-based-authoring-tools

Portolese Dias, L. (2014). Congress, Tech Have Their Eyes on Rethinking the Textbook — And Educators Should

Too. Retrieved from: http://www.wired.com/2014/10/rethinking-the-textbook/

Thalheimer, W. (2014). Micro – Learning Simulation Cases to Augment Classroom Learning. Retrieved from:

http://www.subscriptionlearning.com/2014/03/micro-learning-simulation-cases-to-augment-classroom-learning.html

UNESCO (2012). Open Educational Resources. Retrieved from: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-

and-information/access-to-knowledge/open-educational-resources/

Wenger, J. (2012). MOOCs SMOOCs: What’s So Disruptive about a Massive Class.? Retrieved from:

http://johnwegnerblog.wordpress.com/2012/10/16/moocs-smoocs-whats-so-disruptive-about-a-massive-class/EDID 6506 C.B-W