Estimated reading time: 2 minutes, 9 seconds
I have just attended two sessions of #aln14 so far and I am soooo excited!
First one (attended late coz had tech issue in first 10 mins) was entitled “Taming the Tiger: Using A Cross-Functional Team to Re-engineer Online Course Design”.
Key takeaway for me applies directly to my context. Last time we gave a 3-week workshop for faculty who wanted to design blended courses, then spent loads of one-on-one time (more prodcutive). This time around, I was suggesting we do a pre-meeting w faculty FIRST then tailor trainings to their needs. This means if we have 6 faculty, maybe 4 need training on “online collaboration”, but only one needs on “ePortfolios” and so we’d do that one-on-one.
The presenters from Johns Hopkins reached same conclusion. Don’t start w big workshop. Start w faculty meeting instructional designer, streamline documentation done, and tailor prof dev.
Apparently, others in the virtual room agreed that this was a good approach. Because, really, different faculty have different needs. Language learning online is v diff from engineering or psychology. Then again, my uni, my context, is diff from everyone else who was in that room at #aln14 online. But the approach makes MORE sense and is more “learner-centered” (where learner is faculty member). I am a faculty developer but with PhD in education NOT instructional design. But i believe the approach in that session went onto ‘rapid prototyping’ which i need to read up on, but had heard of before. Reminds me also a bit of the Carpe Diem model which i need to read more on again. Ideally for me, after a pre-consult, we’d have the fac member work with an instructional designer, a tech person (which they did at this pres also), and a faculty mentor (more experienced – i like this idea too, if ppl r willing; they learn a lot from each other).
Ok…
Second session my kid wouldn’t let me stay the whole time, but i still enjoyed it a lot. Because the other key thing i learned was (again) the huge difference a good session chair can make for virtual participants. Heather was awesome from start to finish. Welcoming, involving me, letting me know what was going on, and we had our own side gossip session and our own small group discussion while f2f participants did the same 🙂
And then the highlight of my day was this tweet by Michael Berman (another #et4online organizing committee member):
@Bali_Maha @cljennings next time let’s crowdsource a campaign to buy you a plane ticket so we can see you in person!
— A. Michael Berman (@amichaelberman) October 29, 2014
Which he managed to top by this:
we can make it happen RT @Bali_Maha: @cljennings lol, i meant if someone has an extra babysitter in the US, i'll bring my kid n come 🙂
— A. Michael Berman (@amichaelberman) October 29, 2014
And this:
@Bali_Maha @cljennings #et4online seriously we will work our collective contacts and help you find a good solution – see you there
— A. Michael Berman (@amichaelberman) October 29, 2014
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@Bali_Maha @grandeped reading your post reminds me that I have not attended any #OLN conferences in a year. I miss it 🙂
@Bali_Maha @grandeped to me rapid prototyping seems just like traditional instructional design except you don’t expect to get it 100%
@Bali_Maha @grandeped 2/2 in the first couple of tries. Seems like a good approach to me. Do your due diligence with plans but keep iteratin