Research That Guides Practice: Designing Instruction for the Distant Learner or Equivalency Theory and the U-M-T

Approach Objectives: This session will explain: Equivalency theory and its impact on distant instruction The U. M. T. Approach to Course Design Basic Tools of the Teacher of Distant Learners Presentation at the Training 2004 Conference and Expo, Atlanta, GA by Michael Si monson, Program Professor, Nova Southeastern University, North Miami Beach, FL

Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction: Why Plan for Teaching at a Distance 2.0 Instructional Design 4 2.1 Goals and Objectives for Instruction 5 3.0 Best Practices for Course Design 6 4.0 Models for Online Course Design 15 4.1 Linear designed instruction 15 4.2 Branched designed instruction 16 4.3 Hypercontent designed instruction 16 4.4 Learner Directed Design 16 5.0 The Unit/Module/Topic Approach 17 5.1 Organizational Guidelines 17 5.2 Assessment Guidelines 17 5.3 Content Guidelines 18 5.4 Instruction/Teaching Guidelines 19 5.5 Operational definitions 19 5.5.1 Unit 19 5.5.2 Module 19 5.5.3 Topic 19 5.5.4 Learning Outcome 20 5.6 Recommended Personnel Guidelines 20 6.0 Summary 21 References 21 4

1.0 Introduction: Why Plan for Teaching at a Distance Just like other kinds of teaching, teaching at a distance requires planning and organizing. However, teaching at a distance, whether synchronous or asynchronous , requires that greater emphasis be placed on the initial planning phase. Instructional design should consider all aspects of the instructional environmen t, following a well-organized procedure that provides guidance to even the novic e distance instructor. The instructional environment should be viewed as a syste m, a relationship among and between all the components of that system the instructor , the learners, the material, and the technology. Especially when planning for d istance education, the instructor must make decisions that will affect all aspec ts of the system (Moore & Kearsley, 1996). This module presents an organized and systematic way to go about planning instru ction. This design process allows the instructor to consider elements such as th

e content, the nature of the learner, the process by which the learning will tak e place (methodology), and the means for assessing the learning experience. By f ollowing through with this process, the instructor will find that teaching at a distance is an exciting and dynamic experience, one that will be welcomed by bot h the instructor and the learners. 2.0 Instructional Design The process of systematic planning for instruction is the outcome of many years of research (Dick & Carey, 1996). An analysis of the application of this proces s indicates that when instruction is designed within a system, learning occurs. The process of instructional design is a field of study. Instructional design is considered the intellectual technique of the professional who is responsible fo r appropriate application of technology to the teaching and learning process. In other words, instructional design is to the instructional technologist as the r ule of law is to the lawyer, the prescription of medicine is to the medical doct or, and the scientific method is to the chemist a way of thinking and solving prob lems (Thompson, Hargrave & Simonson, 1996). Figure 1