Instructional Design

This week, I’m going to talk a bit about M-Learning. Why? Because it’s pretty popular – heck – I wouldn’t be surprised if my dog had a smartphone!

M-Learning – Say Whaaaat?

M-Learning (or Mobile Learning) refers to learning through means deployed by mobile devices. Really – it’s a pretty brilliant thing! In a world that is constantly on-the-go, what could be more convenient than being able to learn on the go? Mobile learning allows for this flexibility. With all of the devices (smartphones, laptops, tablets, MP3 players, digital books, etc.) learning has expanded its reach, and it’s up to us as Instructional Designers to work to develop solutions that are deployable through these devices. It’s a very exciting time!

One of my favourite aspects of M-Learning is the portability. I love that you can design training solutions or learning aids that professionals can take into the field and learn from on an need-to-know basis (similar to just-in-time training). Working within the Defence sector, I worked on many programs designed for aircraft maintenance technicians to be able to carry to the maintenance environment to consult during a procedure. Often these involved 3D demonstrations of part removal/installation. Alternatively, medics can use portable devices to access information as a sort of encyclopaedia, therefore M-Learning holds great capabilities – how many times can you say that something is capable of saving a life?!

You can also look at benefits of M-Learning from an efficiency standpoint. While mobile devices may be costly, it is a lot more cost efficient than having a school upgrade technology or purchase curriculum-based reading materials every other year. Our kids are growing up in a world where their backs no longer need to ache from carrying around all of the heavy books (I distinctly remember kicking myself in the butt for taking Biology, Physics, and Chemistry on the same day one semester…)!

I’m sold – are there really any limitations to M-Learning?

As with any technology-based approach to learning, there are limitations that range from the technology side of things (e.g. battery life) to the academic side of things (e.g. ensuring appropriate assessment and preparation for standardized testing) to the accessibility side of things (e.g. not everyone can afford or can access mobile devices). However, solutions are forthcoming! I read an article last week about a start-up organization who are launching public charging stations (free of charge!) – this would be fantastic in schools! There are many programs that provide mobile devices to students enrolled at academic institutions, and there are plenty of amazing instructional designers out there who are working hard to ensure students are being properly assessed.

In a digital age, it’s important to embrace changes in technology; now I’m not saying right away, but with proper research, I’m fairly certain you’ll understand that M-Learning is going to be a huge part of our future!

Helpful Resources

EDUCAUSE library of Mobile Learning resources

Why Mobile Learning is the Future of Workplace Learning

10 Mind-Blowing Mobile Learning Statistics

E-Learning Guild’s mLearnCon – Mobile Learning Conference and Expo

I have a little something in the works, and it will make a lot more sense (and application) once it’s revealed. Until then, it’s back to regular business. This week, I’ll be discussing the term ‘Instructional Strategy’, explaining a couple of variations, and providing a few reasons why it’s essential to understand the term in relation to your course development.

Instructional Strategy

Basically, an instructional strategy is an all-encompassing plan of attack for your course. It defines what will be taught and how that information will be taught. Essentially, the instructional strategy is the blueprint that drives your learners to achieve the performance objectives (more on that in the coming weeks) you have defined.

Instructional strategies are typically selected based upon the type of learning that needs to occur. One person may take a philosophical approach (e.g. learning based exposure to the environment) while another chooses an instructional strategy based on the type of learning (e.g. verbal information needs to be conveyed meaningfully in order to enhance retention). In the end, it all comes down to personal preference and most folks learn as they go.

Alright…sounds simple enough, but why is it so important?

The instructional strategy is important because it is used to conceptualize and lay out the course before getting bogged down in the design and development (it’s quite costly to fly by the seat of your pants in those phases). Without a clear instructional strategy, you will be doomed to make some costly mistakes later on down the line. Furthermore, failing to develop an instructional strategy will open up your work to further interpretation by clients, potentially increasing revision cycles (time is money).

Two types to consider:

A macro-instructional strategy provides an overall blueprint for a larger learning experience (e.g. an entire course), whereas a micro-instructional strategy dictates each part of the learning experience (from the course to the module to the unit to the lesson, etc.). If you’re looking for a cover-your-butt type of instructional strategy, the kind that doesn’t come back to haunt you in the end, the micro-instructional strategy is the way to go. Think about how annoying you feel when someone else is micro-managing you. Well – there’s good reason (sometimes), and that’s because the want to dictate each and every little thing…annoying for many occupations, but as an Instructional Designer, it really just protects you in the end.

This week, I was inspired to write about Learning Management Systems (LMS’) after experiencing several frustrating days lodging support tickets with a client’s LMS of choice (well – with the folks in charge of support; I doubt very much the LMS would have been able to respond to my queries, especially once they became a bit more emotionally charged). I was explaining my frustration to a friend, who was perplexed by the acronym, so I decided that 1 – I was being ignorant, assuming that everyone was privy to its meaning, and 2 – that it would be a good term to define on this week’s edition of Terminology Tuesday!

So, “What is an LMS?,” you ask.

Ryan K. Ellis defines an LMS as “a software application that automates administration, tracking, and reporting of training events.” (2009) While this definition is quite broad, it does the trick at describing the basic functions of an LMS. Basically, an LMS is where individuals may house and deliver their training materials (administration), track student progress (or even the progress of courses in development), and generate reports (varying from storyboards to student progress to student achievement). It really depends on how robust the LMS is, because all LMS’ are not one in the same. While they may all serve similar functions, there’s a market, and organizations developing these LMS’ want to stand out from their competition, so there is usually some variation from LMS to LMS.

Alright. It sounds like I need to get me one of them LMS’; how do I decide?

Choosing an LMS is like choosing the type of underwear you prefer – it’s really about preference, what meets your individual needs, and what you’re most comfortable with. There are many variables to consider when selecting an LMS, and I could talk your ear off for hours, so for now I’ll just narrow it down to a few guiding questions you should ask yourself:

1. What is your budget? There are several reliable open-source options (Moodle, for example), which are free. But free comes with it’s own limitations. Moodle has been around for many moons, so there is a fairly large support community in place and a lot of equally free plugins to leverage the LMS’ out-of-the-box capabilities. If you’ve got some cash to spend on the infrastructure, you can choose between smaller or larger scale LMS’ – you also have the option to select an LMS on a per-user type of pricing model (e.g. many post-secondary institutions use the per-user pricing model because it turns out to be more cost-effective than spending say 100,000+ on a large enterprise priced model (which are often used by larger organizations like the Department of National Defence or other government entities).
2. What do you need from your LMS? Do you need an LMS that is easy to set up and more or less idiot proof? Do you need one with robust reporting capabilities? Do you need one that will allow you to easily control access to courses? Do you need one that can handle a large volume of students?

Ahhhh! I’m Overwhelmed – Help!

Take a deep breath. Inhale. Exhale. LMS’ are like any other technology – when it’s new to you, it can seem overwhelming to make a decision, but there are plenty of resources out there to help you out. Here are a few:

1. Five Steps to Evaluate and Select an LMS: Proven Practices – Learning Solutions Magazine
2. Choosing a Learning Management System – TrainingForce
3. How to Choose the Right Learning Management System – Edweek

Alternatively, I am happy to provide consultation services, should the need arise. If you’re interested – hop on over to my contact form and send me your queries!