Section 7: New Directions in Instructional Design and Technology

1. Distributed or e-Learning Environments

In Chapter 28, Distributed Learning is defined as any educational or training experience that uses a variety of means, including technology, to enable learning. Distributed Learning includes, but not limited to, distance learning and online learning.
I am a big fan of e-Learning. I always have dreamed to build a Online Learning system that would help my students during their learning process. After I read this chapter, I made a research and found a lot of Learning Management Systems(LMS). I found that Moodle is very good LMS, and it is open source.  It is very popular among educators around the world as a tool for creating online dynamic web sites for their students.

So What is Moodle?The focus of the Moodle project is always on giving educators the best tools to manage and promote learning, but there are many ways to use Moodle:

• Moodle has features that allow it to scale to very large deployments and hundreds of thousands of students, yet it can also be used for a primary school or an education hobbyist.
• Many institutions use it as their platform to conduct fully online courses, while some use it simply to augment face-to-face courses (known as blended learning).
• Many of its users love to use the activity modules (such as forums, databases and wikis) to build richly collaborative communities of learning around their subject matter (in the social constructionist tradition), while others prefer to use Moodle as a way to deliver content to students and assess learning using assignments or quizzes.

It is very useful LMS, and I will talk to my administrators to build a LMS like Moodle for our school district. After we install this, teachers will be able to upload lectures/visuals/videos/audio to system, and assess students performance. There are some simple and obvious benefits for students:

• Students can find out homework assignments from home. Does not matter if they forget their books.
• Students can submit their assignments online. Cannot forget and leave them at home. Teacher don't have to carry big piles of books.
• Teachers can set up automatically graded tests. Less time doing routine marking. more time to focus on teaching.
• Teachers can create collaborative online activities.
• Some students are more confident contributing in writing online then face to face in a classroom. Give more students a chance to shine.

2. Reusable Design or Learning Objects

I really liked reading this chapter about reusability. In the book, the author defines reusability as “the ability to use the same resource multiple times in multiple ways and in multiple contexts”. Designers and developers save time and money by reusing the existing content rather than redeveloping it. Four questions need to be answered "yes" if we consider it reusable. Can I find it? May I use it? Will it work? Can I use it in a way that works for me? One example could be that: I am planning to install Learning Management System(LMS) for our school. I will use Moodle to create an online learning environment. I will post the content of the subject (text, pictures, figures, videos, etc.), and then there will be quizzes to assess students' performance. This LMS will be used multiple times by other students as well.
Another example to reusability; We are implementing Accelerated Reading/Math and Study Island systems in our school. Students take practice tests, quizzes, test to assess and enhance their reading/math knowledge.

3. Rich Media

The authors define rich media as learning products that incorporate high-end media such as video, animation, sound, and simulation. Rich media has been used in many classrooms today. Especially Computer teachers use them a lot. I am using rich media a lot in my classes. I would like to highlight one of rich media here. It is GoAnimate.

GoAnimate logo from GoAnimate.com

GoAnimate is do-it-yourself animated video website.They enable anyone and everyone to create animation videos quickly and easily. You can literally sit down at your computer and produce a professional-looking animation video from scratch without having to draw or operate a camera. I used to create animation videos at the beginning of the school year. I used GoAnimate to create animation about computer lab rules, procedures etc. 

Prezi logo from prezi.com

Another example rich media tool is Prezi. Prezi is a presentation tool that helps you organize and share your ideas without Powerpoint.

Animoto Logo from animoto.com

I also use Animoto to create videos easily and freely. It turn video clips, pictures, musics, and text to video. My students love to watch animoto videos when I make videos with their snapshots of their assignments.

Image courtesy of tagxedo.com

Another example of rich media that I am using is Tagxedo. It is like Wordle but a step farther as text can be used to build bigger images.

The author included a study that shows visuals and audio can improve learning. To make the visuals and audio more effective in rich media, I understand that I must use relevant visuals and audio to illustrate content. The author also mentioned that if we minimize unnecessary and irrelevant visuals, text, and audio, learning will be better.

4. Emerging Instructional Technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, Cybernetics, Web 2.0, Virtual Worlds, Electronic Games, etc

In last chapter, the author discussed about three emerging instructionally relevant technology areas that will have a profound influence on the field of instructional systems in future:

1. The proliferation of object-oriented distributed learning environments
2. The use of artificial intelligence applications
3. The expanded effect of cognitive science and neuroscience

I think using artificial intelligence applications will be more popular in near future. I see how my students design/develop/program a robot to accomplish missions in my Robotics club. They are so lucky to be in that club, because I believe that Robotics/AI will be very important in future. As we've seen in movies, people will be replaced with robots in many risky areas, especially in army. That's why I am willingly and voluntarily coaching Robotics team in my school. 

As authors mentioned, twenty years ago nobody imagined that computer networking would have such as profound influence on the field of IDT. Technology is evolving very fast over the time, and new technologies are introduced day after day. I can't imagine what will be, and what new technologies/tools will be introduced in next twenty years. As I mentioned above, Web2.0 is very effective tool in my instructions.

It was very interesting to read part of the chapter about Cybernetics and Nanotechnology. I believe it will be amazing to control computers directly from our nervous systems. I heard that Nokia Research Center (NRC) and the University of Cambridge (UK) have teamed up to create a phone called "Morph". Morph is a concept that demonstrates how future mobile devices might be stretchable and flexible, allowing the user to transform their mobile device into radically different shapes.

Left: tablet mode; middle: phone mode; right: wearable mode (Source: Nokia)

It demonstrates the ultimate functionality that nanotechnology might be capable of delivering: flexible materials, transparent electronics and self-cleaning surfaces.

I would like to highlight a virtual world application for Education called "Edusim ". Edusim is a 3D multi-user virtual world platform and authoring toolkit intended for your classroom interactive whiteboard (but equally powerful on the students laptop or desktop computers !).Edusim is extendable allowing multiple classrooms
to connect their interactive whiteboards for collaborative learning session.
It appears to me to be worthy of serious consideration.

Lastly, I would like to talk about something that off-topic.

My heart was broken by hearing the tragic shooting incident in Newtown, Connecticut today :'( The majority of the victims were little bodies, young minds who were preparing for the great moments and milestones of their lifes. This horrible moment of our memories should remind us the importance of our role and mission in our communities which is not only to raise academically successful generations but also to raise responsible, productive citizens.

My thoughts and prayers go out the victims of today's tragic event and to their families.

Education is the key for better life, better people, better world so we all play very critical role for the future of our community, nation and the entire world.