Asynchronous Training
In an effort to improve its poor safety record, a biodiesel manufacturing plant needs a series of safety training modules. These stand-alone modules must illustrate best practices on how to safely operate the many pieces of heavy machinery on the plant floor. The modules should involve step-by-step processes and the method of delivery needs to be available to all shifts at the plant. As well, the shift supervisors want to be sure the employees are engaged and can demonstrate their learning from the modules.
In order to improve the poor safety record at the biodiesel plant, I would suggest using a series of safety training video module. The videos will demonstrate to the employees step-by-step processes of on the job safety. These videos will be accessible to all employees working on all the various shifts at the biodiesel manufacturing plant. The videos can be placed on the company website or they can be recorded to DVDs.
Videos are a form of prerecorded media. They are essentially a single idea that can be explained with audio and/or pictures (Simonson et al, 2009). I decided to use video module because they can be stored and accessed from anywhere. To keep the employees alert and focused, each safety concept will be broken up into separate learning objects (Simonson et al, 2009). The videos modules will be will be about 3 to 10 minutes in length. To make sure that the employees are engaged and learning, the modules will a short quiz at the end of the video. If the employees are successful in answering the questions correctly, they can then move on to the next module. The video modules will also take advantage of Dale’s cone of experience (Simonson et al, 2009). The video modules fall in the observation section of the cone. The modules are geared towards adult learners, therefore adults are able to deal with more abstract content because they already have the related experience (Simonson, 2009).
Online training videos have been used by many companies for years now. Some successful examples are Fusion Shell Greeter Promo and SafetyCare Office Safety Video
Resources
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.
Fusion Greeter training http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GYnh0swVxA
SafetyCare Office Safety Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23IlZMEZnNk
Monday, November 22, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
Distance Learning Defined
Before starting this course, my understanding and personal definition of distance learning involved someone taking a course or class online. I am not a stranger to distance learning, having taken my first online class in undergrad back in 2001. It was definitely a lesson in time management for me. I enjoyed the course that summer. It was different. My experience taking that course back then is what prompted me to consider enrolling in online degree program.
After watching the video Distance Learning: The Next Generation with Dr. Michael Simonson, I learned that my definition of distance learning was too broad. My definition wasn’t wrong, it was just not as detailed. Dr. Simonson explained distance learning as “formal education in which the learning groups are separated by geography and sometimes time.” The groups in this case refer to the teachers, students, and resources (i.e. content). The definition is further expanded by breaking it up into four components; institutionally based, separation of teacher and student, interactive telecommunications, and the sharing of data, voice, and video (Simonson et al, 2009).
Also this week I have learned that distance learning has been around since the 1800’s. Viewing the “Distance Learning Timeline Continuum”, I learned that distance learning first began with correspondence study. This is where an ad was place in the newspaper for an educational opportunity and students and teachers would correspond with each other through the mail. Which I guess makes since because of the lack of advanced technology back then, they only had the mail system. The original target of distance learning programs was adults with prior commitments such as social, work, or family related (Simon et al, 2009). This fact holds true even today. I was fascinating to see how far distance learning had come over the past century. I just never thought of distance learning being anything more than digital. In addition to correspondence study, there was also electronic communications and distance teaching universities.
In the future, I see distance learning becoming more common place in our society. I am siding with Simonson’s view, in which he states that distance learning “will grow significantly, but won’t replace traditional schools.” Adding to this is Rogers’s diffusion of innovation theory, which simply is predicting the growth and patterns of new ideas and technology. Simonson (2010) goes on to say that distance learning is already passed the promotion stage and is in the nurturing stage.
Overall, I’ve taken in a tremendous amount of new information regarding distance learning. This past week’s lesson had given me a whole new outlook. Distance learning is more than just being digital. There is a lot of history and theory behind it. After this week, I am learning that I am just getting stated.
Here is my mind map below.
References
"Distance Learning Timeline Continuum" Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com
Simonson, M. (2010). Distance Learning: The Next Generation. [Video].Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.
After watching the video Distance Learning: The Next Generation with Dr. Michael Simonson, I learned that my definition of distance learning was too broad. My definition wasn’t wrong, it was just not as detailed. Dr. Simonson explained distance learning as “formal education in which the learning groups are separated by geography and sometimes time.” The groups in this case refer to the teachers, students, and resources (i.e. content). The definition is further expanded by breaking it up into four components; institutionally based, separation of teacher and student, interactive telecommunications, and the sharing of data, voice, and video (Simonson et al, 2009).
Also this week I have learned that distance learning has been around since the 1800’s. Viewing the “Distance Learning Timeline Continuum”, I learned that distance learning first began with correspondence study. This is where an ad was place in the newspaper for an educational opportunity and students and teachers would correspond with each other through the mail. Which I guess makes since because of the lack of advanced technology back then, they only had the mail system. The original target of distance learning programs was adults with prior commitments such as social, work, or family related (Simon et al, 2009). This fact holds true even today. I was fascinating to see how far distance learning had come over the past century. I just never thought of distance learning being anything more than digital. In addition to correspondence study, there was also electronic communications and distance teaching universities.
In the future, I see distance learning becoming more common place in our society. I am siding with Simonson’s view, in which he states that distance learning “will grow significantly, but won’t replace traditional schools.” Adding to this is Rogers’s diffusion of innovation theory, which simply is predicting the growth and patterns of new ideas and technology. Simonson (2010) goes on to say that distance learning is already passed the promotion stage and is in the nurturing stage.
Overall, I’ve taken in a tremendous amount of new information regarding distance learning. This past week’s lesson had given me a whole new outlook. Distance learning is more than just being digital. There is a lot of history and theory behind it. After this week, I am learning that I am just getting stated.
Here is my mind map below.
References
"Distance Learning Timeline Continuum" Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com
Simonson, M. (2010). Distance Learning: The Next Generation. [Video].Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.
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