Section 7: New Directions for Instructional Design and Technology

1. Five Examples of Distributed Learning

Academic Distributed Learning Example:

Bethany University Santa Cruz: School of Distributed Learning

http://www.bethany.edu/academicsb/sdl.htm

“The mission of the School of Distributed Learning is to provide excellence in education through varied delivery systems for the academy of Bethany University.” Bethany University offers students a non-traditional education. Non-traditional academic programs are delivered in various formats such as cohort modular degree completion, distance systems, and experiential learning assessment. The School of Distributed Learning, formerly the External Degree Program, was developed in 1992 to meet the rising need for innovative delivery methods. The School is responsible for all non-traditional delivery methods at Bethany University. It is committed to being as close to the cutting edge of educational delivery as possible.

Hybrid Classes Example:

West LA College

http://info.wlac.edu/hybrid

West LA College offers students a “Weekend College” online course component. Weekend courses are hybrid classes that include six face-to-face meetings at West and the requirement that students spend between four to five hours online per week. All courses take place online using the ETUDES-NG course management system. The face-to-face meetings allow students to collaborate and interact with their peers and instructor in a traditional classroom setting, while the online component allows students to work independently and with their peers in a “virtual classroom”.  The online component requires students to participate in a variety of ways including posting and reading the discussion board or online forums, collaborate with peers on group work, and interact with material provided online by the instructor. Hybrid classes are offered in the areas of Cinema, Computer Science, English, Geography, History, Political Science, Psychology, and Humanities.

Distributed Learning via Virtual Institutions

Virtual High School Global Consortium

http://www.govhs.org/Pages/Welcome-Home

The Virtual High School Global Consortium provides high-quality online education to schools through a global, cooperative school membership that allows students and teachers alike the opportunity to participate in a worldwide community of learners.  All virtual courses are teacher facilitated. Class sizes are limited to 25. There is an emphasis on interaction between teachers and students through student-centered, discussion, and group activities. Classes are offered entirely over the Internet with no need for special software or hardware. Classes are in a scheduled asynchronous mode, which means that classes follow a semester schedule and assignments are due at specified weekly intervals. Students can complete work anytime during the week as long as it is posted by the deadlines. Classes are monitored regularly and adhere to the National Education Association’s recommended course guidelines for high quality online courses. Courses are offered by semester and full-year length.

For-Profit Distributed Learning

SkillSoft

http://www.skillsoft.com/about/default.asp

SkillSoft is a provider for on demand e-learning and performance support solutions for global enterprises, government, education, and small to medium-sized businesses. The company offers business organizations ways to maximize business performance through a combination of comprehensive e-learning content, online information resources, flexible learning technologies, and support services. This company offers an extensive list of e-learning courses ranging from Web Design to Management and Leadership collections.

Free Distributed Learning



Distributed Learning System (DLS)

http://www.usaasc.info/alt_online/article.cfm?iID=0702&aid=06

Distributed Learning System (DLS) is a government program that offers free training programs to Soldiers and DA civilians. The programs are accessed through the Army Knowledge Online system and can be accessed anytime. All that is needed is web-accessibility. Soldiers are able to take courses, including information technology, personal development, business and foreign languages. Soldiers can take the courses anytime and anywhere, including movie theatres.

2. Reusability

Reiser and Dempsey (2007) define reusability as “the ability to use the same resource multiple times in multiple ways and in multiple contexts”. In thinking of the Master’s level courses that I have taken in the past year that used digital resources, I really cannot say that any of the courses had poor reusability characteristics. When I answered the four questions to test the reusability of the resources used, the answers to each of the questions was “yes”.  I did take several Master’s level courses in 2002 and 2003, but the courses really did not use digital resources. It would have been nice if they had, therefore I will focus on one of these courses to explain how the course could be redesigned to improve (or in this case create) reusability without changing the underlying content.

One course in particular, SHED 579 History and Principles of Career and Technology Education comes to mind. This course’s content was very dry and filled with facts. Because the content was so dry and came straight from a textbook with no digital resources, it was not interesting to me. It became a chore to memorize instead of really learn the historical events and principles that shaped Career and Technology Education. It would have been nice to have digital resources, such as videos or online articles that related to the history to make the content come alive and become real to me.



http://top-10-list.org/2009/07/10/10-unconventional-ways-save-energy/



Reiser and Dempsey (2007) explain that there are five layers of learning resources that affect reusability in different ways. These layers consist of content, context, pedagogy, structure, and presentation. I will try to address each of these layers in explaining how the course could possibly be redesigned to improve reusability.

Content

Content is the crucial element of any learning resource. In this case, the content came only from the textbook. The class was divided into teams to give presentations over specific sections in the book which did add to the interest level, but after each team made their presentations, you were never able to access them for future reference. If a web site had been created where the PowerPoint presentations could have been uploaded for future reference, the content would become more reusable.

Context

Since content is interpreted within its context, context becomes an important layer that will affect reuse. In this case, the instructor could have broken down the content into the same sections as were assigned to the teams of students to create modules on the website. The instructor could have added explanations, videos, or any other visuals that would aid the learner in understanding the content in that particular module. At the end of the module, the presentations of students could be added each year to enhance the context of the content even further. Before instructors uploaded the student presentations, they would need to be inspected to make sure that any cultural assumptions are appropriate and to consider their effectiveness to the understanding of the content.

Pedagogy

In adding digital resources to this course, the instructor could easily change the setting of this particular class to become either a blended learning environment or an online course. The instructor could assign different modules each week based on the textbook content. Teams could still create their presentations through online collaboration using Google Docs or other collaboration applications as an assessment of learning.

Structure

The digital resources for the modules of content would need to be structured into smaller conceptual and physical units. For the conceptual units, the modules would need objects such as introductions, principles, explanations, and examples. For the physical units, each module (or chapter) could be separated into different web pages with the web site with identifiable links on the home page. This would allow learners to revisit the site and go directly to the content needed for reuse.

Presentation

The presentation layer is essential in creating a consistent look throughout the website. Each page should be similar in graphics, color, fonts, and layout. By using a website such as Google Sites, page settings can be created to keep a consistency in the presentation of each module. This will allow the look and feel of the site to be the same without changing the content.



3. Rich Media

The following rich media video tutorial was found at http://library.creativecow.net/harrington_richard/PS_Distressed-Text/1. The video describes how to use Photoshop and After Effects programs to create distressed text.

Surface Features:

The surface features of this visual include video, sound, screen captures, and animation. I found other Photoshop tutorials that simply used screen shots and instructions without video or animation at http://library.creativecow.net/harrington_richard/PS_Distressed-Text/1. I enjoyed the video tutorial, but I feel that I would probably be able to really use the screen shot tutorials more effectively in class so that students could work at their own pace and refer to the screen shots as needed instead of having to pause and replay the video.

Functional Features:

The communication functions of the video included the following:

·    Decorative: The animated video introduction added visual appeal at the beginning of the video to capture attention.

·    Representational: The video included screen captures so the instructor in the video could walk learners through the process using the actual software.

·    Transformational: The video demonstrated the changes in the creation of the distressed text as each step in the tutorial was completed.

The psychological functions of the video included the following:

·    Support Attention: The screen captures drew attention to the important elements in the instructional tutorial and did a very good job of minimizing divided attention.

·    Activate or Build Prior Knowledge: If the student has been introduced to Photoshop before this tutorial, the student would recognize the toolbars and elements of the program in the screen captures in order to build and support the acquisition of new knowledge.

·    Minimize Cognitive Load: Just having the screen captures and voice of the instructor throughout the majority of the video was very effective in minimizing unnecessary mental work for working memory during the learning process.

·    Build Mental Models: The visuals created in the screen captures of the program and the visuals of the product from beginning to end should help learners create new memories in long term memory that will support a deeper understanding of the content.

·    Support Transfer of Learning: The screen captures using the actual program will promote a deeper understanding of the features and capabilities of using the software program.

·    Support Motivation: The video did an excellent job of keeping interest. The video itself was relevant to the skills that students will be learning in class as well as skills that will be needed if they pursue a career in the digital graphics field.

Overall the video captured my attention and did an excellent job of demonstrating how to create distressed text using Photoshop. I will be teaching a new class next year called “Digital and Interactive Multimedia”. This assignment allowed me to explore the different online tutorials offered for the teaching Photoshop. I will definitely be using this website as well as others that I found in introducing Photoshop techniques and strategies for creating digital media.

4. Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology is the science of engineering matter on a molecular scale. Nanotechnology deals with devices that are sized between 1 to 100 nanometers in at least one dimension. To get an idea of what size this really is, I did a little research. I found that a piece of paper is 100,000 nanometers thick—so between 1 to 100 nanometers is extremely small. In researching the possibilities of nanotechnology in the near future, I found everything from using nanotechnology to create new types of phones to using nanotechnology for treating cancer patients. I chose to discuss these two particular uses to explain how nanotechnology could be used to improve a task and a job in the medical field.

http://homepages.nyu.edu/~hs1232/page3.html

Mobile phones are a part of our daily lives. If you walk down the street, you will see a cell phone in the hands of just about every person you pass. These mobile devices have become a literal need and extension of most individuals. Where many years ago people wouldn’t leave their house without their wristwatch, now you won’t leave your house without your cell phone. What if instead of putting your cell phone in your purse or pocket, you strap on your cell phone like a watch? Nokia and the University of Cambridge have teamed up to create a Morph Phone that uses nanotechnology to allow users to change the shape of the device as they choose. It can be stretched from a flat card size to become a round shape so that is can be worn like a bracelet. It is also transparent, self-cleaning, and includes a 3D surface with nano-sensors that can learn from the environment. Nokia claims that the nano-sensors can detect airborne threats and alert users to them. This phone would simplify the task of keeping up with our cell phones as well as expanding the capabilities of their uses in our everyday lives.  

In the medical field, nanotechnology is becoming prevalent in research to improve the job of administering chemotherapy to cancer patients. Cancer is a subject that is never easy to discuss. I have had several family members and friends who have died of cancer, and my aunt is currently in the advanced stages of this dreaded disease. From my experience, the chemo treatments cause as much or more harm to the body than the actual cancer in some cases. The way that chemo is administered now allows it to attack the cancerous cells as well as good cells. Scientists are experimenting with using nanotechnology that will allow devices to be placed inside the body loaded with targeting information and powerful cancer treating drugs. The targeting information allows the devices to find the specific cancer cells followed by that area being doused with the drugs in hopes of only treating the cancerous or precancerous cells instead of also attacking the good cells. I pray that research will continue in this area to increase the likelihood of finding a cure for this disease.

5. Straight (Strait) and Narrow Road vs. Broad and Inclusive Road

As Reiser and Dempsey (2007) explain the differences between traveling the “Strait and Narrow Road” and the “Broad and Inclusive Road”, I find myself wanting to travel down each. The Narrow Road focuses on improving our accepted methods and practices, while the Broad Road encourages openness to new ideologies and methods while striving for the same common goals as the Narrow Road. There are several key elements from Table 32.1 of each road that I find myself agreeing with. Those elements are as follows:

The Straight and Narrow Road

·    Emphasis on established refereed outlets

·    Apply methods and technologies known to work through research and validation studies

·    Validate local solutions via systemic tryout and revision

·    Tighten up boundaries to ensure expertise

·    Encourage strong credentialing, certification requirements

·    Possible risks of resistance to positive change and increasing lack of fit with real problems of practice

The Broad and Inclusive Road

·    Maintain flexibility and a commitment to pluralism in ideology and theory base

·    Always be open to change in the canon and entry of new ideas and models

·    Greater attention to other sciences, other professional practices, and humanities

·    Full range of reasoned inquiry, including: qualitative and quantitative methods, design and development research, action research, documentation of best practices, and local and applied research

·    Established refereed outlets plus: web-style self-publishing and sharing; conference-style forums online and face to face; water-cooler meetings and communities of practice

·    Possible risk of internal disputes that threaten coherence

·    Good chance of finding innovations to adapt and move forward.

If I had to choose only one road to follow for the future of instructional design and technology, I believe that I would take the Broad Road. This road has the same common goals as the Narrow Road, while allowing room to expand and grow. In instructional design and technology, opening our ideals to innovative change is a must. As technology and society continues to change and evolve, instructional design must also be willing to move forward and expand into new realms of change and evolution.

Section 6: Getting an IDT Position and Succeeding at It

1. Obtaining a Position in Instructional Design

Position #1: Instructional Technology Coordinator

Ferris State University, Big Rapids, Michigan

Minimum Education: BA/BS/Undergraduate

Minimum Experience: 0-1 Year

Salary: $55,000 - $65,000

Source: http://www.jobtarget.com/c/job.cfm?vnet=0&site%5Fid=136&jb=7661562

General nature of the position: The Instructional Technology Coordinator will collaborate with, lead, support, train, and assist faculty and others in using instructional technology tools for teaching in face-to-face, mixed delivery, and fully online environments

Skills required for the position: Required: Bachelor's from an accredited college/university with completed credits towards a Master's degree. Continued employment will be contingent upon completion of a Master's degree. Experience providing training in the use of instructional technologies, managing multiple projects simultaneously, and using various computer and instructional technologies is required. Excellent interpersonal skills such as building collaborative relationships and the ability to work in a diverse team environment, and excellent communication skills including the ability to successfully communicate technical information to a non-technical audience.

My skills in comparison: This position really interests me in that it would be working at the university level with creating instruction for multiple instructional delivery methods. My skills and educational experience meet most of the qualifications for the position. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and am working on my Master’s degree. I have no real experience in providing training in the use of instructional technologies other than assisting fellow teachers in my department and helping other teachers on campus with computer application problems. I did teach several adult continuing education courses on the basics of using Excel. As a teacher, student, UIL Accounting coach, BPA sponsor, mother, and wife, I am very proficient in managing multiple projects simultaneously. As a mentor teacher and team teacher for Business Information Management, I feel that my interpersonal skills are very adequate to meet the demands of building collaborative relationships and working as a part of a diverse team. In teaching students to use Microsoft Office software, I can adequately communicate technical information to a non-technical audience. 

Position #2:  Instructional Designer

Dollar General, Goodlettsville, TN

Human Resources Training

Source: http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobDetails.aspx?IPath=ILKV0L&ff=21&APath=2.31.0.0.0&job_did=J3F6PP6BNJY8GR7PCXV

General nature of the position: Dollar General's Instructional Designer, while reporting to the Sr. Manager Talent Development, develops training curricula, materials and programs that are appropriate for targeted audiences and incorporate varied instructional design and delivery techniques.  The instructional designer builds relationships with key individuals and partners with various departments across the organization to get significant input during development and to ensure accuracy and effectiveness of training curricula, materials, and programs.
Duties and Responsibilities:

·         The designer develops print, electronic and computer based training curricula, materials and programs that are appropriate for targeted audiences and incorporate varied instructional design and delivery techniques. The designer will work within specified scope and deadlines to deliver accurate, high-quality learning opportunities.

o    Performs needs analysis for training programs.

o    Designs templates and backgrounds for media and materials.

o    Develops materials and scripts that clearly communicate relevant information to both the participant and the facilitator.

o    Identifies and develops appropriate performance measures, including but not limited to, criterion-referenced achievement tests, questionnaires, interviews, simulation scenarios, observation checklists, and performance checklists.

o    Produces learning materials, including participant workbooks and related materials such as presentations, classroom activities, program evaluation tools and job aids using varied delivery media.

o    Coordinates the production and distribution of printed and electronic materials.

o    Tracks and analyzes training programs by examining learner's satisfaction levels.

·         Builds relationships and maintains partnerships with key business partners to ensure accurate content. Including human resources, field operations, store support center departments and legal.

·         Maintains current project plan(s) while providing ongoing statuses to immediate supervisor and appropriate business and/or project partners.

·         Occasionally implements and/or delivers training.

Skills required for the position: Key qualifications in addition to experience that reflects the ability to perform the above duties and responsibilities include:

·         Proficient skill level in the use of recognized desktop publishing and web-authoring applications.

·         Knowledge of adult learning principles.

·         Ability to ask appropriate questions and probe for understanding and work in collaboration with others to achieve desired results.

·         Demonstrated ability to communicate through verbal and written means with individuals, small groups and in front of large audiences at all levels of the organization.

·         Knowledgeable and functional in technical writing, including consistent and correct use of tense, grammar/spelling and terminology that is interesting and varied.

·         Strong proofreading skills to produce error-free documents.

·         Ability to manage multiple tasks in a dynamic, deadline-driven environment.

·         Good organization skills and time management skills; ability to be flexible and solve problems.

·         Ability to deal effectively with obstacles to progress in order to maintain project momentum.

Work Experience and/or Education 

·         Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Instructional Design, Organizational Development or business is required.

·         Minimum three to five years instructional design experience required.

·         Experience creating instructional materials for an adult audience is required.

·         Training and facilitation experience is required.

·         Experience in project management is a preferred.

·         Retail experience is a plus.

·         Skill in use of Microsoft Office applications is required.

My skills in comparison: With my past retail experience (five years working in a merchandising business), this job seems very interesting.  In teaching Desktop Publishing for three years and Web Mastering for two years, I have a proficient skill level in both types of applications. I have been teaching Business Information Management (formerly BCIS) for eleven years, which has given me extensive experience in using Microsoft Office applications. With my seventeen years of teaching experience at the high school level and experience in teaching adult continuing education courses, I feel that I have the experience and skills needed to match the remaining skills that are required. My degree in Business Administration will meet the educational requirements, and my years of experience in creating instructional materials for students as well as adults in teaching continuing education classes should allow me to fulfill the design, training, and facilitation experience.

Position #3: Instructional Designer

Fortis College Online, Denver, CO

Minimum Education: Bachelor’s Degree (Master’s in Instructional Design or related field preferred)

Minimum Experience: 3 years

Source: http://jobview.monster.com/Instructional-Designer-Job-Greenwood-Village-CO-95860642.aspx

General nature of the position: Fortis College-Online in Denver, CO is seeking an experienced full time Instructional Designer to work with subject matter experts to design, develop and evaluate courses for online delivery.

Skills required for the position: Instructional Designer requirements:

·         Minimum of 3 years experience in instructional design, course development or instructional technology

·         Experience in career-focused, higher education preferred

·         Strong verbal and written communication skills

·         Knowledge of instructional design and learning theories, preferably related to online learning

·         Strong project management experience and proven ability to meet deadlines

·         Experience working in learning management systems

·         Blackboard experience preferred

My skills in comparison: Out of the three positions that I found, this is the one that appeals to me the most. My only experience with learning management systems is through taking my Master’s level online courses. Even though I probably would not have enough experience in this area, this is an area in which I would love to gain experience. I was so afraid to take online courses at first, but I have found that I really enjoy them. The structure and organization of the online courses really is a good fit for me individually, and I can see the benefits of using online instruction for many other students. Our school is considering offering Business Information Management as an online course soon. I have let our Career and Technical Education Director know that I would like to be the first on the list of possible instructors to teach the course. I believe that my years of Career and Technology teaching experience at the secondary level should satisfy the three year experience career-focused criteria, however I would not meet the higher educational level that is preferred. My strong verbal and written communication skills and ability to meet deadlines also fit the requirements of this position. After obtaining my Master’s in Educational Technology Leadership, I will have gained the knowledge in instructional design and learning theories as well as furthering my knowledge of online learning.

2. Self Assessment



http://www.careeronestop.org/



After visiting the CareerOneStop site (www.careeronestop.org ), I chose the Skills Profiler self assessment. I had to first select a job type from a list of possible choices. I chose the Education, Training, and Library job family and then selected Instructional Coordinator. The site then led me to choose any work activities from a list of activities for instructional coordinators that I had experienced or completed in the past. I was able to select almost all of the work activities except grant writing, conducting training for personnel, training instructors in training techniques, and preparing instructional manuals. I then had to select skills that I possess from a list of skills. The areas of skills that were given were: basic skills, social skills, complex problem solving skills, technical skills, system skills, resource management skills, and desktop computer skills. My shortcomings in these skill sets were science (in the basic skills section) and technical skills (which were related to such things as equipment installation and programming). However, these particular skills were not marked as being relevant skills for an instructional coordinator (asterisks were placed beside all skills that pertain to this position). The website then required me to rate my skills on a scale of one to seven, with seven being the highest. After completing this step, a skills profile was generated that included a list of job types that fit my self assessment results. The top ten were:

Job type                                                                                   Your skills match

Instructional Coordinators                                                                        90.2% 

Directors, Religious Activities and Education                                          48.3% 

Vocational Education Teachers, Postsecondary                                      38.2% 

Health Educators                                                                                      36.4% 

Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Vocational Education        36.1% 

Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary                                  36.0% 

Vocational Education Teachers, Secondary School                                  35.5% 

Audio-Visual Collections Specialists                                                        35.0% 

Graduate Teaching Assistants                                                                 35.0% 

Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary                                              35.0% 

I was a little surprised by the results. I would have thought that my occupation, vocational education teacher, would have had a higher percent of skills match. When I started working on my Master’s my first priority was finding a program that I could gain 18 hours in graduate level coursework for accounting to be able to teach concurrent classes at the secondary level without having to get my Master’s in accounting. The Educational Technology Leadership program seemed to be the best fit. What has amazed me is that I have enjoyed taking the ETEC courses more than the accounting classes. I had also considered that in the future, I would like to become a Career and Technical Education Coordinator or Director at the secondary level. I would love to help build our Career and Technical education curriculum to allow students the opportunity to gain real-world training that they can use immediately after high school as well as preparing students for higher education. I am now considering focusing more on gaining the requirements needed to become a CTE Coordinator or Director. From what I understand, most CTE Coordinator/Director positions require a mid-level management certification. It seems that by the results of my self assessment, becoming an instructional coordinator would definitely be a good fit for my skills as well as my interests.

3. Professional Organizations and Publications

Professional Organizations

International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)

http://www.iste.org/about-iste.aspx

Mission:

ISTE advances excellence in learning and teaching through innovative and effective uses of technology.

Cost of Membership:

Premium Membership: $215

Benefits include:

1. Learning & Leading with Technology Magazine (print and online)
2. ISTE Journals- JRTE & JDLTE
3. ISTE Learning Resources
4. 35% ISTE Books discount
5. 60% ISTE Webinars discount
6. Access to webinar archives (includes more than 100 webinars)
7. ISTE Conference and Exposition Registration Discount
8. Unlimited access to all ISTE member communities and social networks including more than 20 Special Interest Groups

Standard Membership: $95

• Learning & Leading with Technology Magazine (print and online)
• ISTE Learning Resources
• 30% ISTE Books discount
• 60% ISTE Webinars discount
• ISTE Conference and Exposition registration discount
• Unlimited access to all ISTE member communities and social networks including 20 Special Interest Groups

Retired Educator Membership: $59
Student Membership: $39

Publications:

Learning & Leading with Technology

ISTE’s flagship magazine, Learning & Leading with Technology (L&L), is written by education practitioners for education practitioners. Articles share tips for effective technology use in PK–12 educational settings in a friendly, easy-to-read style. L&L is published eight times a year.

Journal of Research on Technology in Education

ISTE’s Journal of Research on Technology in Education (JRTE) features the most relevant ed tech research from around the globe. JRTE is published quarterly.

Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education

The Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education (JDLTE) is a refereed journal published in partnership with ISTE’s Special Interest Group for Teacher Educators (SIGTE). JDLTE, formerly the Journal of Computing in Teacher Education), is published quarterly.

Conferences and Meetings:

ISTE's annual conference and exposition is the world's premier educational technology event. The theme is “Unlocking Potential for this year’s conference which will be held in Philadelphia from June 26-29, 2011.

Opportunities for Professional Development:

ISTE provides professional development resources for teachers, school leaders, instructional coaches, technology leaders, media specialists, and teacher educators. ISTE offers an ISTE Learning site that is an anytime, anywhere online community for professional development. Educators can sample free concepts, buy resources, and exchange creative ideas. This space provides relevant learning experiences in multiple formats to strengthen the teaching experience and grow digital literacy. Technology in Practice, ISTE’s webinar series, features more than thirty highly engaging webinars from September 2010 through May 2011. Each webinar introduces a Web 2.0 tool or innovative technology, and highlights practical tools and strategies to help educators improve the educational experience and capture value from new and existing technology investments.

Awareness of Organization and Usefulness to Me:

I was formerly unaware of this professional organization. As a Career and Technical Education teacher, this site seems to be an excellent source of information to improve teaching and learning in today’s classroom. I really liked the ISTE Learning site, which includes and archived are of articles related to incorporating Web 2.0 technologies into the classroom, utilizing project based learning, integrating games and simulations into the curriculum, and a curriculum planning tool to include the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS).

Society for Applied Learning Technology (SALT)

http://www.salt.org/salt.asp?ss=l

Mission:

Founded in 1972, the Society for Applied Learning Technology is oriented to professionals whose work requires knowledge and communication in the field of instructional technology. It is a professional society, with classes of membership keyed to the interest and experience of the individual. The Society provides a means to enhance the knowledge and job performance of an individual by participating in Society sponsored meetings, and through receiving Society sponsored publications. It enables one to achieve knowledge for work in the field of applied learning technology by association with other professionals.

Cost of Membership:

The annual membership fee is $55. In addition, the Society offers members discounts on Society-sponsored journals, conference registration fees and publications.

Publications:

SALT sponsors three professional journals:  Journal of Instruction Delivery Systems (JIDS), Journal of Interactive Instruction Development (JIID), and Journal of Education Technology Systems (JETS). In addition, the Society sends out a weekly email with the latest industry news.

Conferences and Meetings:

The Washington Interactive Technologies Conference will be held in Reston, Virginia from August 17-19, 2011. The conference objective is to provide a comprehensive overview of the latest in research, design, and development in order to furnish attendees information on systems that are applicable to their organizations. Conference topic presentations include applications in areas such as:

• Gaming & Simulation
• Instructional Systems Design
• Knowledge Management
• Mobile Computing, Handhelds & PDAs
• New Technologies & the Marketplace

Opportunities for Professional Development:

There was no real link for professional development offered, except for the conference. It does offer resources for authoring systems, college and university compliance, learning management systems, and learning content management systems. It also offers current job listings and a resume listings area.

Awareness of Organization and Usefulness to Me:

I had never heard of this professional organization before completing this research.  This site seems to be particularly intended for instructional designers, but would also be good for me as an educator to stay current in issues such as distance learning, interactive multimedia, interactive instructional materials, and interactive instructional delivery methods. After taking the self-assessment, becoming an instructional designer is something that I would consider as a future possibility. This site would be an excellent resource in helping to find a job in this area since it includes job and resumes listings.

Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE)

http://www.aace.org/

Mission:

The Association’s purpose is to advance the knowledge, theory, and quality of teaching and learning at all levels with information technology. This purpose is accomplished through the encouragement of scholarly inquiry related to technology in education and the dissemination of research results and their applications through AACE sponsored publications, conferences, and other opportunities for professional growth.

Cost of Membership:

Professional Membership - $115

AACE Professional Membership includes a subscription to one AACE print Journal , full online access to all back issues of the Journal selected, online subscription to the AACE Journal, discount on AACE conference registrations and proceedings, discount subscriptions to additional AACE journals, and full access to the Career Center and Job Board.

Professional Membership PLUS the EdITLib – Education & Info. Tech. Library (electronic) - $175

Student Membership - $35

Publications:

Education & Information Technology Digital Library (EdITLib) – Electronic

The EdITLib is your source for peer-reviewed, published articles(20,000+) and papers on the latest research, developments, and applications related to all aspects of Educational Technology and E-Learning.

International Journal on E-Learning(IJEL) – Quarterly publication

IJEL serves as a forum to facilitate the international exchange of information on the current theory, research, development, and practice of E-Learning in education and training.

Journal of Educational Multimedia & Hypermedia (JEMH) – Quarterly

Designed to provide a multidisciplinary forum to present and discuss research, development and applications of multimedia and hypermedia in education.

Journal of Interactive Learning Research (JILR) – Quarterly

The Journal’s published papers relate to the underlying theory, design, implementation, effectiveness, and impact on education and training of interactive learning environments.

Journal of Technology and Teacher Education (JTATE) – Quarterly

A forum for the exchange of knowledge about the use of information technology in teacher education.

Journal of Computers in Mathematics & Science Teaching (JCMST) – Quarterly

JCMST is the only periodical devoted specifically to using information technology in the teaching of mathematics and science.

AACE Journal – Electronic Journal

AACE’s member journal is the focal point to exchange information between disciplines, educational levels, and information technologies.

Contemporary Issues in Technology & Teacher education (CITE) – Electronic Journal

An electronic publication of the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education.

Conferences and Meetings:

Global TIME 2011 – Online Conference, February 22-24

This conference, held annually, offers opportunities to share ideas and expertise on all topics related to the use of information technology in teacher education and instruction about information technology for all disciplines in preservice, inservice, and graduate teacher education.

Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education 2011 – Nashville, TN, March 7-11

This conference, held annually, offers opportunities to share ideas and expertise on all topics related to the use of information technology in teacher education.

Global Learn Asia Pacific 2011 -  Melbourne, Australia, March 28-April 1

The mission of Global Learn conferences and events is to further the advancement and innovation in learning and technology.

ED-MEDIA 2011 – World Conference -  Lisbon, Portugal, July 27-June 1

This annual conference serves as a multidisciplinary forum for the discussion of the latest research, developments, and applications of multimedia, hypermedia, and telecommunications for all levels of education.

E-Learn 2011 – Honolulu, Hawaii, October 17-21

E-Learn is a respected, international conference enabling E-Learning researchers and practitioners in corporate, government, healthcare, and higher education to exchange information on research, development, and applications.

Opportunities for Professional Development:

AACE offers Global U which is a continually developing initiative intended to provide learning and professional development opportunities on the latest research, trends, and best practices related to learning and technology. In addition, Global U will serve as an experimental laboratory or model to test theories, ideas, and best practices for online learning; gain experience with innovative learning and social networking solutions; and help visualize and shape the future of learning and teaching.

Awareness of Organization and Usefulness to Me:

This is also an organization that I was formerly unfamiliar with. Out of all three organizations that I researched, this one was the most impressive. With the number of publications and conferences offered, you can clearly see that this organization is dedicated and serious about improving the quality of teaching and learning. As an educator teaching technology courses, this organization would definitely be a wonderful resource. 

Professional Publications

Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks (JALN)

http://sloanconsortium.org/publications/jaln_main

Focus/Goals:

The aim of the Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks is to describe original work in asynchronous learning networks (ALN), including experimental results. The mission is to provide practitioners in online education with knowledge about the very best research in online learning.

Submission Guidelines:

The site provides a style guide and attached template to format your paper submission for publication. The template speeds up the process for Sloan-C to publish the paper in multiple formats. Submissions must use the Chicago Style for referencing, numbering references in the order they occur in the manuscript rather than in alpha order.  All articles should include an Introduction or Historical Background section, Summary/Conclusions, References, Acknowledgments section, if applicable, and final section About the Author(s). References, tables, figure legends, and furnished art should be embedded in the manuscript such that the manuscript is in final form when submitted. Sloan-C will accept manuscripts with either embedded graphics or linked graphics. All the figures should be submitted in GIF or JPEG formats with the article. Page setup and style guidelines are also specifically given.

Peer Reviewed?

The Journal adheres to traditional standards of double-blind peer review, and authors are encouraged to provide quantitative data; currently JALN's acceptance rate is 25%.

Online Access?

Full articles are available online to members only, non-members can purchase articles for $5.95/each. Membership costs $120, or you can get a three month trial membership for only $45.

Awareness of Journal and Usefulness to Me:

I was not formerly aware of this professional journal. My campus is considering offering an online Business Information Management course in the near future. I have expressed to our CTE Director my interest in teaching this course. If I do get this assignment, this publication would be an excellent resource to use in building my knowledge of online learning.

Learning and Leading with Technology (L&L)

http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading.aspx

Focus/Goals:

ISTE's member magazine features practical ideas for using today's technology tools to improve teaching and learning, and for integrating technology appropriately into classrooms, curriculum, and administration.

Submission Guidelines:

A query must be sent before submitting a manuscript so editors can ensure that the magazine effectively covers a broad range of topics. The query must be emailed to Kate Conley, editor, at kconley@iste.org. A brief but specific description of the article idea and why this information would be useful to the L&L audience must be presented. You should include the kind of technology your manuscript will discuss and its primary outcome or effect on learning or teaching. Manuscripts should be first-person accounts, and the writing should be lively and engaging. You should identify all adults mentioned in examples or as sources of information by first and last name, position and/or job title, school or district, and city and state/province, and/or country. You should identify minors by first name only unless you have written permission to use their full names. Any hypothetical situations referenced in the manuscript should be clearly portrayed as such. Articles should have no more than two authors. Authorship is granted to those who actually write the article. Before submitting an idea or manuscript, it is suggested that you read the magazine to get a feel for the tone, style, length, and subject matter that it covers. Manuscripts should be written in magazine style. A reference list is not required, but a list of resources should be mentioned in the article.

Peer Reviewed?

L&L is primarily a practitioner-written magazine published by ISTE. Articles are not peer reviewed.

Online Access?

Members can view the digital edition for the complete issue of Learning & Leading with Technology online.  Standard membership for International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) costs $95 annually.

Awareness of the Journal and Usefulness to Me:

I was not previously aware of this journal. As a CTE teacher, the practical ideas offered about technologies use in the K-12 curriculum are particularly interesting to me. This is a journal written explicitly by educators for educators. Even though the articles are not peer reviewed, I have always found that my peers are excellent sources of information and are always willing to share information for the improvement of education. I believe that articles presented will be easy to understand and can probably be directly implemented into the classroom.

Journal of Instruction Delivery Systems (JIDS)

http://www.salt.org/salt.asp?pn=jids&ss=l

Focus/Goals:

The Journal of Instruction Delivery Systems (JIDS) is a quarterly publication sponsored by the Society for Applied Learning Technology and published by the Learning Technology Institute which is devoted to the issues, problems, and applications of instructional delivery systems in education, training, and job performance. Its purpose is to inform managers, senior professionals, and developers of specific examples of applications of technology based learning systems for education, training, and job performance improvement in terms of results that can be or have been achieved. The publication is application oriented and not focused on the technical aspects of design and development.

Submission Guidelines:

You can submit a proposed abstract directly to the editor: Dr. Trudy Abramson, NSU/SCIS, 3301 College Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314-7796. Work submitted for publication in JIDS should not be submitted elsewhere. Manuscripts will be acknowledged electronically upon receipt. Decisions about publication will be forthcoming no later than 12 weeks following acknowledgment. Manuscripts are to be prepared in accordance with the publication manual of the American Psychological Association (APA), fourth edition. Follow these guidelines:

• First page: Author’s name, affiliation, article title, and email address.
• Second page: Title, 100-150 word abstract, keywords for indexing purposes.
• "About the Author" on a separate page at end of article.
• Articles should be 2,000-3,000 words, about eight double-spaced pages.
• Relevant images, charts, figures are encouraged.
• Send two paper copies and one disk copy labeled with author, program and format.

Peer Reviewed?

A blind review process is used for the selection of manuscripts, which means that the author of the manuscript is not made known to the reviewers.

Online Access?

The complete journal is available online to members or subscribers. SALT member rate is $30, and the non-member rate is $45.

Awareness of Journal and Usefulness to Me:

I was not formerly aware of this journal. As an educator, this application oriented journal can lead to improved instructional delivery methods. The current journal listed article titles such as, “The Exponential Potential for Different Learning in Online Environments”, “Developing a Blended Learning Strategy: An Instructional Media Perspective”, “E-Portfolios: A Nested Assessment Strategy for Accreditation and Accountability”, and “Forces that Impact the Implementation of Distance Education”. Each of these articles would be interested to read and applicable to my current career.

4. Domains, Competencies, and Performance Statements for Performance Technologists

According to Reiser and Dempsey (2007) the profession of performance technologist was established in 1988. Performance technologists “systematically analyze and utilize a variety of technologies to improve human performance by providing solutions that relate to specific, valid, and appropriate tasks or aspects of individual or organizational performance”.

In establishing domains, competencies, and performance statements for a performance technologist, I used all ten of the 2004 ISPI competencies listed in Table 27.6 of our text. I felt that each of these competencies were invaluable to the performance technologist’s job.  I reordered the compentencies and grouped them into four different domains. I used the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) Performance Technology Standards (http://www.ispi.org/uploadedFiles/ISPI_Site/About_ISPI/About/Standards.pdf ) for the performance statements. I omitted some that I felt were not as important or that seemed to be redundant. The chart below is the result.

Domain	Competencies	Performance Statements
Planning & Analysis	1.       Focus on results and help clients focus on results.	a)      Determine the outcome or expected result of the assignment. b)      Determine what will be measured or accepted as evidence that the business need was met. c)       Explain the importance of focusing on accomplishments.
	2.       Look at situations systematically, taking into consideration the larger context.	a)      Identify the current work, workplace, or market environment and culture in terms of how it affects organizational and group performance. b)      Identify if there is a lack of alignment between or among –                      i.            Goals and objectives                    ii.            Performance measures                   iii.            Rewards and incentives                  iv.            Job/work, or process designs                    v.            available systems, tools, and equipment                  vi.            Expectations and capacity c)       Identify barriers and control points, both in the workplace and surrounding the project, in terms of how these factors could affect processes; organizational and group performance; and the development, implementation, and outcome of the proposed solutions. d)      Explain the benefits of taking a systems approach, possible constraints or pressures, and control points indentified within a design document or project plan.
Design & Development	3.       Add value in how the work is done and through the work itself.	a)      Identify two or more possible solutions or courses of action. b)      Identify the worth of the requested solution or those under consideration, by comparing factors, such as – cost to design, develop, implement, and maintain each, likelihood of adoption, ability of the organization to support each solution, and risks associated with the success or failure of each solution. c)       Recommend solutions that add value, are feasible, and are more likely to accomplish the goals or aims of the project with minimal risk. d)      Point out risks, tradeoffs, and assumptions on which decisions are based. e)      Represent yourself honestly, not as having expertise beyond your capabilities.
	4.       Use partnerships or collaborate with clients and other experts as required	a)      Collaborate with stakeholders, experts, and specialists, making sure of their knowledge, capabilities, and influence. b)      Take the initiative to define the expectations, working relationships, roles, and responsibilities of partners.
	5.       Be systematic in the design of the solution or specification of the requirements for the solution.	a)      Decide on one or more solution set(s), such as process redesign, training, or change/benefit. b)      Define the desired performance. c)       Identify the objectives of the solution and all elements in the solution. d)      Develop a plan for accomplishing the objectives and elements that includes strategy and tactics. e)      Identify the resources required. f)       Identify methods for delivering or deploying the solution. g)      Identify how the solution will be maintained or reinforced.
	6.       Be systematic in the development of all or some of the solution and its elements.	a)      Ensure that the chosen solution is developed according to design specifications. b)      Conduct formative, pilot, and user evaluations of all elements of the chosen solution/product to determine if it performs as expected and accomplishes the desired goal(s). c)       Determine if the physical elements of the solution support the objectives. d)      Ensure that learnings are fed back into development.
Implementation & Management	7.       Be systematic in the implementation of the solution.	a)      Design a change strategy that includes the following:                      i.            How the effort will be communicated and to whom.                    ii.            What implementation materials and messages will be required and how they will be produced.                   iii.            A schedule of the rollout, including milestones, timelines, etc.                  iv.            How the new behaviors and other evidence of adoption will be recognized and rewarded.                    v.            What to do in case of resistance.                  vi.            Who will provide support and reinforcement during deployment.                 vii.            Roles and responsibilities of management, the target audience, and other vested parties. b)      Develop tools and procedures to help those involved in the implementation. c)       Participate in the implementation or deployment of the solution. a)      During implementation, solicit feedback related to the utility and relevance of the solution.
	8.       Be systematic in the analysis of the work and workplace to identify the cause or factors that limit performance.	a)      Use the gap to help determine the worth of determining the cause and establish criteria for measuring the effectiveness of a chosen solution. b)      Develop a hypothesis for why the gap exists. c)       Develop a plan or approach to test the hypothesis and identify the cause of the gap. d)      Implement the plan and identify the cause of the gap. Report your findings.
Assessment & Evaluation	9.       Be systematic in the assessment of the need or opportunity.	a)      Determine the type of analysis required. b)      Develop a plan or process for conducting the analysis. c)       Develop any tools or documents, such as interviews, surveys, or observation forms, required to capture the data. d)      Conduct the analysis. e)      Analyze the data. f)       Interpret the results. g)      Make recommendations based on the results.
	10.    Be systematic in the evaluation of the process and the results.	a)      State outcomes of the evaluation effort in measurable terms. b)      Design a measurement strategy or plan based on the program’s or project’s goals and outcomes. c)       Develop the tools, instruments, and guidelines for collecting and interpreting data and selecting samples. d)      Measure the results of the solution or help the client evaluate the impact of the solution. e)      Identify what can be done in the future to improve the way in which needs and opportunities are identified and solutions selected, valued, developed, and deployed. f)       Report your findings and recommendations.