EdWeb Analysis & Design

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INTE 5660/5670: EdWeb Analysis & Design Project Document Kim Prokosch September 20, 2011

I. Executive Summary EdWeb Title: Champlain College Angel 7.4 Training Summaries

1. Instructional setting: Champlain College uses Angel 7.4 as their LMS, and students are currently not consistently able to use the LMS’ features. This self-‐paced training program will help students to evaluate how well suited they are for a fully online higher education program and will ensure that all students can perform basic tasks inside the LMS.

2. Goals and outcomes: One of the biggest goals of this program is to ensure that all students have a consistent amount of knowledge of the use of the LMS. This will facilitate other goals of this program: it will increase satisfaction among all of the departments and divisions who use the LMS, it will increase retention rates in the online-‐only programs, and it will reduce the amount of support requests made that are strictly related to training issues.

3. Learner needs and characteristics: The learners who move through this training program will be demographically diverse, and will have a very wide degree of transferrable knowledge to help them through this program. This diversity means that the content will have to be effective across a very broad user base.

4. Instructional objectives and assessments: There are many stakeholders in my EdWeb, as online education is incredibly important to the continued success of the institution. Each group of stakeholders has a different definition of success, and many types of objectives and assessments are needed to encompass all of these needs.

5. Project management: Part of this project is already underway, as it is a deliverable for work: the static content that will be used as a resource for learners is almost complete. The interactive components will be designed primarily for my EdWeb, although the college may adopt them for official use.

6. Tool assessment: The main tools used for this project will be the college’s LMS and Dreamweaver. The use of the college’s LMS is the most effective way to teach its use, and Dreamweaver will help me create high-‐quality static content for this training program.

7. Instructional design model: The primary instructional design model for this training program is Merrill’s Component Display Theory. This theory is highly applicable to the content of the training program and allows for a unique combination of presentation forms.

8. Learning activities: The learning activities in this training program will be highly contextual and will require active participation from learners. All activities will utilize the LMS’ tools that students will have to use in their courses. This will create a supportive learning environment and help ensure success.

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II. Analysis A. Instructional Setting

1. Instructional need or opportunity: Champlain College uses Angel 7.4 as their LMS for many different instructional programs. There are online-‐only courses at both the undergraduate and graduate level, and online components for on-‐campus courses. Students need to have at least a basic understanding of Angel’s capabilities; at this time, that is not the case.

2. Pacing and rationale: The Angel 7.4 training will be self-‐paced, as its students will need to move through the content at their own pace, and need to reference it whenever they need immediate assistance. One of the benefits of creating the training in a self-‐paced format is its students will be able to use the content as both a specific learning unit and as a resource after their initial experience. This will suit the instructional needs of students very well. One of the potential drawbacks of the self-‐paced format of the training is that there is less interaction between students and anybody in the role of an instructor. To mitigate this drawback, the training will include different assessments of success that will include interactive components; these assessments will be automated and will notify the instructor of students’ progress. This will help to mitigate this drawback, but will not nullify it. Another potential drawback of the self-‐paced format of the training is that students may not feel an incentive to complete it. The systems that will be built in to the training’s delivery system will help to increase retention, and the thoughtful implementation of these systems will help to reduce this issue. Another way that learners will feel compelled to complete this training program is through reinforcement of the necessity of this program from various interested parties. If this program is implemented at the institutional level, students will be required to complete this training, and this information will be presented to students from people including students’ academic advisors and their instructors.

3. Hardware and software: Learners must have access to a computer with internet access to complete this training. Learners must have one of two required browsers installed on that computer (see part d of this section for more information regarding browsers). Learners must also satisfy the LMS’ technical requirements, which will be detailed in the introduction to the tutorial. Learners will need to have word processing software (i.e. MS Word) installed on their computers.

4. Browsers and version numbers: All learners will be using either Firefox 3.6+ or Internet Explorer 7+. These requirements are specific by the LMS and are thus inflexible. Directions for the installation of either browser on both a Mac and a PC are included in the introduction to the training.

5. Internet access: Learners can have any type of internet access, including dial-‐up access and better. There will be multimedia portions of the training, but all information presented in this format will also be presented in a simpler (i.e. HTML page) version to accommodate very diverse internet access types. Learners will not be able to access the training on mobile devices, as the browser requirements for the LMS are not currently compatible with programs widely available on mobile devices.

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6. Firewalls, parental control, access, or security: There will not be any significant issues regarding access to the EdWeb. Users will access the tutorial portion of the training through normal web protocols, and access to the LMS will be restricted by username and password. The information regarding access to the LMS will be presented to learners in email form to ensure confidentiality of these items.

7. Other hardware/software challenges: Browser compatibility is a known challenge, because this issue constantly frustrates the LMS’ current users. The importance of complying with browser requirements will be made clear in the training, which will help to address this issue.

8. Stakeholders: There are many stakeholders in my project. They are: a. Students (current and prospective) who will be using the LMS. b. Managers and deans of the college, including the director of my department and his

manager, the Senior Associate Provost of the college. Online learning is becoming more and more important at the college, and they need to demonstrate that the LMS’ users will be adequately prepared and supported.

c. The staff of the online programs who are charged with the success and aggressive growth of online education at the college. They need to be able to point current and prospective students to resources.

d. eLearning department staff, who support students in their online education pursuits. The department’s staff spends a great deal of time training students on the use of the LMS, and when issues arise due to a lack of student training, the staff must respond to their support requests. Increased training for students will reduce this demand and help the staff to focus on the other aspects of their jobs.

9. Other instructional context issues: One known instructional context issue is helping students to gain familiarity within the LMS in a short period of time. The environment intimidates many first-‐time online learners, so it is of the utmost importance that this training addresses this issue.

B. Goals and Outcomes Stakeholder Group

Outcome Desired by Stakeholders

Data Collection and Measurement

Students More familiarity with LMS Formative evaluation designed to gauge pre-‐ and post-‐training comfort in LMS; reduction in support requests made to eLearning department for issues related to training

Managers/deans Increased satisfaction with LMS across all academic units

Surveys specific to each academic unit (i.e. online only, on-‐campus online components, etc.) to gauge student satisfaction with use of LMS

Online division staff 50% increase in retention related to LMS use; increased conversion of prospective to

Comparison of retention rates for one academic year using data related to satisfaction of the LMS only;

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current students comparison of conversion rates for one academic year

eLearning department staff

50% reduction in student support requests related to training issues

Comparison of student support requests related to training issues for a 3-‐month period after the introduction of training, evaluated monthly

Other outcomes: Students will be surveyed periodically to ascertain how much they are using Angel, and how satisfied they are with the LMS. This will help to identify potential additional training needs among the student body. The rate of satisfaction with Angel will be monitored through successive iterations of this process, and an increased rate of satisfaction will indicate the success of the program. The amount of additional training needed by students should decrease over time, and the program will be constantly evaluated to make sure student needs are properly met. A decrease in the amount of additional training needs by students over time will also indicate the success of the program.

C. Learner Needs and Characteristics Demographics

1. Age range: Learners will be a minimum of 18 years old (with the exception of a rare 17 year old college freshman), and there is no maximum age range.

2. Education levels, degrees, etc.: Learners will have a variety of education levels. The minimum level of education is a high school diploma; some users will already have an associate’s or bachelor’s degree, and possibly even a master’s.

3. Other factors: It is highly likely that some users will have disabilities, including learning disabilities and physical disabilities such as a lack of vision.

4. Volunteer or compulsory learners: Learners will be compulsory, as current student will be required to demonstrate the level of LMS experience taught in this training.

5. Prior experience with content: Some learners will have prior experience with the content, as they may have already taken a class online in this or another LMS. Other learners will be completely new to the system, and while they will have relatable experience (i.e. use of online applications), this will be a very new experience for them.

6. Prior experience with technology a. Online instruction: Approximately 25% of learners will have prior experience with

online instruction; most of that experience will be from this LMS. The rest of this population will have experience with other LMS’.

b. Internet use: Approximately 85% of learners will have prior experience with internet use for educational or professional reasons.

7. Learning styles and skills: I think that Katica Roy made a solid argument in “The Impact of Learning Styles on Interactivity in Asynchronous e-‐Learning,” and the idea that learning styles are almost irrelevant to the design of eLearning is one that I will keep in mind when I design this training. Sound instructional design choices are the most important part of the design process, and I will use these principles to guide the creation of my content.

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8. Reading level: This training must be accessible for a diverse audience; thus, the reading level for the content should be consistent with that of the average 10th grader.

9. Expectations and/or assumptions: Learners will be required to learn this material; as a result, many of them will not bring an excess of energy for the subject. To mitigate this issue, the importance of the content will be emphasized throughout the content. Learners’ assumptions of the end result of the training is that they will be able to confidently move through the LMS and accomplish basic tasks; it will be clear, no matter where learners are in the material, how all of the pieces of content fit together to help learners accomplish this end result.

10. Other learner needs or characteristics: It is important to note the diversity of learners that will be moving through this training. Some of them will be very tech-‐savvy, while some will be very unfamiliar with the basic principles included in the training. As a result, the content is going to have to be very carefully written: savvy learners must not be bored by what they consider basic information, but less experienced learners must be able to keep up with the content.

D. Project Management Program Timeline My project will partially be used at work, so the parts of it that will be used in that context will have to be completed according to my professional timetable. The static content I am developing (i.e. HTML pages) for work will be all that they require in the immediate future, and that project is already more than halfway complete. I may make modifications to that content for my EdWeb, but I anticipate that those changes would be relatively minor. This schedule means that I will have most of INTE 5670 to develop and refine the interactive components of this project. I am very glad that the schedule has worked out in this manner, as I am currently less confident with the development and delivery of interactive components than I am with static content. With this schedule, I will be able to focus almost exclusively on the interactive components in INTE 5670, by which point I should be far more confident in this skill. Content Expertise I am the primary content expert for this project. To my great benefit, my coworkers are also similarly skilled with the LMS, so I will be using their knowledge during this project. I am also fortunate enough to currently have a professional writer working with me to author the static content for this project. She was an employee in the eLearning department for almost a year, and she attained a great deal of skill in the LMS. All of these individuals have expressed willingness to help with this project, and I will no doubt count upon their expertise to help me throughout all of the stages of this project. Expert Interview or Request for Assistance

Name/Title of Expert

Approximate Date for Discussion

Discussion Notes

Director of eLearning Department

November 29, 2010 Need to clarify:

• Formal approval for project using Angel as the delivery method for interactive

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components of the project

• Formal approval of the use of the tutorials for the project; clarify question of hosting tutorials on external site for project (question: need to remove CC logo if hosted externally?)

• Guest access to Angel for purposes of EdWeb

System administrator for Angel

November 29, 2010 Need to obtain guest access plus clarify any restrictions for guests to access the project

Approvals The director of my department needs to approve my use of the LMS as the hosting location for the project. He also needs to formally authorize my use of the student tutorials (currently in development) for the project, and clarify any restrictions, exceptions, or other issues. I will submit a document to the director to clarify my intentions and requests and to present outstanding questions. Organizational change issues Because my department will use only part of this project initially, organizational change will play a small role in this project. The static content I develop will be published as soon as possible for the college’s immediate needs, but all of the interactive content I develop will only be used at the institutional level if I convince my director that it will satisfy a stated need. I am fairly confident that the college will adopt this training program: my department’s director wants to implement a similar program, but the department currently lacks the necessary resources to develop it. One institutional change that will have a large effect on my project is the importance of the college’s academic continuity plan: this plan specifies what would happen if the physical campus was evacuated for an extended period of time. If this did happen, classes would continue online; thus, it’s of the utmost importance that all students have a specified degree of competency in the LMS. This is one of the most compelling arguments for the institutional adoption of the training program I develop for my EdWeb. If the college implements the program, the college will monitor students. Students’ progress through the program will be tracked, and they would be required to complete it by a stated date. That tracking might take place in the eLearning department, or could be administered by another academic unit or office. There would be a great deal of support for the training program, once its importance was effectively communicated to all learners and other stakeholders. The only threats and/or fears that people at the college might feel in conjunction with eLearning are due to the institution’s mixed history with eLearning. The college was an early adopter of eLearning, but then went through a period of complacency. During this period, eLearning was implemented in the ‘quick and dirty’ way, and the eLearning department suffered an enormously tarnished reputation within the college. That reputation has been greatly improved over the past

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year or so, but there are still lingering feelings of distrust. As a result, there could be a small amount of resistance to the program; this issue will be at least partially mitigated by the fact that academic continuity is a major initiative at the institutional level. The stakeholders for this project are listed below; also listed are details about the types of communication regarding this project.

Stakeholder Timeframe for Communication

Method of communication

Students Students will only be notified if the institution implements the project.

Students will be notified by email if the project is implemented. The communication would probably come from the advising and registration center, as this program would be required of all students.

Managers/deans The director of the eLearning department will be notified of this project on or around November 29, 2010. Other deans will only be notified if the project is going to be considered for implementation at the institutional level.

I will have a meeting with the eLearning director by the specified date, and I will present the document referenced above prior to this meeting. This will facilitate communication with the director of my department. If this program is implemented institutionally and deans are to be notified, it is likely that the eLearning director will facilitate that communication.

Online division staff The staff members of the online division are aware that the static content is in development; they would like an interactive component, but unless the eLearning director approves its use, they will not be notified.

If the program is approved for use, the staff members of the online division will be notified of new available resources.

eLearning department staff

Most members of the eLearning department staff are already aware of the project; their help and feedback will be solicited throughout the development of the project.

The department’s staff will be notified when there are new developments in the project, and many of them will test the components and evaluate them for widespread use.

Other resource or project management issues

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Although there is great benefit from the presence of so many people who can help in this project, there is a danger that people will want to contribute more than I want. All of my coworkers in the eLearning department have great ideas about how this project could be constructed, and it may be difficult to maintain full control of the project with others trying to help. I think it will be very important that I make it clear that, while part of this project is going to be used immediately at work, part of it is currently only for my EdWeb. I will limit scope creep by maintaining this distinction and will be judicious with the use of suggestions (although I will never ignore them, as they can potentially be very helpful).

E. Scoping your EdWeb Instructional Context If implemented by the college, this will be a standalone training program for the college’s students. There is a long-‐term plan on implementing a similar training program for the college’s instructors. This is a new project for the college: previously, the college had relied on PDFs provided by the LMS and a small assortment of FAQs to accomplish this task. Time Budget The ‘best case’ scenario for my time budget for this project is a total of 450 hours. The breakdown is as follows:

Hours per week at work: 15 Hours per week at home: +15 Total hours per week: 30 INTE 5670 duration x15 Total available time 450 hours

Development Analysis The development of content for this project should take between 240 and 480 hours. The breakdown is as follows:

F2F instruction time (hours): 2 Equivalent online instruction time (2 x 60%): 1.2 Minimum development hours required (1.2 x200): 240 Maximum development hours required (1.2 x 400): 480

Scope alignment Fortunately, it appears that my time budget matches up very closely with the development analysis. This is very reassuring news, but I do need to be mindful that my degree of experience (as defined in Karl M. Kapp’s article “How Long Does it Take?”) is at the lower end of the spectrum. I fully expect that the time it takes me to complete this project will be at the higher range identified in the development analysis.

F. Instructional Objectives & Assessments Objective How Will This Objective be Measured?

1. After reading the “Student Orientation” portion of the tutorials, be able to identify three differences between

Success will be based upon students’ answers to questions about these differences as recorded in their submission for the “Student Orientation” assessment in the course shell. The use of the LMS’ assessment tool for the

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online and face-‐to-‐face education.

completion of this objective will also reinforce objective 8.

2. Using the tutorials, install and configure browser (IE8+ or Firefox 3.6+) and computer (Ajax, Acrobat Reader, Flash Player, Java, JavaScript, Quicktime Player, and Windows Media) settings for use with the LMS.

Success of this objective will be based upon learners’ correct understanding of the necessary technical requirements for the LMS and their submission of these answers through the LMS’ assessment tool. This assessment will include a script that will run on users’ computers and check these settings on learners’ computers. The use of the LMS’ assessment tool for the completion of this objective will also reinforce objective 8.

3. Successfully navigate through the main areas of the course shell (the syllabus, the Lessons tab, the Communicate tab, the Reports tab, and the gradebook).

Success will be measured in the amount of correct answers provided; learners will be able to take the assessment as many times as they need to reach the established minimum standard. The assessment will contain true/false, multiple choice, fill-‐in-‐the-‐blank, and short answer questions. The use of the LMS’ assessment tool for the completion of this objective will also reinforce objective 8.

4. Using the tutorials, customize the Angel homepage with at least two available components.

Success for this objective will be tied to success of objective 10; please see objective 10 for that information. In addition to the measurement of success associated with objective 10, the instructor will log in through the learners’ accounts and verify that the homepage has been customized.

5. Using the tutorials, successfully send an email using the Angel course mail tool.

The successful receipt of the email will measure success. Learners will also be asked to use a subject that describes the contents of the email, and they will be given feedback related to this principle.

6. Using the tutorials, post a discussion forum post and reply to an existing post.

The discussion post being posted in the specified location will measure success of this objective.

7. Using the tutorials, submit a .doc file in a specified dropbox.

Success of this objective will be measured based upon the following criteria: 1. Did the learner submit their file to the dropbox

specified? 2. Was the submitted file in the format specified (i.e.

in .doc format, not in .docx format)?

8. Successfully complete an assessment in the LMS.

Success of this objective will be measured based upon the following criteria: 1. Did the learner successfully submit all assessments

using the LMS’ assessment tools to complete objectives 2, 3 & 9?

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2. Did the learner report any difficulty with the assessment tool?

9. Using the tutorials, access the gradebook and correctly identify the difference between a course grade and a category grade.

Success of this objective will be measured based upon the correct identification of a course grade as presented in a screenshot. The screenshot will be displayed in an assessment inside the course shell.

10. At end of the training, learners will be able to describe their rationale for selecting the components they added to their homepage.

Success of this objective is tied to objective 4: learners will attach the file described in objective 4. Students will write a paragraph in a email sent to the instructor inside the course shell describing the reasons for the changes they made. Success will be based upon the successful receipt of the email with the requested paragraph of text and the attachment.

Resource needs Learners will need to have access to the tutorials (hosted on the web) while they are in Angel to complete these activities. The links to the appropriate tutorial page will be highly visible inside the LMS. Learners may need access to the course instructor; contact information for the instructor will also be highly visible inside the LMS and in the tutorials. Other instructional content issues One instructional content issue is the fact that Angel changes constantly. This makes it harder to keep all of the content up-‐to-‐date, so vigilance will be needed in this case. Another instructional content issue is that the college uses Angel differently for different types of students: at this time, the training is most appropriate for one group of students. If other user groups are going to utilize this content, it will have to be modified slightly to fit those specific needs and objectives.

III. Design A. Instructional Design Model & Learning Theory CDT makes a lot of sense to me, and I think this theory fits very well with my EdWeb. I think the model of presenting an objective and then combining various presentation forms will be very effective given the material that students in my training program will learn. Other instructional design models Other than Horton’s Absorb, Connect, Do model, I will also use Ley and Young’s prepare-‐organize-‐monitor-‐evaluate (POME) model. I think the POME model is especially appropriate for my EdWeb as it is concerned with the issue of self-‐regulation. My EdWeb will be self-‐paced and asynchronous, much like the courses taught online at my college; thus, it is very important that my learners understand the concept of self-‐regulation even if I do not teach it directly. Other instructional design issues I do not anticipate any other significant instructional design issues at this time. One potential instructional design issue is that my department will be hiring a full-‐time instructional designer in the future: once that person is hired, they will be making this type of decision for the department.

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Thus, a different instructional design model may be adopted at the time of my project’s official institutional adoption; however, I do not think this will affect my EdWeb. CIV Implementation 1. Contextual: All of the activities in my EdWeb will be contextual, as they will take place

inside the LMS that learners need to use. These activities will be authentic, as they are all activities that learners need to be able to complete as online students with the college. Horton’s quote on page 125 sums this up perfectly: “start with simple activities to introduce concepts and build confidence, but do not stop until learners confront realistically difficult tasks.” This is the progression that I will use throughout my EdWeb, and I believe it will lead to success.

2. Learner Centered: The activities in my EdWeb will be learner centered because they are relevant and, to an extent, require learners to be self-‐directed. I will present learners with a variety of resources that will help them succeed in my EdWeb, and I will provide learners with personalized feedback that will help them refine their skills and build their confidence.

3. Active: All of the activities in my EdWeb will be active, as they will all require exploration and will involve problem solving, inquiry, and expression. Active participation in my EdWeb is the key to its success, as it duplicates the types of activities that learners will have to complete as online students with the college.

4. Social: Social instructional values will be the most complex to create in my EdWeb, due to the fact that it is self-‐paced and asynchronous. I will establish my presence as an instructor for my EdWeb which will help to address these needs, and will also establish a discussion forum in which students can interact and share their experiences online.

5. Supportive: All of my learning activities will be well-‐organized, which goes a long way in the creation of a supportive learning environment. As an instructor, I will provide students with feedback that is clear, constructive, and will provide opportunities for further learning opportunities.

B. Learning Activities Objective Activity Absorb Do Connect

1. After reading the “Student Orientation” portion of the tutorials, be able to identify three differences between online and face-‐to-‐face education.

Read the “Student Orientation” topic of the tutorial

“In the absorb column are activities in which the learner reads, listens, and watches.”

Complete the “Differences between online and face-‐to-‐face education” assessment (multiple choice

“Use practice activities in e-‐learning to prepare learners to apply skills, knowledge, and attitudes in real

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format questions)

situations.”

Complete the assessment’s short essay question that will ask students to quickly explain how important the differences are and how they feel about their comfort with online learning at this point

“Asking learners to rate the importance of ideas they have been taught challenges them to critically examine those ideas from a personal perspective.”

Read feedback provided by instructor regarding assessment answers.

“Feedback on test questions can correct misunderstandings and augment knowledge.”

2. Using the tutorials, prepare computers for use with the LMS.

Read the “Technical Requirements” page of the tutorial


Complete the “Is your computer ready?” assessment

“Use practice activities in e-‐learning to prepare learners to apply skills, knowledge, and attitudes in real situations.”

Using the tutorials, make any necessary technical modifications to computer

“Job aids [the tutorials] are tools that help learners apply learning to real-‐world tasks.”

3. Successfully use the navigational

Read the “Navigation” page of the

“In the absorb column are activities in

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structure of the LMS.

tutorial which the learner reads, listens, and watches.”

Locate the necessary information in the course shell

“Use practice activities in e-‐learning to prepare learners to apply skills, knowledge, and attitudes in real situations.”

Complete the “Scavenger hunt” assessment

“Scavenger hunts send learners out on a question for answers…the scavenger-‐hunt activity specifies the questions to be answered.”

4. Using the tutorials, customize the Angel homepage with at least two available components.

Read the “Customizing the Angel homepage” page of the tutorial


Using the tutorials, customize the homepage; take and save a screenshot of the customized homepage

“Hands-‐on activities allow learners to perform tasks with real tools but with guidance. They teach real tasks and help learners apply theory.”


Describe the rationale for the choice of components (Please note: this activity takes place at the end of the training, as

“Use meditation activities to…broaden the focus and emphasize context. Get learners to step back and see

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part of activity 10. See activity 10 for more information about this part of the activity.)

how a subject fits into a broader scheme.”

5. Using the tutorials, successfully send an email using the Angel course mail tool.

Read the “Angel course mail” pages of the tutorial



Send an email to the instructor with a relevant subject line

“Practice helps learners strengthen and refine skills, knowledge, and attitudes by applying them and receiving feedback.”

6. Using the tutorials, compose a discussion forum post and reply to an existing post.

Read the “Discussions” topic of the tutorial


Using the tutorials, post a new discussion forum post



Using the tutorials, reply to a specified discussion forum post

“Practice helps learners strengthen and refine skills, knowledge, and attitudes by applying them


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and receiving feedback.”

7. Using the tutorials, submit a specific type of file in a specified dropbox.

Read the “Assignments” topic of the tutorials


Following the provided directions, create and save a file in the specified format

“Job aids help learners apply knowledge and skills to real-‐world tasks they encounter…we lump them with connect activities because they prepare and encourage learners to apply learning”

Submit the file in the dropbox

“Practice certainly does refine skills and streamline performance.”

8. Successfully complete an assessment in the LMS.

Read the “Assessments” section of the tutorials


Using the “Assessments” section of the tutorials, complete the assessments used in objectives 1, 2, 3 & 9


“Job aids help learners apply knowledge and skills to real-‐world tasks they encounter…we lump them with connect activities because they prepare and encourage

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learners to apply learning”

Using the tutorials, access the gradebook and correctly differentiate between a course grade and a category grade.

Read the “Gradebook” tutorial page


Take the “What’s my grade?” assessment


“Job aids help learners apply knowledge and skills to real-‐world tasks they encounter…we lump them with connect activities because they prepare and encourage learners to apply learning”

At the end of the training, the student will be able to describe their rationale for selecting the components they added to their homepage.

Send an email to the instructor containing the rationale for their choice of components and the screenshot taken in activity 4


“Use meditation activities to…broaden the focus and emphasize context. Get learners to step back and see how a subject fits into a broader scheme.”

Other issues The most important aspect of all of the activities for this training is that they will all reinforce the use of the LMS. Thus, all of the activities will allow learners to practice the activities they will need to perform in every online course.

C. Authoring Tools Assessment Organizational Requirement My EdWeb is a training program for my college’s LMS, so it is essential that the interactive components of the program take place within that LMS. All of the static materials for the course (the tutorials) will be designed in Dreamweaver, as they are HTML pages, and will use images created in Photoshop.

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Cost There will be no direct cost for the use of any of these tools. The college already has purchased the LMS’ services, and I have a license for Dreamweaver and Photoshop. Experience I work inside the LMS every day, performing duties ranging from design to end-‐user support to administrative duties. I have a great deal of experience in this LMS which will prove enormously beneficial. I also have a great deal of experience in both Dreamweaver and Photoshop, as I have completed many projects using both tools. Marketability I currently work with all of the aforementioned tools as essential parts of my job. As a result, refinements of my skills in each tool will help me further position myself as an integral part of my department. This project, and the advanced use of these tools, will also increase my marketability to other possible employers. Complexity The use of all three of these tools will be the simplest way for me to complete this project. My experience level with these tools makes these choices very simple, and I am completely confident in these choices. Exposure Due to the content of my EdWeb (see part “A” of this section.), none of the authoring tools presented in the webinars for this course will be suitable for my use. I will be using some of the other tools presented by my peers, such as Kuler. Application The only possibility of my use of additional tools is if I create short video clips to accompany my tutorials. If this occurs, I will use Jing or Captivate; Jing is free for basic use and I have access to Captivate at work. Tentative decision I will use the college’s LMS, Dreamweaver, and Photoshop to create my EdWeb.

D. Reflection Questions Reflective Topic Response

How do you feel about your proposal? Does it feel accurate and complete?

I do feel that my proposal is both accurate and complete for this stage of the project. I have no doubt that there will be further refinement of the content of my proposal, but at this time, I feel like everything I need has been covered in this proposal.

What was the most challenging or difficult part of creating this document?

For me, the most challenging part of creating this document has been in the creation of learning objectives. I don’t have an educational background, so this type of work is completely new to me. I think my objectives are strong, but only because I’ve received such good guidance from my instructors.

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What questions or concerns do you have?

I’m genuinely shocked that I don’t have any questions or concerns at this time. I was concerned about my ability to create learning objectives and activities, but as I stated above, I’ve received such helpful guidance that I’m now confident in both.

How are you feeling about developing your EdWeb, based on this document?

This document has made all of the difference in the world in how I feel about developing my EdWeb. Before completing this document, I was completely overwhelmed at the idea of this project; now, I feel like I understand what I need to do. I’m excited to move on to the next stage of development…after a nice holiday break!

E. Typography Class Descriptor

Heading 1 Georgia, 22, bold, Hex #000000 Heading 2 Georgia, 18, bold, Hex #000000 Heading 3 Georgia, 16, bold, Hex #000000 Heading 4, table head

Georgia, 12, bold, Hex #000000

Top menu Verdena, 11, bold, Hex #cbc8f9, Hex on rollover #ffffff

Side menu Verdena, 10, bold, Hex #cbc8f9, Hex on rollover #ffffff

Body Verdena, 11, Hex #000000

Footer Verdena, 8, Hex #000000

F. Color Scheme I plan to use the color palette below. The color scheme was developed using Kuler; the colors used were chosen from the colors used in the Champlain College implementation of the Angel LMS. The dark layout of the student tutorials is a contrast to the LMS, but the use of common colors helps to tie the two components of my EdWeb together. The color scheme is predominantly blue and green on a dark backdrop; the colors blue and green are soothing and tend to produce a relaxing reaction in people. These colors will help to create a supportive, comforting learning environment.

Color RGB Hex # Main Purpose

0-‐0-‐0 000000 Background for tutorial pages

51-‐51-‐51 333333 Background for headings, body and footer

255-‐255-‐255 FFFFFF Body, header and footer text; text color for current and hover menu items

55-‐53-‐102 373566 Inactive menu backgrounds

124-‐118-‐229 7C76E5 Active menu backgrounds; links

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26-‐88-‐14 1A580E Activity menu item background (when item is current or hovered over)

30-‐139-‐1 1E8B09 Activity menu item background (when item is inactive)

85-‐152-‐71 559847 Links (hover)

64-‐216-‐35 40d823 Previous and next navigation; annotation in screenshots; border for activity menu items (when item is inactive)

G. Justification and description of the layout of your Absorb, Do, and Connect activities

My EdWeb features a standard template for all types of activities. The color behind the main text of every activity changes depending on the type of activity. The absorb activities all have a dark gray text background, the do activities all have a fairly bright green text background, and the connect activities all have a dark green text background. The use of color is intended to provoke responses from learners: the bright green behind the activities inspires energy and focus, and the dark green makes the learning environment more welcoming so learners may want to spend more time on those activities.

H. Categorization of Visuals Image (thumbnail) Name of Image Categorization

address_message.jpg Representative

addressed_message.jpg Representative

angel_homepage_2.jpg Representative

angel_homepage.jpg Representative

angel_iconnew.jpg Representative

assessment_icon.jpg Representative

assessment_start_page.jpg Representative

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attachments_1.jpg Representative

attachments_2.jpg Representative

available_components.jpg Representative

breadcrumbs.jpg Representative

change_discussion_view.jpg Representative

communicate.jpg Representative

compose_email.jpg Representative

compose_message.jpg Representative

compose_post.jpg Representative

confirm_delete.jpg Representative

course_homepage.jpg Representative

course_mail_nugget_1.jpg Representative

course_mail.jpg Representative

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delete_icon.jpg Representative

delete_post.jpg Representative

disc.jpg Representative

discussion_2.jpg Representative

discussion_forum_1.jpg Representative

dropbox_3.jpg Representative

dropbox_completed.jpg Representative

dropbox_graded_file.jpg Representative

dropbox_icon.jpg Representative

edit_courses_menu.jpg Representative

edit_courses.jpg Representative

edit_homepage_add_components.jpg Representative

edit_homepage_save_components.jpg Representative

edit_homepage.jpg Representative

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edit_post.jpg Representative

eq_editor_blank.jpg Representative

eq_editor.jpg Representative

equation_editor_icon.jpg Representative

gradebook_1.jpg Representative

grades_link.jpg Representative

grades_nugget.jpg Representative

ie_warning.jpg Representative

ie_window.jpg Representative

im_icon.jpg Representative

IM_window.jpg Representative

inbox.jpg Representative

lectures_overview.jpg Representative

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live_chat_explained.jpg Representative

live_chat.jpg Representative

logging_in_step_one.jpg Representative

logging_in_step_two.jpg Representative

logo.jpg Representative

my_folders.jpg Representative

nested_view.jpg Representative

new_folder.jpg Representative

new_post.jpg Representative

next_rectangle.jpg Navigational

pencil_icon.jpg Representative

previous_rectangle.jpg Representative

printer.jpg Representative

quiz_1.jpg Representative

quiz_unlimited_time.jpg Representative

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read_post_threaded.jpg Representative

* refresh.jpg Representative

reply_merged.jpg Representative

reply_to_post.jpg Representative

reports_console.jpg Representative

reports_icon.jpg Representative

search_view_open.jpg Representative

search_view.jpg Representative

system_check.jpg Representative

tabs.jpg Representative

tasks_pane.jpg Representative

I. Formative Evaluation Plan I will email my Design Prototype to my participants, and will include the questions included in my Formative Evaluation. I will create a form using Google docs that my participants will use to submit their responses to my questions; I will embed the URL for that form in the email.

Formative Evaluation Participants: Two of my coworkers who are very familiar with the Angel LMS will participate in the formative evaluation of my design prototype. Their feedback will be especially relevant because they will examine the design prototype from the perspective of a SME. Two of my coworkers who are less familiar with the Angel LMS will also participate in the formative evaluation of my design prototype. Their lack of familiarity with the system makes them

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an appropriate choice because they are in a very similar situation to a student who has never used the LMS in that capacity.

Formative Evaluation Questions: 1. I have two different design prototypes. Design prototype #1 matches the color scheme

found in Angel, while design prototype #2 creates more contrast between the different components involved in my project. On a scale of 1 to 5, with one being “I don’t like it all” and five being “I like it a lot,” how would you rate design prototype #1? How would you rate design prototype #2?

2. I would like your feedback on the amount of text vs. the amount of images on the page. On a scale of 1 to 5, with one being “way too many words or pictures” and five being “just the right balance,” how would you rate the design prototype? In the field below, please indicate if you think there was either too much text or too many images.

3. I would like your feedback on how well the components of my design prototype work together. On a scale of 1 to 5, with one being “they don’t work together at all” and five being “they look like they were meant to go together,” how would you rate the design prototype? In the field below, please indicate any changes that you think would make the components of the design prototype work together more harmoniously.

EdWeb Analysis & Design

Education

Transcript of EdWeb Analysis & Design