eagenda – Prof. Donn Ritchie ?? San Diego State University

eLearning ?? it??s not about the technology
The basic premise of Dom??s presentation is that technology alone isn??t what makes eLearning happen ?? perhaps it may assist in delivering content – but he argues the need for a much stronger emphasis on instructional design to ensure that the materials are then ??instuctional??.
Personal comment ?? sounded a little like someone who has come into this field very recently. Surely we??re well past notions of ??instructional design?? ?? replacing it with the understandings of ??learning design?? . The former reflects an ??instructivist?? approach. We certainly have a lot to learn from the former theories and theorists ?? but need to embrace what they have to teach us within the modern, constructivist, learner-centred approaches that have been a feature of so may of the presentations at this conference.


Notes from Dom??s presentation…
why the excitement about eLearning?
– a way to cut costs
– potential to reach a greater number of participants and overcome infrastructure limitations
– significant increase in learner choices and strategies
– studies showing ??no significant difference?? between eLearniing and classroom instruction when each is ??done correctly.??
problems persisting with some of the current solutions
– not all students thrive
– not the great cost savings that had been hped for
– many students and instructors feeling isolated
– learning suffer if material is not designed correctly
why technology and content are enough:
– What the technology offers??
1. faster chip speed
2. better storage-personal and server
3. more broadband access
4. enhanced wireless technologies (EvDO)
5. improved voice over IP)
Dom then demo??d a number of online ??courses?? that illustrated the content only approach, but lacked any ??instructional organization??
Then went on to use Cagne??s 9 steps of instruction and how these are (or are not) taken into account in the instructional design of online courses

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