ELearning ProposalILT 5650Chris ThomasSept. 13, 2009, revised 9/25

Proposal for Initial Integration of Elearning into Middle and High School Curriculum

in the Boulder Valley School District

Introduction

Elearning is an integral part of this country’s commitment to 21st century skills and should be an integral aspect of every student’s study. As a modality of information access, it defines the state of the art in the field of education. It is the child of the digital information age and has not only permitted unprecedented access to advanced learning that was formerly sequestered in academia, but It also has afforded many millions who live out of reach of libraries, universities and centers of population and culture, life-changing educational opportunities. In that respect, it has social ramifications about which we can only speculate.

Elearning helps us start to change the scope of learning from a linear, exclusive one, to one that is multidimensional and inclusive. And not a moment too soon. With the exponential expansion of information, learning needs a new structure. Students need to have a system wherein information is configured in such a way as to include the widest potential of relational aspects possible . The old educational paradigm of high school, college, graduate school, etc, is no longer adequate. There's not enough time for an individual to learn all that needs to be learned. Educational updates must happen on a nearly continual basis. It is, therefore; vital that all students become completely comfortable and have increasing facility in elearning and elearning technologies.

The mandate must be to integrate elearning into all feasible aspects of elementary and secondary education and includes providing easy access to the necessary technology for all children.

Accordingly, I would like to propose that all academic classes be augmented to include an elearning track which would help provide a more relevant context for the material as well as expand the subject matter into more visual realms. While, we should develop a learning and resource track for all classes, initially, this prototype should start with biology/science because of the body of work that is already available.

Course overview. At the highest level the course will be made up of two larger components: course material and course resources. Course material will be a greater visualization of current course material containing both foundational tutorials to provide background for students who are having difficulties and more advanced tutorials for students who wish to work ahead. The course resource segment will be an always-available visual database containing web links,

articles, illustrations and any other material that will further expand upon any conceivable topical aspects of each course segment.

The Advantages:

Students become completely familiar with online utilities and resources.

Students integrate elearning into their learning style, facilitating greater curiosity and expansion of interests.

Students develop a sense of accomplishment from individualized pacing and the ability to revisit older material or move ahead into new levels.

Students develop confidence and a sense of control over their own learning.

The subject matter of each course is re-visualized and enriched with web resources as well as interactive learning activities provided by such modalities as virtual worlds, games, culture, arts and appropriate web tours.

ALL students in ALL schools will be provided full and easy access to the computer technology in order to participate in elearning.

The Disadvantages:

The cost and the commitment by the school district and others.

The challenge of re-visualizing the district's entire curriculum.

The challenge of training project teachers in the use of the different technologies involved in online education.

Additional time required of each teacher to counsel students in individualized learning tracks.

Goals for this proposal include:

The BVSD will develop a prototype for integrated elearning.

The BVSD will revitalize the biological science curriculum.

The learner will develop a facility with the learning methods inherent in elearning.

The learner will develop a facility with the most current web technologies.

The learner will develop the self-discipline to complete online assignments and to participate in course discussions and projects.

The learner will enjoy taking control of his/her own learning by establishing an individualized learning plan for themselves.

Model:

If I have to choose a Fee model #2 – Integrated online and offline learning; maybe blended at bit with model #3, although they seem hardly adequate for adolescents. Instead, I really like the model, Fig. 2, Paul has cited. It provides and encourages appropriate access to the immense educational resources of the net.

Evaluation: Kirkpatrick’s 4-levels of Learning Evaluation Model. I think it’s better suited for adolescents.

Audience

The audience for this courseware is adolescents, both middle school and high school students in the Boulder Valley School District. This is the perfect place for starting an 'online' individualized learning module. Because they are digital natives for the most part, teens are information 'foragers' and will find an online segment to be refreshing.

I think, as an audience, they want short, interesting blasts of foundational information they can use to expand the infrastructure of their topical understanding. Most of these students are well-acquainted with web technologies, although few will have actually taken an online class. Most will have already have participated in online games and social networks. The importance of media here can’t be overstated not because of physical limitations, but because of attention span. Any instructional programs will be more successful if presented within their ‘teen’ context utilizing music, visuals, games and any other cultural elements to keep their attention. Activities will be self-absorbing and fast moving – probably not organized in traditional manners. The entertainment value has to appear to be higher than the informational value.

The gap is one that is the residue of the old educational paradigm; that is, the three R's without regard to the individual learning styles. I think that as the school systems re-

evaluate their curricula and their approaches with regard to the new 21st century mandate, they will realize that a strongly visual, individualized and enriching learning track will re-vitalize a plodding, linear, outdated educational experience.

Feasibility/Planning

Content design & development plans. The Boulder School District Curriculum division will be the source of this online enrichment track for all three subject areas: language arts, history and biology, grade levels 7-12.

This process is a lengthy one and each area will be built upon the current curriculum. It will proceed in four developmental stages:

1. Analysis and Re-visualization.

2. Production of the enrichment segments.

3. Implementation of the course.

4. Evaluation of the course.

The Analysis and Re-visualization Segment requires that a team examines a topic area by grade level. It includes the process of redesign. As each segment of curriculum is examined, new activities, media and learning opportunities that can be delivered online, will be visualized. Writers and designers will begin work. Some of the online material may already exist and is available to purchase. Other material may need to be storyboarded and created from scratch. This creation will be a part of the Production Segment. While cost efficiency is paramount, accuracy and relevance are equally important and will drive the decision-making process.

As the old curriculum is examined and new online material is visualized, the Resource segment will also begin development. It is likely that the visualization process will uncover valuable resources which will serve as points of departure for a set number of related topics.

The Production of the various enrichment segments, will begin almost immediately and continue in tandem with the visualization process.

Contractors: writers, computer artists, programmers and video production people will be tasked as required by the project. Final pieces will be placed in the program as available.

Production Guidelines:

-Storyboard development will be coordinated by the Sr. Producer under the instructional guidance of the Instructional Designers. Frames will initially be sketched by hand, finalized in Adobe Illustrator.

-Animated sequences and interactive modules will be developed in Adobe Flash.

-Graphics will be developed in Adobe Illustrator and/or Photoshop.

-Video production will be subcontracted to XYZ Video corporation and created under the direction of the Sr. Producer.

-The LMS choice will be determined by the Instructional Designers and submitted to the District Administrator for approval.

The Implementation Plan should include training for subject matter teachers and administrations, ongoing, on-site interaction between Instructional Designers, administering teachers and students; as well as ongoing accommodations for corrections and adaptations.

The Evaluation Plan will include both short and longterm assessment tools to test for student reaction, student success, teacher and administrative assessment, parental assessment and other factors deemed important by the BVSD.

Administrative support

A Senior Producer is needed to oversee the process and serve as liaison between the school district and the ID team. He/she will also direct the contractors and/or artistic staff. Those educators/instructional designers doing the visualization need to constantly review material as it is being developed.

District administration needs to begin thinking about implementation; training for teachers, computers for classrooms, computer security considerations in addition to those already in place.

Technical Specifications

1. Learning Management System – determination of the proper LMS will be made in a coordinated decision between the Sr. Producer, ID team and District Administrator. This decision is one that not only relates to budgetal issues, but also to any existing agreements and contracts already in place.

2. Logistics- the initial online biology prototype course will be submitted for final review. At such time, it will be given an implementation date to begin, initially, in

the middle schools. because the tutorials will be developed sequentially from simpler to more advanced material. The course ware will reside on the district server system and will be maintained by the district technology people.

Science/biology teachers and their administrators throughout the school district will meet for training by grade level.

3. Tools – Each science/biology lab needs to have enough laptops for at least half of the students in their largest class. The laptops should come equipped with webcam and mike and carry MS Office Suite and Photoshop Elements. It should also have access to the internet. Each school should also have a computer lab t hat is kept open before and after school hours in order to allow as much access time as possible. Students may gain access at home with the proper logon information.

Budget plans

This initial project budget is based on chapters in the Holt Science and Technology Life Sciences book, and will be based on one topical unit's visualization. Each unit will take approximately one month to develop. Eight units will run just under $400k to produce. However, the cost of production will start to diminish significantly as the course database grows and less time is spent researching and constructing new material. Design will proceed with the understanding that computer models and graphics will be re-purposed to demonstrate each sequential layer of complexity.

Pro-rated salaries: It is estimated that an average month's salaries for a staff of nine is $33k/mo. (Sr. producer - $50k/yr., 2 Instructional Designers - $48k/yr., 4 production people at $40/yr for six months, 2 Website programmers at 45k/yr.)

Return on Investment. In reality, this project should not be this costly. If school districts across the country established an online protocol that enabled the full, interactive delivery of material to students, educational purveyors would be able to provide material in short order. Since all textbooks are now created digitally before sent to print, the ability to side-step the costly print process should make the digital files more lucrative for the manufacturer to deliver and more affordable for the school districts to purchase. And, it would save trees.

It will, otherwise, be difficult to determine an ROI for the public education sector.

Project timeline Based on the estimate that each unit will take approximately one month to design and produce, a middle school science curriculum based on 8 topical units should take approximately a year to complete and implement.

Months>>>>>> 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Design/units: design 1,2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Evaluation/units 1,2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Revision/units 1,2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Programming/ units

Set-up Set-up 1,2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Rev.

Implementation

1. Project Analysis/design Months: 01/01/10-08/30/10

2. Unit 1 – The Study of Living Things 02-03

3. Unit 2 – Cells 02-03

Revisions/programming

4. Unit 3 – Heredity, Evolution, and Classifications 03-04

Revisions/programming

5. Unit 4 – Simple Organisms, Fungi, and Plants 04-05

Revisions/programming

6. Unit 5 – Animals 06-07

Revisions/programming

7. Unit 6 – Ecology 07-08

Revisions/programming

8. Unit 7 – Human Body Systems 08-09

Revisions/programming

9. Unit 8 - Human Health 09-10

Revisions/programming

Implementation:

I see the implementation happening in four steps:

1. Presentation to the School Board.

2. Presentation to the district's parent representatives.

3. Purchase/installation of any additional equipment/materials.

4. Training of current teachers and/or hiring/training of new teachers.

5. Professional development update for troubleshooting problems and issues.

6. Quarterly assessments.

Presentation to School Board. This presentation should include this document as well as a demonstration of the course. Additionally, all collateral support for the development of cognition in young people needs to be integrated into the presentation with documentation attached.

Presentation to the school district's parent representatives. This presentation should be very similar to the School Board presentation, however, time should be allocated to answer questions, especially those relating to religion and other philosophical imperatives that come into play in the home.

Purchase of new equipment and/or material. Upon acceptance by both bodies, preparation needs to be made to insure that all the students involved in this program have full access to the computer and internet in order to complete their work. Arrangements will be made through the District's technology department to handle access issues and provide all maintenance on the servers.

Training of current teachers and/or hiring/training of new teachers. The summer prior to implementation, the appropriate teachers need to be located and/or hired to facilitate this program. It is highly recommended that teachers with psychology backgrounds and/or educational therapists be the first consideration because they are more prepared to deal with the issues that may arise.

The training should include not only the course material, but also important elements of psychological documentation as identified by the trainer. And, there should be ongoing contact between the trainer and the instructors as the project launches.

Professional development update for troubleshooting problems and issues. In addition to the aforementioned ongoing trainer/instructor contact, there should be regular professional development sessions with all the instructors so that problems can be delt with immediately.

Quarterly assessments. Each quarter the instructors and their trainers will develop a formal assessment of the class progress. This needs to be done both individually and in groups because the development of human potential can be an agonizingly slow thing. The assessments should 1/evaluate student interest; 2/evaluate program methodologies; 3/evaluate student progress in terms of a set of prescribed milestones; 4. teacher/instructor comfort level with the material and the process.

Marketing

While marketing is probably not the term that one might use to promote a course within a school district, a certain amount of promotion does need to take place in order to build support for the program. Three presentations should be prepared answering three distinct audiences.

1/ A superior presentation needs to be prepared for the Board of Directors outlining not only the course but the efficiencies of the course and the courses' impact on student retention and success. The Board's commitment to 21st century learning values needs to be reiterated.

2/ A parent presentation needs to be prepared that also describes the program, but it more sensitive to parental concerns, such as family philosophies, cultural differences, gender differences and religion. This is specifically for parent representatives, but should also be open to all interested parents and supported with email announcements and flyers.

This presentation should also be designed to accommodate a length question and answer session.

3/ A more detailed presentation for teachers needs to be prepared in order to answer the professional questions that they may have.

At the launch of the program, there should be an open house to introduce the concept to both parents and students. This will be promoted through parent emails and flyers.