Designing for Online, Self-paced, Competency-based Learning

1. Designing for Online, Self-paced, Competency-based Learning An Overview

2. Characteristics of Self-paced, Competency-based Learning • Learners work at their own pace while being actively involved in performing specific learning tasks • Students work through selected parts of the curriculum at their own pace, in their own way, when and where they want to work • Features include: learner responsibility, pacing, successful learning based on specific learning competencies and outcomes, and a variety of learning activities with accompanying resources

3. Characteristics of Self-paced, Competency-based Learning • Learners are provided with more than one opportunity to study, self-test, test, and then retest until the mastery level is attained • When the learner successfully meets the criteria set (or learning competencies) the concept of mastery learning is realized; this is the goal of this learning approach • Participants’ knowledge and skills are assessed as they enter the program and those with satisfactory knowledge and skills may bypass training or competencies already attained

4. Instructional Design Goals • The main goal is student usability; this includes: • Clear and measureable learning competencies and outcomes • Use measureable terminology such as state, define, select, solve, locate, construct, generate, choose, etc. • Avoid terms like know and understand as these are difficult to measure • Communicate competencies and outcomes to students up front • Logical sequencing • Concepts should be arranged and delivered in an order that makes sense • Think about pre-requisite skills or knowledge

5. Instructional Design Goals • Readability • Use consistent language and voice • Triple check spelling and grammar • Avoid using small and/or unusual fonts • Offer alternatives for reading materials online; provide print options like .pdf or .doc • Materials should be ADA compliant • Easy Navigation • Make sure it is very clear where a button or hyperlink will take the user • Use the Blackboard template provided for VLI courses • Consistency • This includes fonts, colors, buttons, language, etc.

6. Instructional Design Goals • A secondary goal is easy maintenance by course developers and facilitators • While student usability is the most important goal, also keep in mind course upkeep as you build the course • Keep files organized and up-to-date • Use specified file naming conventions • Set goals and timelines for maintaining/updating the course

7. Design Best Practices • Make the intended learning competencies and outcomes clear • Competency: general statement detailing the desired knowledge and skills of the learner upon completion of the course/module • Outcome: very specific statement that describes exactly what a learner will be able to do in some measurable way (a competency may have several specific learning outcomes)

8. Design Best Practices • Learning activities and resources are carefully designed or selected to address specific learning competencies and outcomes • Three Domains of educational activities • Cognitive: mental skills (Knowledge) • Affective: growth in feelings or emotional areas (Attitude) • Psychomotor: manual or physical skills (Skills) • Organize content into comparatively small, discrete steps, each one treating a single concept or segment of content • The size of the steps can vary, but it is essential that they are carefully sequenced

9. Design Best Practices • Supporting theory is integrated with skills practice • Give the learners plenty of opportunity to practice the skills they have learned and to receive feedback • Learner's mastery of each step is checked before proceeding to the next step (formative assessment) • Mastery learning is the goal • This also encourages students and allows them to proceed with confidence

10. Design Best Practices • Use flexible instructional approaches and a variety of support materials • Instructional approaches: large group, small group activities, individual study • Support materials: printed or online readings, presentations, web sites, audio and video files, chat rooms, discussion boards, email, simulations, etc. • Use content delivery methods that make the most sense for the module topic and type of information being presented • Be sure that students have all the necessary instructions, materials, equipment, and supplies to complete the module without difficulty

11. Design Best Practices • Be sure to include: • Frequent opportunities for learners to self-assess and self-correct • Consistent Blackboard buttons, table of contents, searchable index, site or content map, section summaries, headings, search capabilities, and a glossary • Print features for learners to make paper copies of some or all of the module • Numerous and relevant examples • Reflection questions to help learners create personal relevancy • Definitions for all acronyms and technical terminology

12. Planning for Learning: The Storyboard • What is a storyboard? • A visual outline of your instruction • A plan for teaching and learning activities • Can include outlines and visual sketches (i.e. flowcharts or diagrams) that map out the contents or sequence of ideas • Storyboard for VLI modules: Module Development Template & Instruction Guide

13. Planning for Learning: The Storyboard • Why use a storyboard? • Helps you plan for instruction because you draw out all the different elements in detail • Helps you to communicate your ideas with others • Helps you think ahead about what instruction is going to look like when it is completed including what the students need to do to learn and what the facilitator will do • Helps create direction- the structure and sequence of the instruction

14. Planning for Learning: The Storyboard • Questions to address while storyboarding: • What do you want the students to learn by the end of instruction? • What do the students already know? • What is the content you must include in the instruction? • What are the learning activities that will help the students learn? • What is the best sequence of learning activities?

15. Helpful Resources • VLI Module Development Guide • VLI Module Development Template & Instruction Guide • VLI Sample Module Development Template (all located in DocuShare at: http://unity.kctcs.edu/docushare/dsweb/View/Collection-12630) • VLI Quality Assurance Rubric (located in DocuShare at: http://unity.kctcs.edu/docushare/dsweb/View/Collection-12021)