Step 1. Perform a Needs Analysis
The first element, the consideration of the curriculum requirements and the actual need for instruction is a realistic first step in planning any course or lesson and is certainly true of eLearning environments.Let's say that you are teaching a freshman comp course (the one everyone picks on as an example). Your school administration has asked you to redesign your successful campus-based course for eLearning. Lately, this has become an all too real scenario: for whatever reason, you are faced with putting technology at the forefront of your course development. What do you do? First, don't panic. Second, don't think you may simply turn lectures into web pages and go home. You are about to create a new approach to the class that will provide a rich learning environment for a new group of students. In Phase 1 (analyze), you first consider the course curriculum. What is covered in this course? In this case, you know there is a need for the course (everyone has to take freshman comp or at least test out of it) before moving on to higher level courses. The major part of your activities in this early phase will be listing the constraints (demands) on this course. You must somehow use the web (when and where it makes sense...we'll get to that in a moment). You must present the materials in such a way that students do not get lost in the materials. You must consider your own web skills (assume you know how to use WebCT, IntraKal, or BlackBoard) and the time you have to design, develop, and "go live" with your on-line course. What else might be a limitation? The sample (below) from a constraints list for an on-line college course is a good example. Many of the other constraints that would be listed might be drive times for ITV courses, need for small group work, or clinical components: Constraint | Solution | | Not all students will have access to the Internet. | Students may meet at the campus education computer lab on the assigned nights for the course | | Students may not know how to create html files for their presentations and projects. | The computer lab will be staffed on the assigned class meeting night by a technician who can help students create web pages. | | The interface between WebCT and the registration database has not been developed. How will students access the WebCT course? | The WebCT administrator and technician will meet the class on the first night in the lab and will assign WebCT ID numbers and passwords to each student. | | Some students may have little experience with distance learning. Others may begin to feel lost in the course without some contact. | Schedule 3 face-to-face meetings with an instructor during the semester to provide live feedback and help. | List anything else you can think of and keep the list handy as you work through the design and development phases. Previous: Instructional Design Models Next: Step 2
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