ANALYSIS
The A in ADDIE

WHAT IS THE SITUATION?

• Next semester at McDaniel, at least 6 different classes will require a digital portfolio for primary course assessment.
• Plus, fall 03 will be the first semester that the Education Department will require all its students to begin working on a digital exit portfolio for the program.
• over 300 students will need instruction on how to build a digital portfolio

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?

We do not have the facilities, opportunity, or resources (human beings) to offer F2F instruction for all 300 plus students on using Dreamweaver/Fireworks.

Though I will offer evening workshops, that will reach only a handful. I can't offer instruction for over 300 students when they need it.

HOW DO WE SOLVE THE PROBLEM?

We need an instructor-less, self-paced course on how to build a digital portfolio.

But though instructor-less, it still needs to be monitored, since there will ALWAYS be questions and problems and frustrations that can easily be solved by an experienced Dreamweaver/Fireworks user.

We need a course:

1. that is not overwhelming-- something that can be accomplished in just a few hours... not weeks
2. appropriate for a variety of different classes--portfolio structures will vary, so need to help design a generic shell
3. that is available any time throughout the semester
4. that is monitored

WHAT MUST BE LEARNED?

1. the basics of Web development (Dreamweaver)
2. the basics of image editing (Fireworks)
3. how to FTP

SIDE NOTE to GENE:

As you know, when at UMUC, I designed dozens of instructor-led classes (though with many of them I was restricted by what the faculty wanted..or didn't want). The course I had the most affect on was CSMN 639 (strangely, much of it is still up), where I wrote the Course Guide, Read Me First, and about 90% of the "Lesson" content. (Though Marco and group have much improved it over the semesters)

I also just noticed that my draft design for the revision for CTL training is still on Polaris. Last I heard, CTL didn't go with it and stayed instead with their old training. I spent weeks on that class. My argument was to do a project-based training, where they combined theory with application (in the Case Study). And make the primary assessment a fully developed class. When I left, they scuttled the project, preferring, apparently, to have faculty do research papers, activities, and just TALK about theory. I tried to make the point that THEORY MATTERS WHEN IT IS APPLIED.

(sigh).

Old wounds.

Anyway, I say all the above to say this--I'm hoping you'll accept it if I do something slightly different. I'd like to do something I've not done before: design a self-paced, instructor-less (though monitored) class.

And, of course, this is a real-world situation. It will have immediate application in my current job.

DESIGN
The First D in ADDIE

WHAT ARE THE OBJECTIVES?

The primary objective of this course is for the student to be able to build a digital portfolio using Macromedia's Dreamweaver / Fireworks MX.

This includes:

• creating a site
• creating folders and pages within that site
• creating a simple background in Fireworks and exporting it for use in portfolio
• editing (crop, resize) an image and exporting it for use in portfolio
• being able to edit the site (change folders; rename files)
• being able to add text, tables, and hyperlinks in such a way that the user can easily navigate and understand the content of the portfolio
• being able to publish the site to the www.

The end product (and primary assessment) of the course is a basic digital portfolio

HOW WILL WE KNOW IF THE OBJECTIVES ARE MET?

The objectives of the course will be met If:

• if the student has built a portfolio
• if the student has published the portfolio
• if the image show up, the links work
• (and if there are no dancing cats on the page)

WHAT INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY WILL ACHIEVE THE OBJECTIVES?

The old standby.... break the material into manageable chunks.

And create a design that forces the student to learn in at least three different ways... first by doing, then by reviewing (remembering), then by applying (putting into different context).

1. Hands-on How-To. The task is to deliver skills information in such a way that students do the skills
2. Review. The task is to review the information in such a way that the student thinks another way.... not with hands so much, but with memory
3. Application. The task is to end each lesson by immediately applying the skills to a digital portfolio project. I'll call this a case study. Mostly because I like the sound of the term, but it also conveys the notion that each individual is doing something slightly different (though the same). I hope.

   Learn, Review, Apply. In small chunks.

   AND..... be able to ask questions.

   So this will be a different kind of self-paced class. It will be a monitored self-paced class.

WHAT MEDIA AND METHODS ARE MOST EFFECTIVE?

The Web, so as to deliver the materials anytime anywhere

An Online Learning Platform that is monitored, so as to provide an opportunity for students to ask questions and, if desired, participate in a community of learners. When I convert this to my real world situation, I will use Blackboard and roster in all students who are required to do a digital portfolio in my class. They can take it when ready. I'll devote an hour or two each morning to answering questions (if needed).

For my ISD project, I'm stuck with WebTycho, however, so I have to figure out how to fit the class into that very restrictive structure.

I'll also have to build my own quizzes, since WebTycho doesn't offer that feature.

• Drafting materials.
• Media Production
  • HTML and graphics
  • Uploading and linking
  • Learning CourseBuilder
• Formative Evaluation ( feedback when I can get it)