To be effective in the distance education field, it is important that to understand the

different perspectives available. As educators, this allows us to prepare materials to reach a wide
range of students as well as to better understand the reasons behind what we are doing. Further,
to understand the basic foundations of this field, it is important to recognize the various
instructional design models that are employed when creating materials for distance education. In
this way, we will be able to create materials, understand how the materials we are using daily
were created, and perform the appropriate evaluation methods in order to keep these learning
tools up to date. Understanding this material prepares us to be excellent distance educators.

Instructional Design Models

According to Martin Ryder with the University of Colorado, "An instructional design
model gives structure and meaning to an I.D. problem, enabling the would-be designer to
negotiate her design task with a semblance of conscious understanding. Models help us to
visualize the problem, to break it down into discrete, manageable units" (Instructional Design
Central, 2012). Two popular models are ADDIE and the Dick and Carey model.
The ADDIE model serves as a guide through the process of creating effective educational
courses and materials for a particular audience. The Analysis phase helps to determine the basis
for all future decisions. It seeks to determine who the learners are, the overall goals of the
project, the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors that need to be taught, the amount and
level of content needed and the resources required/available as well as any constraints or
limitations. During the design stage, the instructional designer storyboards the course and uses
the information from the Analysis phase to create a program or course that meets the needs of the
client. The Development phase focuses on building the outcome of the design phase.
Implementation is the actual delivery and teaching of the course itself. This requires that the

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elements of the learning environment be identified and teaching strategies developed. While the
concepts and materials have been tested throughout the process, the Evaluation phase can
uncover topics that require further development or re-design work. Evaluation can be both
formative and summative. Evaluation objectives should include the objectives and expectations
of the learner. When looking at the process, you must avoid the thought that it is structured in a
chronological order. Rather, the ADDIE Model is a continuous circle with overlapping
boundaries (ADDIE Model, 2014).
The Dick and Carey model, as explained below, is a nine step process which is similar to
ADDIE, but is thought to be more flexible and adaptable for different project sizes.
1.

Identify Instructional Goals - Describe what the learners are expected to perform

at the end of the instruction. Instructional goals are normally broad statements of what
you are trying to accomplish. They should describe what the learners should perform, not
what you are going to do.
2.

Conduct Instructional Analysis - Identify the exact performance gap between the

present performance and the desired performance. This informs you what the learners
need to learn in order to perform. Next, identify the steps the learner must be able to
perform in order to accomplish the tasks that lead to the desired performance.
3.

Identify Entry Behaviors - Identify the general characteristics of the learners,

including skills, experience, motivation levels, and basic demographics; which relate to
the skills and topics that will be taught. The information should have enough detail to
allow you to identify the correct starting point of the instruction so that they do not waste
time reviewing material they already know and does not omit content they need to know.

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The goal is to start the learning process at a level they already understand so you can
scaffold the instruction by providing a structure that they can build upon.
4.

Write Performance Objectives - Performance Objectives consist of a description

of the task or skills to be learned, the standards or criteria, and the conditions that the task
must be performed.
5.

Develop Criterion - Tests and evaluations are created that will: 1) ensure the

learners meet the necessary prerequisites for performing the new skills, 2) identify the
learner's progress in meeting the performance objectives during the learning process, and
3) evaluate the learning process itself to ensure it is structurally sound.
6.

Develop Instructional Strategy - Create a blueprint of the learning activities that

will transfer, develop, and reinforce the skills and knowledge formulated in the
performance objectives. Sequence the items in the blueprint in the order that will provide
the best learning environment.
7.

Develop and Select Instructional Materials - Using the blueprint created in the

previous step, fully develop the instructional content and activities. To save time, reuse
existing material whenever possible.
8.

Design and Conduct Formative Evaluation - Use iterative design methods, such as

prototypes, small field group trials, and/or interviews with prospective learners so that
you can collect data to identify areas in the instructional material that need improvement
before releasing the instruction for actual use.
9.

Revise Instruction: Use the data from the two types of evaluations to examine the

validity of the instructional material and revise as needed (Carey & Dick, 1996).

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Both of these models are used by instructional designers to develop learning tools and training
materials. However, there are several different models used in this field, each with its own
benefits and drawbacks. There is not a "one size fits all" approach to instructional design. When
approaching a problem, instructional designers should always choose a method of design which
specifically meets their individual project needs.

Student Perspective
Distance education students should prepare as much as possible before the course even
begins. According to the North Carolina State University (NCSU) Distance Education website,
students should read and re-read all course documents. To help with this, I strongly recommend
that instructors send out the syllabus by email to students at least a week prior to the beginning of
class. This allows students time to read and prepare for the semester. It also gives them a chance
to drop the class if the expectations are more than what they feel can handle. NCSU also
recommends that students purchase the book ahead of the first day of class. I agree and find that
having the book in hand by the first day makes me feel much more prepared to begin the
semester (North Carolina State University, 2014).
The NCSU site also recommends that students feel free to ask questions of the instructor.
I suggest sending an email to the instructor at the very beginning of the course to let them know
that this is their first online course and ask any questions they may have after reading the course
documentation. The students should also inform the instructor that they are new to the online
environment as well as the course management tool. This allows the instructor to keep an eye out
for any possible issues. To do this, NCSU says to make sure that students are set up to receive
email or other communications from your instructor (North Carolina State University, 2014).

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Finally, our textbook advises that students need to make sure that they can meet all
technical aspects of the course before they begins. Do they have a reliable internet connection
with a decent speed? Do they need a camera, camcorder, specific software, or video/audio
capabilities on her computer? All these things can make distance education very difficult and
stressful if they do not plan for them in advance. Scrambling to get the correct software the week
an assignment is due or not having a good internet connection can cause an assignment to be late
and it is very likely that they will not be able to do their best work. Also, if a student is aware
that they will not be able to meet all the technical requirements at the beginning of the course, it
is better to drop the course and take it when they will be able to meet all the requirements.
Taking the time to insure they can meet all technical requirements before the class starts is very
important to being a successful distance student (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek,
2013, pp. 233-234).

Instructor Perspective
As future educators, it is important that we take the information learned in this class,
using all the perspectives available, and use it to help us educate our students. This can be a
difficult task, but one that will help us educate and communicate with students better. Working
form an instructor perspective to develop a course curriculum, we need to remember the advice
we gave to distance education students to help them in their coursework. This will help us clearly
communicate learning objectives and information about assignments.
When developing a course syllabus, author Krista Kauffman (2014) suggests a six step
process. First, reflect on and identify the purpose of the course. Check with the department head
for specific college policies required to be included in the syllabus. Talk to others in the field,
search the internet for syllabi of similar courses and email other faculty for suggestions. This will

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help develop a clearly defined purpose for the course. Second, develop learning-centered student
learning outcomes. What should students be able to accomplish at the end of the course?
Learning outcomes should include information students should know and skills they should be
able to perform at the end of the course. Bloom's Taxonomy is very helpful in developing
effective and measurable learning outcomes. It is also important that outcomes are measurable so
that you can show students accomplished the learning outcomes at the conclusion of the course.
Third, structure the lesson outline to serve learning-centered goals. Each lesson should have a
theme or a purpose. Assemble information in a logical learning manner and chunk information
together in a way that makes sense. Make sure the amount of information presented is relevant
and not overwhelming to the student. This allows you to develop a course outline that is easy for
a student to follow and will help them learn in the information in a manner that will help them
reach the learning outcomes. Step four is building lessons to support learning goals. This is
where you add relevant assignments and other useful information which will help the student
learn the information presented. These assignments should also match your learning outcomes so
that you are able to measure whether or not a student has accomplished the outcome. Try to
implement a variety of learning tools to serve different types of learners. Adding YouTube
videos, outside readings from the internet and fun, interactive assignments will help keep
students involved and engaged in the course. Step five is developing calendar based on the
course outline. This is where you will judge how long each lesson should take. Should some
lessons be two weeks instead of one? Is there enough (or too much) material for one week? Are
the assignments extensive requiring more than a week (or two)? All of this information should be
considered when developing a course outline. Finally, step six is adding in the support
information. It is very important for students to clearly understand not only the course objectives,

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but the instructor's course expectations. List contact information, email, office hours and online
availability. Also, include information about discussion groups, if used, and how students should
conduct themselves. List clear expectations for completing and handing in assignments. List all
technology and textbook requirements. A syllabus should include all course policies and
expectations so that students can refer back to it continually throughout the course to answer any
possible questions. Being clear and laying out expectations can help your course run smoothly
throughout the semester.

Administrative Perspective
Since there are also jobs available to us on the administrative side of education, it is
important that we understand this perspective as well. Policy documents are created by
institutions in order to maintain the quality of education and the credibility of the distance
education program. These documents are important pieces for an administration as they are the
key to identifying and resolving any issues that may arise. Generally, in developing these
documents, a committee of administrators and educators is put together to develop policies and
procedures under which the distance education program will be developed and maintained. This
document, when completed, must go through a series of approvals and be adopted by the
institution as the rule of law, so to speak.
Our text references four subsystems of education that should be addressed in a policy
document. The regulatory subsystem involves policies for management of the distance education
program including decision making, planning, funding and assessment. Policies in this
subsystem include compliance with standards and regulations, strategic planning and program
development and aspects of financial responsibility. The course subsystem includes policies
concerning software licensing for course management tools and Web 2.0 tools, operations of

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support systems such as help desks and course evaluation policies to ensure the quality of online
courses. The student subsystem addresses the requirements for availability and accessibility of
student support services such as admissions, advising, library services and disability services.
These services should be available online as well as in person and should be equal to the services
offered a traditionally enrolled student. The logistical subsystem covers purchasing and
maintaining equipment and employment and training of personnel. This subsystem includes
aspects of information technology and human resources. All of this information is important to
developing and maintaining a quality distance education program that enhances and embraces
the integrity of the institution (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2006, pp. 322-327).

Ethics and Copyright Issues

The internet is such a vast resource and society is moving towards having all information
posted to the internet. It seems very overwhelming to try to make sure information is being used
properly all the time. However, in distance education we often face issues of copyright
infringement and questions of fair use of information. Unfortunately, the only way to get a
definitive answer on whether a particular use is a fair use is to have it resolved in federal court.
Judges use four factors to resolve fair use disputes. Its important to understand that these factors
are only guidelines that courts are free to adapt to particular situations on a case by case basis.
According to an article from the Stanford Library, the four factors are a) the purpose and
character of use, b) the nature of the copyrighted work c) the amount and substantiality of the
portion taken, and d) the effect of the use upon the potential market. First, the Supreme Court
emphasized the purpose and character of use as being a primary indicator of fair use. At issue is
whether the material has been used to help create something new or merely copied verbatim into
another work. The material taken from the original work should be transformed by adding new

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expression or meaning and value added to the original by creating new insights and
understanding. Second, the nature of the copyrighted work is important because if the
dissemination of facts or information benefits the public, then there is leeway to copy from
factual works such as biographies. Third, the less taken, the more likely that the copying will be
excused as a fair use. However, even if a small portion of a work is taken, the copying will not
be a fair use if the portion taken is the heart of the work. Finally, important fair use factor is
whether the use deprives the copyright owner of income or undermines a new or potential market
for the copyrighted work. Depriving a copyright owner of income is very likely to trigger a
lawsuit (Stanford University, 2014). These factors should all be considered as course materials
and internet resources are considered for use in an online class. As educators, it is our
responsibility to disseminate information in a responsible manner.

Conclusion
All of the information learned in the second half of this semester is important training for
us as future educators. It is important that we understand the different perspectives of those in the
distance education field so that we can be understanding and communicate better. As we have
learned throughout this course, communication is very important in education. The lessons
learned here will help us listen, understand and communicate with our students as we prepare
them for the future.

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References
ADDIE Model. (2014). Retrieved from InstructionalDesign.Org:
http://www.instructionaldesign.org/models/addie.html
Carey, L., & Dick, W. (1996). The Systematic Design of Instruction. New York, NY: Longman.
Instructional Design Central. (2012). Instructional Design Models. Retrieved from Instructional
Design Central:
http://www.instructionaldesigncentral.com/htm/IDC_instructionaldesignmodels.htm
Kauffman, K. (2014). Building Your First Syllabus. Retrieved from 4 Faculty.org:
http://4faculty.org/includes/105r2.jsp
North Carolina State University. (2014). Distance Education. Retrieved from North Carolina
State University: http://distance.ncsu.edu/advising/how-to-succeed.php
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S. E., Albright, M. J., & Zvacek, S. (2006). Managing and Leading a
Distance Education Program. In M. Simonson, S. E. Smaldino, M. J. Albright, & S.
Zvacek, Teaching and Learning at a Distance: Foundations of Distance Education (pp.
322-327). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S. E., Albright, M. J., & Zvacek, S. (2013). The Student and Distance
Education. In M. Simonson, S. E. Smaldino, M. J. Albright, & S. Zvacek, Teaching and
Learning at a Distance: Foundations of Distance Education (pp. 233-234). Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Pearson.
Stanford University. (2014). Measuring Fair Use: The Four Factors. Retrieved from Stanford
University Copyright and Fair Use Overview: http://fairuse.stanford.edu/overview/fairuse/four-factors/