Example 3: Asynchronous Training
In an effort to improve its poor safety record, a biodiesel manufacturing plant needs a series of safety training modules. These stand-alone modules must illustrate best practices on how to safely operate the many pieces of heavy machinery on the plant floor. The modules should involve step-by-step processes and the method of delivery needs to be available to all shifts at the plant. As well, the shift supervisors want to be sure the employees are engaged and can demonstrate their learning from the modules.
When evaluating this situation, it stands out that the training must be asynchronous which according to Simonson, Smaldino, Albright and Zvacek (2012) is, “When learning takes place at different times and at different places …” (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2012, p.10). The modules must also be interactive in order to keep the trainees engaged. At first thought, podcasts appeared to be the most logical technology for this situation. In this situation, podcasts that incorporated audio and visual components would allow the learners to “process information simultaneously using two different modalities” (Jalali, Leddy, Gauthier, Sun, Hincke, Carnegie, 2011). With a podcast trainees can control the pace of their learning by pausing, rewinding, and reviewing information as needed to ensure their understanding.
Despite the benefits of podcasts they do not provide interactivity that will increase learners’ engagement nor does it provide a means of assessment and feedback. In order to provide a training module that addresses different modalities, requires interaction from the learner, and provides a way to assess the learner and give feedback is to design an interactive multimodal learning environment. Moreno and Mayer state, “An interactive multimodal learning environment is one in which what happens depends on the actions of the learner” (Moreno & Mayer, 2007). Also, Simonson, et al. state, “Self-study activities that provide feedback to learners motivate them to keep up with course readings, and provided reinforcement of important ideas” (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2012)
To meet the needs of the client an instructional designer should employ an online program such as Adobe Flash MX. “Flash has been made up in order to fix the great lack in the Internet: that is, Dynamism. This dynamism does not imply only animations but rather interactive animations, which allow users to see the web as something attractive, not static…” (Teacherclick, 2005). This program was used in an anatomy and physiology (ANP) course at the University of Ottawa. With this program multidimensional visuals were created that learners were able to manipulate allowing them to move through the layers of bodily tissues, and view images from different angles, (O’Byrne, Patry, & Carnegie, 2008). Additionally, this technology provided students “with interactive exercises that they could repeatedly try to obtain immediate feedback regarding their learning progress”, (O’Byrne, Patry, & Carnegie, 2008).
References
Introduction to FLASH MX 2004(I). (2005, November 1). Retrieved January 26, 2015, from
http://www.teacherclick.com/flash2004/t_1_1.htm
Jalali, A., Leddy, J., Gauthier, M., Sun, R., Hincke, M., Carnegie, J. (2011). Use of podcasting
as an innovative asynchronous e-learning tool for students. US-China Education Review, A (6), 741-748.
Moreno, R., Mayer, R. (2007). Interactive multimodal learning environments. Educational
Psychology Review, 19(3), 309-326. doi:10.1007/s10648-007-9047-2
O’Byrne, P., Patry, A., Carnegie, J. (2008, January 1). The Development of interactive online
learning tools for the study of anatomy. Retrieved January 26, 2015, from
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18946814
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a
distance: Foundations of distance education (5th ed.). (K. V. Canton, Ed.) Boston,
Massachussetts, United States of America: Pearson Education, Inc.
Michelle H. Jones 