Selecting Distance Learning Technologies

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.

The technologies used for distance education fall into two categories: telecommunications technologies that connect instructors to distant learners and classroom technologies that record, present, and display instructional information.  Increasingly, video—and computer-based systems are being used.  (Simonson, 2009). 

It is important to design a series of safety training modules that will be effective, in order to improve the company’s poor safety record.   There are a number of things to consider.  Who is the audience?  What are the statistics?  What is the budget?  How many shifts are there?  These factors are important to help decided if the training should be in-house online training or off site.   

I would use YouTube and Concept Mapping for this type of training.  I believe with the two Web 2.0 technologies this can be an effective learning tool and as a result improve the poor safety record.  The YouTube can provide step-by-step methods for completion of all the training and help the employees become certified machinery and in turn improve the safety record of the company.  

YouTube, founded in February 2005 as a place where anyone can upload a video file for viewing by the masses has become one of the most frequently visited sites on the Web.  Many faculties are uploading video-based lecture recordings and other course materials for convenient viewing by students.  (Simonson, 2009).   With the YouTube video, PowerPoint slides can be used along with the facilitator, demonstrating how to use the machinery correctly, and I will emphasize the demo will help the learners learn how to use the machine properly. 

I will incorporate Concept maps to connect the dots, the step-b-steps of the learning tool.  Concept maps shows the relationships among concepts through a visual representation.  The asynchronous training, is to improve poor safety records, the biodiesel manufacturing company need a series of safety training modules.  Knowledge visualization is a part of concept maps and it lies at the intersection of information graphics, graphic design, and cognitive science.  

Joseph Novak (2004), the inventor of concept maps, explains, better ways to educate people and help them "learn how to learn". Concept maps can profitably be used to represent knowledge in every field of study: they help students to construct new learning and are also useful for teachers to discover possible misconceptions in the students' own construction.  

Concept maps will bring together the connections.  This will help the learner understand what it is they are missing and hopefully improve the safety record of the company.   

Distance learning or online training will save money and time.  More learners can be trained at once and not taking time off from work, this would be a savings for the company because the training is in-house, saving on travel, meals and time away from the job.     

YouTube training can be very in debt.  It is important that the training is motivating, to keep the learner’s interest.  

Concept maps are graphical tools for organizing and representing knowledge. They include concepts, usually enclosed in circles or boxes of some type, and relationships between concepts indicated by a connecting line linking two concepts. Words on the line, referred to as linking words or linking phrases, specify the relationship between the two concepts.  We define concept as a perceived regularity in events or objects, or records of events or objects, designated by a label. The label for most concepts is a word, although sometime we use symbols such as + or %, and sometimes more than one word is used.  (Novak, 2006)

Example of a CONCEPT MAP OF DIGITAL LOGIC AND COMPUTER ORGANIZATION CONCEPTS.

 

References:

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009).  Teaching and learning at a distance. (4th Edition). Boston. Pearson

Ashraf Saad, Georgia Institute of Technology, Savannah.   A Concept Maps-based Approach for Knowledge Visualization and Autonomous Self-Assessment in Distance Learning Environments

Novak, J. (2004).  Conceiving of Concept Maps To Foster Meaningful Learning: An Interview with Joseph D. Novak (J. Chem. Educ., 2004, 81 (9), p 1303, Retrieved on March 16, 2011 from http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ed081p1303