My Reflection

E-learning has been an exciting module. I can not believe that it has been very practical yet we are off campus. JP and Steve have steered the module well, engaging everybody and not keeping silent. In other modules, the lecturers would really go silent. About e-learning, it has been an eye opener to me how technology even as simple as an e-mail or sms from a phone can influence learning and teaching. I think this is the way to go and we should all embrace it. My observation is that this is a good foundation and we should immerse ourselves with e-learning more and more from now on. Secondly, from this module, I will never forget the ADDIE model, such a powerful instructional design tool. It is very systematic and clear and if followed, one can never go wrong. As a person actively involved in designing courses, am now equipped with a powerful model. Indeed, am going to organize a faculty development workshop after the M.Phil to specifically teach faculty how to apply the ADDIE model in teaching and learning. Am even contemplating doing my PhD project around e-learning!
Cheers to all.

Mubuuke 

Implementation

Well, it looks like the module is in its evening. E-learning has been quite adventurous and interesting thus far. On my part, it will not be possible to do full implementation and Evaluation within the module schedule, but as I have institutional support, I will carry on with the project even after the module has concluded. Am now focusing on my implementation and evaluation plan which will be operationalised later on. From some of the resources JP put up on Webstudies that I have gone through, I concluded that implementation may be guided by three sub-phases:
1. Training instructors: These may be teachers, community health preceptors etc, but they must be trained on how to operationalize and use the e-learning intervention we have created.
2. Preparing learners: Learners could be students or people in the community. These need to be prepared if the intervention is to be received well. For example if students do not know even how to switch on a computer, some of these e-learning projects may not take off. Prior learner preparation is necessary.
3. Preparing the learning space/environment: This is the space where the e-learning intervention will take place. Is there adequate internet, are there computers etc. These are some of the questions to ask.

Cheers!

Mubuuke

Designing

I have been trying to go through the designing phase and from reading the material JP gave us up on Webstudies, I tried to summarise in my own thinking what one should look at during this process;
1. Designing assessments: For those in institutions, I think we need to think of designing assessments. you know assessment drives learning. In my project of e-reflection, people have advised that students should be at least assessed for their daily reflections. But I think in designing this, we have to link it to the learning outcomes, learning environment and context.

2. Designing the format of the e-project. Here we need to look at how he whole e-learning intervention will be put together ready for delivery to the target audience. I think this is where real work is. We need to design a delivery system and medium by which the intervention will be presented to the target group. Like JP said, this is where we probably need feedback from some people to guide our ideas. I have co-opted about five students and two teachers to assist me in this. The idea is to get them give me feedback on how I should proceed with this.

3. Designing delivery strategies: Well here am looking at availability of computers, internet, student and teacher training etc. This is a whole lot of activities which we are still thinking through.

The struggle continues.

Mubuuke

Well, guys, I think we should be thinking on Design and Development, at least according to the guide. I `hope`, I have done some work with the analysis phase. My major learning need I came up with was that our clinical students do not `reflect` on their clinical cases (at least there is no evidence of this). They just record that they have done so many clinical investigations. So, my strategy is to come up with an e-platform where students can post their reflections (like we are doing now) and share with positive critique of each other`s reflection. The good news for me is that the institution is willing to take on this and have encouraged me to develop it even after the M.Phil. I have managed to co-opt some people especially the IT people to see how it can move forward (thanks to the administration). So we are discussing how to design the whole thing and how it will be developed out. But it is hectic. Don`t forget that we have to write out an Ms-Word assignment folks as well because JP wants it badly!!
Cheers for now

Mubuuke

Hey guys, I have just been talking to some guy over here and he told me of how he used the ADDIE model to hook up with a dinner date who eventually became his current wife. He applied all the five steps in this process which helped him get his partner. Really this ADDIE seems to be applicable in many situations!

Mubuuke

My rough e-project

Dear colleagues, I wanted to share what am thinking about doing as my e-learning intervention. As I was trying to read through the Analysis phase of the ADDIE model, I looked around my teaching context. I do  co-coordinate the clinical rotations of our 4th and 5th year medical students and realized that they use logbooks to write down the number of cases participated in every day. I then realized that they miss out a critical learning opportunity from these clinical cases, which is `Reflection`. I wanted students to not only record numbers, but also reflect deeply on what they learn from these cases, and then write down their reflections weekly. Teachers can then use these reflections to engage students in a discussion and provide feedback on their clinical cases. Students can also critique each other`s reflections. So am thinking of creating some kind of platform for clinical students to periodically share with their teachers what they are learning, forming some sort of student-teacher mentor-ship as well. Now, the real TASK is, I want all these student reflections, teacher feedback, peer critique and learning discussion to be electronic, no paper work this time. So I want to create this e-discussion platform to enhance learning. As Mubuuke, this is my idea and I may not complete it by the end of this module, but I want to try!

Mubuuke

Nice reference for the ADDIE model

I have come across a good reference about the ADDIE during my stages of doing Analysis and Designing of my e-learning intervention. It is a book Chapter IV titled: Applying the ADDIE Model to

Online Instruction, by Kaye Shelton and George Saltsman

In this chapter, the authors clearly outline what ADDIE model is all about and how it combines major steps from other instructional design models into five understandable ones. The authors further stress the importance of the Analysis stage which tends to be neglected by most  course developers. It is a good reference that guides one key questions to ask at each step in the whole process. The ADDIE model can be applied on any course even if it is not an e-learning course. It is interesting that after going through the module on ``Curriculum Analysis and Development``, going through the ADDIE model becomes easy because all the models of curriculum development we looked at earlier in the M.Phil course are clearly embedded into the ADDIE. This is why it probably popular. I recommend all to read the above reference chapter.

Thanks

Mubuuke Aloysius

I have been reading about David Kern`s book titled: ``Curriculum Development: A six-step approach``. I recommend all to read this reference. If one reads these six steps, understanding the ADDIE model becomes easy. David Kern lists the following steps in developing course curricula:
1. Problem Identification and General Needs Assessment
2. Targeted needs assessment (of learners and learning environment)
3. Educational objectives
4. educational strategies
5. Implementation
6. Evaluation

Reading the above steps, they are closely related to the ADDIE model. There are many other steps to developing a course like Ronald Harden`s Ten questions. what the ADDIE model does is to put all the segregated steps in other instructional design models into 5 broad and easily understandable steps that every body can adapt.

I also recommend a good reference that will make understanding the ADDIE model quite easy.

Mubuuke Aloysius

E-learning: Quite Important

Well dear colleagues, welcome to this exciting module of e-learning. Sometimes it is better to confront issues rather than run away from them. E-learning is quickly gaining prominence in health sciences education and the faster we cope up with it, the better. We can run away from it now, but it will catch up with us later on. The ADDIE model looks very good in design. It incorporates many design models into five broad steps and thats the beauty with it. Hope this exercise will help us transform health sciences training.

Regards

Mubuuke aloysius

My expectation

 My expectation is to acquire e-learning skills that will enhance my teaching and learning environment.