Applying the Event-Oriented Design Model to Online Course Development

Contents:

• Introduction
• EOD Model Steps
  • Learner Analysis
  • Technology Assessment
  • Applying the Event-Oriented Design Model to WebCT Course Development
  • Instructional Modules
  • Instructional Events
  • Developing Mediated Content
  • Evaluation
• References

Distance education programs are quickly changing the landscape of higher education by offering a cost-effective and viable delivery method. The reasons students choose distance education are as diverse as the learners themselves -- from those caring for children at home to busy professionals at work.

The earliest distance education programs relied on the postal service to deliver correspondence course materials to learners. In the late 1970s and 1980s video became a popular means to deliver education. In the late 1990s the World Wide Web has evolved into a medium robust enough to meet the demands of delivering distance education.

The power of Thomas M. Welsh's (1998) Event-Oriented Design model (EOD) is its ability to design a course once for use in both the conventional classroom and through distance education delivery technologies. The distance education technologies could include computer-based instruction, videotape, video conferencing, web-based delivery, and others.
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Welsh's (1998) revised EOD model has seven steps:

1. Conduct learner analysis. This includes identifying non-traditional audience groups which may be attracted to newly distributed courses.
2. Conduct technology assessment. Identify technologies available to all students who may take the distributed course as well as faculty member.
3. Specify instructional goal and performance objectives of the course.
4. Sequence and chunk performance objectives into a series of instructional modules, each of which results in students meeting objectives.
5. Divide each module into a series of instructional events.
   1. 5a. For each event, specify event type; synchronous, limited synchronous, or asynchronous.
      5b. For each event, specify appropriate technology(ies) to enable event.
6. For each event, develop mediated content where needed and define procedures that ensure smooth completion of event.
7. Engage in formative evaluation and pilot testing as necessary to verify that each event, as well as the course as whole, is robust pedagogically and procedurally. (Welsh, 1998)

Let's take a closer look at each step and explore how this model can be applied to WebCT-based instruction.
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Knowing your audience is a key to effective communication in the classroom and through distance education. The demographic makeup of distant learners is different than the population of conventional classroom-based students.

Web-based instruction is a perfect match for adult learners since it can be an individualized process that allows learners to assume more responsibility for their own learning. Hiemstra and Sisco (1990) suggest that, "Effective instructors of adults are those who help learners become more self-sustaining, more intellectually curious, and more capable of learning by themselves" (p. 37).

The CSU, Chico Center for Regional and Continuing Education (1998) conducted a study of students who enrolled in courses taught via CSUSAT*Chico -- live satellite distributed video courses. With caution, we'll attempt to generalize these findings to distance education students who will likely enroll in web-based instruction; since web-based instruction is a new phenomenon at CSU, Chico, no reliable data is available on the demographics of web-based learners. See Table 1 for a comparison of CSUSAT*Chico distance education students and conventional campus-based CSU, Chico students.

Table 1 Comparison of Campus-based and CSUSAT*Chico Distance Education Students Attending CSU, Chico During Fall 1997.

Variable	Campus-based Learners1	CSUSAT*Chico Distant Learners2
average age	23	38
women	53%	83%
white	68%	90%
employed	NA	70%
work full-time	NA	62%
work part-time	NA	38%
earn less than $20,000/year	NA	51%
earn more than $20,000/year	NA	36%

1. Source: Department of Institutional Research, 1998. Undergraduate Student Profile, Fall 1997. Unpublished report. Chico, CA: CSU, Chico.
2. N = 115; response rate = 48%; source: Center for Regional and Continuing Education, 1998. Off Campus Student Survey. Unpublished report. Chico, CA: CSU, Chico.

Compared to their traditional classroom counterparts, CSUSAT*Chico distant learners tend to be older, predominately female, and overwhelmingly white.

Here's a few other variables you may wish to explore:

• marital status
• children at home
• employment type
• previous education
• location of distance education computer workstation

The best way to determine learner demographics is to conduct a study of likely students; you might study learners in similar web-based courses. Institutional Research (898-5623) is another resource for student demographic information.

As web-based instruction finds more widespread use, it is likely that the demographics of learners will begin shifting towards the characteristics of conventional classroom-based learners.
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WebCT requires very little technologically: all that is required of the student is a computer (Mac or PC) with a Java capable browser (Netscape or Internet Explorer version 3 or greater recommended). In addition the student, and faculty designer, must have a connection to the Internet with a 28.8 modem or greater.

Additional computer requirements will need to be imposed if your course takes advantage of advanced web-based technologies like Shockwave, RealAudio, RealVideo, QuickTime, PowerPoint, or others. Welsh (1998) developed a maxtix that lists types of technologies that can be called upon in the development of online courses:

• "Courses can range from being wholly print-based or web-based text and graphics (Level 1), to including a broad mix of sophisticated technologies such as JAVA based interactive multimedia, pre-produced video, and live teleconferencing (Level 3). Developing a level 1 course involves the least amount of development time and resources. Level 3 courses (including any of the technologies indicated by the large "X") involve the greatest amount of development time, resources, and overall expense" (Welsh, 1998).

	Print Materials	Web Site/Email	Listserve/ Text Chat/ Threaded Newgroups	Online Testing	CD-ROM or Web-Based Interactive Multimedia	Video	Tele- conference	Real Audio lecture
Level 1	x	x
Level 2	x	x	X	X
Level 3	x	x	X	X	X	X	X	X

(Welsh, 1998)

If you use these advanced features you'll have to make sure your students have a computer powerful enough, and the right software (mostly free plug-ins), to use these technologies. TLP staff members can advise you on the additional computer requirements you should impose on your students.
Contents

Clearly stated performance objectives, and overall goals, provide the course designer with the necessary plan to plot out a successful course. Performance objectives should cover three basic areas:

Condition: Under what condition(s) do you want the learner to be able to do it?

• Performance: What should the learner be able to do?

Criterion: How well must it be done? (Mager, 1984)

Example:

From memory describe how improvements in transportation technology affected patterns of settlement in the United States in a short essay that includes the following concepts: site-situation, accessibility, land use, trade. (The color-coding corresponds to the descriptions below.)

• Condition: From memory;

  Performance: Describe how improvements in transportation technology affected patterns of settlement in the United States;

  Criterion: In a short essay that includes the following concepts: site-situation, accessibility, land use, and trade.

WebCT has a special place -- the Goal button -- that's designed to display the learning objectives associated with each instruction module (covered in the next step). The Goal button is available to students in the Course Content sections.
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Once the performance objectives are completed you're ready to group the objectives into a sequence of instructional modules. These modules may correspond with each week of the semester, or by topic -- it's up to you.

WebCT makes it easy by displaying Modules in this format (example taken from a WebCT course on audio production):

1. Audio Mixers -- Introduction -- Chapter 2

1.1. Audio Terminology

1.2. Audio Equipment You'll Need in Your Studio

1.3. Learning Activity 1 -- Getting to Know You

1.4. Learning Activity 2 -- Getting Wired

2. Tape Recording - Introduction - Chapter 3

2.1. Terms & Concepts

2.2. Mixing Basics

2.3. Script Basics

2.4. The Digital Future

2.5. Learning Activity 1 -- Audio Project 1

2.6. Learning Activity 2 -- Student Project Critique

In this example "Audio Mixers" and "Tape Recording" are the titles of the modules. Within each module are the instructional events, covered next.
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The next step involves dividing each module into a series of instructional events. The EOD model makes it easy to complete this step. If you already teach a classroom-based version of the course just think about the events you use in the classroom.

Every course can be conceptualized as a series of individual events that combine to comprise all the activities of the course -- from registration to final exam. The events are the individual interactions that occur during the course of a class such as lectures, class discussions, returning papers to students, handing in work, responding to a questions, etc.

See page 9 of the Welsh's "An Event-Oriented Design Model for Web-based Instruction" handout for an expanded description of the three types of events:

• Synchronous
  • An instructional event that involves all students and the instructor in "real time." Also called "full synchronous."
• Limited Synchronous
  • An instructional event that involves two or more members of the class.
• Asynchronous
  • An instructional event that involves only one individual at a given point in time (Welsh, 1996).

The next step addresses how to convert your events into WebCT enabled events.
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This step involves determining which WebCT tools will best enable your instructional event. Let's look at a few examples. If you divide your classroom students into small groups for discussion, you can use the Chat feature within WebCT to facilitate the same event. WebCT allows you to create multiple Chat areas; you can choose a unique title for each room.

The chat example above is a synchronous activity. An example of an asynchronous activity might involve students searching the Internet for information on a research topic. This would be similar to campus-based students doing library research. This activity is asynchronous since the student works alone, and on their own schedule.
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As with any type of instruction, it's important to evaluate the effectiveness of your WebCT-based course. Formative evaluation and pilot testing will give you the data you need to fine-tune your course.

Formative evaluation is conducted throughout the course. This data will help you adjust the pace, difficulty level, make changes to your technological enablers, and get other valuable learner feedback.

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Center for Regional and Continuing Education (1998). Off Campus Student Survey. Unpublished report. Chico, CA: CSU, Chico.

Department of Institutional Research (1998). Undergraduate Student Profile, Fall 1997. Unpublished report. Chico, CA: CSU, Chico.

Hiemstra, R. and Sisco, B. (1990). Individualized Instruction. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

Mager, R. (1984). Preparing Instructional Objectives. Belmont, CA: David S. Lake Publishers.

Welsh, T. (1996). "An Event-Oriented Design Model for Web-based Instruction." In B. Khan [ed.] Web Based Instruction, 159-165. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications.

Welsh, T. (1998). http://services.monterey.edu/nms/dcd/tracking.html

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