E-Learning Policy in the Modern World - Assignment Example

?E-Learning Policy For Phoenix Public School District (PPSD), administrators have consistently worked with their teachers toward their continuing teacher education (CTE). For this reason, in recent years the school has started offering CTE courses in-house, and now PPSD is looking to expand those courses to e-learning. However, administrators have a lot to consider; the different types of media elements have a lot of pros and cons, and the district has limited funding for developing the courses. For this reason, they want to ensure they do it right the first time. To ensure this, the district put forth a lot of research for evaluating the different types of multimedia that can be used in e-learning; the result of this research is discussed below. According to research, multimedia is the combination of various elements with interactive components (Asian Development Bank 7). These elements can offer the consumer a more stimulating and vibrant web encounter, but like with everything, control is important. However, various multimedia elements need exceptional software development. It is unlawful to use pictures lacking the consent of either the photojournalist or the holder of the pictures. It is thus vital to attain authorization before an image is used for e-learning processes. Line art is the greatest rudimentary growth mass of official examination. It can be employed to develop more multifaceted shapes or to lead the eye of the audience from one location in the composition to another. Vector art element is employed by computers, where images saved take up less computer space. The images kept can effortlessly be inflated without altering the appearance. This, as a result, makes it simple for an e-learning education program to make or edit the image in order to suit the required pictures for learning. In the e-learning setting, interactivity is the communication that takes place between a person and a computer program; it allows the consumers to take part in the process actively instead of being a passive receiver of information. Interactivity is meant to enhance attentiveness, thus improving the learning process. These multimedia elements can be used in various ways in e-learning education program, and they can also be used at any given time depending on the requirements of the given organization. Instructional matters of the multimedia features are that there is deficiency of existing investigation to discourse the serious matters of just how to advance operative multimedia instructional concepts and technology that results into desired learning enactment and gratification. Audio is an element that uses sound to teach the material. Audio can be used as a stand-alone, such as a podcast. Alternatively, it can be used as a supplemental tool, such as providing sound to complement a PowerPoint presentation. The best time to use audio in e-learning is when the majority of learners are auditory. However, it can also be used to supplement text and other visual material. For example, visually a graph can be presented but audio can then explain the graph. The key is to only have it be supplemental, though; as Clark points out, stating the exact same points via sound and text can overload the learner rather than reinforce the material (Kineo, 2013). Audio should also not be used when it is known that learners will not have access to the required technology. One of the biggest technological issues with audio is developing a balance between file size and quality (Vaughan, 2007). It is important to ensure that quality is not compromised and that learners are able to clearly understand the file; however, because different systems, platforms, and users’ computers vary, file sizes need to be considered in order to ensure that the files are accessible. As Vaughan (2007) points out, the better the quality is, the larger the file will be. Another technological issue involves the balancing of the recording levels; too high and it may be distorted with crackling or other noise, but too low and the sound “does not sufficiently exceed the residual noise levels of the recording process itself (Vaughan, 2007, Chapter 5)”. Instructors need to be mindful of these technological issues; they always need to ensure that the audio used is of enough quality before utilizing it. They also need to ensure that audio is the most effective medium for teaching; there are times that text may be more applicable for explaining a topic. All of these issues tie in with delivery concerns. Developers need to ensure that the audio files are of quality levels, but institutions also need to ensure that they are accessible by the learners. Instructors are basing their lessons around the assumption that they have these files to reinforce their teachings; if they are not accessible by learners, a lot of the material will be lost and there will be a disconnect for the learners. Video is a tool that can promote more interaction and connectivity to learners, by utilizing sound and demonstrations. Video can be two minute clips demonstrating an action, or it can be a longer video explaining an entire process. Technologically, developers need to be mindful of how the video will be delivered/presented. As Vaughan (2007) points out, there are different standards and requirements between countries and screens. When developing the video or choosing which clips to use, it will need to be known whether ATSC, NTSC, RGB, etc. need to be considered. Additional issues that can arise occur if calibration is not done. When using video in instruction, it is important that video is not utilized too much. Phillips (2012) points out that video does not keep the attention of adults as long as other multimedia; for example, podcasts may hold the attention of an adult for up to ten minutes, while a video may only hold the attention of that same adult for up to two minutes. Additionally, just like with audio, it is important that users have the proper technology to support video. One challenge that learners may come across with video is the speed of the learning. When video is used for demonstrating a process, learners may not be able to keep up with the explanation; in instances such as this, text instructions may be necessary as well. Animation is the use of moving images in a presentation. Utilizing animation is another way to promote interaction, which Kineo (2013) defines as two things that work together; in other words, when it’s touched, something happens. Animation is a visual tool that changes over time and can make presentations come alive (Vaughan, 2007). Two common types of animation are flash and animated images. Animation is something that can be used to supplement a lesson. Some examples of this are presentations that have minimal interaction require speaker support, e.g. animated bullet points (Vaughan, 2007). Using animation in presentations can add interaction without requiring the learner to participate. The key to using animation is to not overuse it; to put it simply, overusing animation and other visual effects can destroy a project and/or presentation (Vaughan, 2007). By overusing it, users can become annoyed and want to step away from the presentation because of it. This annoyance can come from too many special effects, too many pictures, etc. It is imperative that the animation does not distract users from the material being presented. When using animation, the type of animation needs to be considered. Different tools and platforms will need to utilize different types of animation. One common platform is through PowerPoint. Another common one is Flash; Adobe’s Flash is the most popular tool for creating multimedia animation in Microsoft and Macintosh environments (Vaughan, 2007). Flash is primarily used for web-based animation and uses vector-based graphics. Some potential issues with using animation can arise from incompatibility between file types. Some examples of file types for animation are .fli, .flc, .gif, .fla, .swf, and .pics (Vaughan, 2007). If systems or computers don’t support certain file types or are not converted properly, presentations or websites may not be compatible. For example, Flash needs to be converted from .fla to .swf in order to be playable on websites (Vaughan, 2007). As mentioned, a major concern for using animation is the overuse of it. If instructors use it too much, learners may be lost. Additionally, it has to be considered whether learners have the right technologies to support the animations and file types associated with them. If learners are overwhelmed with animation or struggling to use the animation, learner frustration will increase and the purpose for using the animation will become moot. Accordingly, because of the ever increasing or advancing technology, it becomes more difficult for an organization intending to use e-learning in educational settings. This is because the multimedia elements are more expensive to develop, and also, it is hard to choose the best element that will attract or appeal to the learners as a way of attaining their attention. There are also delivery concerns regarding the multimedia elements in the training for an education organization. For instance, the user of these elements gets concerned with the best way they can display their elements in order to earn some reasonable marks. A case in point is the use of photography and images; these elements have to be brought out in a more appealing manner, and they have to be original, not someone else’s items. There are also various challenges that the learner will most likely encounter in the process of training through an e-learning program. In conclusion, e-learning has become an important component of the learning process and learning mode. Different institutions today adopt e-learning on varying schedules. While some adopt e-learning fully, others adopt this partially. Nonetheless, the Phoenix Public School District (PPSD) like other regions needs to adopt e-learning, as technology has caught up with learning institutions. Nonetheless, for e-learning to be adopted and implemented successfully, it is paramount that an e-learning policy is developed to offer guidance to the implementation process. However, before implementing a plan for e-learning, administrators must consider several factors. Most importantly, the identified plan must be sustainable and within the required state standards. Nonetheless, a research prior to implementation is necessary. There are different multimedia that can be incorporated in an institution’s e-learning. This paper has identified three major media, including audio, video, and animation. These come in form of different file types, and the selection of a file type depends on the available supporting technology. In addition, there are different concerns, which are related to the different media, and an institution might select its preferred media, after evaluating these concerns. These include the usability of the media, technological issues, instructional issues, and delivery issues. Therefore, basing on these, it is possible to select the most suitable media. Nonetheless, the adoption of e-learning remains a beneficial aspect of technology to the modern learning institutions. PHOENIX PUBLIC SCHOOLS DISTRICT (PPSD) E-LEARNING POLICY 1. Policy To expand CTE courses offered in Phoenix Public School District (PPSD) to include e-learning. 2. Purpose/Goal I. To increase effectiveness in learning II. To ensure the adopted media in e-learning is compatible with available technology III. To ensure adherence to copyright and other related laws IV. To ensure adopted media can be accessed by online learners 3. Procedures I. Conduct a research on the pros and cons of different multimedia types. II. Identify elements of multimedia that correspond to the needs of institutions and funding. III. Evaluate types of identified multimedia that can be adopted in e-learning. IV. Determine or identify a favorable plan for adopting e-learning. This plan should promote sustainability of the e-learning, and should have a cost falling within the set budgetary allocation for the plan. V. Major academic services such as library services will develop a plan of how to integrate online readers in their services. Audio Video Animation Common File Types and/or Examples Podcast mpg, avi Flash® Animated Images When to use When most learners are auditory To supplement text and other visual material such as graphs Support instructional content Related to learning objectives Learner interaction and connectivity Copyright permissions granted Supplement a lesson Related to learning objectives In presentations High interactivity among learners is needed When NOT to use When it is known that learners will lack accessibility to the required technology Violates copyright If it is too long In a lengthy lesson Technological Issues Developing a balance between file size and quality It is challenging to balance recording levels. Incompatibility of files might occur Long video clips require more download time Varying standards and requirements among countries High definition not supported by standard monitor resolution Failure to calibration might cause issues Large animation files require more download time Overuse can destroy a projector Audio Video Animation Instructional Issues Evaluate the quality of audio before use Establish that audio is the most appropriate teaching medium Only to be used as supplementary Link can be broken Video should not be overused Less suitable for adults Availability of video supporting technology Low speed of learning Overuse might annoy learners due to many graphics Might distract users from the presentation Incompatibility between file types Consider the type of animation used and the type of platform and tools Delivery Concerns Poor quality audio files Inaccessible audio files Frequent pausing due to buffering Mode of video presentation Buffering might cause pauses Read More