Review of Palloff and Pratt’s Lessons from the Virtual Classroom: The Realities of Online Teaching

For the IDT 545 course, Emerging Technologies and Issues in Teaching, one of the two required texts was Lessons from the Virtual Classroom: The Realities of Online Teaching by Rena M. Palloff and Keith Pratt. This is probably one of the best books that I read in the Instructional Design and Technology program at CSUF.

I should start by saying that this book is geared towards online teaching in a post-secondary situation, not in the corporate world, but there are many facets of its content that can be used in both environments. For example, the section on administrative issues and concerns spent a lot of time on academia issues such as intellectual property, tenure, and faculty compensation (which was actually fascinating), but it also discussed the planning process, which is a universal subject for learning.

The authors provided a good introduction to online learning, providing an overview of technologies and discussions of what content should be taught and who should be teaching these classes. Good examples were provided, including some that showed the pitfalls of online learning that was not appropriate or properly planned.

There was a more in-depth look at the tools of the trade, describing Web 2.0 applications and the technologies involved in providing the learning. This would not be complete without including a section on money and accessibility issues.

One important area that was addressed was the conversion of instructor-led materials to the online learning format. It is not enough to simply post the PowerPoint online and tape lectures, and there were hints and tips for making learning more interactive. This was followed up with a discussion of teaching online materials that have been developed by others.

There was also a lot of solid information about the online students, their learning styles, and why they may or may not succeed. These students will also hopefully become part of a learning community and there were instructor tips for making this happen, as well as giving warnings about things to avoid so that learners are not excluded. After reading this, I saw a lot of truth when comparing it to the online community that we formed in Cohort 13.

I guess one big question would be, “Does any of this stuff actually work?” The answer is “yes,” and it is easy to verify. As I have now completed an entirely online graduate school program, I was able to witness many of these techniques in action, and have encountered some of the problems that were discussed in the text. The MSIDT program follows a lot of this book’s advice, and I can say this the authors provide excellent guidelines for online learning.

For $38 ($22 used), Palloff and Pratt’s Lessons from the Virtual Classroom: The Realities of Online Teaching is a must buy, and will probably be a book that you will want to keep so you can use it as a reference. I have shared portions of it with my colleagues and they were impressed with it too!

Thank you for checking out the blog today. I will not reviewing Dreamweaver CC: The Missing Manual as I did read the whole thing but did not actually use the content very much. Next time we will start taking a look at the courses for the 5th and final system for the CSUF Instructional Design and Technology program.

Thank you!

Palloff, R., & Pratt, K. (2013). Lessons from the virtual classroom: The realities of online teaching. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Review of Terry Felke-Morris’ Web Development and Design Foundations with HTML5 (7th edition)

For the IDT 540 course, Systematic Approach to Web and Multimedia Design and Development, one of the two required texts was Web Development and Design Foundations with HTML5 (7th Edition) by Terry Felke-Morris. This is an impressive book, but I struggled with it for the course as it was a very comprehensive read.

I must start by saying that if someone wants to learn how to program in HTML5, or if I was teaching a course just on this language this would be the go-to text. It starts from the beginning with the history of the Internet and goes through an exhaustive description of page layout, how each of the elements on the page is created, and CSS. There are even sections on design hints and how to promote your website and even an introduction to JavaScript.

The book accomplishes all of this with in-depth discussions that are followed up with exercises that the reader can use to actually program what they just learned about. This is what constructivism is all about. It is easy to read, but it has to be taken slowly and there is just a lot of book to go through.

This is all great stuff, but it was just a lot more than what I needed for this course, or for my career, actually (it is 704 pages long and $130). I know that I will probably not go into programming online learning from scratch, but on the other hand it did give me a lot of insight into how web sites can be built. The text is current so I went ahead and kept my copy as I can use portions of it as a reference, but it is not going to be something that I pick up every day…

Thank you for checking out the blog today. Next time we will be taking a look at the other 4th semester course, IDT 545: Emerging Technologies and Issues in Teaching.

Felke-Morris, T. (2015). Web development and design foundations with HTML5 (7th ed.). Boston: Pearson

Review of Joyce, Weil and Calhoun’s Models of Teaching

I have not posted to the blog since the beginning of the year, but I got caught up in the final semester of my instructional design program and needed to take a little time off from writing after I graduated. Thank you for your patience!

For the IDT 535 course, Instructional Strategies and Universal Design Issues in Learning Environments, one of the two required texts was Models of Teaching (9th Edition) by Bruce Joyce, Marsha Weil, and Emily Calhoun. I still refer to this book even after I have graduated, and consider it a valuable purchase. This is saying something as this 480-page book is $140 if purchased new and $113 used. I bought the used one…

There are few things that I had to get past when I started reading this book. For starters, the general format of the text is that a real-world example is provided, and then there is a discussion of the model(s) of teaching that are applicable to the situation at hand. This did not fit is well with my note-taking style, so there were a few adjustments that I had to make, and after awhile I would usually skim the examples and go straight for the meaty stuff. The other thing that was a little tough for me is that the focus of this text is K-12 learners, so I had to put a little extra thought into how I would apply this knowledge to what I actually do in the corporate world. But, I got over both of these things after a few weeks of class.

All of this being said, Models of Teaching has a lot of great stuff in it, and the material that you will find within is very helpful beyond the K-12 setting. The authors start with a discussion of where teaching models come from and what they are, and then they cover the basic information-processing models. There are also in-depth explanations of the special purpose information-processing models, the social family models of teaching and the behavioral family of models of teaching, Finally, Joyce, Weil, and Calhoun finish up with practical advice regarding the conditions of learning, learning styles, and conceptual levels.

This book is considered a classic reference for teaching models, and since 1972 there have been nine editions, so apparently I am not the only one that thinks there is something valuable to be gained from this text. The print quality of my copy was not great (for a $111 used book, especially), but it is still a keeper, and I recommend that you buy, not rent, Models of Teaching.

Thank you!

Joyce, B., Weil, M., & Calhoun, E. (2014). Models of Teaching (9th Ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon

Review of Daniel Pink’s A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future

For the IDT 530 course, Planning, Designing, Developing, and Evaluating Technology-based Instruction, one of the other three required texts was A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future by Daniel H. Pink.

Pink has written five books,is no stranger to the New York Times best-seller list and has attained the status of business guru; he has been on the board of directors of many non-profits and start-ups. This 304-page business text was a logical choice for inclusion in the Instructional Design curriculum, as it emphasizes the roles of creative individuals in today’s business world.

He starts off the book by recapping the four “ages” that he says define progress of the modern world: Agricultural, Industrial, Information, and Conceptual. He asserts that society is now in the Conceptual age, which is marked by creators and empathizers (right-brain people). He looks at how there are many things that the Western world is not competitive with anymore, as many tasks are no longer in demand or can be done better (and cheaper) via computer or overseas.

Once this background is set, he goes on to describe essential differences, or “senses,” that can give industries a comparative advantage. I am not going to ruin the surprise of what these are, but he does seem to make sense and fairly reasonable arguments here for how our business focus needs to adapt.

I am not going to go so far as to say that Daniel Pink’s A Whole New Mind: Why Right-brainers Will Rule the Future is a must-buy (unless, of course, your professor puts it on the required text list), but it is interesting enough that you might want to thumb through it if you have the time. The book is reasonably priced, with new ones selling for only around $10 on Amazon, so there is not much to lose if you do not like it.

Daniel H. (2006). A whole new mind: Why right-brainers will rule the future. New York; Penguin Group

Review of Peter F. Drucker’s Management Challenges for the 21st Century

Hello!

For the IDT 5300 course, 530, Planning, Designing, Developing, and Evaluating Technology-based Instruction, one of the three required texts was Management Challenges for the 21st Century by Peter F. Drucker.

Drucker was born in Vienna, and became a US citizen in 1943. He was an educator, management consultant, and author, having written 39 books. Over time he became a mythical figure in the study of management, and he was known as the “Founder of modern management.” Management Challenges for the 21st Century was published in 2001, so it is not terribly new, but this was one of his last works as he died in 2005.

This 224-page text is not a terribly onerous read, and when people saw me reading it they would comment that they had read it before (usually as part of an MBA program). The text is broken up into six sections, each of which is a nice stand-alone essay. They include: “Management’s New Paradigm,” “Strategy – The New Certainties,” “The Change Leader,” “Information Challenges,” “Knowledge Worker Productivity,” and “Managing Oneself.” The book still seems relevant 14 years later, and a lot of the things that Peter foretold have actually come to pass.

Of course, this has to all fit in to an Instructional Design program, so what were the takeaways for me? Well, the details of the changing world economy and how information were used were certainly interesting, but the real meat were the chapters on knowledge workers (which instructional designers are) and how to manage oneself. Drucker did a good job of defining knowledge workers and discussion their importance to an organization, as well as how to properly treat them and keep them motivated. And the information about managing oneself was also valuable as I am in the last half of my life and should start considering my role in the world more carefully.

Though I initially did not see how it was going to apply to me, Peter F. Drucker’s Management Challenges in the 21st Century ended up being an interesting read, and I think it was a good use of my time. If it sounds like you might enjoy it, this book is not terribly expensive, with new ones selling for only around $10 on Amazon. Or I could loan you my copy…

Drucker, P.F. (2001). Management challenges for the 21st century. New York: Harper & Row

Review of Williams’ Non-designer’s Design Book (4th Ed.)

For the IDT 520 course, , Instructional Design Level 1: Issues in E-learning and the Design Process, one of the three required texts was the fourth edition of the Non-designer’s Design Book by Robin Williams. No. Not that Robin Williams.
This 240-page text is really a fun read, with plenty of realistic advice and design tips, starting from the basics, which is something that an art-challenged person such as myself needs the most. These include the four principles of design (C.R.A.P.), designing with colors, designing with type, and how to see things from the point of view of a designer. I took a lot away from the content, especially the ideas of contrast and repetition, as well as a better understand why some colors work better together than others.
Bringing this all together is a a good selection of color images of actual products that run the gamut from simple card to elaborate websites. And these are modern examples of objects and media that most all of the readers would be familiar with. These are interspersed with tips, as well as descriptions of why some of these things are visually more effective than others. Williams has a firm grasp of the subject and is able to communicate well with the reader, which is an unbeatable combination.
Robin Williams’ Non-Designer’s Design Book is a must buy, not just for instructional designers, but for anybody that has to produce media. This includes business folks who produce PowerPoint presentations, professors that think they know how to make an effective presentation, and even people that do newsletters for their club, or small business owners that makes their own flyers and menus. And best of all, it is priced reasonably, with new ones selling for only around $23 on Amazon. It is worth every penny!
Williams, R.. 4th Edition. (2014). The non-designer's design book. San Francisco, CA.: Peachpit Press.

Review of Alessi & Trollip’s Multimedia for Learning: Methods and Development (3rd Ed.)

For the IDT 520 course, , Instructional Design Level 1: Issues in E-learning and the Design Process, one of the three required texts was the third edition of Multimedia for Learning: Methods and Development by Stephen Alessi and Stanley Trollip. This book is also required for future classes in the MSIDT program.
This 580-page text is fourteen years old, and many of the examples are dated when it comes to technology, but it still has a wealth of knowledge for non-technological curriculum design elements. What is particularly impressive is how well the authors managed to avoid specific platforms or programs throughout much of the book. Unfortunately, this is the last update that Alessi and Trollip are planning to do, so another source of knowledge will have to be found in the future as the content of this text ages even more.
Multimedia for Learning: Methods and Development contains a good general overview of learning principles and methodologies from both constructivist and instructivist perspectives. Definitions of tutorials, simulations, and games are provided, as well as solid examples and comparisons of each, and reasons why each may be good or inappropriate for various learning situations. The authors provide good basic rundowns of testing and assessment methodologies, and relevant guidelines for when they should be applied. There are also good discussions of the administration of testing in online environments. Also included are solid job descriptions for every team member of an e-learning project, even though some of the jobs may no longer exist in today’s educational and business worlds. Lastly, there is a complete description of how to plan a learning project from beginning to end, with checklists and tables that include every imaginable course element, so that nothing gets forgotten.
Despite a great deal of dated content (computers and business world have changed a lot the book in the past 14 years), this book is an excellent as it covers the complete instruction design process, including critical issues such as the needs analysis, planning, storyboarding, design, budgeting, programming, project management, testing, and relationships with the client. Alessi & Trollip’s Multimedia for Learning: Methods and Development is a comprehensive guide, and there is probably not a better alternative out there for the instructional design professional. It is priced accordingly, too, with new ones selling for around $132 on Amazon. This might be a good one to pick up secondhand!
Alessi, S.M., & Trollip, S.R. (2001). Multimedia for learning: Methods and development (3rd Ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Review of Kevin Siegel’s Adobe Captivate 8 The Essentials "Skills and Drills" Learning

For the IDT 505 course, Foundations of Instructional Design and Web Authoring Environments, the last of the three required texts was Adobe Captivate 8 The Essentials “Skills and Drills” Learning by Kevin A. Siegel.
Adobe’s Captivate 8 was the primary authoring software used for the first three semesters of the CSUF MSIDT program. On the surface it appears to have many of the same features of Microsoft’s PowerPoint, but it has a lot more functionality, and the ability to publish in web-ready formats. Adobe software has completely different interfaces than what you are used to with Microsoft products, and even if you have used their other products, there is a really steep learning curve for Captivate. This is where Siegel’s book comes in handy.
This 2014 text is will do a good job of getting you started with the program. It is not a manual, but rather sets of self-paced drills that walk the user through commonly used functions of the program. It might seem repetitive at times, but it is really a good way to learn the program. Using different set-up screens and changing attributes of text or objects quickly becomes second nature. The author even walks goes through the cumbersome process of preparing the project for publishing into a SWF, HTML5, or clickable .pdf formats.
Siegel’s writing style is clear and easy to follow, and it is obvious that he knows what he is talking about. There are many great shortcuts provided, as well as hints for setting up templates so the same actions do not have to be repeated endlessly during production. Though it is not a manual, I find myself going back and using it as a reference when I cannot figure something out (or if I have forgotten what to do next). It is spiral bound, so it lays flat when opened and it should hold up for a while. It has been rattling around in my car for a year and it has not fallen apart yet!
This book was worth every penny I paid for it, with the Amazon Prime cost coming in at just $35, and I plan to keep it around as long as I am using Captivate 8. If you are new to the program you definitely need to pick up a copy.
Siegel, K. (2014). Adobe captivate 8 the essentials “skills and drills” learning. Riva, MD: IconLogic, Inc.

Review of Jennifer Tidwell’s Designing Interfaces, 2nd Edition

For the IDT 505 course, Foundations of Instructional Design and Web Authoring Environments, one of the three required texts was Designing Interfaces: A Primer by Jennifer Tidwell.
This second edition of the text is a tremendous resource for anyone that needs to put together interactive media learning products. There is a multitude of different ways to interact with learners, and the author broke them down into specific methods to address 14 different human development patterns. These patterns assume that people behave in predictable ways.
By following the directions provided in this book, it should be possible to remedy (or avoid) common multimedia design problems. This book includes detailed information on information architecture, navigation, layout, working with lists, commands, information graphics, form design, user controls, and style. Included throughout is information about designing for mobile applications, web applications, and social media, making this edition relatively up-to-date even though it is five years old. Within each of these categories, there are a number of different detailed solutions that are presented. Also, for each of the different patterns and methodologies, the author provides sound reasoning for the basics that the designer will need to know, or might need to explain to a client someday: “what,” “when,” “why,” and “how.”
There are more than enough full-color examples from real world media to bring home all of the points that were made in the book. This text will prove to be useful for instructional designers that are developing multimedia projects using methods or tasks that they have not tried before when. It can also be used as a reference in instances where justification or clarification is needed for the design choices that were made.
This book was a bargain, relatively speaking, coming in at under 30 bucks on Amazon, and it is one of the books from the program that I plan to keep after graduation.
Tidwell, J. (2010). Designing interfaces: A primer 2nd edition. Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly Media.

Review of Ledford and Sleemans’ Instructional Design: A Primer

For the IDT 505 course, Foundations of Instructional Design and Web Authoring Environments, one of the three required texts was Instructional Design: A Primer by Bruce R. Ledford and Phillip J. Sleem.
This text provides a general reference of the overall instructional design process, and like a primer it simplifies the entire process and essentially provides the readers with a singular viewpoint. Though the book is written from the standpoint of a generally constructivist approach, the authors do not exactly follow any specific established learning theory or strategy. Instead, they developed their own “paradigm” which follows a repeatable process that most instructors and educators should be able to follow.
Their process is perhaps too simplistic, as it assumes a lot about the learners, the learning process, and instructional design, but overall it is basically sound and rooted in legitimate research. A positive point is the authors’ insistence that the learning loop can be closed and that the learners’ performance can and should be evaluated. Though this is a lofty goal, it is a good starting point when developing a new course.
Ledford and Sleeman’s paradigm includes the following steps: 1) educational goals, 2) operational objectives, 3) pre-test, 4) motivation, 5) media, 6) appropriate practice, and 7) validation. Includes in the book are: a brief overview of instructional theory, writing goals and objectives, activities, media selection, instructional design (including very dated processes), and a section on validation (or assessment).
This text is a good reference as it provides a basic overview at an instructor level, and it might be helpful for those who are not pursuing a formal education in instructional design, but still have to know how to develop coursework.
Ledford, B. Sleeman, P. (2000) Instructional design: A primer. Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing