Principles for the Design and Development of Distance Education

Modified from the original: http://www.outreach.psu.edu/de/ide/guiding_principles/

I. Learning Goals and Content Presentation

The identification and articulation of the learning goals and objectives provides the foundation for the instructional design, development, delivery, and assessment of an educational event. These defined goals serve as an implied contract between the instructor and student, defining what is to be taught and what is to be learned. Communicating these learning goals is a crucial step in assuring an effective learning experience. Although the planned learning goals need not be altered for delivery via distance education, new instructional design strategies may be needed to support the intended outcomes.

Principles
1.1	Learning goals should be defined as part of the instructional design plan and explicitly communicated to the learner. [Q: What methods will be used to make students aware of the learning goals of the course? How do these learning goals compare with the MCO's for the course? Are course expectations clearly stated and accessible to students?]
1.2	Specific instructional activities should be directed toward providing learners with the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience to meet the goals and objectives of the course. · Eliminate instructional activities that do not directly contribute to learning goals, since achieving outcomes generally requires more time and effort by distance education than in face to face instruction. · When possible, the learning goals for distance education learners should relate to real life experiences through example and application. · Try to provide a variety of learning activities to accommodate differences in learning styles and life experiences. [Q: How are the activities related to the learning goals of the course? How have the activities been modified or constructed to meet the unique online learning environment? Are there a variety of activities to accommodate different learning styles?]
1.3	Evaluation of performance should be directed toward the measurement and assessment of the defined learning goals, just as these goals provide the basis for the selection of instructional learning strategies. · Use varied and frequent self-assessment or low-stakes testing to guide learners and provide quantitative feedback. [Q: Is the course designed to provide consistent and frequent feedback? Are alternative methods of evaluation employed when possible?]

II. Interactions

When learners interact with one another, with an instructor, and with ideas, new information is acquired, interpreted, and made meaningful. Such interactions form the foundation of a community of learners. If students feel they are part of a community of learners, they are more apt to be motivated to seek solutions to their problems and to succeed. The challenge for distance educators is to develop strategies and techniques for establishing and maintaining "learning communities" among learners separated by space and/or time.

Principles
2.1	Effective learning environments should provide frequent and meaningful interactions among learners, between learners and instructional materials, and between learners and the instructor. · Activities should require students to be active participants in the learning process. · There should be a balance between formal and informal interaction within the learning environment. · Clearly communicate the "rules of interaction", both formal and informal. · Provide learners, in advanced, with a list and explanation of the technologies they will be required to use for the course. · Provide learners with the opportunity to practice using the technologies that they will be required to use for the course. [Q: Do the course activities provide for multiple modes of interaction, i.e. student-student, student-faculty, student-content? Is there any provision for informal communication? Are the expectations and requirements for formal and informal interaction explicitly stated? Are the technological requirements for the course outlined and explicitly communicated to the students? Are students provided with opportunities to practice using the technologies they will be required to use?]
2.3	The use of electronic communications technologies should be considered as a tool for creating and maintaining learning communities for learners at a distance. · Design instruction that supports collaborative and cooperative learning by encouraging positive interdependence (group projects), individual accountability, appropriate interpersonal skills, and /or group self-evaluation. · Establish and maintain regular contact with learners. Make learners aware of this contact schedule. [Q: Does the course provide activities that require collaboration and cooperation? Are the mixed modes of collaboration, i.e. small group, large group activities? Are the criteria for successful collaboration explicitly stated? Is it likely that the course design will promote a sense community for the course participants? Is faculty availability explicitly stated?]
2.5	Social interactions between and among learners enrich the learning community and should be encouraged and supported in the instructional design and the delivery of educational programs.

III. Assessment and Measurement

Assessment and measurement serve valuable purposes for both instructors and students because they provide information on learner progress, measure achievement of learning goals, and provide learners with benchmarks for monitoring their progress and adjusting their learning strategies. In a distance education model, assessment and measurement become even more critical in the absence of the face-to-face interactions that enable teachers to use informal observation to gauge student response, obtain feedback, and progress toward goals. Creativity in the design and approach to assessment and measurement strategies can serve both the instructor and the learner in the distance education setting.

Principles
3.1	Assessment instruments and activities should be congruent with the learning goals and skills required of the learner throughout a distance education program or course. [Q: How well will the assessment instruments measure students' achievement of the course outcomes?]
3.2	Assessment and measurement strategies should be integral parts of the learning experience—enabling learners to assess their progress, to identify areas for review, and to reestablish immediate learning or lesson goals. · Provide students with frequent and varied methods for assessing their progress in the course. · Create assessments and/or methods that provide guided support to learners for evaluating their progress in the course. · Develop methods that support learner-learner interactions. [Q: Does the course provide students with multiple opportunities and methods to evaluate their progress in the course? Is knowledge construction supported through the use of guided practice and evaluation? Does the course provide activities and/or assessments that support the development of autonomous learning and metacognitive skills?]
3.3	Assessment and measurement strategies should accommodate the special needs, characteristics, and situations of the distance learner. · Consider the media carefully when planning an assessment, recognizing that the use of several different media might be appropriate. · Where possible, use assessment and measurement strategies that utilize resources local to the distance learner. [Q: Do the course assessments make use of a variety of technologies? Do the course assessments make use of unique features and/or situations available to learners at a distance? Are non-traditional assessments incorporated as part of the course evaluation?]
3.4	Distance learners should be given ample opportunities and accessible methods for providing feedback regarding the instructional design of the distance education program. [Q: Does the course provide students with mechanism for providing feedback about the course design and methodologies as well as the teaching/learning experience?]

IV. Instructional Media and Tools

Instructional media and supporting software tools (e.g., Microsoft Word, Minitab, e-mail) have enabled distance educators to address the two primary barriers to distance education: the learner’s feelings of remoteness and isolation, and the time it takes to complete an instructional transaction. Although the promise of new and emerging technologies continues to be realized, sound instructional design practices need to be employed in order to maintain the proper focus on the educational process. A thorough analysis of the role of the instructional media and supporting tools in achieving the learning goals, an understanding of the impact of the use of technology, and careful consideration of the characteristics of the distance learner should drive the media selection and application process.

Principles
4.1	The selection and use of instructional media and tools should be based upon their ability to support the predetermined learning goals and objectives of the learning program. [Q: What technologies are identified and how do they support the course goals? How does the selected technology support and promote interactivity?]
4.2	The selection of instructional media and tools should be influenced by their accessibility by learners. A distance education program should incorporate a technology base that is appropriate for the widest range of students within that program's target audience. [Q: Is the instructional media used in the course readily accessible to most users? Is it readily adaptable to meet the needs of students who, due to a disability, can not access the media but are otherwise qualified for the course?]
4.3	The selection of instructional media and tools should reflect a thorough analysis and understanding of the "added value" of the technology. [Q: Does the course incorporate a variety of instructional media, i.e. print, web, and electronic discussion? Are course activities and assessments well matched to the chosen instructional media?]
4.4	Users of a distance learning system should be adequately prepared and supported in order to maximize the capabilities of instructional media and tools. [Q: Do course activities support learners in their use of instructional media for learning?]
4.5	The design of programs delivered via distance education should reflect the diversity of potential learners. [Q: Does the course address the needs of learners from diverse social, economic and cultural backgrounds? Does the course consider the needs of students with disabilities?]
4.7	Contingency strategies should be planned to provide a quick recovery from technology-related interruptions when the instructional design model relies on electronic technology for delivery. [Q: Is there provision for and/or guidelines developed to deal with temporary interruptions?]

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Last Updated: 8/18/2004