EDUC 8842 Module 1

E-learning continues to experience an explosive growth not only in the corporate training sector, but also in higher education, as well as in K-12 environments, with economics and access as the primary driving forces (Moller, Foshay, & Huett 2008a, 2008b; Huett, Moller, & Foshay, 2008). However, e-learning growth does not always imply good instructional design. Moller, Foshay, and Huett (2008a) illustrated how training and development in corporate settings often include one-size-fits-all approaches to content and are not concerned with effectiveness as an outcome. Similarly, evaluation models used currently in corporate e-learning are rare and “not adequate for the requirements of e-learning” (p. 71). Thus, Moller, Foshay, and Huett suggested that factors such as quality, needs and ROI assessment, the influence and fusion of training, performance, support, and knowledge management, along with better ISD methodologies and the revision of learning models are critical to the field of instructional design.

Similarly, Moller, Foshay, and Huett (2008b) suggested most post-secondary distance education lacks good instructional design for effective learning, relying heavily on faculty not trained in instructional design or e-learning related fields. Thus, faculty need support in the areas of course development, methodology change from tradition pedagogy to web-supported pedagogy, and collaboration. In addition, distance education implications for instructional design should go “beyond the now-dominant ‘online textbook’ models” and should involve a multitude of learning applications available for computer based instruction (p. 69). Although e-learning plays an ever-increasing role in K-12 education, and thus impact on a wide variety of learners, research focused on e-learning is limited in these setting.

Thus, in order to gain a better understanding of how e-learning may transform education, researchers and practitioners in the field of instructional design must come together and build a “cumulative and unified base of knowledge” (Huett, Moller, Foshay, & Coleman, 2008, p. 66). Simonson noted that e-learning cannot be equal to traditional, face-to-face instruction course; since traditional teaching strategies do not translate to web-based instruction, traditional and distance learning should be equivalent (Laureate Education, Inc 2008). Each sector, corporate, post-secondary, or k-12, has unique requirements and unique learners. Instructional design and e-learning must then continue to evolve to meet these varied learning needs.

References

Huett, J., Moller, L., Foshay, W. & Coleman, C. (2008, September/October). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the Web (Part 3: K12). TechTrends, 52(5), 63–67.

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008a, May/June). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the Web (Part 1: Training and Development). TechTrends, 52(3), 70–75.

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008b, July/August). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the Web (Part 2: Higher Education). TechTrends, 52(4), 66–70.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2008). Equivalency Theory [Video]. Baltimore, MD: Author.