Blog 2 part 2

Blog 2, Part 2

Describe how the online communities were structured and how the technology was designed to facilitate community activities, knowledge building and learning and change. What are the implications for your design and delivery of the course, if you are the instructional designer, trainers or an instructor?

Chapter 10 describes the life cycles of network-based learning communities. The text describe six cycles that a learning community experiences. Growth happens over a continuum and some stages may overlap one another (pg 270).
Stage 1. The Proposal stage occurs when the idea for an activity is proposed. In the Zero-g Project the first stage or proposal stage occurred when the proposal message was posted on an electronic bulletin board. The message included the purpose of the study, the goals, participants and applications of the study to instructional design.

Stage 2 or the Refinement stage is when interested participants contact the study designer for clarification of the study and participants involvement. The Zero-g Project utilized a phase of inquiry of interested participants and attempted to recruit a variety of participants. This stage depends on active communication between the designers and the potential participants. The Zero-g project used email, phone and person to person activities during this stage. During this stage the topics of equipment and technical needs were also discussed. A key component of the refinement stage is that of commitment to the researcher goal by the potential participants and is required for the relationship to continue.

Stage 3: The Organizational stage is when the roles, rules and boundaries of the study are presented. During the Zero-g study participants came and left during this stage. This stage defines how the project is going to be carried out and the timeframes required to do so. The needs of the participants are addressed here for items to carry out the study. The Zero-g study mentioned that the teachers need of computers and ancillary support equipment was addressed during this stage (ch 10 page 278). The decision to how the teacher would fit this course content into her regular classroom responsibilities was determined here.

Stage 4: This stage is the Pursuit stage and is characterized by observing how the study or project is actually carried out. The design challenges were described during this stage. Program requirements were followed in the Zero-g study. The pursuit stage required problem solving and brain-storming to be successful. At times the Zero-g project bogged down related to time pressures and the competition of other classroom requirements in addition to the course requirements of the study.

Stage 5: Wrap-up stage. During this stage the project developer or researcher thanks the participants for their contribution to the study and the participants end their work. Again the boundaries of the study were kept and the study did not continue on past the defined time in the design proposal.

Stage 6: The publication stage. The publication stage is when the designer or researcher puts his or her study out for others to read and replicate. The design methods and outcomes are included so that others wishing to pursue the same study to a different population may do so.

The information in chapter 10 gives students such as I insight in to the successful development and implementation of the delivery of an instructional course. It would be best to learn from the text and other studies which were carried out as to how to proceed and carry out a study successfully. Much time can be saved by heeding the advice of those who have previously designed successful learning environments. It is prudent to learn from their successes and failures in the pursuit of successful course development.