Publish at January 23 2014 Updated October 12 2022
The analysis phase of the pedagogical objectives and sequencing have made it possible to set the framework of the course that will be offered to learners. The development phase is more concrete and playful because this is when the pedagogue articulates the learning content, the activities, and the methods for evaluating the students but also the course itself. But how to combine all of these elements?
Before going any further, it is useful to have in mind the four components of development. Marco Bertolini's article "how to design an online course? Here's an effective method!" includes a mindmap that is very useful for visualizing the methodology of educational scripting. Let's focus specifically on phase 2, which takes up Debbie Morrisson's proposals that can be found on her blog or her online slideshow ("How to design an excellent Online Course") and which allows for the development of a learning strategy around a clever combination of content-activities-student assessment-evaluation of the sequence.
You can use existing content. You will need to modify them to offer them on digital media, but you don't have to redo everything. Be careful not to overload your digital materials that require reading. Note that the creation of this content can also be done by the students, which can lead to an activity and more interactivity. (For example, mastering terms in French, economics, English,... can result in the creation of an online glossary with content enriched by students).
These activities are intended to have students discover or apply the content. The pedagogical method is to be clearly defined during sequencing as the design of your activities depends on it. It is necessary to keep in mind the following principle: one learning objective per activity. This has the advantage of giving a better visibility of the objective to be reached and the criteria for success for the learner. For example, if the theme of the sequence is about the study of the skeleton, we should distinguish the identification of the different bones of a skeleton and their role; we have two different learning objectives thus two activities).
You can use many tools and materials for your activities but be careful about their format. If you want your exercise to be accessible from a laptop or tablet, it is best to avoid flash animations. Moreover, the design of innovative digital media is time-consuming, as is the mastery of the tools that enable their creation. Pedagogical choices will naturally impose themselves on the pedagogue concerned with the quality of the proposed activity.
This is an opportunity to verify that the learning objective set has been achieved (hence the interest in having thought about it beforehand!). This evaluation is essential in a distance learning device, as the student is autonomous. Even if a regular follow-up with a tutor or an online advisor brings him/her elements of remediation and allows him/her to overcome obstacles in the comprehension of the contents and activities, the student is often alone. It is then necessary to include different methods of evaluation in the system. These can be simple quizzes to ensure that the student understands the concepts. This step can be embellished with badges, which are inspired by video game levels.
Evaluation of the training device and therefore of the course itself is important. Moreover, it is the only way for the pedagogue to make improvements that will probably be necessary. A course is never fixed, it is in perpetual link with the environment and the expectations of the pupil or student. A training system can always be improved and the pedagogy will only be better if the learner is systematically included in this process. Students can give excellent feedback on the perceived effectiveness of the course. This encourages interaction between the teacher and the learner. The forums provide a privileged framework for an exchange on the training.
The development of the scenario requires the creation of various supports and activities. Many interactive resources are available online: do not hesitate to use them. And if the tools are numerous and sometimes complex, a word of advice: initially favor those that are easy to use. As in any field, mastering educational scripting takes time!
References:
Bertolini, Marco. "How to design an online course? Here's an effective method!" Training 3.0. 7 January 2014. http://format30.com/2014/01/07/comment-concevoir-un-cours-en-ligne-voici-une-methode-efficace/.
Morrison, Debbie. "How to Design an Excellent Online Course." online learning insights. December 9, 2013. http://onlinelearninginsights.com/2013/12/09/how-to-design-an-excellent-online-course/.
ASTD Staff. "Badge Me." ASTD | The World's Largest Training and Development Association. 8 January 2014. http://www.astd.org/Publications/Magazines/TD/TD-Archive/2014/01/Intelligence-Badge-Me#!.
Find the other articles in the series on instructional scripting:
Part 1: Defining the Objective
Part Three: Developing the Script
Part Five: EvaluationIllustration: Maxx-Studio, Shutterstock.com
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