DESIGN PROJECT

BLENDED LEARNING FOR TECHNICAL VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Nelisha Nash

ID No. 307001743

A Paper Presented in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the degree of

Master of Science Instructional Design and Technology at University of the West Indies

EDID 6512 Design Project

Semester 2 2020

University: University of the West Indies Open Campus

Course Coordinator: Dr. Camille Dickson-Deane

Project Advisor: Dr. Cathy James-Springer

May 15, 2020

 DESIGN PROJECT

Table of Contents
Introduction...............................................................................................................................................3

Identification and Justification of Need...................................................................................................4

Description of Target Audience................................................................................................................5

Participant Selection.................................................................................................................................7

Needs Assesment Report...........................................................................................................................7

Data Collection Instruments.................................................................................................................7

Organizational Analysis........................................................................................................................8

Environmental Analysis........................................................................................................................9

Data Analysis and Discussion of Findings.........................................................................................11

Proposed Designs/Intervention...............................................................................................................19

Evaluation................................................................................................................................................24

Modifications to the Design.....................................................................................................................31

Discussions and Conclusion....................................................................................................................34

References................................................................................................................................................36

Appendices...............................................................................................................................................38

Appendix A- Needs Assessment Survey.............................................................................................38

Appendix B- Interview Questions with Head of Training................................................................41

Appendix C- Course Evaluation Survey............................................................................................42

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Introduction

As early as 2015, the Southwest Technical Vocational Education and Training Institute-

Derrick Rochester Campus (STVET-DRC), had identified the need to provide instruction using

modalities that cater to the needs of its trainees. The campus has now become accustomed to

treating with a wider cross-section of trainees who work or have familial responsibilities that

impact their ability to study in traditional ways. A directive was therefore issued to instructors to

deliver training using the blended learning modality. Blended learning can be described as the

integration of face-to-face and online instruction (Graham, 2013 as cited by Dziuban, Graham,

Moskal, Norberg and Silicia, 2018).

Trainees would be required to attend practical classes in the traditional or face-to-face

setting and access course materials and complete assignments and other course related activities

in the online space. In order to treat with the online component of courses or programmes, the

campus approved the use of the Moodle Learning Management System (LMS).

This directive was driven by a number of factors including less than desirable attendance

patterns of trainees due to work and family commitments as well as a need to be on par with

training options provided by other institutions of its kind. Training was provided to selected

instructional staff facilitated by the Learning Development Unit. Staff are selected for training

based on the needs of the organization.

After reviewing training statistics where the blended learning programmes were

concerned, the number of blended programmes that were implemented in comparison to the

planned target at the beginning of the year was significantly lower than anticipated, that is 5 of

15 programmes or thirty-three (33%). Additionally, for those courses which were actually

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implemented, course participation by trainees were dismal. Based on the foregoing, the

management of the campus decided to explore the use of an instructional design solution which

could possibly resolve this problem. The solution involves the development and implementation

of an online self-paced training module that specifically provides instructors to facilitate blended

learning courses and programmes.

Identification and Justification of Need

The challenge that the campus is now experiencing is less than desirable uptake by

instructors in designing and delivering programmes using the Moodle LMS.

A need analysis conducted with a sample of five (5) instructional staff revealed that sixty

(60%) of participants were not able to facilitate their own blended courses after completion of

the prescribed training workshop. This preparation consists of a formal two-day training

exercise in Repurposing Content for Online Instruction and the Moodle Learning Management

System using the face-to-face or traditional approach. This training is a one-time event in each

training year. Further training in the aforementioned areas can be arranged; however, this will

only occur in the upcoming training year due to budgetary and scheduling constraints. This

inflexibility in arranging further training on a more frequent basis has had a negative impact on

instructors. Narum (2018) states that “research demonstrates that a significant portion of

information learned is quickly forgotten, especially when participating in formal training

programs.”

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The objectives of this design project are to:

 Create an online self-paced module wherein instructors will be able to develop

instructional design and delivery skills which will enable them to deliver their

respective programmes and or courses, using the blended learning approach.

 This module will also allow instructors to collaborate with other participants and

complete course exercises and cases which are relevant to the instructional design

process and by extension the design and delivery of their respective programmes.

While collaboration is not a part of the problem, the designer recognizes the benefits to

be derived from individuals working together to achieve a common goal. Participants will be

able to learn from and support each other through the provision of collaborative opportunities

within the training module. This support can possibly provide the encouragement and motivation

needed to alleviate the current problem versus leaving participants to undertake this exercise on

their own. Additionally, intention of the design is not to replace the existing formalized training

but to develop a tool to compliment this established practice.

Description of Target Audience

The target audience consists of a group of five (5) male instructors in the electrical

department of the Derrick Rochester Campus. Of the five (5) participants, 3 or 60% are within

the 25-34 age range while the remaining two (2) participants or 40% are between the 45-54 age

range. All participants have completed the “Train the Trainer Course” which provides training

specific to technical and vocational education. All participants have a first degree, with three (3)

of the participants possessing specializations in Electrical Technology, one participant in

Electronics and Telecommunication and the fifth participant in Electrical Engineering. Two (2)

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or 40% of the participants have teaching experiences ranging between 10 to 20 years, one (1) or

20% has over 20 years of experience while the fifth participant has less than 10 years of teaching

experience. All participants have completed the two-day training course “Repurposing Content

for Blended/Online Instruction and Moodle Learning Management System” which is the

preparatory course offered by the organization for blended and online delivery.

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Participant Selection

For the purposes of this project, non-random sampling was used in order to select the

participants for the study. In the case of this project, the quota sampling method was used

wherein five (5) instructors within the electrical department were selected as they had the lowest

performance rate in the implementation of blended programmes and or courses. Quota sampling

is a non-random sampling technique in which participants are chosen on the basis of

predetermined characteristics (Davis, 2005 as cited by Taherdoost, 2015).

Needs Assesment Report

Data Collection Instruments

The following data collection instruments were used to collate data to inform the need for

this project, they are as follows:

Table 1 Data Collection Instruments

Instruments Justification

Interviews An interview was conducted with the Head of Training who has
responsibility to oversee the implementation of the campus’s blended
learning programmes. This interview was to determine the resources
that the campus had on hand to effectively deliver training using the
blended learning modality
Observation Observations were done to validate the available resources to
instructors and trainees and to see how instructors use technology in
the delivery of their lessons
Questionnaires These were conducted with the target audience to get information
regarding their experiences and perceptions of blending learning
particularly as it relates to their work at the campus. This data
collection method was used due to its cost effectiveness and the ability
to reach more persons in a short space of time.

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Organizational Analysis

The purpose of an organizational analysis is to seek directions which is used to set

expectations for desired and optimal performance (Van Tiem, Moseley & Dessinger, 2012, p.

134). In keeping with the campus’ objective to reach its desired performance where the number

of instructors engaged in blended learning is concerned, an organizational analysis was

conducted to determine if the campus possessed the necessary resources to adequately support

the delivery of blended learning programmes particularly from an instructional standpoint. This

analysis was primarily supported by data collection tools which included observations and

interview conducted with the Head of Training.

Information gathered is as follows:

 The instructional staff are aware of and in support of the campus’ need to

implement blended learning programmes and/or courses to better cater to the

diverse needs of trainees.

 The campus houses two computer labs each consisting of twenty (20) computers

which are outfitted with state of the art computers.

 These computers are routinely serviced both remotely and onsite by members of

the Information Systems and Technical Services (ISTS).

 The school is also equipped with other ICT resources including Mimeo Teach,

Projectors and Laptops

 The campus has dedicated internet service which also includes a robost WiFi

network which was recently upgraded.

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 The computer labs are also supported by a library which houses ten (10)

computers as well as up-to-date text materials as well as access to databases such

as EBSO, JSTOR and Questia.

 All members of the instructional staff are computer literate

Environmental Analysis

The designer analyzed the learning and supporting environment which can also be

referred to as the physical space within which instructors and students must engage in the

instructional process. Observations were carried out in the learning and support environment

which are delineated in the table below:

Table 2 Environmental Analysis

Delivery Characteristics Outcome

Learner involvement
Learner affiliation
Order and organization
Instructor control
Use of Technology
Trainees are often involved in class activities. A lack of
student-centered activities and use of technology in the training
labs were observed.
Group work and collaboration are sufficient; trainee
interactions are amicable. They often help each other in areas
one or the other is more competent in.
Communication command channels are clear, and matters are
often dealt with a timely manner. A significant number of
trainees are notably absent or late due to competing priorities.
Instructors are generally well-organized
Teacher demonstrate high level of control on the compound.
Some teachers maintain that control outside of the compound.
There are a few noticeable ones who show no such demeanour.
Effort is primarily geared towards on covering the content.
ICTs is noticeably absent from many teaching sessions with the
exception of the usual PowerPoint presentation.

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Gap Analysis

In order to move the STVET Institute-Derrick Rochester Campus closer to its goal of expanded its reach via a robust blended

learning delivery system, a gap analysis was done to compare desired outcomes against current performance.

Table 3 Gap Analysis

Performance Desired Current Gap Causes Supporting Priority

Problem/ Performance Performance Evidence
Opportunity

For all instructors Only 30% of 70% of 70% of instructors do not Interviews #2
to deliver lesson instructors deliver instructors possess the competence Questionnaires
using blended lessons using delivering necessary to effectively design Observation
Instruction learning modality blended learning lessons using and deliver a blended learning
for all courses modality blended course/programme
and programmes learning
modality

Training For all instructors 80% of staff are 80% of staff Instructors are trained in a two- Interviews #1
to be effectively currently trained require day workshop which due to Questionnaires
trained in the in blended retraining budgetary constraints typically
development of learning and happens once a year
blended learning report that they
delivery have not 20% of staff Additional 20% have not been
successfully require trained as yet due to budgetary
applied training to training in constraints
real-life blended
instructional learning
situations modalities

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Data Analysis and Discussion of Findings

The data collected from a needs assessment survey conducted with selected participants

confirms that all five (5) participants or 100% of the sample has completed training in

blended/online learning previously; this training spanned a total of two days. This indicates that

all participants have been exposed to the basic principles regarding the development and design

of blended learning courses and by extension blended learning programmes. This also suggests

that if further training were to be implemented participants should have prior knowledge that

could enhance their ability to design and deliver an effective blended learning course.

Participants were asked questions pertaining to the effectiveness of the training

programme completed, whether or not they could facilitate a blending learning course as a result

of this training and any recommendations that they might have as a result. Sixty percent (60%) of

the participants surveyed, stated that they were unable to facilitate their own blended courses

after having completed the prescribed training programme. Table 4 as shown below summarizes

their responses regarding their overall thoughts on the existing training process and what they

believe can be done to improve this.

Table 4 summarizing results of questionnaire conducted with participants of the study

Questions Responses
1. Satisfactory
How effective While the training sessions were informative, I was unsure how to
was this implement what I had learned in the actual classroom
training Satisfactory; however, there is a need for greater collaboration between
programme? participants
The training was effective in that we were exposed to various learning
methods online
When completing the training programme, the information seemed easy
enough to understand, however, after the training had ended I quickly
forgot what I had learned

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6. Lack of resources
If you were Lack of consistent ongoing support
unable to
facilitate your After the training there was nothing to go back to as the need arose as there
own blended was no consistent support provided. There was no way to immediately seek
course, please clarification if needed.
state reason(s)
for your answer There will be perceived challenges

I was unable to facilitate the course as I was not able to apply what I had
learned to develop and deliver a course of my own. I was unable to apply
the information, because the a lot of information was packed into two days
and there was insufficient time for practice so that I could function on my
own effectively.
11. Provide stakeholders with resources
What could be
done to improve After the training there needs to be on going interaction with resources.
the quality of There must be also be an avenue for greater collaboration among
training to instructors.
better meet the The training could be longer, or on a platform that could be accessed for
needs of its future reference
stakeholders? The quality can be improved by a the video conferencing feature.

There needs to be an extension of the training period along with the

opportunity for sufficient practice as well as a point of reference for
information that I would need to refresh myself with overtime.

It can be concluded, that based on the responses of the participants, that they are in support of

blended learning within the organization and in particular how it can add value to the training

experience of trainees. However, in order to fully execute this objectives, additional training and

support is required.

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Literature Review

ADDIE Instructional Design Model

Kurt (2018) posits that an “instructional design model provides guidelines to organize

appropriate pedagogical scenarios to achieve instructional goals.” In order to achieve the

instructional goals of this design, the solution was ingrained in the ADDIE (analysis, design,

development, implementation and evaluation) model. This model was chosen because of its

effectiveness in producing an effective design (Aldoobie, 2015). The systematic nature of this

model was critical for the design and effectively accounted for users for which this solution will

be designed, their experiences and expectations. The information gathered in the analysis phase

regarding the demographics of the participants, their educational background and experiences as

well as their prior knowledge informed the design and subsequent development of the design

which was tested, feedback gathered, and improvement made.

The ADDIE instructional design model was also taught in the training module itself as

participants were be exposed to the instructional model in a theoretical and practical way.

Participants were required to conduct trainee analysis, content analysis as well as an analysis of

existing resources to support the delivery of a blended learning course. The training solution also

allowed for participants to design and develop simple lessons in their areas of specialization

which will be peer evaluated for further strengthening.

Performance Support Systems

The proposed solution was be built on the principles of performance support systems, the

intention of which was to improve instructor competence in being able to develop and deliver

blended programmes. The primary objective of a performance support system is to deliver

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knowledge to its user, when needed to perform a process or complete a task (Lacontora &

Mendoca, 2010). Performance Support Systems or to be more specific, electronic performance

support systems (EPSS) infuses learning and task performance into a single action through the

provision of information and guidance about the task in response to specific needs and situations,

which allows for learning to take place while working (Gal and Nachmias (2011). The

combination of learning opportunities in class or online with the implementation of a

Performance Support System, can improve on-the-job performance with quick and accessible

resources being readily available (Narum, 2018).

In order to ensure that the underlying principles of this theory were infused in the design,

online quizzes were infused in the design to build knowledge and competence. The design also

consisted of workshops which provided the opportunity for practice where storyboarding skills

and lesson development were concerned, building on the knowledge and skills gained in the

training module (see module 3). Both the storyboard and the lesson activities were to be self-

reviewed and peer-reviewed. The expectation is that the results of these reviews were to be used

to improve performance where lesson and/or course design and development is concerned.

Merrill’s First Principle of Instruction

The First Principles of Instruction Theory as articulated by M. David Merrill, were

critical to the design in that participants were able to see instructional design practices at work as

they were:

 engaged in solving real-world problems

 existing knowledge will be activated

 interact with new knowledge which will be integrated with previous knowledge

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Instructional design problems that were applicable to real-life situations were provided for

participants to solve. Participants were given the opportunity to apply the knowledge that they

were interacting with in solving instructional design problems that are applicable to their

respective programmes (Jalilehvand, 2016). Gardner (2010) posits that there is research to

support the position that student learning increases when Merill’s First Principle of Instruction is

used as a part of instructional strategy. In the context of this design, it is important that

participants learn as much as they can so that they can apply newly developed competence to the

design and delivery of their assigned programmes.

Merill’s First Principle of Instruction has been infused in the design through the provision

of activities based on actual work environments. One such task was the execution of a target

audience analysis, details of which were to be shared in a discussion forum. Other tasks included

the completion of a storyboarding activity and lesson design based on courses and/or

programmes that they deliver in their actual instructional environments.

Regarding the activation of existing knowledge, tools such as discussion forums and

chats have been provided so that participants could be able to share prior experiences in

facilitating blended courses, challenges encountered, best practices adopted and any changes to

be made going forward.

The previous knowledge shared in these discussion forums were enhanced as participants

worked their way through the modules by completing the lessons and associated learning

activities such as quizzes and workshops

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Cognitive Constructivism

The theory of cognitive constructivism was instrumental to the design of the solution. On

a whole constructivism promotes a rich learning environment that fosters independent

exploration by learners thereby leading to a deeper understanding of content. (Koyanagi, n.d. as

cited by Carwil, 2007). Cognitive constructivism builds on the following elements activation of

prior knowledge, create surprise, apply and evaluate knowledge and reflection (Stanny, 2019).

The experience provided in the proposed design was built on the prior knowledge of participants

which they got the opportunity to express primarily through discussion forums as well as in the

completion of workshop activities which were centered around their actual classroom or

instructional environments thus making the experience meaningful for them. One of the

underlying thought on constructivism criticism is that learning is retained better when connected

with existing knowledge or structures (Stanny, 2019). Embedded within the design was the

opportunity for participants to explore the content of the module at their own pace and in their

own time and peaking their curiosity and later applying these concepts to the design and delivery

of their own blended programmes.

Social Constructivism

The theory of social constructivism posits that understanding, significance and meaning

are developed through interaction with other individuals (Amineh & Asl, 2015). Learners are

therefore active participants in their learning and the learning of others. Social constructivism

was therefore critical to the design because it supported cognitive constructivism by advocating a

social component to the instructional process.

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The expectation is that when learners with varying viewpoints, cultural background and

experiences interact with each other their understanding is strengthened or in some cases

changed.

In order to ensure that the underlying principles of this theory were infused in the design,

participants were provided with the opportunity to collaborate with each other via discussion

forums, workshops, and chat rooms. Learners were required to use these interactive spaces to

post their understanding of course-related content and to provide constructive feedback on work

submitted by other participants within the course. This was supported by Carswell (2001) who

states that “learning results as individuals exercise, verify, solidify and improve their mental

models through discussions and information sharing.” This approach was particularly important

in this context as the solution will encourage participation among participants thus allowing them

to learn from each other’s experiences.

Engagement Theory

Engagement theory was also applicable to the design. This theory which was developed

by Kearsley & Shneiderman posited that when learners find the learning process meaningful, this

will translate into more effective learning, retention as well as their ability to transfer the

information to other situations. Engagement theory also supported team efforts placing emphasis

on communication, management, planning and social skills (Andrews, Daway, Gregory &

Josephs, 2014).

The underlying principle of engagement theory is that learners must be meaningfully

engaged in learning activities through interaction with others and worthwhile tasks. As such,

engagement was achieved in this design by having participants engage each other through the

sharing of training-related knowledge and experiences by completing discussion forums and

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workshop activities. The nature of these forums and workshops is that they were based on real-

life instructional scenarios thereby adding value and meaning to the training process. These

activities required participants to interact with each other thereby enhancing the engagement

level of the training module.

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Proposed Designs/Intervention

The proposed design is a self-paced training module “Blended Learning for TVET,”

which consists of four modules:

 Module 1- Blended Learning Basics

 Module 2- Designing Your Blended Learning Course

 Module 3- Creating Interactive Content

 Module 4- Collaboration in Blended Learning and Evaluating Your Blended Learning

Course

This is illustrated in the screenshot below:

Figure 1 Showing welcome screen of the training solution

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This training module is designed using the Moodle Learning Management System (LMS) which

can be accessed as follows https://nelishanash.moodlecloud.com/course/view.php?id=3 . The

decision to use Moodle as the training tool of choice was because instructors would be required

to deliver blended learning courses using Moodle and so by interacting with this LMS, they

would become versed in the use of same.

Each module typically consists of a module overview with module objectives, a lesson or

series of lessons, an end of module quiz, discussion forum and a chat forum. Links to additional

resources are also provided within each module as depicted in the screenshot below:

Figure 2 Sample module within training solution

Each module consists of short lessons which are delineated as follows:

 Module 1: Lesson 1: Blended Learning Basics

 Blended learning defined

 Blended learning models

 Benefits and challenges of blended learning

 ADDIE Instructional Design Model

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 Getting Ready for Blended Learning

 Module 2: Designing Your Blended Learning Course

 Lesson 1: Target Audience Analysis and Setting Course Objectives

 Lesson 2: Identifying and Organizing Course Content

 Lesson 3: Choosing Instructional Strategies and Designing Assessments

 Module 3: Creating Interactive Content

 Lesson 1: Creating Interactive Content

 Module 4: Collaboration in Blended Learning and Course Evaluation

 Lesson 1: Collaboration in Blended Learning

 Lesson 2: Course Evaluation

In order to ensure interactivity, each lesson has a menu that allows the participant to

navigate through course content easily. A progress bar is also enabled so that each participant

will be able to view their lesson completion rate. Graphics and video presentations are also

included selected lesson as needed to add another dimension of interactivity.

Each lesson is concluded with a summary and a reference listing for further research.

Each participant is also required to complete a quiz at the end of each module as well as a

discussion forum before progressing further into the course. These are illustrated below:

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Figure 3 Sample quiz included in module

Upon completion of each module, participants are awarded with an “End of Module

Champion” badge. This means that participants must review the module overview and

objectives, complete the lesson, complete the end of module quiz and discussion, participate in

the chat room and review additional resources provided.

Participants are also awarded badges for the successful completion of each end of module

quiz which is called the “Quiz Champion” badge. The end of module champion and quiz

champion badges are shown below:

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Figure 4 Badges embedded within module

The final components of the course consists of a blended course activity, an end of course

quiz and a reflection which is done in the form of a discussion forum. The blended course

activity is done in the form of a peer review workshop where participants will be required to

upload their submission and review the submissions of the other participants in the course in a

constructive manner. These end of course activities are show below:

Figure 5 End of training activities

The course is culminated with a course evaluation survey which is used to collate

participant feedback for ongoing improvements for future users of the course. This evaluation

can be accessed by using the following link

https://nelishanash.moodlecloud.com/mod/url/view.php?id=41.

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Evaluation

The evaluation of the training module involved five (5) instructors from the Electrical

Department of the Derrick Rochester Campus. All instructors involved have completed training

in Repurposing Content for Blended/Online Instruction and Moodle Learning Management

System and have combined teaching experience in excess of twelve (12) years.

Participants were required to complete the training module “Blended Learning for TVET

and evaluate same by completing the course evaluation survey which focused primarily on the

following areas:

 Content

 Design and layout

 Quality of course materials

 Activities and assessments

 Overall interactivity

Based on the questions posed about these areas, participants were required to provide ratings

ranging between unacceptable, needs improvement, satisfactory, good and excellent. The

opportunity was also provided for additional comments in these areas. This survey can be

founded in appendix _.

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The results of the evaluation exercise are summarized below:

Course Content

Table 5: Evaluation of Course Content

Criteria Unacceptable Needs Satisfactor Good Excellent

Improvement
y
Content: Use of Language 0% 0% 0% 80% 20%
Content: Ease of access to 0% 20% 20% 60% 0%
course material
Content: Relevant to subject 0% 0% 40% 60% 0%
matter
Content: Organization 0% 0% 60% 40% 0%
Content: Relevance to 0% 0% 0% 80% 20%
professional development goals

Based on the results as shown in table 5, it can be concluded that the participants found

the information useful and relevant to the subject matter. Eight percent (80%) of the participants

rated the use of language as good and relevant to their professional goals. Regarding

organization and ease of access to course materials, sixty percent (60%) of the sample rated these

areas as satisfactory. Twenty percent (20%) of the sample felt that there was room for

improvement where ease of access to course materials is concerned. General comments on this

section of the survey are as follows:

 Use of language- there were a few minor grammatical errors that were identified in

module one (1) summary, lesson one (1) module 2 and lesson three (3) module 2 which

are in need of correction

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 Ease of Access to Course Material- Moodle lessons should be supplemented with

downloadable materials that would contain lesson content as well as additional

information in order that participants would be able to access materials for offline study

Design and Layout

Table 6: Evaluation of Course Design and Layout

Criteria Unacceptable Needs Satisfactor Good Excellent

Improvement
y
Design: Layout of course 0% 0% 0% 80% 20%
content
Design: Alignment of course 0% 0% 0% 80% 20%
activities to course objectives
Design: Easy to navigate course 0% 40% 60% 0% 0%
Design: Helpfulness of 0% 40% 40% 20% 0%
additional resources provided
and references
Design: Clarity of instructions 0% 0% 20% 60% 20%

Based on the information presented in table 6, participants were more than satisfied with the

layout of the course as well as the alignment of course activities to course objectives. Though the

participants in general were pleased with the layout of the course, one (1) participant felt that

layout could be more attractive:

 The content and activities are also relevant to the course that is being delivered, however

the Layout/design needs to be more attractive

The design fell down in the areas of navigability and helpfulness of additional resources as

shown in the table above. Specific comments related to these areas requiring improvement are as

follows:

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 While the intent of the design is commendable the navigational aspect is

somewhat cumbersome needs to be simpler for target persons who might not

be computer savvy

 While I can move to any section of using the navigation pane to the right, it

would be good to have both forward and back buttons at the end of each topic

Participants were also asked to rate the contribution of the course in developing the following

competencies as shown in table 7 below:

Table 7: Evaluation of Competency Development

RATING
Criteria Unacceptable Needs Improvement Satisfactory Good Excellent
Analyzing Target 0% 0% 20% 80% 0%
Audience
Determining Learning 0% 0% 20% 60% 20%
Objectives
Organizing Course 0% 0% 40% 60% 0%
Content
Choosing Appropriate 0% 0% 40% 60% 0%
Instructional Strategies
Designing Assessments 0% 0% 20% 80% 0%
Creating Storyboards 0% 0% 20% 60% 20%
Conducting Course 0% 0% 40% 60% 0%
Evaluations

The information presented in table 7 suggests that the participants felt that the course developed

their competencies in the areas identified. Participants assigned an overall rating of “good”

across all areas. Irrespective of the overall rating, there were some general recommendations that

were made by the sample which are delineated below:

Table 8: General Recommendations on Training Module

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Section of Training Module Comment/Recommendation

Reviewed
Digital Readiness Quiz I like the Check Your Digital Readiness quiz as it helps the trainee
to see which areas he or she needs to brush up on. But having taken
the quiz I was disappointed that I wasn’t given any feedback or a
result. I know it’s not a graded quiz in that the results do not count
toward the final grade, but it would have been good the get some
feedback with perhaps some suggestions for further reading or video
tutorials form YouTube etc. based on the results

Module One- Blended Lesson #1: Identifying and Organizing Course Content
Learning Basics
Sub-topic: Getting Ready for Blended Learning

This looks like a slide show imported into the module at his step.
While that is OK it does not follow the format of all of the previous
steps so a short paragraph explaining how to access all the slides may
be in order. As it is relatively small on the screen the Next arrow may
be missed. Also it’s harder to read unless the trainee is given direction
on how to make it full screen.

I was a little surprised at where this slide show was placed in the
module. I think all of the points it covers are really part of the ADDIE
Analysis phase, and maybe it could be moved there as it really
explains what has to be included in the analysis
Module 2- Designing Your Module Overview and Objectives
Blended Learning Course
It would have been good to have your learning objectives written in
the ABCD format that is advocated in this module. The audience is
given as the participants of the course. The behaviours are clearly
stated but unfortunately they do not specify a condition or degree. As
this is central to this module it should be exemplified in your own
objectives. Practice what you preach

Lesson #2: Identifying and Organizing Course Content

Sub-topic Content Analysis:

You need to check the navigation label here. You have two “Content
Analysis” labels. Identify them as 1 & 2 or the focus of each section.

Sub-topic: Task Analysis:

Again, identify them as 1 & 2 or by focus.

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Module 3- Creating Lesson #1: Creating Interactive Content

Interactive Content
Sub-topic: Creating Interactive Content

You could give some ideas on how to turn the PowerPoint into an
interactive presentation and how to include all the explanations and
examples by the use of links to extra pages or websites etc.

Sub-topic: Creating Storyboards

The images are small and not too easy to see. I think they should also
be annotated to show the different types of information presented such
as Main Graphic, Narration/script, Background music/effects,
Sequence/slide number, Transitions, Animations, Navigation controls;
etc.
Module 4- Collaboration in Lesson #1: Collaboration in Blended Learning
Blended Learning and
Course Evaluation Nice introductory video, however, it needs to be more student-
centered

Sub-topic: Benefits of Collaboration in Blended Learning

Graphic is too small to read clearly and white text on coloured

background also make readability difficult. You need to add clear text
to list the four key benefits.

Sub-topic: Asynchronous Communication Tools- Blogs

The video is not the best. Also there is not much information on why
and How a Blog can be used in an instructional setting. What can it be
used for, what are its benefits/strengths, how do you assess it etc.?

End of Module Quizzes Module 1 Quiz

Question 2 is ambiguous. It reads:

Johnny attends practical sessions on the campus and completes

tutorials which the teacher has set in support of these practical
sessions. This is an example of what kind of learning modality:

That could be understood as Johnny attends practical sessions and

tutorials on campus. It should be made clear that the tutorials are via
online delivery and submission to make it clear it’s blended.

Module 2 Quiz

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Question 7: I would say that the first item, long division, is more a
hierarchical question. You have to know how to do short division in
order to be able to do long division. True it is harder to do long
division, but it is built on the same process as short division which is
repeated during the process.
Also the move from two way the three way switching is easy to hard.
It’s not hierarchical as you don’t have to know how to do a two way
circuit before you can do a three way. The actual principle is the same,
the three way is just harder because there are more wires and
connections

Question 10: Incorrect feedback given. I tried this twice with the two
answers and it marks it correctly but the feedback is confusing.

Feedback should be provided after trainees have completed all

questions.
Select one:
True
False
Feedback
Incorrect! Try again
The correct answer is 'False'.

This is also a case of where the question is not clear. Feedback should
be give after trainees have completed all questions. So True could be
considered correct. I think you meant to say:
Feedback should ONLY be provided after … This would force the
answer False
Typographical and A number of grammatical and typographical errors identified have
Grammatical Errors also been corrected.

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Modifications to the Design

The feedback received from the participations indicated that there is a need to make

modifications to the training module so that it can be strengthened for future use. The changes

that have been made to the design are as follows as well as any limitations that currently exist.

Digital Readiness Quiz

Participants were concerned with the lack of feedback provided after completion of the

Digital Readiness Survey. A completion message along with an interpretation of possible ratings

that can be achieved by participants, has been added so that they will be able to understand

where they fall and possible steps that can be taken to improve their overall digital readiness.

Module Overview and Objectives

As indicated by the feedback delineated in table 7, while the course content promoted the

writing of learning objectives using the ABCD format, this practice was not followed for the

learning objectives for each of the four modules. This change has now been made in the design.

Typographical and Grammatical Errors

All typographical and grammatical errors as outlined in table 8 has been corrected.

End of Module Quizzes

The recommendations made regarding the end of module quizzes for modules 1 and 2

have been accepted by the designer and subsequent changes made to the design (see table 8)

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Navigation and Layout of Content

The tool that was used to design the training module is the free version of Moodle Cloud.

As a result of this the designer encountered a number of limitations such as the insertion of

forward and back buttons in the lessons as outlined in each module. The tool currently allows for

a menu option that allows participants to navigate between lesson sub-topics and activities. In the

future, the designer could consider the use of the paid version which would allow for increased

features which would better serve the needs of end-users.

With reference to table 8 above, sub-topic-Getting Ready for Blended as shown in lesson

number 1, module 1, has been removed and the informed has been merged with the ADDIE

Model-Analysis Phase sub-topic.

Graphics and Attractiveness of Design

The designer encountered limitations regarding the overall attractiveness of the training

module as the tool of choice, Moodle Cloud is a free version. The designer was unable to make

changes to the choice of font, font colour where module topics were concerned which would

have enhanced the overall look of the module. The use of plug-ins were considered, however, the

free version of the tool does not support plug-ins. For future, the paid version of the tool would

be considered.

The storyboard example that was used in Module 3, Creating Storyboards has also been

amended to include annotations so that end-users will be able to understand the information that

is presented.

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The graphic that was used in Module 4, Benefits of Collaboration in Blended Learning

has also been adjusted in order that end users will be able to view the information clearly. This is

also in keeping with accessibility guidelines.

Access to Additional Resources

In order to address the concerns of the participants where access to increased resources as

well as the option to download resources for offline use, the designer has converted each lesson

into a PowerPoint format which can be downloaded and reviewed offline. These PowerPoint

Presentations as well as video resources used in each lesson, have been uploaded to a “resources

folder” which has been added to each module.

With reference to table 8 above, lesson #1 in module 3-Creating Interactive Content has

been amended to include helpful links that participants can access to learn more about how to

transform a basic PowerPoint presentation into an interactive one.

Relabelling of Sub-topics

With reference to table 8, the following sub-topics in Lesson 2 – Identifying and Organizing

Course Content, Module 2, have been amended as follows:

 Content Analysis Part A

 Content Analysis Part B

 Task Analysis Part A

 Task Analysis Part B

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Discussions and Conclusion

The use of the blended learning modality has become increasingly important in schools

and training organizations and this is no different where technical vocational education and

training is concerned. Through this project, a self-paced training module was designed for the

purpose of providing training and retraining for the instructors of the Derrick Rochester Campus

as well as a repository for accessing course materials on an ongoing basis.

This project was supported by a needs analysis which supported the need for the

recommended solution. This assessment led to the development of the Blended Learning for

TVET training module, which is a four (4) week training module which was hosted by the

Moodle Cloud Learning Management System.

The training module was tested by five (5) participants of the campus’ electrical

department. Participants were enrolled in the course where they were allowed to review course

information, layout and activities and provide feedback through the completion of a survey

exercise. The feedback received from the participants were favourable and they were of the

opinion that this is a useful tool for training and development.

Though the participants gave a good feedback regarding the design and usefulness of the

information provided in the training module, there were a few modifications or changes that they

wished to see which they believed could add value to the overall design and effectiveness of the

course. These modifications included the changes to course objectives to cater for the ABCD

format, corrections to end of module quiz questions, changes to the content presentation to

improve readability, correction of grammatical errors and the provision of content in

downloadable format for online use.

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One of the drawbacks to the use of the Moodle Cloud learning management system was

that the version chosen was free and so some of the changes that the developer would have

wanted to make to improve overall course design and layout to add to its appeal was not

possible. As a way forward, the designer will put this solution forward to the management of the

institution so that the tool can be further developed using existing version of the tool that is

currently being used by the school.

This project solidifies the fact that the instructional design process is a deliberate and

user-centric process. The needs of the user provides the basis for the design, development,

implementation and evaluation of the end of product. Instructional designers must therefore be

effective communicators with their end users so that effective solutions can be developed and

implemented for their needs. Instructional designers must possess requisite knowledge and be

adequately skilled to guide end users where this and similar projects are concerned.

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References

Aldoobie, N. (2015). ADDIE Model. American International Journal of Contemporary Research.

Vol. 5, No. 6. Retrieved from:

http://www.aijcrnet.com/journals/Vol_5_No_6_December_2015/10.pdf

Amineh, R.J & Asl, H.D. (2015). Review of Constructivism and Social Constructivism. Journal of Social

Sciences, Literature and Languages. 1(1), 9-16. Retrieved from:

http://www.blue-ap.org/j/List/4/iss/volume%201%20%282015%29/issue%2001/2.pdf

Andrews, S., Daway, F., Gregory, S., Josephs, S. (2014). Engagement Theory of Learning.

Retrieved from: https://www.slideshare.net/faithwhitedaway/engagement-theory-of-learning

Carswell, A. D. (2001). Facilitating student learning in an asynchronous learning

network. Dissertation Abstracts International, 62 (03), 1110.

Carwile, J. (2007). A Constructivist Approach to Online Teaching and Learning.

12(1), 68-73. Retrieved from: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ833907.pdf

Gardner, J. (2010). Applying Merrill's First Principles of Instruction: Practical Methods

Based on a Review of the Literature. Educational Technology, v50 n2 p20-25. Retrieved

from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ890773

Dziuban, C., Graham, C.R., Moskal, P.D. et al. Blended learning: the new normal and

emerging technologies. Int J Educ Technol High Educ 15, 3 (2018) doi:10.1186/s41239-

017-0087-5

Jalilehvand, M. (2016). Study the Impact of Merrill’s First Principles of Instruction on

Students’ Creativity. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences. doi:

10.5901/mjss.2016.v7n2p313

Kurt, S. (2015). Instructional Design Models and Theories, in Educational Technology,

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Retrieved from https://educationaltechnology.net/instructional-design-models-and-

theories/

Mendonça, David & Lacontora, John. (2010). Performance Support Systems in Learning

Environments: An Application to Engine Diagnostics. International Journal of Innovation

and Learning. 8. 42-57. 10.1504/IJIL.2010.034013.

Narum, C. (2018). 10 Types Of Performance Support Tools From Quick Reference Guides

To Mobile Apps. Retrieved from: https://elearningindustry.com/performance-support-

tools-quick-reference-guides-mobile-apps-10-types

Kearsley, G. & Shneiderman (1998). Engagement Theory: A Framework for

Technology-Based Teaching and Learning. Educational Technology Vol. 38, No. 5, pp.

20-23

Stanny, C. (2019). Use Elements of Cognitive Constructivism to Design Effective Learning

Activities. Retrieved from: https://ctl.byu.edu/tip/use-elements-cognitive-constructivism-

design-effective-learning-activities

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Appendices

Appendix A- Needs Assessment Survey

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Appendix B- Interview Questions with Head of Training

1. How long have you been employed by the campus?

2. What is your role as it relates to the offering of blended learning courses and/or

programmes by the campus?

3. What is your staff compliment?

4. What percentage of your instructional staff is computer literate?

5. What percentage of your programmes are now delivered using the blended learning

modality?

6. What is the general attitude of your instructors as it relates to using technology within

their lessons?

7. What is the general attitude of your instructors as it relates to blended learning delivery?

8. Do you believe that adequate technological resources are provided for staff and trainees

where blended learning is concerned?

9. Are you satisfied with the output of the instructional team at it relates to repurposing

content for blended delivery?

10. What training opportunities have been provided to instructional staff for blended learning

delivery? What percentage of you staff have been trained year to date?

11. How has this training assisted the organization in meeting its objectives regarding the

percentage of programmes and/or courses that it wishes to convert to blended learning?

12. Do you believe that the offering of blended learning programmes and/or courses will

impact the lives of your trainees positively?

13. What additional support can the supervisory team provide to instructors to increase the

number of blended programmes and/or courses that the campus currently offers?

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Appendix C- Course Evaluation Survey

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