Asynchronous Training
In an effort to improve its poor safety record, a biodiesel manufacturing plant needs a series of safety training modules. These stand-alone modules must illustrate best practices on how to safely operate the many pieces of heavy machinery on the plant floor. The modules should involve step-by-step processes and the method of delivery needs to be available to all shifts at the plant. As well, the shift supervisors want to be sure the employees are engaged and can demonstrate their learning from the modules.
In this scenario, the organization can certainly
employ several distance learning technologies to achieve their goals which
include illustrating best practice operational procedures, and ensuring learner
engagement. Two useful technologies that can be applied to this context are podcasts
and wikis.
A podcast is a collection of digital files – video
and/or audio – that can be automatically downloaded from the internet with each
update (Laureate, n.d.). Podcasts, which
are being used more and more by educators to “provide lectures and other
course-content-related recordings to students” (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright,
2012, p.130) are perfect for asynchronous learning as students can access
content in their own time. They are also quite suitable for this scenario as
audio instructions as well as video demonstrations on safety management can be
created. On the other hand, a wiki is “a
space created and edited by groups of persons” which makes an excellent tool
for “compiling information in a single online resource” (Simonson et al., 2012,
p. 130). Wikis would be a perfect means of providing safety instruction but they
would also offer the opportunity for learner engagement.
The following sites provide feedback on the impact of
these tools on distance learning. The ‘Everything Wiki’ Wiki (http://wiki.wetpaint.com/page/Wikis+in+Education) gives some testimonies of both learners and
instructors of their experience with wikis.
The site http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/melbourne08/procs/vanzanten.pdf hosts a study that was done by a student of the
University of Adelaide, providing evidence of increased attention to podcasts
by distance learning over on-campus students.
References:
Everything Wiki (2012). Wikis in Education. Retrieved from
Laureate Education, Inc.
(n.d). The technology of distance education [DVD]. In EDUC 6135
Distance Learning.
Baltimore, MD.
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S.,
Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a
distance: Foundations of distance education (5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.
van Zanten, R. (2008). The value of lecture podcasting
for distance and on-campus
students.
In Hello! Where are you in the landscape of educational technology?
Proceedings ascilite Melbourne 2008. Retrieved from http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/melbourne08/procs/vanzanten.pdf
No comments:
Post a Comment