Developing Learning Activities And Simulations
In E-Learning Content
Dana Fine
What turns your best dress into a showstopper? Accessories. And
what turns your online course content into dazzlingly useful
learning content? Learning Activities. What is a Learning
Activity? In e-learning content development, we use all forms
of questions for test and quizzes:
1. Multiple correct, which presents a number of choices as
answers to a particular question. There may be more than one
answer to this question. The students chooses all answers that
are correct.
2. Single correct, which presents multiple choices as answers
to a particular questions. One answer of the possible choices
is correct.
3. Item matching, in which there is one column of possible
answers that relate to another column of questions. Item
matching is commonly used for matching the correct term to the
definition.
4. Fill-in-the-blank, in which the students enters the correct
word or words that complete a sentence.
5. True/false, in which the student answers whether a statement
is true or false.
6. Short answer, in which the student enters a one to two
sentence answer to a question.
7. Essay, in which the student responds to a question with a
page (or more) long response.
All of these question types are useful for testing knowledge
gained from taking a course, as well as testing the level of
knowledge prior to a course. In addition, such questions are
useful in the course itself as learning checks. The learning
check enables the student to determine whether he understands
the material. Most companies consider these questions to be
adequate learning activities. However, learning activities can
be much more. Learning activities that are simulations can
involve the student and give him a safe environment in which to
practice skills gained through the course. .
Learning Activities are interactive activities that help to
explain concepts and involve the student with hands-on
learning. This may include all forms of drag and drop questions
(one to one correlation, many to one correlation) as well as
interactive ordering of graphics or text, and finally,
simulations.
An IDC article and survey, Technology-Based Simulations:
Cloning the Work Environment for More Effective Learning, June
2004 by Michael Brennan, states, "By 2008 the use of
simulations will quadruple.... Simulations provide a parallel
universe in which employees hone their skills... Innovative
companies have realized this, and others will follow."
Simulations are currently the most expensive learning activity.
Simulations must be individually designed and programmed. For
example, suppose you have a sales course in which you are
testing the sales student's retention of the message that the
company wishes to deliver to its customers. You could do a
question workshop: several questions that give situations
requiring an action in multiple correct or single correct
formats. Another, more entertaining, method would be to have
the sales person run through a scenario in which he indicates
what he would do to sell his product. The learning activity
indicates whether the customer would buy this product based on
those actions. This feedback could be indicated by a graph
indicating customer readiness to buy. It could also be
complimented by video, in which the customer appears aggravated
when the sales person gives his message incorrectly and pleased
when the sales person gives his message correctly.
Online courses are taken privately and at the student's
convenience. If the student requires several attempts with a
particular scenario, praise the student for continued effort
and eventual competency.
Adding humor to simulations and learning activities is
essential yet can be controversial. As the simulation developer
or content developer, you do not want to add any humor that
could be perceived as offensive, sexist or worse, unfunny. To
extend our sales example, when the sales person is unsuccessful
at selling his product in the learning activity, you would not
want your customer video or simple animation of the customer to
offend the sales person. Yet you want him to laugh and try
again. Perhaps the customer morosely shaking his head and
leaving the room, with text indicating how the sales call went
dreadfully south would be acceptable and could be done in a
humorous fashion. You would not want this animation to be
disturbing – the customer should not shake his fist and yell
for a restraining order against the sales person, for example.
In the past, I participated in designing a simulation of
patient anesthesia. The computer program consisted of a patient
on the operating room table and two dials that the student could
turn. One dial administered oxygen, the other dial administered
anesthetic. The patient's parameters could change (height,
weight, age). As the student administered the anesthesia, a
graph showed the patient's stats. If you administered too much
anesthesia the patient would die! It was a great simulation,
but scary. The death knell of the patient was accompanied by
funeral music. . Ouch!
On the other hand, sometimes we encounter simulations and
learning activities that add nothing to the content or the
course. They are superfluous, added to maintain interest. You
must be very careful in these instances. If you want to add
something to maintain interest, it should still be useful and
explore some aspect of the topic. A Flash movie of interesting
fractals may be colorful and fun - useless in a course that is
not about fractals, art or Flash. For example, suppose you are
teaching contractual document details. You can still relate the
content of the course to a learning activity in which the
student must put the correct elements from a list into three
different types of contracts. As dry as you may think detailing
the elements of a contract might be, if you add audio that
indicates whether the addition was right or wrong, you can keep
your student's interest. "Wrong!" can be contrasted with "Oh,
not that element, it does not belong" said in a beautiful
feminine voice. The second response can add a smile and cause
the student to remember how the contractual elements are added
to a contract. A booming male voice that states, "You sir, are
correct!" can bring that same acknowledgement.
In conclusion, questions and quizzes while useful are not the
end of interactivity. We need to provide the means for
simulations inside online courses to provide the hands on
learning that students need. Through clever activities that
allow seeing the consequences of your actions on the simulation
model, we can provide activities that enable retention of
material and practice. If these activities lead the student to
greater understanding, we have provided not only an
entertaining activity but also great value for our online
courses.
About The Author: Dana Fine is a Senior Instructional Designer
at SyberWorks, Inc. SyberWorks is a custom e-learning solutions
company that specializes in learning management systems,
e-learning solutions, and custom online course development.
Dana is also a frequent contributor to the Online Training
Content Journal.
what turns your online course content into dazzlingly useful
learning content? Learning Activities. What is a Learning
Activity? In e-learning content development, we use all forms
of questions for test and quizzes:
1. Multiple correct, which presents a number of choices as
answers to a particular question. There may be more than one
answer to this question. The students chooses all answers that
are correct.
2. Single correct, which presents multiple choices as answers
to a particular questions. One answer of the possible choices
is correct.
3. Item matching, in which there is one column of possible
answers that relate to another column of questions. Item
matching is commonly used for matching the correct term to the
definition.
4. Fill-in-the-blank, in which the students enters the correct
word or words that complete a sentence.
5. True/false, in which the student answers whether a statement
is true or false.
6. Short answer, in which the student enters a one to two
sentence answer to a question.
7. Essay, in which the student responds to a question with a
page (or more) long response.
All of these question types are useful for testing knowledge
gained from taking a course, as well as testing the level of
knowledge prior to a course. In addition, such questions are
useful in the course itself as learning checks. The learning
check enables the student to determine whether he understands
the material. Most companies consider these questions to be
adequate learning activities. However, learning activities can
be much more. Learning activities that are simulations can
involve the student and give him a safe environment in which to
practice skills gained through the course. .
Learning Activities are interactive activities that help to
explain concepts and involve the student with hands-on
learning. This may include all forms of drag and drop questions
(one to one correlation, many to one correlation) as well as
interactive ordering of graphics or text, and finally,
simulations.
An IDC article and survey, Technology-Based Simulations:
Cloning the Work Environment for More Effective Learning, June
2004 by Michael Brennan, states, "By 2008 the use of
simulations will quadruple.... Simulations provide a parallel
universe in which employees hone their skills... Innovative
companies have realized this, and others will follow."
Simulations are currently the most expensive learning activity.
Simulations must be individually designed and programmed. For
example, suppose you have a sales course in which you are
testing the sales student's retention of the message that the
company wishes to deliver to its customers. You could do a
question workshop: several questions that give situations
requiring an action in multiple correct or single correct
formats. Another, more entertaining, method would be to have
the sales person run through a scenario in which he indicates
what he would do to sell his product. The learning activity
indicates whether the customer would buy this product based on
those actions. This feedback could be indicated by a graph
indicating customer readiness to buy. It could also be
complimented by video, in which the customer appears aggravated
when the sales person gives his message incorrectly and pleased
when the sales person gives his message correctly.
Online courses are taken privately and at the student's
convenience. If the student requires several attempts with a
particular scenario, praise the student for continued effort
and eventual competency.
Adding humor to simulations and learning activities is
essential yet can be controversial. As the simulation developer
or content developer, you do not want to add any humor that
could be perceived as offensive, sexist or worse, unfunny. To
extend our sales example, when the sales person is unsuccessful
at selling his product in the learning activity, you would not
want your customer video or simple animation of the customer to
offend the sales person. Yet you want him to laugh and try
again. Perhaps the customer morosely shaking his head and
leaving the room, with text indicating how the sales call went
dreadfully south would be acceptable and could be done in a
humorous fashion. You would not want this animation to be
disturbing – the customer should not shake his fist and yell
for a restraining order against the sales person, for example.
In the past, I participated in designing a simulation of
patient anesthesia. The computer program consisted of a patient
on the operating room table and two dials that the student could
turn. One dial administered oxygen, the other dial administered
anesthetic. The patient's parameters could change (height,
weight, age). As the student administered the anesthesia, a
graph showed the patient's stats. If you administered too much
anesthesia the patient would die! It was a great simulation,
but scary. The death knell of the patient was accompanied by
funeral music. . Ouch!
On the other hand, sometimes we encounter simulations and
learning activities that add nothing to the content or the
course. They are superfluous, added to maintain interest. You
must be very careful in these instances. If you want to add
something to maintain interest, it should still be useful and
explore some aspect of the topic. A Flash movie of interesting
fractals may be colorful and fun - useless in a course that is
not about fractals, art or Flash. For example, suppose you are
teaching contractual document details. You can still relate the
content of the course to a learning activity in which the
student must put the correct elements from a list into three
different types of contracts. As dry as you may think detailing
the elements of a contract might be, if you add audio that
indicates whether the addition was right or wrong, you can keep
your student's interest. "Wrong!" can be contrasted with "Oh,
not that element, it does not belong" said in a beautiful
feminine voice. The second response can add a smile and cause
the student to remember how the contractual elements are added
to a contract. A booming male voice that states, "You sir, are
correct!" can bring that same acknowledgement.
In conclusion, questions and quizzes while useful are not the
end of interactivity. We need to provide the means for
simulations inside online courses to provide the hands on
learning that students need. Through clever activities that
allow seeing the consequences of your actions on the simulation
model, we can provide activities that enable retention of
material and practice. If these activities lead the student to
greater understanding, we have provided not only an
entertaining activity but also great value for our online
courses.
About The Author: Dana Fine is a Senior Instructional Designer
at SyberWorks, Inc. SyberWorks is a custom e-learning solutions
company that specializes in learning management systems,
e-learning solutions, and custom online course development.
Dana is also a frequent contributor to the Online Training
Content Journal.
