Okay, you may be saying to yourself: "Sure, all of this instructional design information is great, IF I'm involved with the development at the beginning. But what about those times when I have to pick up the pieces, when instructors start off badly and then come to me to help them 'fix' bad instructional design? What then?"

Yes, the instructional design information described is the best-case scenario. It is hoped that instructors and instructional designers will follow the process, so that a distance education course will be developed in an adequate manner. University of Florida instructional designers Ron Thomas and Lisa Hightower discuss the "bad" of bad instructional design.

Thomas and Hightower discuss bad instructional design (2:13)

Click here for text-only version.
Please remember that we recommend using RealPlayer to open the video files. To find the RealPlayer Web site, click here.

But for those times when you have to play "instructional design repair," here are some "quick fixes," as detailed by instructional designers from across the country.

Time/Course Management Ideas

• Reduce the number of graded assignments.
• "Offload" responsibilities to students; that is, determine ways to give more responsibilities to the students in the course.
• Look at what might be handled "outside" of class, which might be done as group assignments, with a partner, or in some manner that might eliminate an "official" grade.
• Maximize grading through technology. Provide online versions of exams that can be graded by software programs.
• Be specific about grading and course requirements.
• Students in a distance environment usually need more instructions than those in a traditional classroom. They need to be prompted by e-mail, phone calls, and chat rooms on a regular basis so that they will take part in a Web-based class.
• Develop materials that are well organized and concise.
• Consider alternatives to online materials, such as using CD-ROMs instead of streaming video, to assist those who do not have access to fast Internet connections.

Skills-Building and Training (for Instructors)

• At the very start, provide instructors with as much knowledge about the technological and teaching method options available to them.
• Provide instructors with information about what technologies can and can't do.
• Show instructors the videotape of them teaching over videoconferencing. Most don't realize how poorly they come across if they've never taught with this technology before. They then get a bit more motivated to try to do something about it.
• Provide instructors with a list of frequently asked questions about the technology they will use in their courses. Chances are that their questions already have been asked by other instructors.
• Be ready to answer instructors' questions or respond to their statements, such as: "What effective techniques are others in my discipline using?" "I received complaints from my students about ______." "I've created many quizzes in this semester's course. How can I transfer them over to the next semester?"

Let's review what we've learned.

Destination 3: 10 of 11