My Reflection

The course I chose to create for ETEC 565A was an introductory Business Communications course; I chose this course for three main reasons: first, it is a course that I teach at my university and I would like to see how it translates to an online environment; secondly, after doing the Benoit case in Unit 3 of this class, I wondered how long it would take to create a course module for Business Writing that already contained existing material; and finally, I wondered what affordances (Norman, 1999) an online learning environment would provide to learners of the class to reflect a constructivist learning environment (Jonassen, 1999).

Overall, my experience with the introductory module was a pleasant one; I feel that a large reason this was so was because I watched the live demo provided by the instructor. I had already made the decision to choose the material and ‘storyboard’ it due to past experiences with putting together presentations; however, one thing I know I would have had an issue with had I not watched the demo was the creation of the HTML pages. Rather than using Moodle’s WYSIWYG  editor, by using Amaya for web publication, then copying the source code (as opposed to the text) and inputting the code using Moodle’s HTML button, I found content creation to be quite straightforward. Also, after watching the demo, setting themes and collapsed topics was a breeze, as was adding pages and forums.

In regards to the use of Moodle, I think my lack of background in web design was actually somewhat beneficial. This is because I was able to work within the tools (aside from the use of Amaya) instead of trying to code the LMS myself. However, if I were more experienced in programming or site/course design, I might find the Moodle environment too simplistic or basic in terms of what it provides.

Even though the module I created was an introductory module and was based on most of the elements of a course that I already teach (e.g. schedule, course objectives, etc.), as I develop the course I would like it to reflect Anderson’s (2008) four attributes of learning: learner-centered, community-centered, assessment-centered, and knowledge-centered. I plan to accomplish this goal through the use of virtual icebreakers, media that can be viewed multiple times for comprehension, forums and collaborative activities, discussion, the provision of worked examples, and peer- and teacher-feedback.

References