Proposal
Note:
Due to the restrictive nature of the Canadian Forces with regard to Information Technology, I have requested and been granted permission to create a fictitious scenario in order to complete this assignment. Open sources materials would not be permitted due to the Intranet and various security issues.
— Background to Proposal —
Volunteer Support Training Centre (VSTC)
The Volunteer Support Training Centre (VSTC) is a non-public funded (NPF) agency that provides support to the families of volunteers engaged in humanitarian work in third world countries. The main goal of this organization is to ensure that volunteers departing for third world nations are provided with essential information to ensure that they will be self-sufficient and capable of minimal support while away. The second goal of the organization is to ensure that the family remaining behind will be informed as to the conditions their loved one will be facing during the volunteering activity, the resources offered to the family and tools to cope with reintegration of the volunteer upon returning to Canada. The VSTC also provides current information and training for volunteers and their families on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
VSTC must apply to a central organization which provides funding for volunteer training, information and resource repository and family support services. All projects are reviewed by a committee of six members.
— The Proposal —
Issue: The current system of in-house training and family support has been identified as ineffective in meeting the needs of the volunteers preparing to depart for third world countries.
Discussion: Surveys were conducted to determine how VSTC can better provide information and support to both the volunteer and the family. Data analysis identified a need to provide more flexible training for the volunteer, while providing resources and social networking for the families. Further consultation determined that the optimum solution is to create a web-based training session that would provide flexibility in content and times for training, as well as a means of networking for volunteers and families.
Recommendation: VSTC proposes a training support educational technology tool to fulfill the needs of departing volunteers and their families.
Training support can be delivered by an open source software package called Moodle. Moodle, an educational technology product, is a “GNU General Public License … a free, copyright license for software”. (GNU Operating Systems, 2009) As an open source program, Moodle can be used by any organization with no licensing fees, thus reducing the cost of acquiring technology. “The design and development of Moodle is guided by”social constructionist pedagogy”.” (Moodle philosophy, 2009)
Using the Bates and Poole SECTIONS model to evaluate various Course Management Systems (CMS), the Moodle software was evaluated as follows:
Student – The target population is departing volunteers and their remaining family members. Moodle allows for different learning styles and media preferences; meeting individual needs. It provides developers the option of integrating text, graphic, video, links to external agencies, as well as interactivities including email, discussion forums and chat sessions. It is available 24/7 through the Internet on both the Windows and Mac systems.
Ease of Use and reliability – Moodle is easy to use for the courseware developers, facilitators and students. The Moodle website is a wealth of resources including free Forums and Books.
Costs –The software is free of charge, but does not include a warranty.
Teaching and Learning – Moodle is designed on social constructivism principles focusing on shared experiences. The goal for the Moodle will be to provide a “social venue” for the volunteers and their family to learning, network and share.
Interactivity – Moodle can be customized to allow “system to individual” interaction, “student to student” interaction and “student to facilitator” interaction, facilitating support network creation.
Organizational Issues – Analysis of surveys indicated a positive response when asked if an online training session with social networking capabilities would be beneficial.
Novelty – “Moodle now has over 4 million users and more than 400,000 courses; it is downloaded at a rate of 45,000 downloads per month.” (Perkins & Pfaffman, 2006)
Speed – Ease of accessing the software allows for quick integration when compared to all other Course Management Systems. Once designed, courses can be easily amended to add new content or to update existing content.
Resources Required: Estimated resource requirements will be limited to the contracting of a Moodle Hosting service at an estimated cost of 125.00$ per month. (Lambda, 2010). VSTC already has access to both IT and Internet. Current staff employed at VSTC will develop all required courseware.
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References:
Bates, A.W. & Poole, G. (2003). Chapter 4: a Framework for Selecting and Using Technology. In Effective Teaching with Technology in Higher Education: Foundations for Success. (pp. 77-105). San Francisco: Jossey Bass Publishers.
GNU Operating Systems. (2009). GNU General Public Licence. Retrieved online 01 Feb 10 from the World Wide Web: http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html
Lambda. (2010) Hosting Solutions Plans. Retrieved online 03 Feb 10 from the World Wide Web: http://www.lambdasolutions.net/pages/solutions/hosting
Moodle. (2010). About Moodle. Retrieved online 01 Feb 10 from the World Wide Web: http://docs.moodle.org/en/About_Moodle
Moodle. (2009). Philosophy. Retrieved online 01 Feb 10 from the World Wide Web: http://docs.moodle.org/en/Philosophy
Perkins, M., Pfaffman, J. (2006). Using a Course Management System to Improve Classroom Communication. Science Teacher, 73(7), 33-37