Managing Scope Creep

Every project is vulnerable to scope creep. It is the desire to use the latest and greatest of the new technology and the need to improve on every aspect of a project as it unfolds that drive clients and instructional designers to begin requesting changes as the project unfolds. Unfortunately, scope creep can become the cause of missed deadlines and over budget outcomes, and can result in a project becoming out of control or failing all together (Doll, 2001).

Scope creep will begin when the project begins. It is important that any project have a project plan, and that the clients be kept informed in the additional costs and time delays related to requests to make changes as the project proceeds (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, & Sutton, 2008).

An experience I had that leads me to reflect on scope creep is the design of an introductory science class for the school where I was teaching. Initially, it was to be a freshman level class, introducing the basics of chemistry and physics. There was no written plan or course outline, nor was there a timeline for the hours to be worked creating the class. As I began planning the year long course, the director began adding duties to the project, such as correlating the class to an online version to be used for credit recovery or as an alternative to being present in the classroom, integrating all of the exams into an online benchmark tracking software, and adapting the class for individual students who had already taken the class and were assigned to me for independent study, and for those who had accommodations that required me to personalize the course to meet their needs.

What began as a plan to layout one course quickly resulted in the equivalent of three courses being developed- low, mid, and highly challenging, each allowing the student to be present in the classroom during that class period, but to have individual educational services delivered. The time I was given for planning was based on 10 minutes for every hour of instruction. Unfortunately every hour of instruction included 3 separate course levels being taught.

Had I been the director (project manager) I would have started the project off with a brain storming session with several staff members of the school. As the development team, we could have shared the needs of the various students, and better identified the needs that would be addressed in the course being developed. Having established the project needs, I would ask the instructional designer to put together a project plan that would estimate the time and cost requirements for putting the course together. This would need to be done some months to a year in advance of the expected delivery of the course, allowing for planning and purchasing of materials and supplies. When new products such as the benchmark tracking software became available, I would consider incorporating that change in phase two of the project, after the course was created and successfully initiated.

The need to establish the course at three levels required an extension of the time allowed for the staff to design the course (courses) and to prepare the materials. Establishing the change after the assignment had begun placed pressure on the staff to move forward quickly, and resulted in a sacrifice of quality. It is important that as project manager I have a well developed understanding of the school administrations priorities when requesting a change in the project. It would be with the understanding that extending the time to delivery was not an option, that the decision to sacrifice quality would be made. As project manager I would keep thorough notes and documentation of the changes and suggested upgrades, so that after we completed phase one we could look to a follow up project to make additional improvements.

Doll, S. (2001, March 1). Seven steps for avoiding scope creep. In TechRepublic. Retrieved October 10, 2011, from http://www.techrepublic.com/article/seven-steps-for-avoiding-scope-creep/1045555

Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E. (2008). Project management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Estimating Project Costs in e-Learning

Project managers preparing for an instructional design project must develop a budget to reflect the many resources used in the project. During the course of the project, any variations in the estimated budget should be addressed in a timely manner in order to assure that the project is able to be completed on time and within the funding resources assigned to the project.

In order to develop the best budget estimates, project managers can utilize a number of resources, including insights from peers in the profession who have completed similar work. Here are a few resources I have found helpful in creating a budget estimate for my project of converting an instructor based course to an e-Learning opportunity.

Convert ILT to eLearning - Estimating    

Dr. Tony Karrer provides insight into the related costs of converting an Instructor Lead Course (LIC) to an e-Learning course. Dr. Kerrer is the CEO/CTO of TechEmpower and is respected as one of the top technologists in eLearning. After teaching computer science for several years, Dr. Kerrer has led many start up projects, including eHarmony.

http://elearningtech.blogspot.com/2009/10/convert-ilt-to-elearning-estimating.html

Dr. Karrer uses this blog to answer questions and to guide instructional designers and project managers towards accurate estimations of the costs of establishing an e-Learning course.

Case Study: Converting an Existing Course to E-Learning

By Bill Qualls

http://www.astd.org/LC/2009/0409_qualls.htm

Bill Qualls is the vice president of curriculum and instruction at Caliber Data Training. In this case study, Mr. Qualls provides a summary of questions to consider when estimating the costs and benefits of converting a course to the e-Learning format.

Once it is determined that e-Learning is the best option for delivery of a course, the project manager should consider many factors in establishing a budget and schedule. Some of the factors that will affect the project budget and schedule include:

• Does the course already exist in ILT format?

• If there is an existing ILT course, does the courseware exist in electronic form? Is it useable?

• If there is an existing ILT course, how complete is it?

• Are there any hands-on labs in the ILT course? Will these need to be converted? Is it feasible to do so?

• Is the person doing the conversion already familiar with the ILT course?

• Is the person doing the conversion already familiar with the product or service being taught?

• Will subject matter experts (SMEs) be available for consultation as needed?

• Will the person doing the conversion be dedicated to this project exclusively?

• How many people will be working on the conversion team?

• How much animation is required?

• Is the scope of the conversion effort clearly defined?

• What is the approval process? Who will sign off on the project?

• How will the finished product be implemented within the organization?

• Does the organization use a learning management system (LMS)? If so, will this product be required to interface with that LMS?

• How will learning be measured?

• Is the person doing the conversion familiar with the e-learning software? Does the person doing the conversion have prior experience with similar projects?

Please read the Case Study for details on how these factors affect the conversion plan.

What Training Costs     

Beth Chmielowski posts some thoughts about estimating the costs of a conversion form an ILC to an e-Learning course and the best practices she believes will provide the most accurate budgeting for such a conversion.

In her post What Training Costs Part I: Converting Content from ILT to WBT Beth explains why she believes that the real correct answer to “What will it cost” actually is “It depends”. Beth highlights her analysis of several factors:

1. The compression ratio of a project is typically 50%.

2. The development costs can be based on content and interactivity.

3. There are “reusability savings” for materials that exist in the ILC that are available in electronic format and can be easily converted for use in the new format.

In her second article, What Training Costs Part 2: Building ILT and V-ILT Courses, Beth establishes the cost of a project using the formula

Length of course in hours x development ratio x (blended) cost of resources

Her formula takes into consideration several additional conditions:

4. The “Level of Effort” required to perform each task will impact the overall cost.

5. There is a cost for resources to be used in the project.

6. There is a “blended” rate that can be used for the various resources working on the project.

In addition, Beth provides several “caveats” that can lead to additional costs and should be given special consideration when budgeting. Those include:

7. If multi-media is to be used, include a special Level of Effort analysis for the production of the course material.

8. If this is the first use of e-Learning there must be consideration to the cost if integrating your current technology with the learning management system.

9. If the course is to be completely online, consider the cost of providing facilities for those who will be participating.

10. If you have to train the person who will be facilitating the course, allow extra time for allowing them to become familiar with the technology.

11. Build in the cost for a person to provide assistance with the course being delivered.

An additional resource for understanding the justification to make such a conversion is

Effectiveness and costs of distance education using computer‐mediated communication

Article from the September 1999 issues of T.H.E.Journal

http://www.itma.vt.edu/modules/spring03/telecomold/r4-2_virtual_classroom_design.pdf

This easy to read summary provides a step-by-step guide for conceiving, planning, designing, implementing, and maintaining a virtual classroom. The article includes the following graphic to provide a visual summary of the content of the article.

 References
Chmielowski, B. (2009, July 30). What Training Costs Part I: Converting Content from ILT to WBT. In VMG. Retrieved October 3, 2011, from http://velocitymg.com/explorations/leveraging-learning/what-training-costs-part-i-converting-content-from-ilt-to-wbt/


Hsu, S., Marcus, O., Hamza, M. K., & Alhalabi, B. (1999, September). How to design a virtual classroom: 10 easy steps to follow. In T.H.E. Journal. Retrieved October 4, 2011, from http://www.itma.vt.edu/modules/spring03/telecomold/r4-2_virtual_classroom_design.pdf

Karrer, T. (2009, October 14). Convert ILT to eLearning - Estimating . In e-Learning Technology. Retrieved October 3, 2011, from http://elearningtech.blogspot.com/2009/10/convert-ilt-to-elearning-estimating.html

Qualls, B. (2009). Case Study: Converting an Existing Course to E-Learning. In ASTD Learning Circuits. Retrieved October 4, 2011, from http://www.astd.org/LC/2009/0409_qualls.htm

Communicating with Project Members and Stakeholders

Communication within a project is essential to its success. Good communication skills allows for active cooperation among many people in various levels of an organization (Kraut, Fish, Root, & Chalfonte, 2002). From the initial contact with the client, through the development of the project, and concluding with the post launch follow up, it is essential that those involved in or affected by the project have a means of communicating in both formal and informal ways. Within an instructional design project, it is the project manager who is responsible for establishing the expectations and methods of communication among those involved in the project (Portny, 2008).

Messages conveyed in writing, such as emails, have advantages and disadvantages. The written words can be read and reread, allowing the person receiving the message to review it as needed to assure understanding (Ferraro & Palmer, n.d.). The disadvantages include having no way to assure that the message was read, or that the message was received and interpreted as intended. Without the support of the tone and gesture of the author, the message may be misunderstood or even be considered offensive.

Communicating with voice mail, provides the benefit of hearing the sender’s voice and allowing some interpretation of the message based on the tone, inflections, and pacing of the sender’s message (Ferraro & Palmer, n.d.). The use of email allows those working at a distance from each other, to convey brief messages in order to maintain the productivity level of the project (Kraut, et.al, 2002). Although voicemail is somewhat more able to convey the verbal cues of the sender, it is still lacking in many other aspects of face-to-face communication.

Speaking with others face-to-face allows the interaction to be either formal or informal. Brief casual interactions are often used to communicate the needs of one team member to another. The benefits of being able to see those you are attempting to communicate with include being able to observe their emotion and response to your words, and giving you the time to adjust your tone, or words to better convey the desired message (Ferraro & Palmer, n.d.).

Utilizing the desktop audio-visual communication systems allows team members to have access to the informal approach of face-to-face encounters even though they may not work in proximity to each other (Kraut, et.al, 2002). The ability to communicate in an informal manner allows members of a project team to get to know and like each other (Kraut, et.al, 2002).

Communication within a project may require formal or informal means for distributing and acquiring information. Managing communications properly will promote productivity and success of the project.



References:

Ferraro, V., & Palmer, K. C. (n.d.). Differences between oral and written communication. South Hadley, MA: Mount Holyoake College. Retrieved September 25, 2011, from http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/speech/differences.htm

Kraut, R. E., Fish, R. S., Root, R. W., & Chalfonte, B. L. (2002). Informal communications in organizations: Forms, function, and technology. Morristown, NJ: Bellcore. Retrieved September 25, 2011

Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E. (2008). Project management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Reflections on Project Managment

Taking time to reflect on the successes and gaps in a project after seeing it through completion allows instructional designers to develop as professionals (Greer, 2008). Greer suggests a two step process, first distributing a series of evaluation questions to the staff, allowing individual quiet time for relection and note making, followed by a face-to-face group meeting to discuss the project and to make note of lessons learned and recommendations for future projects (Greer, 2008).

This summer I accepted a new position as a summer school instructor for the migrant education program in my county. I was asked to oversee the middle school students and told there would be 50-75 students participating in the program.

During the initial staff meetings, I was given a list of priorities and content that I would be expected to build into the program. I was also introduced to 3 staff members I would be working closely with. One was an instructor focusing on a particular content area; the other two were instructional aides.

Having the basic information for content, time, and learners, I began brainstorming with my co-workers to determine how we could create a program to meet the requirements defined by the administrator. We evaluated of each other’s background and experience, and the available resources. We drafted a sample schedule for classes and content, assigned responsibilities to each of the team members, and met again with the administrator. I was informed that the high school teacher would not be available for the first two weeks, and I was to adjust my plans to incorporate 20-30 additional students. We were able to do this with the addition of one additional instructional aide.

Having been given the approval for our approach, I began designing the instructional materials that would be needed for the course.

I created a schedule grid to distribute to the management team to assist them in understanding where I would have my students and what we would be working on during various parts of the day. With course materials ready we launched into the first week of summer classes.

The program ran very smooth, and I received acknowledgement from many staff that the program addressed the many instructional goals we were charged with.

Two weeks into the program, we were given additional instructional goals, and had to make adjustments to our plan. Because of the visual grid I had created the lead teacher was able to sit with us and very quickly identify how the changes would be implemented.

I believe that the project was as successful as it was because we worked as a team, identifying the various instructional goals, and using each team member as a critical component of the class rotations. The time we spent together planning and preparing for the program paid off in having control over what could have been a very chaotic situation with 100+ students and a wide range of instructional goals.

One area where I would strive for improvement is that during project definition phase, during which 2 key people were not available. Because of their absence, I was not aware of a few critical instructional goals, and some of the documentation that would be asked for at the end of the program. When they were able to work with our group, we were able to make adjustments, but the late alterations created some reworking and pushed us to making a choice between what one manager made a priority and what the other was asking us to make a priority.

The tracking phase of the project would have been more successful and required less backtracking had the stakeholder that was financing the project been more involved up front and able to work with the entire team to explain their needs. Because they worked one-on-one with various team members there was some duplication in the effort to track results, and some areas were overlooked.

Project close out was left to a single person, requiring a considerable amount of time to correlate results and to locate documents needed to meet the needs of the financial supporter.

As with many projects, the experience I had this past summer puts me in a better position to anticipate issues and be even more successful with the design for instruction in years to come.


Allen, S., & Hardin, P. C. (2008). Developing instructional technology products using effective project management practices. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 19(2), 72–97.

Greer, M. (2010). The project management minimalist:Just enough pm to rock your projects (special ed., pp. 42-43). Retrieved September 15, 2011, from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/courses/72033/CRS-CW-5693700/educ_6145_readings/pm-minimalist-ver-3-laureate.pdf

Project Management for 21st Century Learning Designs

Hello and Welcome to my blog.

I am an Instructional Design and Technology student at Walden University. This program is a compliment to my Masters of Education in Integrating Technology in the Classroom. I am a firm believer that we are on the threshold of a revolutionary change in our education system.

                   21st Century Schools explains  

                       WHAT a 21st Century Education is........

Sir Ken Robinson explains WHY there needs to be a change........

and I am learning HOW to make the changes necessary to provide the education options available to meet the needs of the 21st Century learners I will encounter in my career.

Join me as we explore this exciting revolution!


Carol Biegun, MSEd
gradute student
Walden University
Instructional Design and Technology

Reflection: The Future of Distance Learning

As we move through the 21st century we continue to see a rapid advancement in communication technologies and the multimedia industry. There is global acceptance of the use of the Internet for communications, and people are increasingly expecting information to be available on demand (Siemens, n.d.).


These changes present a unique opportunity to our outdated school systems and aging brick and mortar schools. With the demand to improve the learning opportunities for our children, and the decline in education funding I believe that there will be an exponential growth and acceptance of distance learning as the new norm for educating our citizens.

Siemens tells us that we can expect new communication technologies to continue to be developed (Siemens, n.d.). He explains that experts from around the globe can easily interact and collaborate with others with similar interests, via audio and video links that easily facilitate the interaction, and as the global experience with technology expands, there will be a coming together of Industry, Government, and Universities that will redesign education. Siemens projects a rise in the use of games, simulations and multimedia learning objects which will continue to improve learners’ motivation and the desire to engage in the learning process (Belanger & Jordan, 2000).

Based on the growth in acceptance of technology, I believe that distance learning will continue to gain popularity and acceptance as an equivalent means of acquiring knowledge. As an instructional designer I can assist in the development of a positive perception of distance learning by demonstrating a professional approach to designing courses. By demonstrating my knowledge of education theories and proven instructional methods in my design process I can show perspective users that there are high standards in place for the design of distance courses. When I have an opportunity to speak to those who have a negative perception or are inexperienced with distance learning I can explain these standards and encourage them to investigate distance learning opportunities available to them. In fact, I did have this chance during week 7 interviews and I have seen the progress in one of the young women I interviewed. She has come back to me to tell me that after speaking with me about distance learning she went online to investigate top learning programs in her profession. She was pleasantly surprised to find that her perceptions were unfounded and she sees there may be significant value in her ongoing training.

I intend to continue to remain involved in distance learning, as an instructor, mentor, and student. I am looking forward to seeing the evolution of our education systems with the emerging technologies that will allow courses to be easily adapted to meet individual learner’s needs.

References


Belanger, F., & Jordan, D. H. (2000). Evaluation and implementation of distance learning: technologies, tools and techniques (pp. 2-30). Hershey, PA: Idea Group Publishing.

Siemens, G. (Narrator). (n.d.). The future of distance education [Online video]. Baltimore: Laureate Education.

Converting to Distance Learning

Best Practice Guide for Converting a Traditional Course to Distance Learning

Peter Cheese, in his article “Netting the Net Generation”, identifies the characteristics of the recruits in the workforce as having grown up with new technology, being actively involved in networking and collaborating, and being instinctively able to respond to the demands of business in the Internet age. These workers do not expect to be employed for a lifetime with one company, and are known to actively seek out learning opportunities, enjoying a fast-paced and continuously changing job market.

Trainers in today’s corporations may look for creative ways to address the company’s instructional needs while meeting the needs of this “Net Generation” of workers. When considering the transformation of a traditional training course to a distance learning course, there are some considerations to be made.

To review the complete document go to http://www.scribd.com/doc/62774071  

The Impact of Open CourseWare

Open Course websites allow the general public to participate in an educational opportunity without enrolling, paying the university, and without the promise of earning college credits.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) began the OCW project in 2000, with the mission of advancing knowledge and to educate students. By 2007, MIT had placed content from nearly all of the 1,800 on campus courses in the online OCW program.

To investigate this form of education, I elected to monitor and assess MIT's open course Introductory Biology class Spring 2006 . The course is very well organized, with a complete syllabus and assignments accessible online.

Design for Distance Learning

When designing a course for distance learning it is recommended to consider all aspects of the course as a system, including the learners, content, materials, environment, and the technology (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright & Zvacek, 2009). All components must be equally accessible to all learners, and must be functioning efficiently to produce a quality learning environment.

During the initial phase of developing OCW, institutions developed courses by “adopting an archival strategy: capture as much course content as possible in as native a format as possible, and place those artifacts online in an archival structure” (Jansson, 2011). According to Jansson, there are few statistics documenting the real impact OCW is having on improving global learning, and OCW “does not provide the features that are emerging as best practices in online curriculums” (Jansson, 2011).

In the text, Teaching and Learning at a Distance (Simonson, et. al, 2009), some of the positive indicators of quality in distance education include an explicit statement of the purpose of distance learning, and having regular faculty overseeing the curriculum and actively involved in the development of the course. The OCW Biology course at MIT appears to have this involvement. What the course does not appear to have, is the support from academic advisors and technical support. Students taking OCW classes do not have access to MIT staff or resources beyond what is available at the course site. The red flag, as described by Simonson (2009), indicating a failure to follow best practices for distance learning, is the attempt to directly convert the MIT classroom course into a distance learning course without modification.

It would appear that even after 10 years, MIT is striving to find a way to meet learners’ needs by providing access to their course material, yet there is still need for evaluation and establishment of acceptable practices to assure the learner is being served in the most efficient and effect manner possible.



Some additional links to information on the MIT site:
The History if OCW at MIT http://ocw.mit.edu/about/our-history/

OCW stories http://ocw.mit.edu/about/ocw-stories/

OCW Courses at MIT http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/

References

Jansson, E. (2011, July 7). Open questions on open courseware. In Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved July 27, 2011, from http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2011/07/07/essay_on_unanswered_questions_about_open_courseware

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.

Selecting Instructional Technologies

Scenario 3: 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.

Recommended Technologies for Instruction

Selecting a course management system or the appropriate technologies for use with an online learning experience requires the instructional designer to take several factors into consideration.  After familiarizing oneself with the available technologies, the ID would identify the learning outcomes and experiences to be developed that will allow successful achievement of those outcomes. Once the course is developed, the individual activities should be matched to appropriate delivery methods using the available technology ( Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2009).  

In order to meet the demands of this instructional project I would recommend that the employer develop an online tutorial utilizing a pre test, tutorial, and post test. The course management system should allow for the tracking of the employees who have logged on and completed the training module, and successfully completed the post test. When the lessons are presented in a linear format, the learner is allowed to review the materials, take an assessment, and move forward to the next unit if they are successful in demonstrating their knowledge (Simonson, et.al, 2009).  Accommodations should be made for learners needing to repeat the tutorial if they are unable to show mastery o n the post test.  The tutorial should be developed as a narrated PowerPoint, and include the illustrations and videos to inform the learner of the proper and safe operation of the equipment.

To evaluate the learners, I would recommend that the ID use videos of role playing scenarios, filmed in the factory, to provide as near a real experience as is practical to demonstrate proper operation of the equipment and to explain situations that may arise that present a safety hazard. The video would be used to assess the decision making skills of the learner, asking the learners if they can identify how the worker should respond in a safe manner to the situation being presented.  Real experiences have the most impact on learning, yet the experience needs to be only as real as needed to create a learning experience (Simonson, 2009). Using a video will allow a realistic look at the workers’ environment.

Hosting multimedia modules and videos on a web page will make them available 24 hours a day from any location.  Employees from all shifts and in all locations would be able to log into the learning modules from any workstation, or from home if needed. Asynchronous instruction will allow the employee to progress through their required module at their own pace, repeating material as needed, and completing and saving assessments as documentation of the course completion.

Examples:

To view an example of a PowerPoint based training program you may view

http://www.free-training.com/osha/hazcom/Label/13.htm  In this online safety training course the lesson is arranged in a linear format. The learner progresses as long as they answer correctly. If the incorrect answer is selected, they are returned to the lesson for review.  In this example, a multiple choice test is given at the completion of the modules, with an option to enter the employee ID and email the results.

The courses offered at http://www.xilinx.com/training/free-video-courses.htm  are examples of instruction using narrated PowerPoint and allow the users to select which modules they will need to complete within the course. This flexibility allows the user to focus their effort in the area they need.

Resources

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.

Distance Learning

Personal Definition

I have always thought of distance learning as a means of a learner accessing content from outside of the traditional brick and mortar school buildings. Whether it was the earlier correspondence courses, or the newer virtual high schools or universities, distance learning meant the learning was done in isolation, using the materials provided by the school and being away from the instructor overseeing the lessons. As a young student, I recall seeing advertisements for art school or business schools. I understood this form of distance learning to require the student to be self driven and able to work on their own with little or no contact with the instructor.

Revised definition

Distance learning can take place from a remote location, or from a traditional classroom. In schools around the world, students are able to connect to online learning programs and work at an individual pace under the supervision of an instructor overseeing the learning lab. An expansion in my definition of distance learning includes students who are able to take virtual field trips using technology such as video conferencing, to enable them to carry on a live discussion with experts in the field being studied. Such access may have been previously unavailable to them due to cost and distance. Distance learning also includes the collaboration between two classrooms via a live video link. A single instructor can host a class with students joining in from a variety of locations, allowing collaboration between classrooms and improving the course offerings at many small schools. In summary, distance learning is any situation in which there is an exchange of knowledge with a separation between the learners, the instructor, or the materials.

The Future of Distance Learning

Our education system has evolved to include technology and improve access to remote learning. E-learning and the use of technology will continue to allow us to maximize productivity as workers are trained for new aspects of their careers using technology resources and distance learning. Younger students will perhaps be given the advantage to complete their secondary education requirement while working in a chosen field of interest. Distance learning has become a very popular method for providing synchronous and asynchronous training for employees when new job skills are needed or they elect to change careers. (Moller, et.al, 2008). Having worked with at-risk students and listened to their needs, I foresee a time when distance learning will routinely be used to allow a student to choose to go to work, and to complete their high school requirements under the supervision of an on the job training program. Based on my experience with these students I would agree with Moller that “Meaningful learning is more likely to occur when learners have access to a supportive community that encourages knowledge building and social reinforcement (Moller, 1998). This supportive community can be a network of learners in the same course of study, or a supportive group of fellow employees assisting the learner while they gain an education and experience in a selected career. Although e-learning is not a perfect solution for everyone, it does hold the promise of allowing a personalize approach to education that has previously been difficult to achieve. (Moller, Foshay, & Huett, 2008).

Moller, L. (1998). Designing communities of learners for asynchronous distance education. Educational Technology and Research Development Journal, 46(4), 115-122.

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 1: Training and development). TechTrends, 52(3), 70–75.

http://www.webspirationpro.com/view/961781a3596a