E-learning Design Technologies has been a highlight in my graduate studies. This course was one of the most challenging and rewarding of them all. I spent many hours working on the many projects that led up to a completed tutorial.
Because I enjoy working with horses, I chose Basic Safety and Horse Care as the topic for my tutorial. I invented a company called Hoofn' It Stables, located in Anytown, USA. Hoofn' It Stables houses 200 horses. The owner Susan Simes (fictitious), has a growing concern for the safety of her inexperienced boarders. She requested that I research the possibility of using e-learning as a means of educating her boarders on basic safety and horse care.
In a memo, I proposed three forms of multimedia that could be used to help fill the need: videos, games, and simulations. She requested that I conduct a needs analysis and present a proposal to the board of directors. I surveyed each boarder, and discovered that 70% had one year or less experience working with horses. I proposed that it was in the stable's best interest to educate their boarders via an online tutorial. The tutorial would provide a foundation for riding instructors and horse trainers to build upon. Next the primary goal and objectives were identified. Based on the objectives the final tutorial would consist of four, 60 minute lessons.
For the purpose of this course, I designed one lesson: How to safely tie a horse. Eventually, I plan to add the remaining lessons:
The design process consisted of building a storyboard complete with graphics, instructional text, and videos. It included a copy of the assessment, and introduced all four lessons, while expounding on only one. The storyboard was presented to my learning team for review, before being presented to the board. Changes were made after considering the team's review. Once I received approval from the board of directors I began developing the tutorial.
I developed the tutorial following the storyboard as an outline. I made a few necessary additions that were not in the storyboard. I introduced a second knot, added two new graphics, and changed the videos. My learning team, along with an independant person, evaluated the the tutorial. Errors were found and corrected before presenting to the board for approval.
Both formative and summative assessments were built into the tutorial. A pre-test and post-test will be compared to evaluate the overall success of the tutorial. Weaknesses will be identified and improved upon.
I discovered that I enjoy designing online learning environments. It gives me an opportunity to utilize my creativity. This is the first of many tutorials I plan to create.
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