Sherry Rooks Week 3 App
Collaborative Training Environment
A new automated staff information system was recently purchased by a major corporation and needs to be implemented in six regional offices. Unfortunately, the staff is located throughout all the different offices and cannot meet at the same time or in the same location. As an instructional designer for the corporation, you have been charged with implementing a training workshop for these offices. As part of the training, you were advised how imperative it is that the staff members share information, in the form of screen captures and documents, and participate in ongoing collaboration.
Collaborative Training Environment
A new automated staff information system was recently purchased by a major corporation and needs to be implemented in six regional offices. Unfortunately, the staff is located throughout all the different offices and cannot meet at the same time or in the same location. As an instructional designer for the corporation, you have been charged with implementing a training workshop for these offices. As part of the training, you were advised how imperative it is that the staff members share information, in the form of screen captures and documents, and participate in ongoing collaboration.
Designing asynchronous learning for multiple
locations within an organization can be at best challenging. This week we
learned in our text, Teaching and
Learning at a Distance, that the instructional environment should be viewed
as a system, a relationship among all the components of that system—the
instructor, the learners, the material, and the technology“ (Simonson,Smaldino,Albright,Zvacek).
Keeping that in mind with regard to our Collaborative Training Environment this
week, the two suggested technologies would be either a Wiki using PBWorks.com
or Office 365. Both of these tools would fit the required criteria of needing
to be able to be asynchronous, for the staff members to share information via
captions and documents as well as participate in ongoing collaboration.
In office 365 one is given several very useful
tools. The sharing of files and having the ability to edit them from almost
anywhere would fit this scenario perfectly. Another aspect of Office 365 is
also the communications tools. The communications that can be used are audio,
visual or instant messaging, for instant connection and online meetings. Office
365 also allows for the sharing of a calendar for the entire team online.
However, Office 365 does not allow for tracking of usage by the team members.
And it is for that reason that a Wiki being used may be more advantageous. It
is for that reason that a Wiki is recommended for this project.
A Wiki by definition is a collaborative
website that can be edited by anyone who has access to it. This in itself
sounds very simplistic, perhaps too simplistic for the need that we have here.
However, the truth is, it is exactly what is needed here. For this particular
project, it is recommended that PBWorks.com be used. PBWorks.com has powerful
abilities to share documents, videos, and captions, but also allows for users
to be able to work in an asynchronous manner. However, an important component
that this Wiki has that would be preferred over Office 365 is the ability to
track the usage of the other team members and the work that they do. Training
is only effective if it is done. If the training is not ever completed, it will
not be able to be put into use. One of the pitfalls of online learning can be
ensuring that the work is actually being completed. PBWorks.com offers a
feature that allows the administrator to track and keep record of the users
activity. And it is for this reason, this instructional designer recommends
PBWorks.com for this project.
No comments:
Post a Comment