Reflection+&+Reference

**REFLECTION:** As someone new to the process of elearning design,I did phase a lot of challenges and I did learn alot especially during the design process itself. **Challenges before the Actual Activity:**

Before the design of this OLA, I was confronted with alot of theory and different models of online learning. I had a hard time chosing which model to use in my design.I guess I chose the ILDF because we used it alot during the course and I became more acquainted with the model.I actually did not have a clue about what I was going to do but one on one sessions I had with Prof Cheryl (Prof Cheryl  ) helped me to decide on doing an Adobe connect screencast for the M.Ed (ICTs) course.Even then, I wasnt 100% convinced just a screencast would be an appropriate Online learning Activity.Questions still remained as to which platform I am going to use in presenting this OLA, how am I going to decide on which Online learning Model to use and how am I going to carefully integrate the contextual factors that affect online learning into my design. Before the design, I wasnt sure about which platform I was going to use to present my online learning activity but a chat I had with one of my classmates (Carol), helped me decide on using the blog and after some careful considerations on the affordances of a blog , I decided on using it. **During the Design phase:**

During the one to one sessions I had with Professor Cheryl,she mentioned that in my design I would probably need to incopperate some sort of Asynchronous or synchronous collaborative feature in my design and I would need to use some form of power piont presentation as well. I had to keep it at the back of my mind that contextual factors are to be considered when deciding on the design of the OLA. I decide to use a blog because e-blogger did provide a stable online learning environment in terms of reliability and it could easily be accessed using a mobile phone. The design process using e-blogger was a learning platform for me as well because i have been exposed to several other tools (Widgets) which can be incoperated into the blog. I had to go several times to the readings provided in the reader in order to inform my design. I became obscessed with trying to incoperate every ICT tool which I read about in the Enactment Phase of my OLA.I kept on thinking about My lecturers constant reminder f the contextual factors which should be considerd when designing Online learning Activities.I had to consider that in this particular instant,the students have problems with internet connectivity so there is no need incoperating features into the blog which would not be utilised because of bandwidth issues. **Lessons I have learnt:**
 * Online Learning like face to face learning is only worthwhile if the specific objectives of the design are met.
 * Learning activities are effective when they are designed to archieve a particular objective.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: justify;">You must always think of your learners when designing Online Learning activities (OLA).
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Evaluation of the OLA is important in order to access its effectiveness.

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: justify;">**Using Wiki as an eportfolio:** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: justify;">Wikispaces has been a very interesting tool which I have come to learn how to properly use over the months because I have used it during other courses I participated in during this program. It could have been very difficult if i was using it for the first time. I was able to follow on the instructions given by my lectures on how to properly use the wiki in designing my eportfolio. Like any other technological tool, proper understanding comes through experience from frequent usage. However, wikispaces is a fairly good tool to use as an eportfolio because features suchs as;
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: justify;">Easyly creating links to headings.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: justify;">Ease to edit and justify your work.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: justify;">Ease to attach files, tables and even incorporating other widgets into the wiki.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: justify;">Ease to save and edit your work.


 * REFERENCE:**

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: justify;">Bower, M (2008) Afforance analysis - matching learning tasks with learning technologies, Education Media International, 45(1), 3-5.

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: justify;">Bannan-Ritland, B. (2003). The role of design in research: The integrative learning design framework. //Educational Researcher, 32//(1), 21-24 <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: justify;">. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Dabbagh, N., & Bannan-Ritland, B. (2005). //Online learning: Concepts, strategies, and application//. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">Dabbagh,N & Bannan-Ritaland,B (2005) Chapter 6 Instructional Strategies and their role in designing authentic learning activities foe online learning. Online learning: Concepts,strategies and application.pp 200 -231. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">Dewey, J. (1925/1981). Experience and nature. In J. A. Boydston (Ed.), John Dewey: The later works, 1925-1953 (Vol.1, pp. 1-326). Carbondale/Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press.

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">Keller, J.M. (1983). Motivational and Instructional Design:A theoritical perspective .//Journal of instructional development,2(4),26-34.// <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">Moallem, M. (1998). An Expert Teacher's Thinking and Teaching and Instructional Design Models and Principles: An Ethnographic Study. //Educational Technology Research & Development. 46//(2), 37-64.

<span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.