Instructional Design / Online Learning

My course design will focus on developing a blended learning course for international business students at the college level.  The professional development required for the course in international business includes an ability to communicate well both in written and oral form, an ability to dissect complex business issues at the global level, and an ability to interpret business cases.  In terms of quality standards that must be met, students who take part in the international business course need to be able to demonstrate solid reading, writing and critical thinking skills, must be able to apply a general knowledge of the world, and specific knowledge of business disciplines, including leadership, marketing, basic finance and accounting, and most critically, business strategy.  The implementation of the e-portfolio in the international business course, as part of a blended learning experience, makes the most sense in this regard.  I refer here to the 3-column table and the Understanding-by-Design template that I constructed for the EDLD 5313 course.  In this class, I designed a course outline and a plan that includes organizing content and activities that provide opportunities for students to become better self-learners, critical thinkers, and better at acquiring and managing knowledge from across disciplines. 

 

Knowledge management remains a very important skill for students as learners and for the designer.  The importance of knowledge management is that it allows the designer or learner to respectively provide or learn a set amount of information that does not overwhelm or become too burdensome.  In other words the course workload needs to be managed in a reasonable and effective way in terms of the content, the hours designated per module, in terms of the structure provided to students, and in terms of the pace – the time allotted and work required. Students should be monitored regarding their pace and their projects.  For example, a course that is 40 hours should be logically divided over 8 weeks to cover 5 hours per week. In this way, learners are assisted by the designer in managing their knowledge – with the designer always keeping in mind the pace of the learner.

 

As an instructor, and based on the theories that have been covered, I would have to say that I am a constructivist. I feel that teaching through a constructivist point of view encourages the building of things be students based on previous experiences.  The e-portfolio and blended learning method works well here. The blended on online course allows for many tools and techniques such as videos, podcasts, animation, web 2.0 resources, discussions, among other things.  Teaching students also how to find, evaluate, and apply information also is valuable. Gatherings in small groups and analyzing and talking about information, answering questions, and mutual assistance can also be important in blended learning. These allow students to construct and develop their ideas and experiences.

 

For a fully online international business course, as opposed to a blended course, international business cases and concepts need to be conveyed more through videos and online case studies.  Both blended and online versions of the international business made use of multiple theories related to learning and to international business ideas, particularly economics, strategy, and organizations.  The reasons for combining and integrating theories is that it helps provide a more comprehensive understanding of international business, and because the international business instructor has so much to cover. 

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