Using Open-Source Tools to Design and Develop the Online Component of a Blended-Learning, Instructor-Led Course

Abstract

In the design case presented, an online component was designed for an existing introductory energy course targeted at providing pathways to employment in the utility industry. The online component included testing modules, scenario based assessments, and reading materials. The existing pencil and paper course was now to be an instructor-led, blended-learning course. While technologies have advanced in recent years, the question of how to blend computer technology with sound instructional design practices is very much alive and may be even more important when targeting content portability. This paper explores the challenges faced when attempting to use open-source applications in the design, development, and deployment of the online component of this course when primary objectives are outreach, access, portability of content, and ease of future updates.Ioan Gelu Ionas is a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Missouri. He received his Ph.D. in Information Science and Learning Technologies from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He also holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering, an MBA degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia as well as a Ph.D. in Management from the University of Sibiu, Romania. Gelu has taught for more than 10 years in engineering, business and education. His research interests focus on instructional design, causal reasoning and understanding, online learning, and cross-disciplinary research at the confluence of learning, cognition and technology.Matthew Easter is an associate research professor at the University of Missouri. He recently earned his doctorate in Educational Psychology from the University of Missouri. His research includes investigating how conceptual change theories relate to cognitive theories of motivation. He also assists in the development and study of online learning environments in the College of Engineering at the University of Missouri. William H. Miller is Professor Emeritus in the Nuclear cOnTexTThe aging workforce has become a major problem in the utility industry (Ashworth, 2006), with reports estimating that 30 to 40 percent of current employees will reach retirement age in the next few years (e.g., Ashworth, 2006;Farrell, 2011;Sen, 2012). In response to the coming workforce shortage, a non-profit consortium of electrical, natural gas, and nuclear utilities and their association, the Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD) (http://www.cewd.org/) was formed to help utilities work together to develop solutions. The Energy Industry Fundamentals (EIF) course is part of CEWD's efforts to provide pathways towards employment in the utility industry through education. CEWD's initial efforts in developing this course focused on designing and developing the skill and knowledge content for entry level technical occupations in a paper-based format, as well as awarding successful students the opportunity to receive a American National Standards Institute certificate for successful completion of the EIF. The Design prOBlemThe EIF course provides a broad un...

International Ideation for Hybrid ESP Teaching

“…This approach reduces the amount of seat time in a traditional face-to-face course and moves more of the course delivery online" [8]. As underlined by methodologists, hybrid courses "require a mix of online and traditional classroom activities where the instructor determines what activities are completed online and in the traditional classroom for students to attain knowledge transfer" [9]. The difference between hybrid and blended learning is in the ratio between the face-toface and the online percentage of learning.…”