ANALYZING INSTRUCTIONAL SYSTEMS

What is your personal definition of the term "instructional system"? An instructional system is any channel that allows instructional designers to deliver educational content to an individual or a large community of learners. The following video explains what instructional systems and instructional system designs are all about. It incorporates some Learning Theories (which I have studied in the Educational Psychology Masters Program) and how they are enhanced by instructional systems: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QE0zgsGoCJU

What instructional systems are used and needed in today's schools? In many public schools, the Schoolnet Instructional Improvement System is used. After doing further research, I found out that Schoolnet provide counselors and educators with formative assessment tools, instructional support, curriculum management, and educator development opportunities. At Sapulpa High School, Edline (http://www.edline.com/solutions/overview/) is designed specifically for K-12 learning communities. Edline combines the features of a Content Management System (web design, editing, permissions, templates, content publishing, site navigation etc.) and a Learning Management System (gradebook, quizzes, homework hand-in, wikis, discussions) with the added capabilities of robust outbound communication (email, text and voice notification). From a personal point of view, instructional systems should be accessible and compatible with adaptive software. They also should be user-friendly to allow instructors and students to access educational materials just with a couple of clicks, as well as secure to ensure that

materials exchanged over the web interface are not accessed by unauthorized users nor copied (plagiarized) from external sources.

What instructional systems have you had experience with (whether as an administrator, project manager, or user)? As a teacher at Tulsa Community College, I have used Blackboard. Recently, Tulsa Community College acquired the Blackboard 2.0 platform. This new platform gives students and educators access to their courses, content and organizations on certain Android and Blackberry devices. Additionally, I found out that Blackboard 2.0 has a Dropbox feature that allows users to exchange documents in a more user-friendly manner. My only complaint about Blackboard is that it lacks an online instant messaging system; thus, limiting the communication between faculty and students to discussion boards and/or emails. In my role as a student, I have used D2L. I recently had the opportunity to exchange a few thoughts with a classmate that is taking an online class via the instant messaging option. The calendar feature on D2L is very helpful and it allows me to keep track of due dates and special projects to be completed. Also, I have experience with Banner. Although I do not see Banner as an instructional system, it is a helpful tool that allows counselors and administrators to search specific information on students personal information, class schedules, financial aid, and human resources among others.

Miguel Llovera Da Corte

RESPONSES TO PEERS POSTINGS Kiley and Stacy, I think that your idea is very innovative and will facilitate the learning process for students in K12 grades. As the managers of a school library automation system, I encourage you to check with a Disability Resource Specialist to see how you can ensure the accessibility of your materials. For example, if your collection is going to include videos, make sure that all the videos are closed-captioned so that a student that is deaf or hard of hearing can benefit from the information presented. If your documents include different charts and graphics, check to see if these materials are compatible with ZoomText or Jaws. For additional information on accessibility resources, I encourage you to visit the following link: http://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/accessibility.php Thanks for sharing your ideas with us, Miguel Llovera Da Corte

Bo, Your ideas are very precise. In your post, you mentioned that VoiceThread can be employed as an instructional system. From a personal perspective, I see VoiceThread as a tool to enhance the delivery of content in systems such as D2L and Blackboard. I believe that this would be a valuable tool when teaching online classes, especially when it comes to providing students with feedback. I found the following link quite interesting as it describes the impact that information technology has had on society and how instructional systems have evolved to meet the needs of a large community of online learners: http://www.indiana.edu/~syschang/decatur/reigeluth_pubs/documents/74_esd_relation_to_isd.pd f Thank you, Miguel Llovera Da Corte