Audio Tutorial Instruction by Rebecca Kirstein

Seems like a lot of work, audio tutorial instruction. Reading the articles made me curious. What happened to it? If it was as good as or better than traditional instruction why did studies end in 1979? It seemed like a lot of work on the instructor and on the students. As a teacher preparing a lesson in audio tutorial instruction I would have to create the audio instruction, create all the material for the students, lead the class discussion once a week for students who may or may not attend, create test and quizzes and oh yes, let’s not forget the small assembly sessions.  I would still have to provide grades based on test scores and effort. It is exhausting thinking about it. I do feel like I learn something much better if I think I might have to explain it to others but it is always a bit stressful. As a teacher, I was willing to put in the hours because I knew it would get easier as time went on and it did. As a student I do not think more than one course like that would entice me. I would have to be self motivated, stay on task and expect to spend twice as much time on the course even if I didn’t attend the small assembly sessions. My motivator would be a better understanding of the subject before me. Gee it sort of sounds like grad school, ha.

Following in the Steps of Pioneers in Elearning

As I produce Elearning content today, I use all of the latest and greatest tools. Some of the new tools can produce interactive video to reinforce complicated processes in applications. Whereas before I would write up procedures to implement functions in applications, have a workshop to demonstrate how to use the functions, give handouts with the written steps, let everyone try it for their selves and they would still call me back and say, could you stop by and show me again how to do this? No more, I just point them to the video and it steps them through the process having them repeat each step as it goes through it and they get it. They just needed some reinforcement and practice. Meanwhile I can move on to the next project and they are trained again by a virtual representation of my workshop. It seems to work well. It does take more work on my part; I do have to produce the video. My students do benefit in that they can get the training whenever they need it; instant access with practice for reinforcement. They do not have to wait for me to stop by or have another workshop. This all leads me to the old tar and mortar classroom where you had to go to class and learn at the professor’s command. If you were sick or in a fog, you had to scramble, get the lesson and learn the required information as best you could. The professor on the other hand was strapped with making sure the information was available and accessible and he/she was ties to specific times and the calendar as well. It has been a long difficult process to bring about learning on demand but we all benefit, learner and teacher. The Keller Plan is the model I want to follow. I do state clear objectives; establish small learning units and by creating self paced interactive videos my students get positive reinforcement by successfully repeating steps and seeing the desired results. Currently I am a technology trainer but this technique will work for online courses in math (a great way to teach Algebra II) and computer science which I have also taught in the classroom and would like to teach on the web in the future.

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