Instructional design for tele-learning

IN ANY COURSE IN INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN, the design principles should not only be covered in the course content, but also demonstrated by the structure of the course itself. Telematics applications of various sorts can bring new dimensions into the instructional design of the course to better illustrate the subject matter. In this article we describe the design of a WWW-based course-support environment for a course in instructional design, given an overview of how the environment was used as part of the course experience, and summarize the student evaluation of the course. We call such an augmented learning process a “tele-learning” situation because telematics applications are involved. We conclude that such a course-support environment can extend the teaching and learning process, if well designed, by bringing added opportunities for communication and coaching, and by increasing student self-responsibility. We do not see such a tool as replacing the instructor, but enhancing instruction. The design of the environment should reflect this. Although the article describes a particular course on instructional design, we argue that the conclusions can be valid for a variety of disciplines and instructional approaches.