March 31, 2003

Faculty finding VID valuable tool for online instruction

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — Associate professor Linda Maule has witnessed an amazing transformation: that of the Virtual Instructional Designer (VID).

The VID is a unique web tool designed by Indiana State University faculty and staff with input from Vincennes University and Ivy Tech State College.

It is designed to assist instructors with the process of transforming online instruction and enhancing traditional classroom instruction.

It began three years ago with a U.S. Department of Education three-year, $1.2 million grant through the Learning Anytime, Anyplace Program (LAAP). Paula Vincini and Nancy Franklin were instrumental in getting the grant and coming up with concept of the VID. Both have since left ISU.

Maule, who teaches political science and women’s studies, was involved in some of the early meetings about the VID. "It was very difficult for me because I was at such a rudimentary level. I wasn’t a novice, I could work a template and read directions, but I didn’t have the skill level to create my own website. It was very unclear if the VID was really going to be helpful."

The uncertainty is to be expected that early into a project, Maule added. But now, "To see the transformation in the last two years is quite phenomenal," Maule said. "If you would have asked me two years ago if what is up-and-running now would be up-and-running now, I would’ve never believed it. It has such detailed information, both wide and deep — it covers an amazing variety of things. "

That’s just the kind of endorsement Christine MacDonald, associate professor of educational and school psychology, and Melissa Hughes, interim director of distance education, want to hear.

The two are spreading the word about the VID and hope to get ISU professors excited about its capabilities and using it in their online or web-enhanced courses.

"The VID is an invaluable resource for faculty designing or redesigning learning activities for any course," MacDonald said. "While we often focus on its helpfulness with regard to online courses, it can provide pedagogical assistance for those teaching web-enhanced or traditional format courses as well. I have found the VID to be particularly helpful in terms of designing learning activities to increase students’ interaction in my course, such as threaded discussions and collaborative group projects."

The VID can help professors set up timed quizzes online; read about best practices and guidelines for online teaching; manage course e-mail; create a learning community; recognize cheating; use audio and video, learn basic HTML and transform documents to PDF files, among many other features.

Instructors can keep their own notes and important information on the VID along with customized links, bookmarks, a search tool, glossary and frequently asked questions page.

Bill Wilhelm, assistant professor of administrative systems and business education, agrees with Maule that the VID provides instructors a wealth of pedagogical and course design information.

"I wish I would have had access to the VID when I was developing my distance education class in WebCT," Wilhelm said. "Beyond its usefulness for helping an instructor transform an on-campus class into an effective distance education class, the VID offers a lot of terrific information for teaching in general. The site map alone shows the breadth of detail that this site has to offer. The VID is extremely user friendly and has so many easily accessible answers to so many questions. Any instructor, whether thinking about developing a distance education course or improving an existing on-campus course, will find many helpful tools and useful technology and teaching tips. "

The main goal for MacDonald and Hughes now is getting more faculty to use the VID. They would also like to see great success for the VID nationally. Hughes has already presented the VID at the FIPSE (Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education) conference in November. MacDonald made presentations about the VID at ISU’s Winterfest in February and is also scheduled to give presentations at the IPSE/IHETS (Indiana Partnership for Statewide Education/Indiana Higher Education Telecommunication System) All Partners Conference in April and the 19th annual Conference of Distance Teaching and Learning in Madison, Wis., in August.

"To know the VID is out there and will help me with the construction of my website is very beneficial to me," Maule said. "Technology is essential to teaching and learning. The VID will, I think, permit me to do things I didn’t even know I could do. It will also help ensure that the things I’m already doing, I’m doing better."

Maule said she will do her part in spreading the word about the wonders of the VID.

"I would never mandate its use, but I know faculty use course websites as supplements and I think they would find the VID extremely useful."

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Writer:
Jennifer Kearns, assistant director of public affairs,
(812) 237-8037 or devkearn@isugw.indstate.edu

ISU Public Affairs:
(812) 237-3773 or http://isunews.indstate.edu