The future of distance learning December 27, 2010

The future of distance learning looks bright if developed in the right way.  Distance learning has come to mean many things over the years.  Beginning with correspondence courses, to local institutions sending an instructor to a distance location from main campus to providing all instructions and interaction via the World Wide Web.  The current definition includes physical separation of instructor and students and the use of technological delivery system.  Over the past ten years or so, learning programs have popped up all over the internet.  The question that is currently being debated is will “virtual colleges and universities” eventually replace traditional learning institutions.  I do not think so.  Although studies have shown that students prefer to learn in a classroom, they are demanding to be permitted to learn at a distance (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek (2009).  Therefore, as the scope of distance learning expands, among the major players impacting growth are subject matter, technology, and distance education students.

 

The many reasons why individuals now pursuit distance education will continue to be reasons in the future.  Working adults seeking degrees or specialize training, homebound students or other shut-ins made up the majority of distance learners who were not able to attend a traditional classroom setting.  Other reasons include convenience, personal constraints prohibiting regular classroom attendance, flexibility of time to receive instruction, distance to campus and cost-savings.  However, there will always be a need for brick and mortar learning institutions as online learning is not for everyone.   There are topics that cannot totally be taught through a distance learning environment.  For example, some medical or nursing topics require onsite training labs to learn certain skills.  What is a better solution is blended or hybrid courses.  Blended/Hybrid courses meet both on campus and online.  It combines face-to-face instruction with computer-mediated instruction.   The purpose is to provide realistic practical opportunities for learners and teachers to make learning independent, useful, sustainable and ever growing (Wikipedia, 2010).

 

Technology is not only changing learning and teaching but it is providing new ways to teach and learn.  Telecommunication systems, such as broadcast television (including cable), or electronically stored media like video, audio and computer software, are among the technologies that has made developing and delivery training to a large number of students cost-effective.  However, one factor that will need to be addressed and monitored is student access to technology.  The higher or more exotic the technology, the less likely low-income, minority and underrepresented students will have access to the technology or have the technological experience necessary to take advantage of distance education courses  (Valentine).  For example, virtual schools where computer-generated avatars stand in for students that participate in the class.

 

One of the greatest challenges to distance education programs is those faculties who are uncomfortable and reluctant to embrace technology in teaching.  Many instructors are concern about their role in online education and are unaware of how to adapt their teaching method to distance learning format.  As older instructors retire and new more technologically literate younger instructors replace them, expect to see more of an acceptance toward online courses.   

 

There will be continuing growth in distance education programs.  The future of distance learning will depend on the continuing development of new technologies and the ease at which these technologies can be adapted to learning situations.  Student access and faculty embracement of this technology will definitely impact the path of distance learning.

 

References:

 

Blended learning. (2010, December 24). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 05:08, December 27, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blended_learning&oldid=404097504

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009).  Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4^th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson

Valentine, D. (n.d.). Distance Learning: Promises, Problems, and Possibilites. Retrieved 12 25, 2010, from Distance Learning: Promises, Problems, and Possibilites: http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/fall53/valentine53.html

Converting to a Distance Learning Format December 21, 2010

As more organizations look for more economical and effiicient ways to provide training, distance learning is becoming an  option worth exploring.  However, simply taking a face-to-face training presentation and transfer the course handouts and selected discussion topics to  a CMS is not teaching online.  When converting to a distance learning format, it is important to remember the learner is the crucial member of the distance learning system.   There is quite a bit of pre-planning that must take place in order for distance learning to be successful.   The role of the instructor will change to one of a facilitator who develops, monitor and continue discussions/communication among the learners.  In order words, create a community of learners.  It is the role of the instructor to clarify the expectations for communication.  It is the learner responsibility to share knowledge with the other learners.

A7DavisG

Open Source Instruction: Introduction of Human Nutrition December 6, 2010

The Open Course I chose was the “Introduction to Human Nutrition (2007)” taught by Nancy Amy of UC Berkeley. This 22 episodes webcast course can be viewed via a video and it can be listen to by podcast. The goal of the course is to assist consumer be intelligent about food and health. The course description stated the course provides an overview of digestion and metabolism of nutrients. Foods are discussed as a source of nutrients. Evidence is reviewed as to the effects of nutrition on health. The emphasis of the course is on issues of current interest and on worldwide problems of food and nutrition. The 22 podcasts covered topics such as “Nutrient Needs, Digestions, Carbohydrates, Lipids (fat), Protein, Energy Metabolism and Balance, Obesity, Eating Disorders, Water, etc. The course contained links for iTunes and Feed. The feed link took you to the listed topics. Although the page indicated updates will be automatically downloaded to the subscriber’s computer, there were no updates from the original course. Accessing the video course requires the learner to have “RealPlayer.” Accessing the podcast requires the learner to have iTunes 10. If the learner computer system does not have the either version of required software, the access buttons sent the learner to free download links. Essential this course is a series of traditional classroom lectures that were filmed then archived. In 2007, this allowed students who for whatever reason could not attend class or who wanted to review classes before exams could do so. Simonson & et al, (2009) referencing Zemsky and Massy’s (2004) found the application of technology in on-and off campus instructions has adoption cycles. The instructor introduced basic-level technologies into this course such as e-mail, website for the syllabus/future lectures and used PowerPoint slides with graphics, words and animation. Podcasting the lectures was a great option for listening to the material in lieu of viewing the accompanying visual. This is reflective of Zemsky and Massy’s e-learning adoption cycles 1, 2, and 3 (2004). However, since the course was presented in 2007, anyone viewing the course as an open source found there were no links to the syllabus, any handouts, or the PowerPoint slides. At the time of the course, the students had the option to e-mail the instructor about any questions. Neither this option nor an alternative such as blog, comment or wiki is available now. Overall, this course was not reconfigured for distance learning. Simonson & et al (2009) commented that many faculties do little more than transfer course handouts and selected discussion to the CMS. This course did not do this. The lectures were not edited to take out the references to the 2007 classroom assignments, exams or etc. This course did not have any online activities that had a specific pedagogical or course management purposes. There was no hot links to relevant online resources, identified readings and other preparatory activities. Simonson & et al, stated, the first step in transforming a course is to think about the course outcomes. What knowledge, skills and feelings does the instructor want the students to gain in the course (2009)? While the learning goal remained the same (to assist consumer be intelligent about food and health), the instructor could have done a better job of redesigning the course so that it could incorporate principles of self-directed adult learning. The instructor should have incorporated learning activities customized for an open course environment rather than keeping the lectures as is for traditional college-age students.

References:

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson

 http://webcast.berkeley.edu/course_details.php?seriesid=1906978374#17194

Selecting Distance Learning Technologies November 22, 2010

 In Example #1: “The Collaborative Training Environment,” the instructional designer (ID) is tasked with developing a training workshop on the company’s new automated information system for staff members in six regional offices. In addition, to the training, staff members must share information and participates in ongoing collaboration.

 Although, used primarily for listening to news and music, a distant learning technology the ID should keep in mind when developing this training program is Podcasting. Educational Podcast is an .mpg file of a single idea that can be explained verbally, or if necessary with audio and appropriate still or motion pictures (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2009). The authors go on to say, a Podcast is part of a series, with each single event related to others. A Podcast can be stored on a Web site or other Internet location for easy access. Lastly, a Podcast is current and changed or updated frequently.

Educational Podcasting is a great way to reach a large number of people without having to put out too much time or money. Everyone is not required to be online at the same time to access the instructional materials. Many learning styles can be accommodated by utilizing Podcasting. Some people must hear information over and over again in order to absorb it. Staff members who are provided with a good Podcast lecture can use this tool as often as they need to get a working grasp of the material. Features of Podcasting such as the automatic subscription feature ensure subscribers receive the latest files without having to go to each site that hosts media files check to see if there have been updates. Using an aggregator, all Podcasts from the training program will automatically be “delivered” to the staff members’ computer. Podcasting allows for flexible learning opportunities. The staff member can listen/watch at any time. Podcasting can be valuable to that staff member who has difficulty understanding what was said during a “live” class. An accompanying transcript of the Podcast allows the staff member to read along and listen at the same time. The staff member is able to learn through more than one modality (listen to audio files/watch video on content as well as read course materials). It will not be necessary for the staff member to own a mobile audio player, or MP3 player. Nearly 80% of downloaded Podcast are viewed on a personal computer. Once the Podcast is downloaded, it can be started anywhere, paused, restarted and stopped at the staff member own pace. The resources for the educational Podcast training can be posted on the company’s URL.

The second distant learning technology the ID should consider using and will compliment this training program is a blog site. The audio files can be uploaded to the course blog site. Blogging allows the staff members to generate, share, and keep up with class information. Blogging solicit feedback and foster two-way communication. One of the objectives the ID had to meet included staff member sharing information and participating in ongoing collaboration. A blog site will accomplish this objective.

References:

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson

Distance Learning November 8, 2010

Personal definition of distance learning

Distance learning has as many definitions as it does names.  It is also referred to as online-learning or electronic-learning (e-learning).  For me initially, I had no idea what online or distance learning entailed.  I thought distance learning meant instead of sitting in a traditional institute classroom, I could be at home in my pajamas, as a commercial on television described, accessing my classroom using a computer.   I had the notion distance learning meant my classmates, the instructor, and I were online at the same time; or that I could access a taped lecture when it was convenient to me.  When it came to assignments, I thought I could work at my pace to complete the readings, do additional research and turn in completed assignments.  Since I was use to institutional environment, I did not know how mid-term or final exams were handled.   

From this week readings, I have learned distance education is an evolving field that is not limited to learning institutions, colleges or universities.   How do I now define distance learning?  I can say that it is organized educational process where the instructor, who is in one location, facilitates self-directed students in other locations and everyone is connected through the use of technical media.   Simonson, Smaldino, Albright and Zvacek (2009) cited Hilary Perraton (1988) who said “Distance education is an education is an educational process in which a significant proportion of the teaching is conducted by someone removed in space and/or time from the learner.”

Observation of distance learning

I have seen distance learning move from magazines offering mail courses, to mail-in correspondence courses to on-line computer-conferenced courses.   When I was a teenager, I saw an ad in a magazine that asked “Can you draw this picture?”  I thought at the time I was a fair artist, so I drew the picture and sent it in.  I never enrolled in the class.  Later, advertising for learning skills such as a mechanic or accountant at home began showing up in magazines.  I often wondered about the courses but was never curious enough to see what the courses were about.  When I was in the Air Force, to be competitive for promotion, I had to complete certain military courses either by correspondence or in residency.  If you did not attend a residency program (greater than 200:1odds), I, as well as every officer was expected to at least complete the courses by correspondence.   A set of instructional material was mailed to your home.  We were given a year to complete the entire course.  At the end of each modular, I contacted the designated testing center where I scheduled the end of modular exam.  Upon successfully passing the exam, the next modular of material was mailed to my home.  This process continued until the course was completed.

With the advancement of technology, distance learning has taken different avenues.  For example, in the late 90’s, I was taking a college course in research.  The class was held in one location with the instructor lecturing.  Technology was used to connect students in two other cities to the site where the instructor was lecturing.  The students could see the instructor and ask questions.  At my current place of employment, distance learning has ranged from simultaneous web educational offering.  While the educational offering is being telecast, you can view it from your work station on your computer.  Audio-teleconferences are where our state agency calls in and are connected via telephone to a system the federal government uses to disseminate educational information.   With the popularity of YouTube, the federal government is now using this method to provide distance learning.

Vision for the future of distance learning

I believe the future of distance learning is linked with the continued growth of new technologies.  As more of us baby boomers begin to retire and the generations after us who grew up with technology begin to take our places, I expect to see distance learning used more.  My daughter who is in her second year of college tells me all the time, “You can find everything on the internet.”   For example, Simonson, Smaldino, Albright & Zvacek (2009) stated, “Computer conferencing increases the potential for interaction and collaborative work among the students.  This type of collaboration among students was difficult with previous forms of distance education.”  The computer network makes it easy for instructors to disseminate course materials to students world-wide and for students to turn in assignments.   This contains mailing costs.  A real option where distance learning could make a big difference is areas where there is no funds to build new schools or there is a teacher shortage.  Smaller schools by combining with others can therefore provide rich and varied options normally available only at larger schools (Moller, Foshay, & Huett, 2008).

References:

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 1: Training and development).  Tech Trends, 52(3), 70-75.

 Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 2: Higher education).  Tech Trends, 52(4), 66-70.

 Moller, L.,  Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008).  The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 3: K12). Tech Trends, 52(5), 63-67.

 Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009).  Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4^th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson

Definition: Distance Learning

Fitting the Pieces Together February 22, 2010

Since the first week’s assignment (01/04/10 to 01/10/10), my views on how I learn have changed.  When a thought comes into my mind, I find myself trying to determine the stimulus for that memory.   Was it from a verbal cue, or a visual one?  What I have discovered through the course readings is that it is not that easy to label yourself or anyone using any one theory or learning style.  Of the three learning styles we read about (visual, auditory and tactile/kinesthetic), I identified auditory and visual learning as ways I acquire knowledge.  However, depending on when learning is occuring and what is being learned, my style could involve one or all three styles.

The learning theories we discussed included: Behavorism, Cognitive, Constructivist, Social Learning, Connectivism, Adult Learning and Multiple Intelligences.  At first, I thought my personal learning preferences leaned more toward “Behaviorism and Cognitivism.”  Now that I am more aware of the meaning or thoughts behind the different theories, I feel my preference has components of Cognitivism, Constructivist, Adult Learning and Multiple Intelligences.  Cognitivism makes the assumptions that: (1) a person’s memory system organizes information the brain has processed and (2) a person’s prior knowledge is important in current learning.  A person’s prior knowledge is also a concept in adult learning and constructivism.  I have used previous life and job experiences to solve problems or to construct/build new knowledge.   I am in agreement with the fact that there were other environmental factors that have either encouraged or hindered my intelligences’ development.  According to Armstrong, (2000) these factors includes: “1) Having access to resources or mentors.  2) Historical-Cultural Factors.  3) Geographic Factors  4) Familial Factors and 5) Situational Factors.  Gilbert, Juan & Swanier, Cheryl listed heredity, upbringing and current environmental demands (2008) as influences on learning styles. 

Technology has played a big role in my learning.  Prior to the internet, I used to spend many hours in a higher learning institution’s library doing research for papers.  Now research is done from the comfort of home.  On my job, cost effective, accessible ways for the governmental agency to reach the State Agency with updated information, specific regulatory information, manuals, clarifications, etc. includes but is not limited to: (1) telephone audioconferences, (2) Web-based resources and (3) Internet Videoconferencing.

References

Armstrong, T. (2000). MI and Personsl Development. In Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom (2nd ed ed.). Alesandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Gilbert, Juan & Swanier, Cheryl. (2008). Learning Styles: How do they fluctuate? Retrieved from Institute for Learning Styles Journal [vol.1]: http://www.auburn.edu/~witteje/ilsrj/Journal%20Volumes/Fall%202008%20Volume%201%20PDFs/Learning%20Styles%20How%20do%20They%20Fluctuate.pdf

Connectivism February 8, 2010

According to Marc Pensky, “individuals that were born prior to 1970/(1965) immigrated to technology as a means of survival… (they) were not raised with technology.”  That has become more apparent within the last couple of decades.  Individuals who grew up using a typewriter as a standard have now had to convert to using computers.  Along with the computer came the internet which has evolved from an initial source of information to a learning community. 

My initial introduction to the internet as a learning tool began in the 90’s in pursuit of a higher degree.  Instead of spending many hours in a library going through whatever resources were available, the internet made it easier and quicker to find multiple resources in the comfort of your home.  As the internet and its uses grew, more data resources were added and as a result, people became more connected.

In today’s environment where education has become complex and people have to re-learn how to learn, digital tools can facilitate learning.  Digital technologies I am familiar with that best help me learn includes social networking sites (Facebook or Twitter), Course CDs/DVD, Library-(eBooks, eJournals), Webinar, Podcasting and Media Streaming.  Educational software designed to interact with the learner such as tutorials or simulations are also useful tools.   

There is more information now than it has ever been.  Search engines such as google or bing are very helpful in narrowing your focus to the resources that will answer your questions on any given topic.  It helps you select what information from the vast quantity there is that you want to learn.  In other words, sift through all the data to identify the information that will be most useful to you.

Connectivism involves a system that states, “We must create networks which are connections between entities.  By using these networks-of people, of technology, of social structures, of systems of power grids, etc. – learning communities can share their ideas with others, thereby “cross-pollinating” the learning environment ([Siemens, 2005, para. 21] Davis, Edmund, & Bateman, 2008).  My personal learning networks in addition to the emails, friends have shared with me with links to sites on everything from health to music, videos, photos and blogs supports this concept.  We seek to learn from one another in the network by distributing to each other what we feel might be of interest.

Davis, C., Edmunds, E., & Kelly-Bateman, V. (2008). Connectivism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching and Technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Connectivism

Prensky, M. (n.d.). Timeline of the History of Learning.

In Response to “Langevin Blog” January 18, 2010

Making it effective

There are internal and external factors that influence the productivity of an organization.  One such external influence is the federal government who requires each resident in nursing homes must have a health assessment.  Each nursing home designates staff to complete these assessments.  The people designated receive training in several ways.  1)  On the job, from a person who is currently or was previously in the position, 2)  On the job, by reading a 500+ page manual or 3)  Attending their State sponsored training. 

When I took over as the State Assessment Training Coordinator, I read the 500+ page manual.  The information is comprehensive and dry.  The question I began asking myself was how to make this boring but important information appealing.  What information do I include and what information is just nice to know?  Because the training attendees are a mixture of experiences working with the assessment tool, it must appeal to the novice assessment coordinator and to the coordinator that have been coding assessments for years.   

 After a few trials and errors of presenting three-day training on the entire manual, I learned few tricks:

1)      I spiced up the powerpoint presentations by incorporating short films of residents performing actions.  The participants are asked how they would code that action.

2)      After each section, scenarios are presented and the participants are asked how they would code the action.

3)      Matching and true and false games questions were incorporated into the presentation

4)      To help the learners find information in the manual, I devised a scavenger hunt exercise.

5)      Finally, social sharing is used where homes talk about how things are done in their facility as a problem solving technique for another home.

I am in the beginning stages of learning about instruction design and technology.  My goal is to keep it simple but effective.

http://www.langevin.com/blog/2009/08/27/walk-in-the-shoes-of-the-learners/

The Learning Process January 18, 2010

The objective for week 2 application is to relate brain research and brain function to the learning process.  To accomplish this objective, I reviewed two articles.  The first article is entitled “The Ghost of Brain States Past: Remembering Reactivates the Brain Regions Engaged during Encoding” from the Walden Library at http://web.ebsohost.com.eap.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdf?vid=26&hid=3&sid=734feb33-d234-42 .  This was an interesting article in that it was a review of several previous studies conducted on measuring brain activity during the encoding and retrieval of information.  Danker & Anderson divided the studies into two major groups.  The first group were of empirical studies “indicating when people retrieve an episode or association of memory, the regions of the brain involved in originally processing that episode or association are reactivated.”  The second group  demonstrated “that which regions are activated at test is influenced by what strategic processes were engaged during study.  These studies investigated the retrieval of material encoded through several strategies, including enactment, verbal mnemonic, and the mnemonic used of mental imagery (2010).”  Lastly, Danker & Anderson questioned then answered their questions about the  reactivation process from the studies they reviewed. 

 

Although great advances in medical technology have occurred over the past decade or so, there is still very little known about the brain and how learning occurs.  The technology used to measure brain activity in the studies  included: an event-related potential (ERP) which measures electrical activity at the scalp, a positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) which measure blood flow in the brain.  These tests were not without their limitations and had explicit encoding manipulations.  The methodology used in each study was described in detail. 

 

In conclusion, Danker & Anderson concluded 1) There was substantial evidence in the literature to support that sensory regions are reactivated during the retrieval of sensory associations.  2) Different processing modules within the visual system are reactivated during the retrieval of specific kinds of visual associations and 3) Emotional regions of the brain are activated during the retrieval of emotional associations (2010).  They answered questions such as “How is reactivation affected by the accessibility of retrieved information?  They found no answer to this question but suggested future research should be directed toward determining what factors influence reactivation of encoded regions during retrieval more generally and not just during the retrieval of visual information.

 

The information presented in this article is complex and very technical.  Reading it can be a little difficult;  for example, reading through multiple citations in one sentence to get to the important details.  However, reviewing the different methods used in the studies to determine how information is retrieved will help an instructional designer develop a training program that will enhance a learner’s ability.

 

The second article entitled “The Information Processing Approach to Cognition” can be found at http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/cogsys/infoproc.html.  This resource simplifies chapter 3 in our course text.  What I liked about the article is that it provided additional theory models and informational web links. What I learned new was that according to the author (Huitt, 2003), “a created memory is very short (less than ½ second for vision; about 3 seconds for hearing).” 

January 11, 2010

Blogging is a concept that is new to me.  I heard about chat rooms but had not embraced the ideal of talking on the internet to a lot of different people. In researching what a blog is, I learned that it is a personal online journal or dairy.  Dairies were books where one wrote their inner most thoughts.  These thoughts were usually kept private under a lock on the book.  Now, blogs have taken sharing thoughts from the privacy of a journal to a public knowledge sharing communication tool.  Blogging is ever evolving.  They serve as an educational tool for reflection and knowledge building. It includes a collection of two-way communication editorials on specific topics with links to more sites.

There were over two million internet blog and resource sites related to Instructional Design and Technology.  The three sites I chose that have relevant content related to work as an instructional design professional are (1) Instructional Design – 252 Resources, (2) Instructional Design – The Real Projects blog and (3) 35 More Qualities of the Ideal Instructional Designer: The eLearning Coach.

The first site: Instructional Design – 252 Resources has four areas of knowledge sharing.  The “Overview” tab is a table of content of the information you can find at this site.  The “Publications” tab includes a full range of research, reports and other publications that EDUCAUSE and its members have written about Instructional Design.  Under the “Presentation” tab are Powerpoint or Adobe PDF presentations EDUCAUSE and its members tagged with Instructional Design.  This area also includes bookmarks/search this page with symbols. The “Podcasts” tab includes a list of podcasts presentation that can be downloaded.  Each presentation includes notes that let you know additional information such as if video streaming of the podcast is available.  EDUCAUSE hosts a number of blogs for its members which can be found under the “Blogs” tab.  This site will be helpful resource for “how to” instructions related to instructional design.  The link to this site is: http://www.educause.edu/node/645/tid/17352?times=1263091557.

The second site is “The Real Projects Blog.”  This site is another knowledge sharing site that includes using games designers on e-learning projects to help the instructional designer understand what is happening in other development areas.  It is their belief instructional designers need to be able to work on a range of media taking a little bit from game design, graphic design, instructional design and learning design.  The site exchanges websites, articles and videos.  Some of the categories listed at this site are “Interactive design,”  “Learning management systems,” “Handheld learning,” and “Touchscreens.” This site will be a useful resource for using implementing games and graphics in instructional design.  The link to this site is: http://blog.realprojects.co.uk/tag/instructional-design/.

The third site: “The eLearning Coach” is a guidance and advice site for creating online learning.  It includes articles and resources with related website links on topics such as design, elearning 2.0, cognition, media, business and books review.  One article of interest listed the “10 Qualities of the Ideal Instructional Designer.”  Through contributions from the eLearning community, the list of qualities expanded to 35.  This site will be a beneficial resource for sharing knowledge related to training needs assessment.  The link to this site is: http://theelearningcoach.com/elearning_design/35-more-qualities-of-the-ideal-instructional-designer/.