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Participant Notes









The Online Courses Professional Development Programme (OCPDP) aims to equip
lecturers with the principles and skills to develop, implement and evaluate online courses
within their own departments. Throughout a series of workshops they will experience online
learning first-hand while building a solid understanding of best practices in this field and
applying them to the Malaysian context. Each individual workshop also has a concrete
outcome of its own in which participants will build expertise as they prepare to implement
online learning in their departments.
This first workshop, entitled Best Practices in Online Course Development: Applications and
Implications for Malaysia, considers best practices in training in general, in online training
internationally and within the local context.


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Contents

Best Practices in Online Course Development: Applications and Implications for Malaysia... 1

Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 3
Description ........................................................................................................................ 3
Objectives ......................................................................................................................... 3
Materials Required ............................................................................................................ 3
Timing ............................................................................................................................... 3
Opening ............................................................................................................................. 4
Activity 1: Elementary, my dear Watson ............................................................................ 4
LMS: Introduction .............................................................................................................. 5
Activity 2: The Experts Speak on Offline Training .............................................................. 5
Activity 3: Translating Best Offline Practice to Online Training ........................................... 6
Activity 4: Best Case Scenario ........................................................................................... 6
Activity 5: Review Best Practices ....................................................................................... 7
LMS: Interlude ................................................................................................................... 7
Break (20 minutes) ............................................................................................................ 8
Activity 6: Only in Malaysia ................................................................................................ 8
Activity 7: Map Contextual Considerations to Best Practices ............................................. 9
Activity 8: Manifesto of Best Practices in Online Training .................................................. 9
LMS: Reporting Back ....................................................................................................... 10
Closing ............................................................................................................................ 10
Follow-Up ........................................................................................................................ 10
Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................... 11
Bibliography / References................................................................................................ 12






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Introduction

As online education and training continues to develop, a growing body of literature suggests
best practices in the field. Before implementing online training, it is wise to consider best
practices identified in the literature, but also the unique mandate of training in-service
English teachers in the current Malaysian context. This workshop encourages participants to
place best online practice in the context of their offline training experience, and develop a
model for online training in the Malaysian in-service English teacher training context.

Description

In this workshop, participants will draw on their offline training expertise to anticipate best
practices in online training. They will then compare their own conclusions to findings in the
international literature. They will identify the qualities of the Malaysian in-service English
teacher training context and consider how these impact on best practices locally. Finally,
participants will draft the Manifesto of Best Practices in Online Training, which incorporates
contextual considerations into best practices.

Objectives

By the end of this workshops participants will
Formulate their personal summary of best practices in face-to-face training
Translate offline training principles to online training principles
Be aware of and apply key best practices in online training identified in the literature
Consider factors in the local context that may impact on best practices
Formulate and apply core best practices in a manifesto for the local context

Materials Required

Welcome Pack (received before the workshop).

Timing

Total time: 3 hours (face-to face) + 3 hours (online)
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Opening

(a) Expectations Statement
- Complete the Statement of Expectations on the handout in the Welcome Pack.
(b) Greetings and housekeeping
(c) Groups and Roles
- Four roles are assigned in each group, as shown on group role cards on desks:
1) Host, 2) Scribe, 3) Referee, 4) Timekeeper
- You will be responsible for the role assigned on your desk.

Activity 1: Elementary, my dear Watson

Objective: Recall statements of expectation, find out what others expect and get to know
each other while settling in.
(a) Collect Statements of Expectation
- Scribe from each group collects and submits Statements of Expectation.
(b) Ask for the author of your statement
- The trainer will model finding the author of the statement based on observations
- Guess the author of the statement, based on observations, and confront the
suspect.
- If incorrect, the real author will confess, sign and post the statement*
- Continue until all statement authors have been identified and statements are posted.
*Post statements to the wall backdrop, a large paper screen protecting the wall.






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LMS: Introduction

The LMS is not the focus of this session but rather a medium for communication and
accessing course materials. These brief LMS sessions allow particiapnts to purposefully
access and use the LMS for practical goals.
(a) Introducing the LMS
(b) Demonstration of posting in the LMS
(c) Participants register in the LMS
- Demonstration
- Registration
(d) Practice posting in the LMS
- Introduce yourself, state which department you are from and add a link to your
favourite website, briefly describing the site.

Activity 2: The Experts Speak on Offline Training

All participants are experienced lecturers, trainers and teachers. In this activity you will sum
up your expertise.
(a) Group Allocation and Roles
- Remember your role in the group and how it can boost results.
(b) Discussion: Your Principles of Quality Training
- Each group member has a turn to suggest top principles of quality training.
- Host ensures that each one has a fair turn.
(c) Synthesis: Top 5 Principles of Quality Training
- Each group votes on the Top 5 Principles of Quality Training
(d) Report Back
- The Referee from each group reports Top 5 back to the whole cohort.
- This connects to the next point: translating these best practices to online media.

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Activity 3: Translating Best Offline Practice to Online Training

Now participants have reconnected with their own expertise and formulated their principles.
In this next activity they start to think about how to translate this to the online medium.
(a) Groups MindMap
- Use the MindMap of Best Practices for Online Learning outline in the Welcome Pack.
- Apply the Top 5 offline Best Practices to the MindMap categories, and add your own
(b) Unveiling the Literature
- After completing your groups MindMap you will receive a handout on the best
practices from the literature.
- See how your groups principles compare and contrast.
- Which of the points you identified should be included in such a list?
- Adjust MindMaps as needed
(c) Sectors MindMap on the Wall
- Join the other groups in your half (sector) of the training room.
- Compare notes collectively.
- Complete the MindMap posters on your side of the training room.
(d) Sharing Activity: Fooball
- Join your sector around the Mindmap on your side of the room.
- Groups kick a soft ball at each other along the floor: if a group lifts it off the floor or
misses the ball, they must talk about one category of their MindMap.
- Each participant must take a turn, until all have participated.
- Each team shares one category, then passes the ball to the other team to continue.

Activity 4: Best Case Scenario (or: Congratulations!)

In this activity you will apply your personal view of best practices.
(a) Scenario Activity
- Pairs will receive scenario cards AFTER finding partners (see (b) below)
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- You will have five minutes to discuss how youwould handle the scenario.
- Use best practices from the literature or your own experience to justify.
(b) Assignment: Pairs
- Find the owner of the matching jigsaw puzzle piece in your Welcome Pack
- Show fitting puzzle pieces to receive your scenario cards, and then start
(c) Group Report-back
- Find the other pair whose puzzles are the same colour as yours and share your
insights.
- If time allows, volunteers can share interesting issues with the whole room.

Activity 5: Review Best Practices

These two quick review activities will help to set best practices in your memory.
(a) True or False?
- A Game Show Host will use True/False cards to gauge your best practice insight.
(b) Quotable Quote
- Write your favourite best practice on the Quotation card in the Welcome Pack.
(b) Quote it!
- Briefly sum up the personal relevance of your quote for the cohort.
- They then post it on your desk or workstation, or on the protective. wall backdrop.

LMS: Interlude

(a) Discover LMS messaging
(b) Discover posting messages in the LMS (and its benefits)
(c) Post an insight from the first session


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Break (20 minutes)

In-Break assignment: During the break, spot something you would find only in Malaysia.
If you have any specific questions or comments, please mention them to the trainer in
person, submit a note (which can be anonymous) or post them in the LMS.

Activity 6: Only in Malaysia

This activity lets participants focus on what makes our context unique, and indeed different.
(a) Collect comments on what happens only in Malaysia
- Ask a partner from your group what uniquely Malaysian phenomena they saw in the
break
- Each groups Host reports back on the groups observations
(b) Video (depending on time): Only in Malaysia
- Time permitting you will watch a humorous video about Malaysian behaviours.
- List the unique behaviours you see: have you seen them, or do you do them yourself
(c) Investigate underlying motivations and how they apply to your clients
- Only in Malaysia oddities are motivated by very valid reasons, even if they arent
apparent. E.g. addressing older strangers as Auntie and Uncle is motivated by
respect.
- Identify underlying motivations for only in Malaysia" behaviours identified earlier.
- Discuss what motivates your clients: overworked, perhaps uncertain or non-optionist
English teachers?
(d) Cohort Discussion: How does this impact Best Practices in context?
- How do clients motivations and context impact on best practices for online training?





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Activity 7: Map Contextual Considerations to Best Practices

Contextual considerations now become real in context of the best practices.
(a) Espionage
- During this activity each group will have a limited time to send out a spy
- In group discussion (b) spies report on other groups ideas
(b) Group Discussion
- Summarize the most important contextual considerations from the previous activity
- Decide which best practices should be kept, modified, dropped or added.
(c) Sector Mapping
- Meet with others in your sector to decide how this will impact on the MindMap.
- Based on their decisions, scribes from each group adjust the MindMap.
(d) Feedback
- Representatives from each sector report on their specific best practices as mapped.

Activity 8: Manifesto of Best Practices in Online Training

This activity is the concrete outcome of the workshop: a tangible draft Manifesto of Best
Practices in Online Learning.
(a) Group Priorities
- Each group decides on priorities to include in the Manifesto.
- The group completes at least one Manifesto draft (Welcome Pack)
(b) Comparing Notes
- A member of your group will declare your Manifesto to the whole cohort.
- After declaration, post manifestoes to the wall backdrops.



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LMS: Reporting Back

(a) Posting the Manifesto
- A representative from each group can post photos of the Manifesto to LMS
(b) Saying Goodbye
- Sign off in the LMS and commit to the follow-up activities.
(b) Following up
- The LMS will be a base for following up as a final Manifesto is drafted.
- The final Manifesto will be launched a few weeks after the workshop
- There will also be live Hub-Bub meetings for anyone interested on Thursday
afternoons from 3-4 PM in the Multimedia Suite (when available)

Closing


Follow-Up

(a) LMS
- The LMS remains available for participant communication.
- Focus on creating a unified manifesto.
(b) Hub-Bubs
- Face-to-face meeting for interested parties every Thursday from 3-4 PM.
- Multimedia Suite when available, courtyard when MMS unavailable.
(c) Manifesto Publication
- Manifesto presented to Department at appropriate function.




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Acknowledgements

Several of the activities used in this workshop are based on ideas found in a number of
excellent training resources that are highly recommended for refreshing training ideas.
These are listed below, with the ideas found in them in parentheses.

The Trainers Toolkit: Bringing Brain-Friendly Learning to Life. Kimberley Hare and Larry
Reynolds. Crown House 2004.
(Awareness campaign, Welcome packs, Pre-activity, MindMaps, Music as cue, Environment
setup, Peripherals and other core ideas.)

101 Ways to Make Training Active. Mel Silberman. John Wiley & Sons 2005.
(Pre-event surveys, Posting ideas to walls, Fooball, scenario cards)

The Mind Map Book. Tony Buzan. BBC Active 2006.
(MindMaps for individual and group use)













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Bibliography / References


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