The classroom is disappearing-or is it?

Notes taken while listening to Allison Rosset, San Diego State University.

This was the third and final keynote of the AECT conference.  As always, my notes are in italics. I have to warn you. This one is quite long.  See the notes after the jump:



New book:
Job aids and performance support: Moving from knowledge in the classroom to knowledge everywhere.

I love to be in the classroom. Those are very special moments—that I control . . .

The classroom is disappearing. Is it happening? Is it a good thing? What’s next?

ASTD reports that instructor-led training is diminishing and e-learning is increasing. Significance? They aren’t technology folks.

42% of orgs intend to decrease classroom learning
72% intend to increase asynchronous offerings

Let’s have a good time doing it!

3.5 Million students took an online class in 2007

It’s nice to hear someone who is so prominent in the field who is willing to admit such reluctance to change.

Even Oprah teaches online! She has 500,000 students!

What are the PEW studies?

Five reasons why this (the disappearing classroom) is a good thing:
1.    We deliver standardized messages
2.    Those messages are delivered and updated with ease, everywhere, on demand
3.    Some programs are vivid, immersive
4.    More voices, more community, more conversation
5.    Emulating the classroom
When we move away from being nose to nose with the students, we need to be sure they have the scaffolding they need.

I need to make sure that I provide scaffolding with my online instruction.  Again, as I said the other day, I need to play less instructional hide and seek.  I didn’t think I did that, but as I reflect more on it, I realize I do, and it kills me.  I always looked at my teaching as a strong point, but now I see how I can really work to improve it.

People are starting to leave. She’s kind of taking her time, and if I didn’t feel like I’d miss out if I left, then I’d probably leave, too.  But I don’t know when I’ll ever get the chance to hear her again.

She’s showing different examples of e-learning. Interesting, and they are good examples.  Very diverse.


UC-Davis—Second Life Schizophrenia.  Looks interesting.  Immerses the user into what the world is like with that disability.

I wonder what Second Life would be like to use in my instructional design class.  You could meet with the students and work one on one.


Pinotnet.ning.com A place where SDSU students post messages, etc. about non-training interventions.  Sounds like something I need to look at for my Performance Improvement class.

Quintet: quit all together How to quit smoking online

I swear, does EVERYONE HAVE AN iPHONE?


Infuse the best of the classroom into the new technology forms:
Immediacy/presence; peer interactions; supervisor fingerprints; caring

I need to have worked examples of each of my assignments in my online classes.


Is it a bad thing?
Our programs aren’t ready.
Our people aren’t ready.
Our organization isn’t ready.

One of the problems with designing online instruction is that we get into a mindset where we do something, and do something again, and doing the same thing again.  Our instruction needs to be designed every time.

The motivated learner sees the value and feels confident.

“The hard fact is that e-learning took off before people really knew how to use it.” The thwarted . . . something out of Penn State.

More just in time lessons, more engagement, more guidance.  And more guidance is the key.

It’s a privilege to be able to rethink your teaching and your content. Boy, do I need that perspective right now.

Worked examples, community, scenarios, and discussion boards.

Re-think, blend, measure, improve, cope, mitigate (the risks)

If you’re an instructional designer, then any problems in the classroom are EXACTLY what you’ve always wanted to deal with.

The classroom isn’t disappearing, but it is no longer the star of the show.

Overall impression: Interesting to listen to Allison Rossett, but I don’t know that she told me anything I didn’t know.  What I did get, however, is insight into how I could do my job better.  So when you look at it that way, it was worth the time.

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