instructional design for enhancing time …dasan.sejong.ac.kr/~inlee/set/research/time...

Instructional Design for Enhancing Time Management Strategies in e-

Learning Environment

AECT Conference 2007Oct. 23- 27

Anaheim, CA. USAInsook Lee

Sejong UniversitySeoul, Republic of KOREA

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Introduction

Most adult learners fully realize the need for self-regulation and self-direction; however, they have suffered from difficulties with actual management of those competencies (Brookfield, 1986; Pressley, 1995; Raymond, 1998; Zimmerman, 1994; Zimmerman & Bandura, 1994).

Learning strategies as decisive factors for learning success have already been established within the central arena of self-regulated learning.

Especially ‘time management’ has been understood to deeply influence learning ability in face-to-face learning environment.

Introduction

Recently,

Time management has significantly been understood as a self-regulation factor highly related to learning achievement within e-learning environment (Lee, 2001; Cho & Lim, 2003; Loomis, 2000; Hanna, Glowacki-Dudka, & Conceicao-Runlee, 2000; Eastmond, 1993).

And promising efforts have emerged in the recent years associating the concept of self-regulation with instructional design models within e-learning environment (Shin, 1999; Lim, 2001; Hill & Land, 1998; Ley & Young, 2001; Osman & Hannafin, 1992; Zariski & Styles, 2003).

Self-regulated learning is situated at the center of lifelong learning.

Introduction

However,

we have less in-depth understanding of how to use self-regulation such as time management within this e-Learning environment, compared to the face-to-face environment.

Aware of this problem, the current study inquires if a time management training program (called independent design approach) and blending this training program with LMS embedded time management support functions (called combined design approach) can enhance time management scores.

Through this inquiry, it tries to discover instructional design implications for time management strategy enhancement within the e-Learning environment.

Theoretical Background

E-Learning demands learners have the ability of operating their own time, processing information, as well as planning and supervising resources(Hanna, Glowacki-Dudka, & Conceicao-Runlee, 2000).

If effectively controlling and regulating their own learning processes, learners can be benefit from flexibility, openness, and a wide selection of opportunities of the e-learning environment.


Information about self-regulated learning clearly has important roles when we consider e-learning environment design and instructional design.

Accordingly,

In the meantime, although the importance of time management has been discussed and proven, instructional design models have neither adequately emphasized related strategy factors nor sufficiently incorporated why and when learning strategies should be used.

There have been increasingly various attempts to incorporate self-regulated learning factors to general instructional design models in recent years (Shin, 1999; Lim, 2001; Hill & Land, 1998; Ley & Young, 2001; Osman & Hannafin, 1992).


Driscol (1994)proposed the following three different instructional strategies centered on learning conditions: (1) explain or demonstrate related strategies, (2) provide various cases enabling learners to practice related strategies, and (3) provide feedback about creativeness or results of related strategies.

Based on the important roles of cognitive strategies among instructional strategies of open e-learning environment design,

Hill and Land (1999)emphasized supporting and encouraging learners themselves to develop and elaborate their own cognitive strategies. These strategies belong to instructional strategy area.


Ley and Young (2001)introduced four instructional principles derived from six self-regulation factors. By including 'time management strategy' in the two instructional principles, they make clear that this strategy is important for learning and, accordingly, is instructional designfactors to be supported.

Macan, Shahani, Dipboye, and Phillips (1990)show that through relation analysis between time management scores and time management seminar attendance, university students who attended the seminar are more involved in time management action/performance. These significant correlation results are found in ‘goals and priority settings’ and techniques (such as ‘planning’, ‘scheduling’) of time management factors.


Lim (2002) tested web-based course’s effects whereas in Zimmerman and Martinez-Pons' (1986) self-regulated learning factors are applied through the embedded design approach. As a result, even though the effectiveness has not been proven, it has a value as support for the right instructional design approach by realizing the importance of self-regulated learning within the e-learning environment.

Classifying the meta-cognition training strategy into content independence and content dependence, Osman and Hannafin (1992) proposed, both embedded and independence designs. Especially they contend if functions and services supporting self regulated learning within the system are embbedingly designed, it could be highly possible to enhance the effective utilization possibility.


According to the classification of Osman and Hannafin (1992),various self-regulated learning factors demanded in the e-learning environment also can be designed in an embedded way or can be educated through training program in an independent way.

'Independent design' may include an orientation program, presenting the importance of self regulation such as time management, strategies, various cases, and modeling.

'Embedded design' may need instructional strategies that supportrecording things such as regular login and logout in e-learning courses, general planning and checking of learning time schedules, planning and checking of assignment deadlines and so on.


It might be especially effective if embedded design functions and services support self-regulated learning within the LMS system.

Some critical examples of embedded design are as follows: to give opportunities to learners to monitor time management, use instructional goals and feedback, provide learners with records about login and logout and manage time, individually inform assignment submission dues in advance, inform over-due dates, and enable students to adjust to learning schedule planning and scheduling.

However, we have to remember that it is not so easy to achieve instructional design successfully with self-regulated learning factors. Here, the conception and realization of 'balancing' is certainly necessary.

Research Problems

Research Questions and Methods

Does a time management training course (independent design) improve time management scores?

Does the combined design approach (which incorporates both time management training course (independent design) and LMS based e-Learning environment providing time management strategy support (embedded design) positively impact time management?

Is gender independently related to changes in time management scores?

1

2

3

Research Methodologies

Participants are individual staff and managers who take "Doing Priorities First" (e-learning course with the goals of improving individual time management skills) offered for Korea's corporate staff and managers by a main e-learning training company in Korea.

• Participants


Among them, 51 learners participated in both pre- and post-test of time management measures authored by Britton and Tessor (1991).

• Participants

For research problem 1, the takers of the time management strategies course (independent design) were researched.


Among them, 32 learners who voluntarily use the LMS supported time management service and at the same time participated in both the pre- and post-test of time management measures authored by Britton and Tessor(1991).

• Participants

For research problem 2, the course takers of the combined design approach (which incorporates both the time management training course (independent design) and the LMS based e-learning environment providing time management strategy support (embedded design)) were researched.


• Time Management Measures

Britton and Tessor's time management measures (1991) were applied for pre- and post-tests.

This measurement consisted of five items of 'daily planning' and nine of 'long term planning'. The questionnaires are composed with five Likert-scale items, using values of 5 for strongly agree and 1 for strongly disagree.


• Time Management MeasuresItem Category

1. I make a list of the things I have to do each day.2. I plan my day before I start it.3. I make a schedule of the activities I have to do on work

days.4. I write a set of goals for myself for each day.5. I spend time each day planning.

Short-Range

Panning


• Time Management MeasuresItem Category

6. I have a clear idea of what I want to accomplish during the next week.

7. I set and honor priorities.8. I often find myself doing things which interfere with my worksimply because I hate to say “NO” to people.9. I believe that there is room for improvement in the way I manage

my time.10. I make constructive use of my time.11. I continue unprofitable routines or activities.12. I have a set of goals for the entire season.13. The night before a major assignment is due, I am usually still

working on it.14. I regularly review my class notes, even when a test is not

imminent.

Long-Range

Planning

<Table 1: Time-Management Questionnaire Items>


• Time Management Measures

Posthoc, internal consistency reliabilities of the categories for independent design (research problem 1) were measured by combining both pre- and post-tests with the following Cronbach's alphas:

daily planning (α = 0.84) and long-term planning (α = 0.81), total value (α = 0.89). Posthoc, internal consistency reliabilities of the categories for independent design (research problem 2) were measured by combining both pre- and post-test with the following Cronbach's alphas: daily planning (α =0.70) and long-term planning (α =0.65), total value (α= 0.86).


• Research Tool

8 week course with the following learning objectives:

1)1) 'Doing the Priority First' (management strategy course) 'Doing the Priority First' (management strategy course)

(1) Mission and vision planning of present life goals and direction,

(2) Improving ability to control life events and incidents by inquiring into solutions for improving productivity,

(3) balancing personal and working lives, and(4) effectively using the Franklin Planner.

This course was designed generally by incorporating scenarios and game figures.


• Research Tool

<Figure 1: Exemplary Learning Activity Screen of 'Doing the Priority First>


• Research Tool

<Figure 2: Main Job-Tasks Listing Activity of 'Doing the Priority First”>


• Research Tool

This has been developed to provide distinctive information and support services to individuals, according to individual learners' time management plans and actual performance types. The basic element of the development is as follows:

2) Time management support services embedded in LMS2) Time management support services embedded in LMS

(1) After learners' login, it provides functions of 'planning my learning schedules' and 'checking my learning schedules' in the 'my page' pop-up window. This is for supporting individual learners' learning schedule planning and management.


• Research Tool


(2) 'Planning my learning schedules'

Functions of personal learning activity time schedulerFunctions of weekly planning (Depending on each learner’s preference, editing and checking of monthlyplanning is also available.)


• Research Tool

Based on the analysis of each learner's time management pattern collected by the LMS supporting time management, I provided a total of four encouragement messages through either email messages or SMS of mobile phones during the two-months course period.


(3) 'Checking my learning schedules'

provide graphs of today's learning plan, weekly learning plan and actual practice (monthly as well) provide actual individual practice compared to scheduled plans and its graphic representation, and other colleagues’ status of practice


• Research Tool

<Figure 3: Sample Screen of 'Planning My Learning Schedules‘>


• Research Tool

<Figure 4: Sample Screen of 'Checking My Learning Schedules‘>


• Research Tool

Mean scores and SD were computed.

A t test was computed to statistically test the significance of the mean differences between post time management scores and pre time management scores after learners of independent and combined design multi-regression was computed to test the impact of gender.

3) Data Analysis3) Data Analysis

Research Results

1) Does a time management training course (independent design) have an impact on improving learners' time management scores?

• Analysis of the effects of independent design showed that the training course significantly influences the improvement of 'Daily Planning' (t=2.09, p <0.05) but not of ‘Confidence in Long Term Planning' and the overall assessment scores.

Research Results

2) Does the combined design approach (which incorporates both time management training course (independent design) and LMS based e-learning environment providing time management strategy support (embedded design)) impact on improving learners' time management?

Combined instructional design appeared to significantly improve the overall time management scores (t =4.47, p <.0001). Combined design appeared to quite significantly improve 'Daily Planning' (t = 6.77, p < 0.0001). Meanwhile, the changesin ‘Confidence in Long Term Planning’ appeared to have no significant impact as of 95% confidence level.

However, the value is relatively high to ignore ((t =1.99 p = 0.06) and much higher compared to the value in the independent design (t = -0.04, p = 0.9655).

Research Results

3) Does gender independently have an impact on changing time management scores?

In order to inquire into the effects of 'gender’, multi-regression has been computed for the factors of pre- and post-test time management scale, gender, and instructional design type.

Only the gender effect appeared in changes of 'Daily Planning' level (t= -2.26, p <0.05). In other words, regardless of instructional design types or pre-test scores, females experienced more effects than males from time management strategy training and support.

However, there appeared to be no significant effects of gender in changes in 'Confidence in Long Term Planning' and the overall time management strategy scores.

Conclusion and Discussion

There are several conclusions are possible based on the research results.

The current study attempted to test the effects of independent and combined designs as an instructional design facilitating the activation of time management strategies as one of the learning strategies, and proposes its implications.


Both independent and combined instructional design approaches might be basically able to support the enhancement of time management strategies.

Improvement of time management strategy (especially daily planning) through both instructional design approaches reconfirms Macan, Shahani, Dipboye, & Phillips (1990)'s research, which demonstrated the relationship between attendance time management seminars and the act of time managing.

First,First,


In addition, as existing research (Ley & Young, 2001; Osman& Hannafin, 1992) emphasizes, the current research also identified that instructional design strategies should support and encourage learners to develop learning strategies and elaborate them.

As Driscol (1994) suggested, strategies such as “(1) to explain or demonstrate related strategies, (2) to provide various cases that enable learners to practice related strategies, and (3) to provide feedback about creativeness or results of related strategies” have been already implemented in the instructional design of this current research; further, those instructional design elements should be re-tested for their effects in the future through various cases.

First,First,


The combined instructional design approach might contribute more to improving time management strategylevels than independent instructional design.

The degree of improvement of time management strategy skills within the combined instructional design is consistently higher than the ones within the independent design for all the categories of time management.

This might mean combined instructional design generally has a higher impact on the improvement of time management skills compared to independent instructional design.

Secondly,Secondly,


In addition, the independent impact of embedded design on time management scores can be anticipated.

Of course, the research has a limitation in not identifying the impact of embedded design independent from the time management content (which has been provided through independent design).

However, at least to some degree, the current study fully confirms that, as Osman and Hannafin (1992) suggested, if well embedding the functions and services supporting time management within the system, its efficient utilization possibilities are very high.

Secondly,Secondly,


Combined design might enable to accomplish harmoniously/congruently both independent and embedded instructional design elements as follows:

Independent design may include an orientation program that presents the importance of self-regulation such as time management strategies, various cases, and modeling. Embedded design may need instructional strategies that support recording things such as regular login and logout in e-learning courses, planning and checking of general learning schedules, and planning and checking assignment dues.

Third,Third,


Especially if embedded design functions and services for supporting self-regulation within the LMS system, the effects might be most effective.

If considering embedded design factors focusing on the factors of time management strategies in order to give learners the opportunities to monitor time management, we might be able to use instructional goals and feedback, service to provide learners records about login and logout and mange time, service to inform individually in advance assignment submission dues, service to inform over due date, and service to adjust learning schedule planning and scheduling.

Third,Third,


Even though independent and combined designs both are available, combined design might be ideal for developing Long Term Planning.

'Daily Planning' compared to 'Long Term Planning' has features that can easily improve the skill level through any types of instructional design.

Accordingly, only with strategy training program (which is independent instructional design), the short term planning skills might be expected.

Fourth,Fourth,


As Britton and Tesser (1991) proved that short-termrather than long term planning can contributed to the level of GPA, there are high expectations to a training program (independent design), which is relatively simple to develop and at the same time contributes to learning achievement.

On the other hand, it identifies that long term planning is not easy to improve through any kind of instructional design approaches - especially through short term training and support.

Fourth,Fourth,


However, as the current study identifies, if supported harmoniously through various kinds of instructional strategies, the possibility of improvement can be higher than either independent or embedded separately.

Accordingly, especially for improving long term planning types‘of time management skills, the combinedinstructional design approach is recommended.

Fourth,Fourth,


Regardless of instructional design approach or entry behavior level, time management skill improvement programs might be more effectively used for females than males in order to enhance the level of 'daily planning'.

The factor of 'gender' appeared to impact on the result of time management skill improvement training (daily planning) independently from the instructional design approach or entry behavior level.

Fifth,Fifth,


That is, regardless either independent or combined design, or the level of entry behavior, females more than males appeared to receive more benefits of 'daily planning' time management skill improvement.

Accordingly, if training program is offered to females, more visible effects might be expected….

Fifth,Fifth,

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