Running head: APM MC Training

Academic Program Manager Master Course Training

Ruth Coleman
EDU23
Dr. Linda Kaiser

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Academic Program Manager Master Course Training

XYZ University employs approximately 50 Academic Program Managers (APMs), who

are instructors, course developers and administrators responsible for leading a particular
academic program. APMs are required to keep assigned courses content up-to-date and relevant
as well as develop new courses, concentrations, and degree programs.
Master Courses are housed in the Blackboard Learning Management System and are used
as the main template for the release for course sections prior to the start of each module (MOD)
and Semesters. APMs must review each master course in their program on a regular basis to
ensure the content is current and that the course activities and assessments are aligned to the
course outcomes. Maintaining the Master Courses requires content expertise and instructional
design and Blackboard/visual design skills. Master Courses must also be reviewed specifically
prior to term release to ensure links and videos work and the Grade Center is set-up correctly.
The ADDIE Instructional Design model will be used to develop the APM Master Course
training. The first phase is analysis, which explains the instructional problems, identifies the
learning environment and learner's existing knowledge and skills, the tasks that need to be
mastered, as well as the technology that will be incorporated. This will allow the Instructional
Designer to think through the training and develop the big picture of what the training should
look like to create a successful learning experience for the learners. This is the foundation of
designing the training course.
Analysis
Needs Analysis
A majority of APMs have not received formal training to maintain or develop Master
Courses. Some have received assistance and/or tutorials from an Instructional Coach when
issues arise in courses. As a result, there are often errors when APMs do the development,

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redevelopment, and maintenance themselves. The errors appear either during term release or in
the running course, which creates the need for support from multiple departments including
Instructional Design and/or Blackboard Support, and may turn into an emergency when they start
affecting the students. The vision of XYZ University is to be a recognized national brand for
providing high quality degree and certificate programs. To meet this vision, the courses should
meet strict quality standards.
A solution to meet the needs of the APMs and the University is to create a self-paced,
three week asynchronous Online Academic Program Manager Master Course training in
Blackboard. Three weeks would allow the APM ample time to compete it. The content from the
training course would be used to create a community for the APMs to ensure consistency of
information and as a repository for procedures. The training will be facilitated by the
Instructional Coaches and will be mandatory for all existing APMs.
Learner Analysis
According to Larson, A learners prior knowledge and experiences play a major role in
their learning success, and significant variation in the prior knowledge of your learners can
complicate your instructional Design (Larson, 2014). Academic Program Managers are
scholarly practitioners who have significant academic and applied experience in his/her field of
study. APMs have various educational degrees, including Masters, Ed.Ds and Ph.Ds, and they
have varying levels of experience in Blackboard. An APMs motivation to enroll in the training
is to understand and adhere to the standards of creating and maintaining engaging, studentcentered courses. The students are the Universitys customers.
Environment Analysis
XYZ University is a private, for-profit university founded in 1890 enrolling both
traditional day students as well as online students for both undergraduate and graduate degrees.

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XYZ University offers degrees using an 8-week accelerated course format for adults, making
learning more manageable for those juggling work, family, and other commitments (XYZ
University 2015).
The mission of XYZ University is to provide students with the knowledge, personal
skills, and experiences required to become leaders in their chosen careers. The University will
be a higher education institution of first choice for students seeking a high quality professional
and career-oriented education and for employers seeking graduates who will provide a positive
impact in the workplace (XYZ University Associate Faculty Handbook, 2014).
The stakeholders in this project are the Provost, the Deans of each school (3), Academic
Program Managers, and the Instructional Design team. The training will be an online, selfpaced, asynchronous three week training course delivered in Blackboard. In order to facilitate
the activities, sandbox courses will be created for the APMs to practice the necessary tasks
before working in a live master course.
Task Analysis
A task analysis, according to Task Analysis, is defined as the study of what a user is
required to do, in terms of actions and/or cognitive processes, to achieve a task objective (Task
Analysis, para. 1). Different contexts demand different task analysis. Some of the tasks for the
training are procedural tasks whereas others are cognitive. The tasks for the APM Master Course
Training are:

Create a content item in Blackboard.

Use the content editor to create and format content item including
o Inserting a YouTube video.
o Inserting a Hyperlink.
Upload files into the content collection and link within content items.
Set display dates for each applicable content item in each unit.
Set-up the grade center.
Check course links.
Adhere to Instructional Design principles.

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Follow ADA Compliance regulations.

Situational Analysis
Situational Analysis includes an evaluation of internal and external barriers that could
affect a business and as a result, the training. XYZ University is currently evaluating the
Blackboard LMS and searching for a possible new LMS to be implemented in a short period of
time. The implementation of a new LMS would postpone the development of the APM Master
Course training in order for the content to reflect the new LMS. A barrier to overcome with
APMs is the misconception that Instructional Design dictates policies and procedures. To
overcome this misconception, careful consideration will need to be given to including reasons
and/or benefits for the procedures.
Media/Technology Analysis
The APM Master Course training will be delivered in Blackboard. A sandbox course will
be created in Blackboard for the APMs to practice the tasks addressed in the course.
Downloadable job aids will be created with the assistance of Multimedia Designers as reference
materials. To allow for different learning preferences, Blackboard tutorial videos will also be
included in the training. The Blackboard video are located on YouTube and will be uploaded
into the training course.
Design
The design phase of ADDIE involves using the outputs of the analysis phase to plan a
strategy for developing the course. It is the systematic process of research, planning and
identifying, and specifying goals and the tools to be used to gauge performances. In this phase, it
is determined how the course will look and feel. In the design phase, focus will be on:

Unit topics and titles.

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Unit learning objectives.

Sequencing of the learning steps required to perform each task.
Appropriate resources including readings and multimedia.
Effective training assessments.

Development Schedule
A development schedule is a foundational tool to manage the project. It is essential that
all SMEs and stakeholders are aware of the tasks, priorities, and the end dates. The schedule is
also an important communication tool for the SMEs and stakeholders to be aware of the details
of the project, have an understanding of what will happen during the development of the training
course, and allocate resources.
Phases of ADDIE
Analyze
Design
Develop
Implement
Evaluate

Start Date
April 15, 2016
May 9, 2016
May 23, 2016
August 1, 2016
August 15, 2016

Due Date
May 6, 2016
May 30, 2016
July 25, 2016
August 12, 2016
August 29, 2016

Date Received

Course Learning Objectives

One of the first things an APM will need to know when taking the training is what they
will learn in the course. Learning objectives are brief descriptions of what a student completing
the course is expected to achieve. Well-stated objectives clearly tell the student what they have
to do, under what conditions the performance takes place, by following a specified degree or
stand of acceptable performance (Writing Goals, para. 8). Clearly defining the objectives for
learners will assist in keeping students motivated and engaged.
Developing well-stated, clear objectives will guide in the development of the teaching
and learning strategies and assessments (Larson, 2014). These must be in alignment for students
to learn what is intended and accurately assessed on what was learned. The APM Master Course
training will be broken into units containing a minimum of one learning objective per unit that

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describe the desired learning outcome.

Unit
#1 Instructional Design
Principles
#2 ADA Compliance
#3 Content Collection
#4 Content Item
#5 Grade Center

#6 Term Release
#7 Reflection

Learning Objective
Be the end of this unit, the APM will be able to correctly
apply at least four elements of XYZ Universitys Best
Practices of Instructional Design.
By the end of this unit, the APM will be able to correctly
apply at least four elements of ADA compliant design.
By the end of this unit, the APM will be able to correctly
upload files to the content collection.
By the end of this unit, the APM will be able to create a
correctly formatted content item.
By the end of this unit, the APM will be able to:
Successfully identify and locate four specific elements of
the grade center.
Successfully assign four activities to categories.
Accurately create and format a weighted grade column.
Correctly organize grade center columns chronologically.
By the end of this unit, the APM will be able to successfully
review the assigned master courses.
In this unit, APMs will be able to reflect upon the
techniques, strategies, and skills learned throughout the
training.

Lesson Structure
Part of the mission of XYZ University is to prepare students to become confident,
competent, and competitive participants in the global marketplace (XYZ University Associate
Faculty Handbook, 2014). Courses need to be developed, redeveloped, and maintained to foster
a learning environment to meet the mission of the University.
APMs are experts in their field of study, but not in education or Instructional Design.
Therefore, Unit 1 will begin with an overview of Instructional Design and best practices of XYZ
University. The unit will contain information on cognitive load, visual design, transference of
knowledge, engagement, and motivation. From there, Unit 2 will focus on ADA Compliance
both as a legal requirement and as a moral obligation. Accessibility in online content continues
to gain momentum as an emerging issue. APMs must understand the legal requirements to

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ensure XYZ University is compliant and develop courses that meet the needs of the students. To
effectively develop activities and content that provide the best learning experience for students, a
general understanding of Instructional Design and ADA Compliance will build the foundation for
APMs to develop, redevelop, and maintain master courses.
Unit 3 will focus on the Content Collection in Blackboard. Specific folders have been
created in the courses to keep files organized, and to reduce the amount of space the University
has to pay for on the Blackboard Servers. APMs will be taught how to upload files to the
appropriate folders. Unit 3 is a foundation for Unit 4 because documents must be loaded into the
course prior to being used in a content item. Unit 4 will focus on creating a content item and
using the editor tools including, inserting a picture, attaching and/or linking a resource, inserting
a hyperlink, and inserting a YouTube video.
Unit 5 will focus on the Grade Center. APMs weight assessments by category in courses.
In order for students to have an accurate value assigned to assessments, APMs must be able to
set-up the grade center correctly. This includes creating and assigning categories, assigning
appropriate weights and ensuring alignment with the syllabus. Unit 6 will focus on the
reviewing Master Courses for term release. Prior to term release, APMs must review their
master courses and validate the links in each course in their program to ensure they work
properly.
Activities and Assessments
The fundamental role of assessment is to provide meaningful feedback for improving
student learning, instructional practice, and educational options. Managing students
assignments, providing feedback to students, and assessing students learning are all key factors
to aligning online course assessment to course objectives, activities and assignments (Tilghman,
2011). To achieve this, activities, including readings and videos, will be included in each unit of

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the APM Master Course Training. Each of the resources will be evaluated to determine if it
moves APMs toward success in meeting the objectives.
Research suggests that high-quality formative assessment has a strongly positive effect
upon student learning (Tilghman, 2011). Incorporating practice drills and discussion boards
into the training will engage APMs and provide a more authentic learning environment by using
critical thinking skills along with the knowledge thats shared in each unit. An important aspect
of the training is to model for APMs how activities and assessment should be incorporated in
their assigned courses. The following training strategies will be incorporated:

In Units 1-2, sample content items will be provided in discussions to critique.

In Units 3-5, sandbox courses will be created for the APMs to practice in.
o APMs will upload files to the content collection, create a content item, and
set-up the Grade Center.
In Units 1 and 6, quizzes will be administered.
Discussions will be facilitated by an instructor.
In Unit 7, a final assignment will provided to evaluate the APMs learning.

The activities and assessments will allow for feedback from peers as well as the instructor
allowing the instructor to redirect as necessary. When delivered effectively, feedback is a tool
that develops cognitive understanding, motivation and engagement, and interpersonal
connections (Mandernach, Garrett, 2014). Rubrics will be created for the assessments to set
clear expectations for the APMs and to model how rubrics should be created and implemented.
Rubrics provide criteria for students to see how their work compares with expectations and
helps them focus their work (Kelly, 2014).
Implementation
In this stage, the project is deployed. The content will be uploaded into Blackboard.
Accessibility, quality, and learner preparation are critical components of the implementation
phase of the APM Master Course Training project. To ensure these components are addressed, a

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member of the Instructional Design team will review the training using a checklist. The review
includes testing links to both external websites, internal pages, and linked documents.
It is vital that a pilot test of the training will run with selected APMs under realistic
conditions. Having a member of the Instructional Design team and APMs provide feedback will
allow modifications to be made to the training to make it more effective and successful. Other
task that will be performed are:
Training schedule will be created and provided to the Deans.
Copies of the APM Master Course Training will be created for each

session.
APMs will be enrolled in the training.
Welcome email from the Instructional Coach will be created.
Evaluation
Throughout the design process, the Instructional Designer has been evaluating the
components of the training. Formative evaluation is present in each stage of the ADDIE process.
In the last stage of the ADDIE model, after the APM Master Course Training has been
implemented, summative evaluation occurs to determine if the training resulted in the
measurable performance improvements that were identified in the needs analysis. This will
consist of tests and providing opportunities for feedback from the APMs. Kirkpatrick developed
a model that evaluates the effectiveness of training at four different levels. All four levels of
evaluation builds on the other. The four levels of Kirkpatricks model consist of (McArdle,
2014):
Kirkpatricks Levels
1 Learner reaction
2 Learning
3 Training transfer
4 Organizational impact

Tools
Smile Sheet
Performance demonstration. This will be the
Sandbox activities in the units.
Testing. This will be the quizzes in Units 1
and 6.
Helpbox Reports for term release errors,

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Student Surveys, and Retention Reports

The Level 1 evaluation is the APMs reaction to the Master Course training and the level
of satisfaction. The APMs will answer questions based on a Likert scale using Strongly Agree,
Agree, Neither Agree nor Disagree, Disagree, Strongly Disagree, Not Applicable. The following
Level 1 evaluation questions will be used:

The course content was relevant to my job as an APM.

The course materials were interesting and useful.
I learned useful skills that were new to me.
Practicing Blackboard skills in the Sandbox course was helpful.
The asynchronous interaction was useful. This includes discussions, emails, and

announcements.
The course instructor was knowledgeable and helpful.
Overall, this course was helpful for me.
After completing this training, I feel confident in my ability to develop, redevelop, and
maintain master courses.
The results of the evaluation can be used for the next iteration of the APM Master Course

training.
Conclusion
The APM Master Course training will assist APMs in providing the tools and resources to
develop, redevelop, and maintain master courses. Providing the tools and resources will help in
creating the ultimate student experience, which will contribute to the vision of XYZ University,
to be a recognized national brand for providing high quality degree and certificate programs.

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References
Kelly, R. (2014). Feedback strategies for online courses. Retrieved from
http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/feedback-strategies-onlinecourses.
Larson, M. B. (2014). Streamlined ID: A practical guide to instructional design. New York:
Routledge.
Mandernach, J., & Garrett, J. (2014). Effective feedback strategies for the onine classroom.
Retrieved from http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/effectivefeedback-strategies-online-classroom
McArdle, G. H. (2011). Instructional design for action learning. New York: AMACOM.
Northern Illinois University, Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center. Writing
goals and objectives.
Rauterberg, M. (n.d.). Task analysis. [PDF]. Tools & Techniques. Retrieved from:
http://www.idemployee.id.tue.nl/g.w.m.rauterberg/lecturenotes/UFTtask-analysis.
Tilghman, S. B. (2011). Desiging and developing online course assessments. Review Of Higher
Education & Self-Learning, 3(9), 31-34.
XYZ University Associate Faculty Handbook, 2014.
XYZ University Website.