Online Training for Law Enforcement, Corrections and...

Kevin R. Duffy,, M.A.Ed.Associate Professor, Daytona State College Police Officer, Daytona Beach Police DepartmentCertified by FDLE 1973

January 11, 2010

Online Training for Law Enforcement, Corrections and Correctional Probation In-Service Students

January 11, 2010

Table of Contents

Introduction.............................................................................................................................. 3

The Online Environment....................................................................................................... 4

Training Presentation Modes Utilizing the Online Environment............................6Self-Paced Short Training Modules.............................................................................................6Just-In-Time or Training-On-Demand........................................................................................7Mixed Mode Online/Live Training...............................................................................................8Online Cohort Instructor-Led Training......................................................................................9Online Referencing Modules (Field Training or Employee Training Focus)..............10

Design Considerations........................................................................................................ 11Understanding the Tools..............................................................................................................12

Structure........................................................................................................................................................... 13Content...............................................................................................................................................................14Discussions.......................................................................................................................................................15Chats and Online Lectures.........................................................................................................................15Quizzes...............................................................................................................................................................16Web Field Trips..............................................................................................................................................16Papers and Other Written Exercises.....................................................................................................17Individual Response Questions...............................................................................................................18Asynchronous Lecture Presentation....................................................................................................18Podcast and RSS Feeds................................................................................................................................18Grading Schemes...........................................................................................................................................18

Documentation................................................................................................................................ 19

Instructor and Designer Training Requirements......................................................20

Mentoring................................................................................................................................ 20

Oversight: Rules and Enforcement..................................................................................20

Conclusion............................................................................................................................... 21

2


January 11, 2010

Introduction

It’s called “Instructional Technology.” It is the study and science and practice of using technology to enhance learning. It is using technology to communicate messages that have some underlying purpose tied to learning. It has been with us for over forty years. Instructional Technology hit its heyday with video disks, CD-ROMs and the personal computer in the 80’s and 90’s, providing interactive lessons that were controlled by the student. Information flow was controlled by the student by clicking a mouse on an arrow, answering “check for understanding” questions along the way, and helping the student learn material without a live instructor in front of them. So-called “smart classrooms” were predicted where the teacher would walk around rooms full of students working on computers, helping with technical assistance and prodding them to learn more on an individualized and specialized platform.

Computers and technology would make the teacher nothing more than a technical assistant, as all of the knowledge of the world would be available on hard drives and CD-ROMs. Books would be obsolete by the year 2000, and libraries would contain disks of information to be checked out and read on banks of computers. It would be heaven.

Then in 1995, the world changed. While the “internet” had been with us for much more than a decade, 1995 saw the combination of elements that made the internet available to regular people and small business. A company called “Mozilla” introduced “Netscape,” which allowed anyone with a phone modem to download the program, configure it, and explore the world…the World Wide Web.

Since that time, those in the worlds of education and training have been trying to use this new technology to convey information and individualize the learning experience. Drawing from decades of classroom teaching and relating the dreams of the early technology age, the first online learning modules were “electronic page turners.” Sit the student down at a computer just as we had in the past, but instead of the CD-ROM, the student would access the information over the web.

The more things change, the more they remain the same. The material was the same, only instead of feeding the information from a CD-ROM or over a local area network, the material was fed over a modem from a remote server. And it was as ineffective as ever.

3


January 11, 2010

What was missing from these early CD-ROM and internet models was the personal contact that the classroom provided. Live instructors in a real classroom provide excitement and passion to the learning environment. They get the student involved in the topic, relate personal stories of success and failure, and motivate the student to learn the topic and apply it to his or her personal life.

Such is the fear and failure of online learning as it relates to the task of training. “Electronic page turners” are boring, uninteresting, and meant to do nothing more than provide the company or agency with a checkmark in a box that “training was provided.” The term “CYA” comes to mind. Students are exposed to certain material, tested on that material, and are seen as “trained.” Did the student learn anything? Was there a significant or even measurable change of behavior as a result of the so-called training? If not, then training did not occur. Liability protection is all that occurred.

The early online design gurus said that to get the student involved, we needed to mimic the traditional live classroom environment. We needed to give them the same kinds of stimulus and activities that the student would find in the regular live classroom. Working the student towards this online environment would require the designer/instructor to create an online classroom with desks, homework, a chalkboard and a break room.

Now we fast forward to 2005. The two words here – Smart Phone. Students are texting, emailing, twittering and MySpace-ing as a regular form of communication. Interaction in the traditional classroom is not necessary. These folks have a whole new way of collecting, digesting and disseminating information to and between one another. The online environment is not foreign to them. It is a way of life.

As 2010 dawns, we have to look at the online environment with a new pair of glasses. Gone are the days of mimicking the traditional classroom. Gone are the days of homework and chat rooms. Even podcasts are considered “old school.” No, today we think differently.

Today, we change the world. Again.

The Online Environment

People tend to think of the online environment in terms of what they use in their daily lives. Those who just use a little email and maybe shop occasionally online think of it in terms of basic communication, sending photos of loved ones over

4


January 11, 2010

distance and getting that bargain on Ebay. Those who surf the web think of it as an adventurous discovery of information from disconnected sources. Those who use MySpace, Facebook and Twitter think of it as a magic carpet of communication possibilities.

Those who have taken online college classes look at the online environment in terms of their exposure to online learning platforms. One of the first platforms to emerge was a pre-2000 endeavor called WebCT. This was seen as a “Learning Management System, “ or LMS. It contained the tools that an instructor could use to present materials, facilitate student activities, provide feedback, and grade student performance. As with any software, there were limitations. Later came other platforms, and there are three major platforms in use today. Blackboard is the biggie, buying other platforms and letting them die a natural death. Desire2Learn is another popular platform, and is used in many of the colleges and universities in the State of Florida. The third is called MOODLE, which stands for Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment. Moodle is an open-source platform that is free to download, but you have to learn how to make it work on your own.

All of these platforms provide a place for the instructor/designer to create course activities, assessments, assignments, and keep records of student progress and success. The trick is using the platform to create an effective online environment for students. None of these LMS platforms takes advantage of all of today’s communications and information management technologies, so instructors/designers have to expand their reach beyond the typical LMS and tailor their online courses to the student population, their use of available technologies, and their comfort level with the platform and activities.

In the past, instructors have been content with presenting material that could then be tested in a written instrument, graded on a percentage scale, and assigned a grade of “pass” or “fail.” In criminal justice, “teaching to pass a test” has been the norm. To borrow terminology from Bloom’s Taxonomy, we used to teach to the first level – knowledge – and maybe to the second – comprehension. Our K-12 students have been taught and tested on these two levels for decades. They expect nothing more, and we normally fail to disappoint.

Our students deserve more, though. They need to at least go to the third level, application. Knowing the information is not enough. They need to take the information, compare it to what they already know, incorporate it into their knowledge base, and then apply it what they do on a daily basis. Remember that the definition of learning is to change behavior. Behavior will not change if application does not occur.

5


January 11, 2010

The online environment provides us with a unique opportunity. We can direct students to the web for the most current information then help them apply what they have discovered to their daily lives. This concept of “Discovery Learning” tells us that people will remember and apply what they have “discovered” more readily then information that has been fed, dictated or lectured to them. We can use the web and effective online learning strategies to design training that leads the student to discovery, thus fulfilling learning objectives and helping the student apply what has been learned. Behavior changes, learning occurs, and performance improves.

Unfortunately, it’s not that easy.

Training Presentation Modes Utilizing the Online Environment

When considering how to train a topic using the online environment, we tend to stick with what we know, and we tend to use one modality throughout. The first part of instructional design – Analysis – includes looking at the presentation choices that the audience would be able to use. For example, making a video would not work for an audience that does not have ready access to playback equipment. Using the online environment just because we can does not necessarily mean that we will have a successful learning solution.

Look at these presentation modes, remembering that we can mix and match them to meet the goals of the topic and the needs of the audience.

Self-Paced Short Training ModulesIn this mode, the student is exposed to information in a short module that is accessed online without instructor interaction. By short, I mean something that will take the student less than ten minutes to complete, beginning to end. While it would seem that such as short module would be unlikely to produce any real benefit, good design can provide insight, information and decision-making skills in a quick and dynamic environment.

Self-paced modules have the advantage of being available 24/7 without having to amass a cohort to start a learning module. However, it does not have to necessarily require the student to fly solo. In a situation where the topic must be completed by many students, a forum or discussion board can be used to compile a knowledge base of students as they complete the module. By crafting a forum properly, the students can add their comments, solve problems, and leave their mark on the

6


January 11, 2010

course. Students can add value and help one another, even without synchronous contact.

The open-entry/open-exit nature of these short modules should still be offered over a restricted period of time. The length and breadth of these time restrictions can vary based on need. For example, an agency in the upper Midwest may want to offer a course in the prevention of cold-weather injuries and the emergency measures for those affected by cold-weather injuries during the Autumn months leading up to the cold-weather season. In this case, the agency may make it accessible from September 1 to October 31, and require all officers and employees to complete the course prior to its closing. The information isn’t necessarily anything new to the officers, but a short course can remind them of the dangers and get them up to speed on the treatments for these injuries, either for themselves or others that they may encounter. Similarly, agencies on the Gulf and East Coasts may require Hurricane Response Training from April 15 to June 15, prior to the Atlantic hurricane season.

Many agencies have required training topics that must be repeated each year in order to retain accreditation status. These short course modules are perfect for topics like Use of Force, Blood Borne Pathogens and Pursuit Policy. These modules can be put in place at the beginning of the calendar year and made available to the officers and employees throughout the year. Students are checked off as they complete the courses on their workstation computers or MDC’s. Courses can be designed to incorporate new policies or to address issues that came to light during the past year. Each year, the courses are refreshed with current information and released.

One word of caution is required, though. Do not use this mode as a “page turner” for text-laden PowerPoint slides and droll narration. These are ineffective, boring and hated by the students. Design a dynamic environment that engages the student.

Just-In-Time or Training-On-Demand

Just-In-Time training is a short version of the Short-Course Module. Designed to provide a focused topic in a short burst, it provides on-demand information in a short format. The best way to explain this is to provide a few examples.

In this first example, an officer finds that he or she needs to get a search or arrest warrant. It has been a while since the patrol officer did this task, and is reluctant to jump in with both feet. So in the “JIT” section of your online school, you have a short tutorial on how apply for and get a warrant, including phone numbers, examples of

7


January 11, 2010

forms, and a step by step procedure. The whole thing is done in less than two minutes, and the officer soldiers on to get the needed warrant.

In another example, an investigator needs to collect evidence for DNA analysis. As this is a rapidly evolving area of investigation and science, the investigator takes two minutes to review the current information on evidence collection and submission for DNA, including forms, packaging procedures, and other current procedures.

It is important to note that in the “just in time” mode, the student already has had exposure to the topic. The JIT mode only reminds the officer of what he or she already knows, or provides updated policy and procedure as needed.

Mixed Mode Online/Live Training

“Going Online” does NOT mean abandoning the live training model altogether. Even as the online model becomes more and more attractive, we instinctively know that there is a place for the live training model.

One of the drawbacks of the live training model is cost. When we factor in the cost of overtime, instructor time and other facilities costs, the online environment – especially the self-paced online environment – starts to look pretty good. But it is not the cure to all of our fiscal ills.

We can use the online environment to support our live training efforts. For example, pre-class and/or post-class training modules in any mode can provide many benefits to a live training course. Let’s look at both.

Using a pre-class online module, an instructor can lead the students through a course that gets everyone on the same level. One of the pitfalls of live classroom training is that students come in with differing levels of skill, knowledge and ability (SKA) in the topic. A pre-class online module could easily bring everyone to the same level, increasing the effectiveness of the live classroom experience. Students can take an online written exam as a pre-test to entering the live classroom, and only those who complete the course and pass the test can participate in the classroom.

For example, an officer may need to participate in a defensive tactics refresher course. Normally a three-day course, the instructor provides online learning in use of force, state law and agency policy and procedure as it pertains to use of force and officer defensive tactics. Those who complete the online module and pass the comprehensive written test are then allowed to participate in the live classroom,

8


January 11, 2010

which takes place in the defensive tactics training room. Instructors start the class in the gym, and the whole thing is reduced to 8 hours of practical exercise.

Instructors may also want to use a post-class online module to review what was taught, provide additional information, and possibly provide a post-test online. In our defensive tactics example, an instructor may provide use-of-force information up front, bring the students to the gym, then return to the online environment to reinforce what the students learned, provide additional information and test them on concepts, policies and procedures introduced in the practical exercise portion. Participation in all three areas would be required within a pre-determined period of time.The third type of mixed-mode presentation would involve mixing online and classroom meetings, based on needs. Class members may initially meet in the live classroom for a few hours, then go to the online environment for a week, meet back in the classroom for a few hours, back online, and so on.

A good example of this strategy is with remedial or advanced report writing. The instructor would initially meet with the students in the classroom, review objectives and teach basic report writing skills. Students would then go to the online environment for more lessons, review and reference materials, examples, and most importantly, assignments where they write and post written materials. Students and the instructor can comment on what was written, and all is completed in a week or so. At the next meeting, the instructor introduces a new topic – writing a probable cause affidavit – and sends the students back to the online environment. This continues for several weeks until all topics and assignments are completed.

For a student population that is not used to the online environment, this is a good way to get them acclimated to it and working well.

Online Cohort Instructor-Led Training

“Online Cohort Instructor-Led Training” is a fancy way of saying “everyone together.” Most college courses online are designed to start at a certain time with a certain number of students, carry those students from topic to topic on a weekly basis then end at a certain time. For some training courses, this is a good way for the instructor to facilitate interaction between students and stimulate collective learning.

In this mode, the instructional materials are all available online, and the students preregister for the course. On the day that the course opens, students enter the online classroom and get involved. The instructor moves them through on a

9


January 11, 2010

collective basis, making sure that everyone keeps moving and everyone stays involved.

This mode uses most of the tools available in the online environment, including chats, asynchronous discussions, self-paced modules and quizzes. Students work through the content and learn from the materials, the instructor and each other. If necessary, the instructor can use a live meeting at the beginning to get everyone involved and motivated, but the online live chat can also provide that first important kickoff meeting.

One of the advantages of the online environment is that the students do not have to travel to be involved, and are then only restricted by internet access. Requiring students to show up at an organization meeting can eliminate distant students from participation. However, organizational meeting attendance requirements can also help to limit the area from which students can attend.

For example, a school can offer a course online, but require an organizational meeting for participation. Only those officers in the school’s service area can travel to the meeting, so participation then becomes geographically limited. However, if the school offers the course without any type of live meeting, students can be from anywhere that has internet access. Rules and procedures should be placed to keep this from becoming an issue.

Online Referencing Modules (Field Training or Employee Training Focus)

This is a relatively new way to use the online environment. Springing from field phase FTO training, this mode helps standardize training in the field, provide accountability for the individualized training conducted in the field, and further evaluate trainee performance. These concepts can be employed with any employee training, but are discussed here in terms of an FTO program.

Most agency FTO programs have a classroom phase followed by three or more field phases. In a San Jose Model program, the trainee is evaluated by an FTO every day using a Daily Observation Report, or DOR. There are normally thirty or more categories of evaluation on the DOR.

The classroom phase takes the new officer and acclimates him or her to the agency, environment, community, policies, procedures, and other aspects of the new job. Some of this can be done online as shown previously but since agencies each have their own slant on classroom training, I will leave that up to individual agencies to decide how to use online learning in the classroom phase, if at all.

10


January 11, 2010

In addition to the DOR, Field Training Officers are normally provided with a task list that shows what kind of calls or situations should be experienced in each phase. In the earlier phases, the new officer is exposed to the more simple tasks, and may even be tested on these tasks. As the trainee progresses, he or she is exposed to more and more complex tasks. The FTO checks off what was done.

Agencies also have dictated the topics for discussion in each phase, which is then supposed to be completed by the FTO during “down time.” We rely on the operational knowledge, skill and ability of the FTO to provide accurate information to the trainee. However, trainees complain that one FTO tells them one thing while the next says something different. Standardization is a must.

With this mode, the FTO program is broken into phases, and each phase is broken down into topics for discussion, study and testing. During the FTO’s two weeks or so with the trainee, the FTO and trainee goes to the FTO section of the agency’s online school. He or she brings up “Phase 2” and sees a list of short modules that address certain focused topics. For example, there may be a requirement for that phase that the FTO discuss how to submit digital photos evidence collected during an investigation. The FTO sees the opportunity to cover this material when he or she handles a call with the trainee involving digital photos. After taking the photos, the FTO and trainee open that module or lesson. There they find the agency’s policy and procedure on submission of digital evidence, a step-by-step list of procedures, helpful hints, photos of submissions done properly, any other pertinent documentation. This gives the FTO a platform from which to teach the trainee how to properly submit digital evidence. Following the lesson, the trainee completes a short quiz on the topic. Successful completion of the quiz provides the trainee with a computerized record of success, and successful submission of the evidence provides the agency with a record of successfully submitting digital evidence. These are both recorded on the DOR for the day.

The lesson by the FTO is the same from trainee to trainee, and from FTO to FTO. Again, these concepts can be used in any situation with most new-hire employees.

We can extend this concept even farther when it comes to promotional training. Shadowing or mentoring with experienced supervisors, completing online modules as required and completing tests for accountability, can train new supervisors. More on mentoring later.

11


January 11, 2010

Design Considerations

The design of online learning is different that the design of classroom learning. While the goal is the same, online delivery has changed as technology, and the audience use of that technology, has advanced.

In discussing design, we must look at it from two directions – from the topic and from the student. Both must be considered when designing online instruction. We must also try to predict the audience so that we can design to their level of technological sophistication – or lack thereof. There will be cases where the audience encompasses the entire spectrum of technology savvy, and we need to design for that spectrum.

In the classroom, we design instruction that consists of visuals, lecture and class exercises. The combination and proportion of these three basic elements depends on the instructor, audience and topic. In the online environment, we have many more tools from which to choose, and the combination and proportion of these tools are also based on the instructor, audience and topic. However, the vast choice of tools to use online can make the same topic different from audience to audience or instructor to instructor.

These issues are what makes the online environment so difficult to describe and design. There are more choices and more activities online than we can do in the classroom, so making a standardized online environment is difficult. Instead of creating a lesson plan and having instructors teach what is on the plan, instructors must design their online environment to include the tools, activities and student interactions that have the greatest benefit to the student.

The FDLE Instructor Techniques course teaches the student how to present information to students in a classroom environment. Group work, student interaction facilitation, and some basic instructional design training. Making the transition from classroom instruction to online instruction involves more than just learning how to work the technology. Instructors/designers must also understand how to use the tools for the topic and the student.

Later we will look at the training requirements that must be considered for these new technology-based instructors and designers.

Understanding the Tools

12


January 11, 2010

In the online environment, we admittedly lose the true face-to-face conversation that the live classroom provides. The spontaneity that the live classroom discussion provides also can be lost in the online classroom. If these components are vital to the topic or the student, then providing the live environment will be necessary to learning and should be provided. However, it could be provided in a mixed-mode presentation, bringing the class together for engagement in discussions.

If we take a look into the online classroom toolbox, we can see what is available. Using a combination of these tools, we can build an environment that will work for both the topic and the student.

One more issue to address – definitions. There are two types of presentation that are used in online learning, and understanding these terms is key to understanding how the tools are used.

Synchronous Learning is learning that occurs all at the same time. In a synchronous environment, all students and teachers are present at the same time, interacting at the same time. The traditional classroom is a synchronous learning situation.

Asynchronous Learning is learning that occurs over time, with interactions between students and instructors occurring at different times. Using a traditional classroom example, a student does research and prepares a research paper outside of regular classroom hours. He or she turns the paper in, and the instructor grades the paper and provides written comments on it, returning the paper to the student. This type of assignment is asynchronous in that the student works independently, and comments made by the instructor are also made independently.

Some of the tools in the online environment are synchronous while others are asynchronous.

StructureIn some college courses, the instructor designs the course with the only deadlines being the end of the course. While the course may have a set duration of eight or sixteen weeks, students could literally go into the course with three days left and complete all of the assignments and pass the course. In the world of online training, this concept is not acceptable.

When designing an online course, pacing through the material is as important as it is in the traditional classroom. By arranging the content in a sequential and timed

13


January 11, 2010

manner will bring the students through the course together. While this may seem to follow common sense, it is not done in all instances.

Part of “structure” includes “notification.” At the beginning of the course, students must be notified and acknowledge the structure, schedule and deadlines for the activities related to the course. From there, the instructor and the course materials should provide reminders for these schedules and deadlines. There should be consequences for not keeping up, but also flexibility for special situations.

Constant and consistent instructor interaction is the key to keeping students on task. In the traditional classroom, we monitor students, make adjustments as needed and make sure that the guy in the back isn’t falling asleep. We must do the same thing in the online classroom, but we do it at distance.

In some cases, with some topics and/or some students, we use mixed-mode presentation to keep students on task. For longer duration programs, we may bring the class together for discussions, testing or other purposes. Students need to keep up with the schedule to be able to participate in the live sessions. Instructors can also provide this type of “schedule pressure” by using online synchronous chat sessions and other tools.

Structure considerations are “first made” decisions. When deciding how to present a topic, the instructor has to make structural decisions first. These decisions can change during the development stage, but structure is one of those considerations that is much more important to the online designer than the traditional classroom instructor.

Content Course content in the college and university segment is normally derived from one or more textbooks. Students are assigned to read text material then react to that material through the other tools provided. The goal is to provide knowledge and comprehension through the printed material and build on that knowledge and comprehension with other tools and activities.

Our online training situation may not react well to the “textbook” requirement for some obvious reasons. Currency is one issue – we want to train using the most current information. Cost is another issue, in that we cannot use an $80+ textbook for a short course. In the live classroom, we use lecture to provide information. Online, that is not the case. We need to have some basic source or sources of information upon which we will build new information.

14


January 11, 2010

By using base documents that the student has available and also using online information, the online environment can provide the student with an extra skill while also provide very current information. By asking the student to use online content and digging out those print references (policy and procedure), the student also learns how to find information that is not spoon-fed to him or her. That is a huge benefit.

The instructor or educator today is not longer the “expert with a briefcase.” Anything that a student wants to learn is available online if the student knows how to find it. So the person in the front of the room now has to “package” the information so that the student can get what is needed without having to search all over for it. It is a different concept with a different end – make students into thinkers and discoverers instead of passive receptacles of information. It also involves the student in the learning process as an active learner.

Instructors online have to keep up with the online information sources. Web sites change, information is dynamic, and the instructor has to ensure that the students will get the most current information – and that it is actually available when the student goes to get it. This means almost constant checking and revision of core materials as well as the activities associated with them.

From a content source standpoint, the instructor/designer is the centerpiece of this effort. While current classroom-based training is normally sourced from a strictly-enforced lesson plan, the conduct of online training must be sourced by the instructor as a designer. This means that while the goals and objectives may be standardized throughout the system, but the presentation methods and content sources must be flexible.

DiscussionsAfter directing students to source materials, the instructor needs to get them to move up Bloom’s ladder – through knowledge and comprehension to application. The student needs to take the information from the source and apply it to his or her work or life.

To meet this requirement, the instructor needs to develop and propose discussion questions that go beyond asking the student to parrot back information from the source. Instead, the discussion questions ask the student to take the source information and relate it to how they can use it. By proposing uses and applications of the information to the entire class in writing, and by requiring each student to respond to each discussion, the transfer of ideas between students is incredible.

15


January 11, 2010

The number of discussion questions for each segment depends on the topic and the duration of the segment. If students have a week to respond, then three or four questions are normally sufficient. However, more intense topics may require more time or more questions. If one segment has a lot more work, time can be adjusted or the workload in other areas may be decreased to even it out.

Discussion questions should be programmed to start conversations between students, and the instructor should be a big part of these discussions. By posing hypothetical questions, adding comments to stimulate discussion, and providing key information, the classroom lecture turns into a highly interactive conversation between students.

Chats and Online LecturesAdding a synchronous element to online learning without using a classroom may be attractive to some topics and some audiences. There are a lot of tools available today for conducting online web meetings.

The simplest are text-only chats where the instructor and students type in questions and answers on a preset schedule, such as every Monday night at 8 pm. Students meet online and exchange ideas. The instructor should specify the topic for the chat in advance so that students can prepare for the session. Some instructors will use the chat as a kick-off for the topic, while others will use a chat as a wrap-up.

More complex chats use voice, slide presentations and other technology to provide a chat session with more “bells and whistles.” Instructors should avoid using the technology only because it is available. The technology should support the topic and the purpose for the chat.

Online lectures and chats are useful for creating a connection between the instructor and the students. When distance is an issue that can prevent students from meeting in a live classroom, the online chat can act as a good substitute. So audience/student considerations are a big factor in determining the use of this synchronous tool.

There is a certain amount of expertise needed to create the slide presentations, upload them, and control them during the chat. Serious consideration should be made to how these are incorporated into the lessons.

QuizzesIn most traditional classrooms, quizzes are meant to provide a check for understanding and to encourage students to participate in day-to-day activities. The threat of the “pop quiz” keeps everyone ready for the day’s work. Quizzes and

16


January 11, 2010

exams normally test material that has already been covered in class, testing the student’s ability to remember facts.

In the online environment, it is a given that the student is going to use the book, online materials and other strategies to complete quizzes and exams. The instructor/designer must look at the quiz process in an entirely different manner.

The online quiz is another tool that creates learning opportunities. As such, the quiz may not review previously covered material, but instead challenge the student to find information and respond to questions. In this way, the student will learn through the quiz experience.

This also begs questions about whether the quiz provides a grade for measuring success. Properly constructed, the quiz will test whether the student has the basic information needed to find the answer. However, the quiz and exams should not be the sole basis for establishing a pass/fail status for the student. Other factors should also be graded, creating a holistic grading scheme that not only looks at student performance in testing, but also the students overall activity in the course. There will be more on grading schemes later.

Web Field TripsWeb field trips are a great way to introduce current information to the students. They go to the web by either doing their own searches or by going to a specific site and exploring what is there. Here are some examples of web field trips.

In this example, students are taking a course in the application of criminology to their agency and community. The instructor provides a link to the state crime statistics site or to national statistics such as the FBI Uniform Crime Reports or others. Discussions can center on an analysis of these figures, applicability to the local environment, and/or crime trends.

In another situation, the instructor can provide a topic and the students are required to go out and find a website that addresses that topic. For example, the instructor may task the students to find a website that talks about juvenile rehabilitation programs or spotlights a certain program that works. Students do a search and post a discussion item with the URL for the site and a short description of the content. Other students can go to the site and learn from it. The trick here is to require that each student find a unique site. Instructors want to keep students from taking another’s site and posting another viewpoint.

The instructor may also direct students to a journal site or some other site with various articles on a general topic. For example, students may be directed to a site

17


January 11, 2010

on domestic violence that has links to blogs and articles on the topic. Students are instructed to find an article and comment on it.

Some designs have students posting their web field trip activities to a discussion board and some post to a personal journal online. In my opinion, web field trip activities that require students to comment as shown above belong on a discussion board that is accessible to all students. The journal entries are normally not accessible to anyone except the student and instructor, so the information that the students discover individually is not available to other students. While this could be used in some circumstances, careful consideration should be given to using the journal option.

Papers and Other Written ExercisesOne way to show application of concepts and facts to the student’s own work and lives is to have them write about it. In the traditional college classroom, students may be required to write a term paper or other written exercise that asks the student to research a topic and write about what was found.

Whatever the exercise, students should be directed to take the knowledge and comprehension that they already have and go to the next level – application. In a class on juvenile justice, ask the students to respond to juvenile diversion programs or to comment on why female juvenile crime is on the rise. The sky is the limit here.

Provide guidelines for submitting papers should be non-technical and succinct. The instructor should be well-versed in the different word processing packages in use today, including not only Microsoft® products but also Open Office® and WordPerfect®. Instructors should also be able to convert from one package to another so that the submissions that students complete can be readily graded and returned.

When grading papers, instructors may take off for grammar and spelling errors, as well as formatting errors. There are tools that are available online for checking for plagiarism, such as TurnItIn.com. All papers should consist of original work that is properly referenced, even in training courses. The online classroom should contain some documentation as to the minimum requirements for submitted papers.

Individual Response QuestionsIn some cases, the instructor may want the student to respond individually. Most online classroom packages have a provision for a “dropbox” or a similar tool that allows students to upload files. Different from a term paper, the individual response question is an opportunity for a short answer to a question that is NOT shared with other students.

18


January 11, 2010

Asynchronous Lecture PresentationSome instructors may want to create and package a lecture with still photos, diagrams, slides or video that can be played online by the student as needed. Think of this as a YouTube video that is encased in the classroom. Creating this type of presentation requires a level of technical expertise as well as specialized equipment, but it can be done and done well.

This type of presentation can provide the student with an “almost live” lecture that can be viewed at the student’s needs and repeated if needed.

Podcast and RSS FeedsIn today’s instant communication environment, students can take advantage of audio downloads in the form of Podcasts. By making the learning even more portable, the student can use the information provided in many different ways.

Podcasts can also be used to provide “on demand” information that the student can use after the course is over. For example the instructor may be teaching a course on report writing, and include a summary on how to write a search warrant affidavit. He or she could then create a podcast that explains the process and tips in a couple of minutes. The student would be able to save that podcast and use it in the field as needed.

Some classroom packages allow the creation of RSS news feeds that go out to students in the form of news blasts. Reminders, current events related to study topics and other information can be streamed directly to students.

Grading SchemesIn the traditional classroom, we grade student success by grading quizzes, examinations and papers. If an officer sits in a classroom for 40 hours and takes a test, passes the test, and has signed in on the attendance roster, that student will pass the course.

In the online classroom, student interactions tend to be more thoughtful, and everything they do is in writing. This provides the online instructor with more assignments and grading points by which they can assess student performance and participation. Each assignment or activity can be assigned a percentage of the final grade. Discussion questions, papers, quizzes, exams, chat participation – these can all be assigned a grade as a percentage of the final grade. Rather than relying on a single quiz or exam to determine whether the student is successful, the instructor looks at the student’s entire class experience to determine success or failure. A student who shows up in the last six hours of class and completes the exam will not pass.

19


January 11, 2010

Instructor/designers will grade on whether the student participated consistently and completed all aspects of the course. This is contrary to most states’ notion that seat time and a passing score on the exam can determine success. Instructors in a live classroom cannot fail a student who sits in the back and sleeps through the lectures, but passes the test. In the online environment, students who do not participate with the others cannot pass.

The argument has been raging for years – hour-based training vs. competency-based training. Do we require a student to put in a certain number of hours, or do we train the student to a predetermined level of competency? We are proposing here a new concept in grading – participation-based training. Students MUST participate in order to pass, and in the online environment, requiring and documenting participation is a rather simple matter of design and instruction.

The other issue is how to prove that the student who is registered in the online class is actually the student who did the work. While this may seem like a difficult issue to conquer, it is actually very simple. Students register, physically acknowledging that they are required to personally complete the course without assistance. If it is found that the student did not comply or had someone else take the course, his or the Commission can sanction her certificate in the same manner as any case of academic cheating. It the confederate who actually completed the course holds a CJSTC certificate, the Commission can also sanction that certificate.

DocumentationAs in any course design, we must document what the student did and how the student’s final grade was derived. With participation-based grading, we can do just that rather simply.

We must also document the contents of the course. In the traditional classroom, the lesson plan was sufficient to do just that. For online learning, an online lesson plan that takes the form of an extensive syllabus can be used. In the syllabus, the goals, objectives and schedule of the course is provided, along with complete descriptions of student activities and the rubrics used for grading student activity.

Other documentation is based from the syllabus. Of course, students should be provided with the syllabus, complete with requirements for success.

20


January 11, 2010

Instructor and Designer Training RequirementsIn short, the current FDLE Instructor Techniques course is a good start, but it is not enough. Online instructors and designers should be required to complete Instructor Techniques, but then required to take and pass an additional course that contains the skills, knowledge and abilities required to design and teach online courses.

This course can and should be conducted online at a distance. As such, the online course would model those activities, behaviors and design elements that the students are trying to learn. As a final activity, the students should design and conduct a short training module to others in the course.

MentoringAlong with completion of the online instructor and designer course, a network of mentors should accompany this endeavor. The new instructor would be placed under the tutelage of an experienced online instructor/designer who would guide the newbie through the first few courses.

Administering this mentoring program would be problematic at first, but as the number of qualified online instructor/designers grows, mentoring would also grow. At first, the instructor of the online training program would mentor his or her own students.

Documentation as an internship would also be needed, and completed as part of the mentoring program.

Oversight: Rules and EnforcementThe obvious issue here for FDLE and others is the relative complexity of the online environment. We also have to consider that the person on the other end of the computer may not be the person who eventually receives credit for completion. These are real concerns.

The best way to address this issue is to approach it as we would any academic cheating situation. Have the student acknowledge that he or she must complete all work, that having someone else complete class work or engaging in any plagiarism in any manner would be grounds for disciplining the student’s police, corrections or correctional probation certificate and endanger his or her employment. Then work to monitor students, react to complaints and suspicions, and enforce dishonesty and cheating as we would in any classroom.

21


January 11, 2010

Existing rules for academic cheating are sufficient to apply to the online environment. FDLE CJPP personnel would need to be trained to properly investigate online cheating complaints, and that training would have to be extended to the agency level. Internal affairs officers would eventually need to be trained in this new area. Training would have to include an introduction to the online learning environment, techniques and tools used for subverting the online environment, and how to show that the individual has subverted the intent of the online learning environment to the level of probable cause. Of course, the training would occur online.

ConclusionMoving to the online environment for training is a scary proposition, mostly because it is a new territory about which we know little. We do know that in many topics, the online environment is effective. We know that the online environment provides opportunities that we do not have in the classroom. We know that students want online training. We know that agencies cannot afford to provide traditional classroom training or to send officers to traditional training courses. We also know that the online environment is available to us to use.

Online learning is has been a reality since 1995. Colleges and Universities have embraced the online learning environment for the past decade. Enrollment in traditional brick-and-mortar institutions can include 50% or more online students. There have been colleges and universities that are 100% online for over a decade, including such staples in higher education as the University of Phoenix and Kaplan University.

Our police and corrections officers are getting their college degrees online. They have access to wireless communications, the latest computer equipment, and internet access at any time in any place. They socialize online, yet we remain in the classroom, taking attendance and hoping that everyone can pass that final written exam.

It is time to move some of our criminal justice training to the online environment. The existing rules and enforcement mechanisms are in place. Training for online instructors and designers can be developed easily enough, and presented over the internet in online classrooms. Students will utilize the technology and the environments since they already do so in other venues.

On a personal note, I have been involved in online learning since 1995. I built my first online school in 1996 with the Association of Public-Safety Communications

22


January 11, 2010

Officials, International (APCO), when the World Wide Web was brand new. It is still functioning, training police, fire and EMS dispatchers all over the world online. I first approached FDLE in 2000 with a wild idea of presenting online learning to police and corrections officers, and have continued to pursue it since. In my time teaching online, I have taught for many colleges, in many programs, and with students from all over the world. This technology and these techniques work.

One sticking point that comes up over and over and over is, “How do we know if the person taking the course online is actually the person who will eventually get credit for it?” In a phrase, we don’t. But we are talking about police and corrections officers who make arrests, sign affidavits, seize evidence including drugs and cash, testify in court, write traffic citations, conduct complex investigations, make deadly force decisions, and utilize a variety of weapons. We trust them to do these things, and have investigative and enforcement mechanisms in place to sanction those who do not follow the laws and rules. Cheating in an online course is the least of these worries.

The other sticking point is that we don’t know if a student is actually spending forty hours engaged in a forty-hour course. My contention is that with smart phones, computers, doodling and daydreaming, we have never had a student in a forty-hour course actually spend forty hours engaged in class work. As shown earlier, hour-based training is not effective or possible here, and competency-based training cannot be considered as viable. With the online learning environment, engaging the student in all aspects of the training, assessing his or her participation in these activities, then assessing terminal knowledge is the goal.

The Online Learning Environment can do that, and can do it well.

23

Online Training for Law Enforcement, Corrections and...

Documents

Transcript of Online Training for Law Enforcement, Corrections and...