UNFORTUNATELY, for the first time in a decade I do not have a job "traditional" teaching this academic school year, which did make it difficult to formulate an idea and decide how to approach my project for this class.
FORTUNATELY, my Innovation Plan about “blended learning” has a wide scope even beyond traditional classroom teaching!
Therefore, I have decided to create a BUSINESS model online learning course for this class. I am very excited about it!!
Photos of my "pandemic-born" business.
In a world that’s changing even MORE rapidly now that the pandemic has shifted mindsets, it’s crucial for everyone to embrace CHANGE and learn new things… So I’ll be creating a SOY CANDLE making online learning course! It fits perfectly with the personal WORKSHOP business I started during this pandemic.
So let's get right down to it...
I'll start by breaking down the aspects of a significant learning environment and also the instructional design elements for this soy candle-making online learning course:
Student-centered vs Teacher-led
When it comes to BLENDED LEARNING there should be a solid mix of student-centered COVA-related choices and activities, but when an ONLINE LEARNING course is posted on the web it does shift more toward a more teacher-led environment. It is my hope, however, that I can keep this student-centered as much as possible!
Teaching roles – Presenter, Facilitator, Coach, Mentor
As the “teacher” for this online learning course all about soy candle-making, I will be presenting mainly through video-based learning! I will also have additional modules for the course in which deeper understanding is facilitated more independently.
Ubiquitous Access & Social Networking
I would like to connect with my course “students” through social media such as direct email, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. This will allow for deeper connections, discussion and the asking of questions, plus full and meaningful mentorship by opening the doors to complete-access communication.
Instructional formats – face2face, blended, online
This will be a fully ONLINE learning course through video and text learning on the website Udemy. It will be BLENDED, however when students do decide to reach out via email or social media to deepen their curiosities by contacting me directly!
Video Introduction to the Course
Instructional Design (CBE vs OBE)
As a traditional teacher, within my classroom I typically follow competency-based educational structures. However, for this online learning business-related course, it will be best to follow outcomes based educational structures! Will they be able to understand the science of candle-making? By the end of the course will they be able to make a soy candle??
Alignment of Outcomes/Goals, Activities, and Assessment
Foundational - What is needed to make a candle? - tools & preparation
Application - What is the “science” of candle making? - how it works
Integration - Why is SOY better than other candle waxes? - caring for the environment
Human Dimensions/Caring - What are the benefits of soy candles and natural essential oils? - caring for yourself
Learning How to Learn - How to make a candle? - enjoying your candle
Academic Quality & Standards
Businesses don’t function without goals and deadlines, but they don’t have formal learning STANDARDS like teaching within a school system has. So I created my own standards for this online learning course! According to “The Business Journals” website, entrepreneurs like myself should follow three standards for success. These include: being a risk-taker, being a lifelong learner, and staying single-minded (Pentecost, 2018). This is how I will focus my course quality and overall standards in connection to the course's goals/outcomes.
Support & Infrastructure
When it comes to making my course, I’ll be publishing it LIVE on the web! I will be using the Udemy website for my “Science of Candle-Making” online learning course. I am excited to see if people out in “the real world” decided to take my class. I will be ready to see their final soy candle products and for their relevant feedback!
Screenshot from the Udemy .com website as I create this course.
Here is a complete breakdown of the course schedule and outline! It will follow logical learning modules through to the final creation of soy candles and products. It will be so fun to further expand upon these ideas.
I would love to receive feedback from YOU at this beginning stage of my course making journey, so feel free to leave comments below. Also please let me know if you have any QUESTIONS, comments, or concerns about what I have shared so far.
I am excited for creating this online educational course!
Stay tuned. I’ll be ready to provide updates soon!!
Works Cited
Bates, T. (2015). Teaching in a digital age: guidelines for designing teaching and learning.
Sfu Document Solutions, Simon Fraser University.
Pentecost, M. (2018, October 8). 3 standards of successful entrepreneurs. Bizjournals.com.
https://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/how-to/growth-strategies/2018/10/3-standards-
of-successful-entrepreneurs.html
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