PHASE+3+IMPLEMENTATION

=System Testing= The new online component will obviously need to be thoroughly tested before enrolled students undertake the unit. All members of the development team should test the environment both internally and externally, including checks on both the accuracy of the content, and the reliability and functionality of the technology. Orellana, Hudgins & Simonson (2009) describe the “developmental test approach” used by the University of Wisconsin-Madison which effectively involves not only the development team, but groups of students and faculty members in a “dry run” or “dress-rehearsal”. Using this team approach to quality control allows hidden issues to be uncovered that the design team or any individual may have missed.

=Staff Development= There are many aspects that will contribute to the success or failure of a distance or blended learning program, but perhaps the most influential is the skills and attitudes of the teaching staff. Teachers will likely be the key drivers of success, but only once they become comfortable with and develop an ownership of the system. Keengwe & Kidd (2010) believe that when staff realise that the two environments (F2F and CM) are entirely different, “they become frustrated and recognise the need for support programs to enhance their skills in online teaching". Willingness to participate and engage in the program and undertake training to become proficient with a new set of instructional tools should be rewarded to encourage this. Vaill & Testori (2012) suggest a three tier approach to staff development which encompasses training, mentoring and ongoing support. Teachers may initially need to leave their comfort zone, learning new “rules of the game” in adapting to a changed learning environment. It is expected that a series of formal PD sessions be conducted initially by the development team, followed by a less formal peer mentoring program among other faculty members. Mentoring is considered a more effective and less threatening approach to staff development than traditional technical sessions. Ongoing institutional support from administrative and technical staff, as well as support from management will also be required. Initial staff training should be conducted prior to the unit being delivered so that teachers have sufficient time to become proficient with the new system. As discussed earlier, staff development will be a multi-faceted approach that incorporates formal training, peer mentoring and ongoing institutional support. Part of staff training could be to participate in the testing process, which would help establish a sense of ownership and contribution. End users should probably not be involved during an early alpha stage so that their confidence in the system is not compromised.

=Student Readiness= Upon delivery of the redeveloped unit, teachers will need to provide an orientation to the new unit, including establishing rules of conduct and communication for the online environment. Appropriate technical support should be initiated in the first week by conducting practice tasks using technology - such as contributing to a discussion board - in a supportive F2F environment. This should effectively help resolve many technical usability issues early and develop the student’s confidence and willingness to use the technology (Bath & Bourke 2010).

=Student Support= Teacher should look to monitor student participation in activities such as online and in-class discussions, group work and problem-based learning tasks. By using directed questions, staff can initiate communication online, or follow up with students individually using face-to-face interaction in class (Bath & Bourke 2010).
 * Monitoring**

In lieu of physical presence online, teachers need to provide two forms of feedback to students – “information feedback and acknowledgement feedback” (Orellana, Hudgins & Simonson 2009). Not only do students need to know how they are performing against the key course objectives, they need to an alternate form of acknowledgement when tasks and assignments have been completed. In most cases the LMS provides and acceptable acknowledgement of assignment submission (receipt) or discussion post. Teachers should then aim to provide a timely response to the student’s effort to maintain motivation.
 * Feedback**

Time management is an important skill that students need to develop. Through in class activity and a regular timetable schedule, staff can effectively manage student’s time spent on tasks. In an online environment, however, students need to develop their own time management skills in order to allocate realistic amounts of time for each task (Orellana, Hudgins & Simonson 2009). Analytic software, common to many Learning Management Systems, can be used to gain further insight into student study patterns, providing information such as what resources are being accessed, when, by whom and for how long.
 * Time Management**

In a secondary school environment technical support is ready available during the day. A server-based LMS and relatively modest client requirements means that students can connect and participate in the online course components from a number of platforms, meaning technical hardware issues become less consequential as students can simply move to another computer. Software issues can be also be minimised by utilising a school-issued laptop which can be pre-loaded with the required software to avoid software issues at home. As mentioned earlier, technical skills should be assessed early in the course to reconcile any gaps in the student’s ability.
 * Technical Support**

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