Page 169 - Making Instruction Work

chap 14 3/14/97 5:16 PM Page 155

delivery system selection 155

One feature of a videotape is that it can call up a picture or
motion sequence instantly. Is that an advantage? Depends on
what you’re trying to accomplish. If you’re trying to present an
illustration or demonstration, it can be an advantage. If you’re
trying to give students practice in tying knots,it is of little value.
So a feature of a delivery system is a characteristic. A feature
becomes a benefit only when it will help accomplish a purpose.
(If you keep that in mind,it will help you cut though the razzle-
dazzle pitches of the bedoozlers and help keep your instruc-
tional costs down.)

Delivery System Selection Rule
Having said that, I can tell you that the rule in delivery
system selection is to select the most readily available and eco-
nomical items that will provide the features called for by your
objectives. If you don’t have any objectives, you’ll be easy pick-
ins for those who want to sell you more media hardware than
you need. (Watch out for people who come to you with the
direction, “We need you to do a video,” or whatever the deliv-
ery system of the day is.)
NOTE: A common error is to decide on a delivery system
for a course, rather than for a single objective or module.
This is an error because a course could easily consist of
pieces that could be learned by computer or other “dis-
tance learning”method in combination with one or more
classroom pieces where instructor support is available.
The mistake is to think that a course has to be delivered by
one medium or another, rather than by a delivery system
consisting of a combination of methods and media.

How to Do It
Complete the following steps for each of your objectives.
Believe me when I say it won’t take long.