In my checklist, I included the suggested elements, as well as a few others. I also added a section for source evaluation following the CRAAP method, which will help me decide if a resource is high quality and suitable for my course. Creating this checklist and evaluating a source allowed me to develop a greater awareness of the importance of copyright as it applies to instructional design.

Click on the links below to see my checklist:

OER Checklist Template
Applied OER Checklist

This week, I developed a digital document to help learners reflect on their teaching experiences. Additionally, I created an accompanying audio file and evaluated the document using my digital media checklist.

While I am quite familiar with creating visual aids for both synchronous and online courses, producing the audio file presented a new challenge for me. Although I have extensive experience in creating video and screencasting content for online courses, I have seldom worked on audio-only materials. This project was a valuable opportunity to enhance those skills and prompted me to consider how offering alternative or supplementary audio content could further engage learners in my courses. Specifically, I wanted to learn how to use TTS (text-to-speech) tools instead of my own voice. This was challenging because most TTS tools require premium features for downloading audio. I learned to use the free TTS feature in MS OneNote, but I had to record the output by changing settings on my computer. The quality wasn’t great, but it was a useful learning experience.

Digital Image: Course Flyer

I designed a course flyer to promote my mini-course for recreational drone enthusiasts. The flyer serves as an initial recruitment tool, designed to attract participants before the course launch. Given the asynchronous nature of the course, the flyer will remain relevant throughout the course’s availability, helping to continuously attract new participants.

Currently, the flyer lacks specific enrollment details, which will be added once enrollment procedures are finalized. Its simplicity and visual appeal adhere to digital design standards, effectively drawing attention without overshadowing the essential course information. Additionally, I created a small logo located in the bottom right corner. This logo symbolizes the sense of achievement participants will gain upon completing the course and presenting at conferences in their field.

Reflection

Creating a straightforward yet compelling image was my goal. I aimed to clearly communicate the course’s purpose and its potential impact on participants’ professional success. The flyer’s design focuses on clarity and relevance, ensuring it effectively engages prospective learners.

OER Checklist Analysis

I applied the OER checklist to analyze the flyer’s content and sources. The digital image and text elements were evaluated to ensure they align with course objectives and provide valuable information to potential participants.

Next Steps

Finalize enrollment details and integrate them into the flyer. Ensure accessibility features, such as alt text for images, are added where necessary to enhance inclusivity.

Link: Video

Link: Checklist

I created a video using Zoom to record both my screen and video of myself talking, which is an effective method for delivering mini-lectures as it simulates the face-to-face teaching experience. This approach allows students to see both the visual content and me as the instructor, fostering a stronger connection to the learning experience.

This video follows the lesson where my handout on drone safety guidelines is used. The handout covers essential safety practices for drone flying, and the video delves deeper into these topics. It includes sections on pre-flight checklists, understanding airspace, respecting privacy, weather conditions, maintaining visual line of sight, and emergency procedures. This supports my objective for participants to understand and apply safe flying practices.

To ensure accessibility, I will manually add closed captions to the video, making it available to all students. Using Zoom was a comfortable choice for me, as it aligns with my previous experience recording lectures for asynchronous classes. The combination of Zoom and Canva for creating slides made the process seamless and effective.

Animation Script for Powtoon: Drone Safety Guidelines

Slide 1: Introduction

• Text: “Welcome to Drone Safety 101”
• Visual: Drone flying through the sky, with a welcoming background
• Narration: “Welcome to Drone Safety 101! Today, we’ll cover essential safety guidelines for flying your drone responsibly.”

Slide 2: Pre-Flight Checklist

• Text: “1. Pre-Flight Checklist”
• Visual: A checklist with items being ticked off (drone inspection, battery check, propeller check)
• Narration: “Before every flight, inspect your drone for any visible damage, ensure propellers are securely attached, and verify that the battery is fully charged. Calibrate your drone’s compass and GPS systems to prevent issues during flight.”

Slide 3: Understanding Airspace

• Text: “2. Understanding Airspace”
• Visual: A map showing no-fly zones, airports, and restricted areas
• Narration: “Familiarize yourself with the airspace regulations in your area. Avoid restricted zones like airports, military bases, and densely populated areas. Check for temporary flight restrictions or no-fly zones for special events or security reasons.”

Slide 4: Respecting Privacy

• Text: “3. Respecting Privacy”
• Visual: A drone flying over a house with a “No Entry” sign
• Narration: “Be mindful of other people’s privacy. Avoid flying over private property without permission and steer clear of no-fly zones. Respecting privacy keeps you out of legal trouble and promotes responsible drone usage.”

Slide 5: Weather Conditions

• Text: “4. Weather Conditions”
• Visual: A weather forecast showing sunny, rainy, and windy conditions
• Narration: “Check the weather forecast before flying. High winds, rain, and fog can affect your drone’s performance and visibility. Postpone your flight if weather conditions are not ideal.”

Slide 6: Maintaining Visual Line of Sight

• Text: “5. Maintaining Visual Line of Sight”
• Visual: A person flying a drone while keeping it in sight
• Narration: “Keep your drone within your visual line of sight to avoid obstacles and maintain control. Use a spotter if needed, especially in challenging environments.”

Slide 7: Emergency Procedures

• Text: “6. Emergency Procedures”
• Visual: Drone battery alert, drone returning home
• Narration: “Set low battery warnings and carry spare batteries. Familiarize yourself with manual flying controls in case of GPS signal loss, and ensure your return-to-home function is set up. Monitor the weather and be prepared to land if conditions change.”

Slide 8: Conclusion

• Text: “Fly Safe and Enjoy!”
• Visual: Happy drone pilot with a drone flying safely
• Narration: “By following these safety guidelines, you can ensure a safe and enjoyable drone flying experience. Fly safe and have fun!”

Link: Animation Video

Link: Checklist

I created an animation that details the key principles of safe drone flying, including airspace regulations and safety guidelines. This addresses one of the main objectives of my course. Originally, I envisioned creating this content as a screencast or in another format that I am more familiar with, but I decided to do an animation for this assignment to learn something new.

I decided to make the content visual rather than audio, instead of using closed captioning, because I felt that this topic worked best in that format. For accessibility, I focused on slowing the speed of the video to allow adequate time for reading for all learners, and on using contrast principles to make the text easily visible.

This was my first time creating an animation, and it was much easier than I expected it to be. I’m really glad I had the opportunity to try this application, and I am now willing to explore more animation creation tools for future instructional materials.

Link: Storyboard draft

My interactive module will review key principles of safe drone flying, including airspace regulations and safety guidelines. This will contribute to the objective of participants understanding the fundamental principles of safe drone flying. This activity will be ungraded, as some participants may already be proficient in these areas. However, other participants who are new to drone flying or unfamiliar with the latest regulations might need a review to ensure they are up-to-date with current standards.

The storyboarding process was complicated because I am still developing familiarity with the software and was not sure what types of interactivity were available. Therefore, I worked on the storyboard and the module draft concurrently as I learned about the functions available through Articulate Rise. In the future, I will definitely complete a complex storyboard before beginning to work in the instructional software, but for this learning experience, it was easier to go back and forth between the storyboard and the module creation. I decided to use a simple document to create my storyboard since the module was more text-based and didn’t involve as much visual design. This was efficient for this project, and might also be good for stakeholders who are not comfortable with more complex digital tools.

Link: Interactive Module on Articulate Rise

Link: PDF version of Interactive Module

Link: OER Checklist

This interactive module dives deep into essential drone maneuvers and safety practices, aiming to equip participants with the necessary knowledge and skills to operate drones safely and legally, aligning with the objective of ensuring responsible drone flying practices among enthusiasts.

Module Content:

Introduction to Drone Maneuvers and Safety: Welcome to the Drone Maneuvers and Safety Practices module. Here, you will learn crucial drone maneuvers and safety guidelines for safe operation.

Mastering Basic Maneuvers: Explore essential drone maneuvers such as takeoff, landing, yaw, pitch, and roll. Detailed explanations, interactive simulations, and practical tips will help you understand and perform these maneuvers effectively.

Combining Maneuvers: Learn how to combine different maneuvers to achieve smooth and controlled flight. Practice through a virtual flight simulator that provides real-time feedback on your performance.

Safety Protocols and Procedures: Understand safety protocols, emergency procedures, and best practices for drone operation. Interactive scenarios will guide you through real-world situations.

Legal and Airspace Regulations: Delve into the legal aspects of drone flying, including airspace classifications, privacy laws, flight restrictions, and local regulations. Interactive quizzes and flashcards will test your knowledge of legal obligations.

Why Articulate Rise?

I chose to use Articulate Rise for this module to provide participants with easy accessibility across various devices. The modular format allows learners to navigate through the content at their own pace. Whether you’re new to drone flying or looking to enhance your maneuvering and safety knowledge, this module caters to all levels of experience.

Challenges and Learnings:

Creating this module using Articulate Rise presented initial challenges as I familiarized myself with the software’s functionalities. Designing interactive features such as simulations, quizzes, and drag-and-drop activities required learning on the go. However, this experience has significantly enhanced my ability to create engaging and educational content using digital tools.

Conclusion:

By completing this interactive module, you will gain comprehensive insights into basic drone maneuvers and safety practices, empowering you to fly drones responsibly and confidently.

Please see IDD page!