Introduction

The demands on an individual's time are tremendous. Finding an alternative to the face-to-face classes for training and instruction is high on many individual and corporate minds. To meet the needs of the learner opportunities to access the training through another means becomes a priority. Online courses meet these needs.

In order to develop a substantial course, best practices need to be adhered to. In addition to the best practices, one must know their learners. Good instructional design theory needs to be considered also. Overall, following a set of standards encourages the development of a course that meets good criteria.

Working through the process of creating an online course has brought up many different issues to light. The impact of the online course on learning due to various influences such as gender and culture are an aspect to consider. Reflecting on how this will influence the development of the course required some research. The research revealed a lot of information to synthesize.

Since online learning makes courses available to a very diverse class makeup. When developing a course an analysis of the class makeup is necessary for a variety of reasons including knowing what common language will be used (Lynch, 2002). Slay quotes the definition of Geetz (1973) for culture which in effect is " In seeking to identify cultural effects, one is therefore looking for contexts in which individuals from different countries or groups will respond in different ways to, or provide different interpretations for, the same sign" (2002). Adding in the fact that the age of participants stretches from high school graduate to octogenarian the course creates a dynamic of both experience and inexperienced to influence interactions and perspectives. Being aware of what the differences are helps to develop courses.

Even in the traditional classroom gender, location and income are present to create a dynamic make up of the class. The difference between the two venues is in the ability to get some of the clues visually in communication. This holds true for all aspects of the make up. Even today in the traditional classrooms, the cultural and geographic mix is vast and varied. Online course design needs to prepare ways in which these are explored in a safe environment (Lynch, 2002).

Creation of places like a cyber café where socialization occurs is one way of meeting this need. (Palloff & Pratt, 2001). When presenting information that has possible cultural context difference, presenting it in a manner that addresses both sides of the issue would be beneficial (Slay, 2002). The impact of all these demographics is the need to be aware of the differences and include ways to mitigate some of them. When statements are made, some way of clarifying the information so that it fits within the context of the person is needed in the development (Lynch, 2002). Finding a balance that reaches all the participants in the course becomes the balancing act of the developer and the facilitator of the course (Slay, 2002).

How the course is developed is another issue to be determined. While basing it on the seven principles of good online course environment, basing it as a competency-based course encourages a course considered more relevant to the learner. This allows the learner to transfer the learning to real world applications.

Discussion

The decision has been made to develop the online course. There have been surveys and research performed to determine the need. How to develop the course now comes into play. Determining the outcomes, how to evaluate completion and the presentation of the content becomes the next set of steps to be accomplished. These steps are part of the best practices. They are all part of the methodologies used for creating and teaching the online course.

Methodology

Online teaching methodologies are difficult to describe. While very similar in nature to any teaching methodology, online leans more toward the constructivist form of practice. The instructor becomes more of a facilitator and less of a "sage on the stage" (Palloff & Pratt, 2001). Spender lists a set of criteria important to successful online teaching, one of which is to create effective communication (1996). Hanna et al (2000) list many different aspects of online teaching many of which deal with the ability to communicate and flexibility in the environment of online.

Major pedagogical elements to consider in developing an online class are ability to create a course room environment that encourages students to create a meaning from the content that fits into their perspective and reality. The content needs to be clear while allowing for further research on areas of interest. Equal access to the content is a necessity (Spender, 1996). Encouraging contact between students and faculty and students and students for collaborative learning experiences is a major part of online learning (Palloff & Pratt, 2001). Online learning lends itself to a more learner centered type of instructional design (Hanna et al, 2000). The student is the key director with the instructor facilitating the learning through feedback and direction (Hanna et al, 2000). Open communication cannot be overly emphasized.

All of these items are listed in the seven principles of best practice and should meet the criteria (Ally & Jansak, n.d). One of the ways to start is with the development of outcomes. The outcomes should be easily evaluated, assessed and relevant to the learner (Ally & Jansak, n.d.). Deciding on what the course is to be teaching first is the determining factor for the content selection. Competency based education plays to this form of development well.

Best practices:

Ally and Jansak (n.d.) discuss the seven principles of best practice. When applying these to the course, success is more likely to occur. Each of the principles makes sense and application to courses is straightforward. Applying them to the courses makes a better and efficient course offering.

The seven principles are listed in Figure 1. Each of the principles is set up as student centered. This follows good pedagogy for the teaching of students. Various methods of teaching students based on these principles are presented.

Figure 1: Seven principles of good online course presentation.

Seven Principles of Best Practice
Principle	Definition
1. Knowledge is constructed	New knowledge is built on prior knowledge. The learner based on the prior knowledge and experiences constructs meaning.
2. Learning is more effective if the learner takes responsibility for their learning	When the learner is able to access information and content in a manner that plays to their strengths the learning becomes important and integrated into the schema of the learner.
3. Student motivation is a strong determinant of the outcomes and success of learning	Students that want to learn will make an effort to do so. Making courses relevant to the learner increases the motivation insuring a better success rate.
4. Higher order learning requires reflection	Reflection allows learners to evaluate what they have learned and synthesize it into an understandable form. Looking at how the information relates to the learner internalizes the learning.
5. Learning is unique to the individual	Individuals have their own unique prior knowledge. Individual learners have unique experiences that create filters through which the rest of the world goes through.
6. Learning is experiential	Learners experiment with the information provided in order to create a meaning from it. Playing with the information creates a better understanding of how the information works for them.
7. Learning is both social and private	Social activity is a key element of the interactions. Working in collaboration with other students helps increase learning. However, that learning is unique to the individual and carries meaning only to them

(Ally & Jansak, n.d.)

Assessment based on the seven principles

Based on the seven principles of effective teaching a multiple choice test based on a text that was not really utilized would not be an effective assessment. The use of this type of examination has not been built into the learning environment where the discussions and reflection papers would have been. According to the principles immediate feedback and contact with the instructor is needed (Newlin & Wang, 2002). In addition, the successful online course creates a practice situation of the testing that is required for the final assessments (Ritter & Lemke, 2000).

To improve the assessment use of rubrics based on the information used in the discussion forums and class. This gives a better understanding of what critical thinking skills were engaged in (Newlin & Wang, 2002). In order to ask the multiple choice and short definitions, they should have been based on the readings of the course room. This would be a more effective assessment of the students while staying within the requirements of the schools requirements (Graham et al, 2001).

In order to properly assess the students in the online environment, employing a rubric that addresses the various weekly discussions and the reflection papers. This communicates the high expectations that were presented in the course (Ritter & Lemke, 2000). These are the basis of good pedagogy and apply well to the internet-based course (Ritter & Lemke, 2000). These rubrics are written to evaluate the competencies that are developed for the course.

Competency based education

The definition of competency-based education according to the article is as follows:

” Very simply, competency-based education means that as educators, the focus

should always be on the outcome of the education, rather than the process of the

education. This is not to say that the process is not important – certainly, it is. But the

process (es) should be planned and carried out with the outcome of competency in mind." (ACGME, n.d.)

Competency-based education looks at how well the individuals are able to perform the skills or competency within the real world (ACGME, n.d.). This is more relevant to the real world expectations of the community.

Application to the online environment seems reasonable. The use of a specific skill/competency shows the observable behavior change that is considered the definition of learning. Competencies can be aligned with requirements of the work environment. In the educational arena, competencies show specific abilities to complete real world tasks and problem solving. This will help to develop learning experiences that are relevant to the student encouraging them to engage with the content more willingly.

Appendix 1 shows the competencies that are the basis of the course developed for the class. They are areas that are applicable to the learner's real world working environment making them meet best practice. The rationale for developing these competencies is also included with the competencies.

Competency-based learning shows how the skills translate into the working world. This makes the learning much more relevant to the student, creating an internal motivation for learning (Driscoll, 2000). One of the problems with online learning is motivation and the feelings of isolation. Competency-based learning, gives a specific goal to achieve with benchmarks to show achievement (Reigeluth, 1999). These benchmarks and specific goals allow the student to be able to self-monitor their progress through the course (Driscoll, 2000). The instructor has these outcomes also to set standards for feedback while facilitating the course (Palloff & Pratt, 2001).

Developing competency-based learning objectives are different from developing learning objectives in mainly in their wording. In order to show competency, one must show an observable skill or ability to perform a given task (Palloff & Pratt, 2001). Showing this ability to perform the skill or task can be done through collaboration with others or as an individual. Learning objectives simply state what they can expect to learn about, but not necessarily the skills gained from the course offering (Palloff & Pratt, 2001). Many times the competency-based outcome has a specific product that is proof of success versus the learning objective, which may simply be regurgitation of information presented. Competency-based objectives appear to be more student-centered in outcome (Driscoll, 2000).

Competency-based outcomes are aligned with tasks found in the real world based on standards of industry. Learning outcomes are based on standards of expectations of knowledge to be gained, not necessarily transferred to the work environment (Reigeluth, 1999). Online learning benefits from making the outcomes competency-based as this insures that those leaving the training have skills that transfer to the work environment and are observable changes. Being able to see the connection between the learning and their work environment encourages the student to take part in their education (Palloff & Pratt, 2001).

Assessment and evaluation of online courses

Lynch (2002) states that one of the hardest things to do is to give up control in the online learning. However, by doing so the ability to provide learning experiences that are meaningful to the student is possible. In order to assess the learning there needs to be some changes or modifications to the traditional ways of assessment. Assessment should be real-life and relevant (Lynch, 2002). This allows for a better understanding of what the learner understands.

Using things like research projects with some kind of product shows use of higher-level critical thinking skills. In addition, the collaboration for a product creates a way of evaluating both self and peers. This provides an insight into the thinking process of the student. Reflective writings that answer specific questions about the readings give the instructor information on whether the learners understand the material.

Being able to use Kirkpatrick's level one and two evaluations allow for formative evaluation (Winfrey, 1999). Kirkpatrick's Level one examines the student satisfaction with the learning environment (Kirkpatrick, 1998). This allows changes that might help the learner improve their learning. Level two examines what the learner has learned from the course (Kirkpatrick, 1998). From this information changes in the presentation can be achieved if there are specific areas that seem to be missing or not being understood (Lynch, 2002).

Formative evaluation data should be used to maintain whether the course is meeting the expectations of the learners as well as the criteria of the course in an ongoing feedback (Kirkpatrick, 1998). Summative evaluations are done at the end of the course to determine if learning has occurred (Kirkpatrick, 1998). The purpose of either of these evaluations is to provide feedback to the course designers, the instructors, sponsoring organizations and students that will create a better course offering (Lynch, 2002). The information gained by using these need to improve the offering either through content, presentation or facilitator improvement.

These evaluations influence curriculum development through providing targeted modules that meet the specific needs of the learner. The content should be revised according to the information found from these evaluations (Lynch, 2002). The effects of formative and summative evaluations on the curriculum allow the designer to create a relevant learning experience for the learners (Kirkpatrick, 1998).

There are varieties of online assessments and course evaluations that can be created through different software programs both on and off the web. This can be included with the course work and inserted at various times. An effective use would include at the beginning to assess the students' basic or prior knowledge and at the end to see what changes have occurred. Learning is defined as an observable change. This type of assessment would show this.

The course evaluation could be done at the midterm and then again at the end of the course. These need to be used to evaluate both student satisfaction and course meeting expectations. The assessments look at the student progress. These will show if the content is appropriate as well as whether the student is able to learn the material.

Learning styles and learning activities

The learning styles seem to influence the preferences for learning. Dependent on how one receives information the type of learning situations one place oneself is determined (Miller, 2000). If the learning style is more movement oriented then you have a tendency to look for activities that encourage movement and manipulation of information. This is along the lines of the Active or Analytical preference (Baltimore Public Schools, 2001). Learning styles and learning preferences tend to be closely related and affect how well learning occurs.

This is an issue for online learning, because those students that have a preference for a more active hands on environment in order to learn may struggle with this lack as they work through information. They are unable to access the material in a manner that promotes learning. The biggest struggle is for those whose preference is more active in manner. The next area of struggle is for those learners whose style is auditory in nature. Providing this type of input is difficult online with the limits of technology

Palloff and Pratt (2001) list other learning styles similar to those listed as more of a preference. Furthermore, they feel according to the styles they list they will all work well in the online environment (Palloff & Pratt, p. 110, 2001). It is possible that if the scope of the learning styles and preferences are limited to these this is true. As with the preferences listed by the Baltimore Public School (2001), these will work online. Learning styles, must in effect, then fall into a preference and it is these that struggle in being accommodated in the online environment (Miller, 2000).

Figure 2 gives the various learning styles and learning preferences with the activities that promote learning. When looking at these preferences and styles have commonalities. Activities that do well with a preference also seem to work well with the learning style that appears to be predominate for that preference.

Figure 2: Learning styles and preferences

Learning Style	Activities Associated
Visual	Learn information in visual form, graphics, written, color coded
Auditory	Learn things in auditory form, lectures, talking, film clips with sound
Kinesthetic	Learn through hands on, movement, activity
Tactile	Learning by touch, manipulation of material, feeling
Learning Preference	Activities Associated
Active	Doing things rather than observing, competitive, group work
Reflective	Observing rather actively involved, journaling, independent work
Global understanding	See the whole versus the parts, like projects and the materials, interpersonal connection important, group work
Analytical understanding	Sees the parts to whole picture, prefers independent work, sequential work, logical process

Activities need to be incorporated would include collaborative activities (Lynch, 2002). Lynch holds that this helps the students regardless of learning style to feel a part of the community (2002). Additionally, providing research activities to further the learning of the content presented in discussion and text (Palloff & Pratt, 2001). However, in order to meet other learning styles according to Diaz and Cartnal (1999) suggests that there be opportunities for independent self-paced study for those who are independent learners.

Diaz and Cartnal (1999) base their observations on learning styles investigation tools. They found "the Grasha-Reichmann Student Learning Style Scales (GRSLSS) seems ideal for assessing student learning preferences in a college-level distance learning setting." (Diaz & Cartnal, 1999). Based on this information, designing activities to meet the different styles of this tool can be difficult to achieve if attention to detail and research is not made.

Since there are students that learn either visually, auditorially or kinesthetically incorporating different presentations will be necessary (Palloff & Pratt, 2001). The majority of the online course work is geared toward the visual learner (Lynch, 2002). To meet auditory learner needs, include information presented in audio files, or live lectures with sound (Palloff &Pratt, 2001). Kinesthetic learners might be accommodated by interactive presentations that require the movement of mouse or drag and drops to accomplish the learning activity.

The key of developing the online course to promote interest and motivation is to create an environment that is "safe" for interactions between all the participants. Lynch (2002) describes the creation of a community of learners being a key for success since support and feedback is received from multiple sources. Discussion boards help to facilitate the collaborative learning aspects of the online learning community (Palloff & Pratt, 2001). Instructors have to be facilitators and encourages rather than "sages on the stage" (Diaz & Cartnal, 1999).

Reflection on Course Development

Developing the course for online is a unique experience. Each course demands a specific goal to be established. Creating the course to meet the needs of a specific group entails examining the target group for learning goals. After determining what is needed, the next step will include the developing competencies and evaluations and assessments of those competencies.

Competencies guide the development of the course. Activities engaged in should be driven by these competencies. Alignment of the assessment is again dependent on the competencies. Each activity plays into the next building toward a final activity. This scaffolding allows learners to take prior knowledge and build on it to assimilate the new information (Reigeluth, 1999).

The activities chosen for the course selection encouraged higher level critical thinking skills. Bloom's taxonomy based activities have a sound basis and allow for the scaffolding from lower level thinking skills to the higher. Each activity creates a product that aids in the assessment of learning. An authentic assessment of this nature is more valid than contrived tests (Driscoll, 2000). This is the type of assessment that works well with competency-based education (ACGME, n.d.).

Major issues and constraints for developing courses for online include accessibility to the content whether it is because of computer access or reading the information on the screen (Hanna et al, 2000). The limitations of bandwidth on both ends of the spectrum are one of the constraints that will be prevalent. Making sure that there are alternative ways of accessing the material and content of the course is needed. Other important issues of developing the course is knowing who is teaching it, who is going to be using it, what the learner characteristics are and what outcomes or goals this course is going to meet (Palloff & Pratt, 2001). These can also create constraints on how the course is developed since requirements from anyone of them can cause a change in presentation and form.

One of the biggest challenges seen deals with accessibility. It is not only the accessibility to the content, but the equipment also. Another challenge deals with decisions on the content. Dependence on who designs and teaches the course can influence the content. If the designer and instructor are the same, modifications are easier to accomplish. If the course is designed by, one then taught by another, adjustments and modifications are more difficult to achieve (Palloff & Pratt, 2001). Making sure there has been training for both the instructor and the learner is difficult sometimes to achieve (Palloff & Pratt, 2001). With the prevalence of the web, adjusting for time zones becomes a challenge when providing synchronous interactions (Hanna et al, 2000).

One of the key ways of overcoming some of the issues, constraints and challenges is communication (Hanna et al, 2000). Instructor making themselves available at various times for online communication, eliminating some of the strain of time zones (Hanna et al, 2000). Developing questions that encourage interaction with the content through reflection and critical thinking helps internalize the information (Palloff & Pratt, 2001). Finally, developing assessment tools that actually assess what is presented and learned in the classroom rather than an arbitrary assessment creates a well-developed course (Reigeluth, 1999).

Plagiarism

The development of opportunities for learners with online courses is the wave of the future. Creating good products can be difficult to achieve. Advance work needs to be done through a needs assessment and good knowledge of the target audience. Numerous issues will need to be addressed including assessment.

Part of the issue with assessment is the rising issue of plagiarism. The feeling that online courses both allow and encourage this behavior is prevalent for many of those who have qualms about this type of course delivery. There are ways of preventing it and limiting the desire to use this behavior for success.

In general, the consensus is that there is no difference in the amount of cheating, plagiarism and misrepresentation occurring between the face-to-face classroom and the online classroom (Barnett & Aagaard, 2005). In fact, there seems to be evidence that there is less plagiarism in the online venue than in the face-to-face classroom (Abraham, n.d.). Finding supporting evidence one way or the other is not easily available.

Hinchliffe (1998) provides a list of different ways of detecting plagiarism. One way is to look at the formatting of the paper. If the formatting does not match the required paper format then this is an indication that there has been plagiarism occurring (Hinchliffe, 1998). There are many paper mills out there and checking these sites for similarities would indicate something going on (Hinchliffe, 1998).

Stating the expectations at the beginning of the course and adhering to those expectations will create an environment that discourages cheating and plagiarism (Abraham, n.d.). Capella establishes their expectations of scholarly writing and makes use of the various offerings to educate the learner and instructor about ways of dealing with possible plagiarism (Capella, 2004).

From Scholar to Practioner

Developing the course for People First Language demanded attention to detail. Following the seven principles of best practice, eased some of the stress of development. The activities were geared to meet the objectives and competencies listed in Appendix 1. From these competencies, assessments were developed with an eye on establishing transfer to the real world work place.

The information that was presented, as well as the input from peers, allowed this development to occur. Having established the general idea of what is wanted, the steps of putting this concept into a workable format became an interesting task. The different abilities and education levels of the individuals that would access the course created a problem for me. Taking the information provided in the course, a clearer understanding of the process occurred.

Each step of the development was based on the information gained from readings. The final lesson offering examined by my peers was the result of the study applied to real world situations. The lesson is one section of an offering that will be used in the field of disabilities in order to improve understanding of what issues are faced by individuals with disabilities.

Applying the information to real world situations becomes an important part of the learning process. Reflection on what has been learned and then transferring this knowledge to a usable form makes the transformation from scholar to practioner.

Conclusion

The final offering is found in Appendixes 1 and 2. Learning the appropriate way to develop the course allows for a better development that adheres to best practice and good instructional design theory. This lesson was reviewed by peers whose suggestions were taken into consideration as revisions were made. The main item brought out in the design of the lesson was the size of the written responses and requirements for success.

Revision of this was made, since it was a reasonable suggestion in that there is a limited amount of time available for completion of this unit. This reduction and revision of the requirements for the lesson allow for more interaction with the course and peers. The revision also allows for reflection on the material, a key element in creating a good course. This input from peers gave a perspective on the course that was not previously considered.

This course is geared at support staff and service providers for individuals with disabilities that receive services from the Department of Mental Health MR/DD. The lesson highlights various issues of individuals with disabilities with an emphasis on how language and labels have an impact on attitudes of all involved individuals.

Background information

Individuals with disabilities many times find themselves in positions where they are degraded or looked down upon based on outward looks. Many of these times, people fail to see the unique individual who can contribute a wealth of experiences to their lives because they have made assumptions based on the outward appearances. Currently in the disabilities movement there is a push to recognize that the person should be noticed first and then the disability. To achieve this, a set of criteria were suggested by individuals with disabilities and other disabilities advocates to help change perceptions by changing the language used to refer to individuals with disabilities. This is the origin of People First Language (Snow, 2005).

Individuals with disabilities often are found in-group home situations or supported living situations dependent on support staff and service providers for maintaining a quality of life. This quality of life can be affected greatly by the way their support interacts with them. Many of the support staff is no more than a high school graduate, the job is low paying and there are few incentives to view the relationship as anything more than a paycheck. However, when training in People First language and sensitivity occurs there is an increase in job satisfaction for the support staff and self-esteem for individuals with disabilities (BMA, 2001). The course that was designed works with this aspect in an attempt to get people to look at themselves and their own behaviors and how those behaviors influence others. The module presented for evaluation is the opening module after introductions are made in the class.

Working in the field of disabilities one of the biggest problems faced by support staff and service providers is burnout. Some speculation leads to believe that the stress of dealing with individuals with disabilities and dependency on their staff for everything is a reason for some of the burnout. By changing attitudes on both sides of the fence, some of the dependency can be changed. Understanding issues faced by the consumer and making them more willing to support self-reliance should help create a better working environment decreasing the stress levels.

The course lesson was created. Appendix 2 is a complete outline of that course as reviewed by my peers and instructor. Taking their suggestions, the lesson was tweaked and resubmitted. The final product is only a small part of the overall process to create an online course. The work gone into this small section is tremendous and requires attention to detail and theory.

The creation of an online course meets the needs of support staff allowing them to take it at a time that is convenient to their work schedules. The increased demand on their own schedules makes the desire to improve their education and training difficult. A quality offering such as this course not only meets all the needs of the learner, but offer solutions to possible job dissatisfaction. The attention to the needs of the work environment, demands on time schedules and the desire to improve the work environment are all met with the online course.

References

Abraham, S. (n.d.) Teaching a programming class online: A faculty perspective. Retrieved May 16, 2005 from http://isedj.org/isecon/2002/223c/ISECON.2002.Abraham.txt

Alley, L.R., & Jansak, K.E. (n.d.) Applying the principles of learning science to Web-based instruction. Retrieved May31, 2005 from http://www.edison.cc.oh.us/online/LearningPrinciples.pdf

ACGME Outcome Project. (n.d.) Competency-based education. Retrieved April 11, 2005 from http://library.cpmc.columbia.edu/cere/web/ACGME/doc/Competency_Based.pdf

Baltimore Public School. (2001). Learning styles and preferences. Retrieved April 17, 2005 from http://www.bcps.org/offices/lis/models/tips/styles.html

Barnett, D. & Aagaard, L. (2005). On-line vs. face-to-face instruction: Similarities, differences and efficacy. Occasional Research Paper [Online] Retrieved May 16, 2005 from http://irapp.morehead-st.edu/pdf/cerl_10.pdf

British Medical Association (BMA). (June 2001). GP registrars' views on their training & job satisfaction: June 2001 Results from the BMA cohort study of 1995 medical graduates. Retrieved May 2, 2005 from http://www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/Content/GP+registrars'+views+on+their+training+and+job+satisfaction:+June+2001+

Capella. (2004). IGuide: Academic honesty. Retrieved May 16, 2005 from https://www.capella.edu/portal/learner/scontent/centers/learner/policies/academichonesty.aspx

Diaz, D. P. & Cartnal, R. B. (1999) Comparing student learning styles in an online distance learning class and an equivalent on-campus class. Retrieved April 15, 2005 from http://home.earthlink.net/~davidpdiaz/LTS/html_docs/grslss.htm

Driscoll, M.P. (2000). Psychology of learning for instruction (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Graham, C., Kursat, C., Byung-Ro, L., Craner, J., & Duffy, T.M. (2001). Seven principles of effective teaching: A practical lens for evaluating online courses. The Technology Source. January/February 2001. [Online]. Retrieved May 14, 2005 from http://distance.wsu.edu/facultyresources/savedfromweb/7principles.html

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Appendix 1: Course Competencies

Specific learning outcomes:

1. Knowledge

a. Define the meaning of People First Language

b. List five examples of people first language.

2. Comprehension

a. Describe a situation where people first language is used and what feelings/attitude it invoked.

b. Contrast a properly used people first language situation with one that did not include people first language situation

c. Discuss with dyads the feelings and experiences of being the individual with disabilities.

3. Application

a. Demonstrate how to encourage people to use people first language.

b. Illustrate why using people first language is important

4. Analysis

a. Analyze response to sensitivity exercise

b. Compare analysis with others in dyad.

5. Synthesis

a. Plan with dyads a presentation on people first language.

b. Formulate a proposal to encourage the use of people first language.

6. Evaluation

a. Explain why the use of people first language is important for improving self-esteem.

b. Convince a small group not in class to use people first language.

c. Support the reason for encouraging other to use people first language.

These competencies are based on needs in the field of working to support individuals with disabilities. To align these outcomes with competencies the following competencies were developed.

Students will present work environment guidelines for using People First Language.
Students will create sets of case studies to exemplify why it is important to apply the People First language to the work environment.
Students will participate in sensitivity awareness activities to gain a better understanding of the issues and problems faced by individuals with disabilities.
Apply techniques of the philosophy of People First language to work environment and report the results.

Appendix 2: People First Lesson

People First Language

Background information:

Individuals with disabilities often are found in-group home situations or supported living situations dependent on support staff and service providers for maintaining a quality of life. This quality of life can be affected greatly by the way their support interacts with them. Many of the support staff is no more than a high school graduate, the job is low paying and there are few incentives to view the relationship as anything more than a paycheck. However, when training in People First language and sensitivity occurs there is an increase in job satisfaction for the support staff and self-esteem for individuals with disabilities (BMA, 2001). The course that I am designing works with this aspect in an attempt to get people to look at themselves and their own behaviors and how those behaviors influence others. The module I am presenting for your evaluation is the opening module after introductions are made in the class.

Reference:

Snow, K. (2005) People First Language. Used with permission of Kathy Snow. Retrieved February, 2004 from http://www.disabilityisnatural.com/peoplefirstlanguage.htm

Unit 1

"Sticks and Stones will break my bones, but words can never hurt me."

Line from a nursery rhyme

How many times growing up did you hear that phrase or something similar when some one said something bad or cruel about you. I know I went home many times from school crying because the boys in the playground said something cruel about growing up on the wrong side of the tracks or that my parents were nothing but railroaders. My mom would tell me: "You know deep down inside you is a special person. You will go far and make wonderful things happen. Those kids are jealous because you see the world differently than they do and they don't understand it" I was lucky that she had such a great way of acknowledging my feelings and still building me up. However, all the other adults outside of my family would use the stock phrase above.

In reality, we now know that if there is not a counter balance to those cruel words, they will sometimes become self-fulfilling prophecies. The words we use really do hurt when we are cruel and mean. We use them to describe aspects of the individuals we know or those that we meet. They range from specific to generalizations. Individuals with disabilities are classified in generalities to the point that the abilities and contributions are often overlooked. The more they hear themselves referred to as unable to do because of… The more likely they will start to believe it and start to not be able to.

An example of where this happens is a young woman who is very talented in the realm of musical and kinesthetic intelligences. She is a very accomplished singer and great dancer and acrobat. However, she is very challenged with reading and mathematics. She has also had things happen in her life that should not have. Because of this, words are painful to her. She views herself as dumb and stupid because that is the way she perceive her teachers views of her. Her low self-esteem is present in comments "I guess I'm what the girls say I am…nothing but a s*** and a wh***." She is a well-proportioned young lady who works to maintain a good figure since one of her dreams in life is to model and act. Of course, because of this the boys in school tend to drool. This makes the other girls jealous and her, the brunt of their meanness. When given positive support with words and phrases, her demeanor improves and she is much more willing to take a risk and try those things that are difficult for her.

This unit is going to explore our own reactions to the words used in reference to us. As you work through this unit, reflect on what you feel like when you get positive words and negative words. Also, think about how you use words in talking to others. Disability is Natural is an organization supporting the rights of individuals with disabilities and some of the issues they face. One of the articles written by Kathy Snow, who maintains and is the main contributor to this site, deals with the People First Language (Snow, 2005). Please visit the site and read what she has to say about the impact of words.

Website: Used with Kathy Snow's permission Disability is Natural, People First Language http://www.disabilityisnatural.com/peoplefirstlanguage.htm

Reference:

Snow, K. (2005) People First Language. Used with permission of Kathy Snow. Retrieved February, 2004 from http://www.disabilityisnatural.com/peoplefirstlanguage.htm

Activity One:

Make a list of ten words that make you feel good about yourself when others use them. Evaluate why these words affect you the way they do. Write three paragraphs highlighting three of these words and why some words you have listed are good words for you. Post it in the discussion area. Read what your classmates have to say and respond supportively to at least one other person.

Activity Two:

Now we are going to take the opposite stance. Make a list of ten words that make you feel bad about yourself when others use them. Evaluate why these words affect you the way they do. Write three paragraphs highlighting three of these words you have listed and why they are bad words for you. Post it in the discussion area. Read what your classmates have to say and respond supportively to at least one other person.

Activity Three:

Looking at what you wrote compare how these things might be similar to the information you gained from the Disability is Natural website. Discuss how your bad words could compare to those words and phrases that Kathy shares in her list that are considered to not be People First language(Snow, 2005). Include why these words might be considered derogatory or demeaning to a person. Do the same with the good words and those considered People First Language. Make sure to include how these are supportive. Please create four paragraphs dedicating two paragraphs to each word list. Read the postings of your fellow classmates and comment on one of their postings.

Reference:

Snow, K. (2005) People First Language. Used with permission of Kathy Snow. Retrieved February, 2004 from http://www.disabilityisnatural.com/peoplefirstlanguage.htm

Activity Four:

Now that we have made you think about how words make you feel, why do you think it is important to be aware of the language you use when working and interacting with individuals with disabilities? Please write two paragraphs in response to this question. Make sure to respond to one other classmate.

Evaluation

Rubric for Scoring

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Good word list	All words are present with a clear statement of why they are important.	All words are present with a statement of why they are important.	All words are present A statement of why they are important is attempted.	There are missing elements...
Good word list	Support information is related to and supportive of the topic/subject.	Support information has minor weaknesses in relatedness to and/or support of the topic/subject.	Support information has major weaknesses in relatedness to and/or support of the topic/subject.	An attempt has been made to add support information, but it was unrelated or confusing.
Bad word list	All words are present with a clear statement of why they are important	All words are present with a statement of why they are important	All words are present A statement of why they are important is attempted.	There are missing elements.
Bad word list	Support information is related to and supportive of the topic/subject.	Support information has minor weaknesses in relatedness to and/or support of the topic/subject.	Support information has major weaknesses in relatedness to and/or support of the topic/subject.	An attempt has been made to add support information, but it was unrelated or confusing.
Comparison of list and People First Language	A clear statement of reason is present.	The statement of reason is present but not necessarily clear	The statements of reason are present but not clear.	No statement of reason is present.
Comparison of list and People First Language	Support information is related to and supportive of the topic/subject.	Support information has minor weaknesses in relatedness to and/or support of the topic/subject.	Support information has major weaknesses in relatedness to and/or support of the topic/subject.	An attempt has been made to add support information, but it was unrelated or confusing.
Reason for awareness	A clear statement of reason is present.	The statement of reason is present but not necessarily clear	The statements of reason are present but not clear.	No statement of reason is present.
Reason for awareness	Support information is related to and supportive of the topic/subject.	Support information has minor weaknesses in relatedness to and/or support of the topic/subject.	Support information has major weaknesses in relatedness to and/or support of the topic/subject.	An attempt has been made to add support information, but it was unrelated or confusing.
Reason for awareness	Elaboration consists of specific, developed details.	Elaboration consists of some specific details.	Elaboration consists of general and/or undeveloped details, which may be presented in a list-like fashion.	Elaboration is sparse; almost no details.