What’s in Your Computer? An Instructional Module on Replacing Your Legacy Windows Operating System

The purpose of this instructional design project was to develop and evaluate an instructional module on the process of converting a legacy Windows laptop operating system to a Free / Open source Linux operating system for adult students at the University of Hawaii at Manoa Outreach College. After working with free/open source software and the Linux operating system in a previous Educational Technology (ETEC) class I saw the potential of Linux to replace aging proprietary operating systems and extend the life of older hardware. In order to teach computer technology a hands-on demonstration is probably most effective. In the absence of one-on-one instruction, student tutorials through an online website with visual and audio instruction could be equally effective. This project was presented at the 20th Annual Technology, Colleges, and Community Worldwide Online Conference in March 2015.When Microsoft ended Windows XP support in 2014 it left many computer users without a reliable, cost effective computer operating system. Linux Mint can fulfill this need and extend the life of older computer hardware. Instructional design theories for effective teaching material utilize various combinations of techniques for creating educational modules. Visual and auditory presentations and the balance between these mediums are factors that lead to effective cognitive design. I developed a web based instructional module utilizing Wix to deliver a user-friendly interface. Training material needs to be geared towards the audience. In this introductory teaching module I minimized technical jargon to not overwhelm the participant. Step-by-step instruction is provided in the module along with written guidelines and audio narration. Pretest and post tests are administered to each participant to assess learning effectiveness. My challenge as an instructional designer is to make learning material engaging and informative. This instructional design project created an online tutorial for Outreach College Students on how to install and configure a free/open source operating system on a computer. Effectively utilizing the appropriate tools was my priority consideration and the key to effective design of my instructional module