Mostly what I learned in my Instructional Systems Design courses this semester about the whole design process in general was due diligence. In my job, I am constantly rushed and meet with faculty who are tempted to jump in and start using the technology tools to get something up and ready for students to view in their online course. Partly this is because I work for an open enrollment community college and there are times when a course must be put together quite quickly in order to meet the last minute enrollment demands. But other times, I think we just rush past what we know is the right process for creating a quality online instructional design.

Even the title of our textbook, “Rapid Instructional Design,” spoke to this need to move fast. It was helpful to learn tips on what can be skipped in a really rushed production timeline and what should never be skipped.  I especially liked how to think about using a part of a design that works in other designs. I found this helpful when I could refer to the layout and evaluation of my first project when working on my second project. For my first project, I created an evaluation survey that the client found leaned towards negativity. I made the revision and then for my second project I was able to build a survey that met the client’s immediate approval. This was a huge time-saver.

I learned that taking time up front to listen to the client and understand their problems helped me create and more targeted and effective training session. Formally defining the problem to address in a written document became a touchstone to keep in mind what my design should solve. The analysis phase is so tempting to skip and seems to be the hardest part for designers to face. I find myself in meetings with my department discussing how we are going to deliver advanced training to our faculty about online learning. There are many assumptions posed about what faculty want in advanced training. This course has prompted me to ask my work team, “Have we actually asked faculty what they need?” I also asked, “What exactly is the problem we wish to solve with this training?” I’m still hopeful we can gather the data we will need and give our due diligence to this phase of the instructional design process. I believe that by pausing to start with analysis will help save time in the long run and certainly produce a better and more acceptable product.

Just this week I got to put my development skills to the test. I was working with a welding faculty member who is offering his program’s fully online capstone course for the first time. I’ve learned that opening up our learning management system is an immediate distraction and keeps us from first looking at the “what” needs to be developed before we get to the “how” are we going to develop the course. So this time I pulled up past syllabi and the learning outcomes before we opened his course. This got us started talking about what the students needed to accomplish in his capstone course and what he could assign to help them reach the course objectives. It was interesting to see how the semester-long welding project he wants his students to complete in stages mimicked what we needed to do to build his course. He got it when I reassured him that if we spent this time planning out what we need to build in his course that once we got to the actual building stage it would go much quicker and be exactly what he and his students needed. By the end of our meeting, we had all his assignments mapped out and matched to his course objectives. Paying due diligence to development phase got us both excited about his new course.

Before this course, and during this course, I was most comfortable with the design and implementation phases. I am not afraid of learning new tools. I often with I had more leisure to figure out how to incorporate them into my instructional design. I can see where virtual and augmented reality are already influencing new and better ways of instruction. Adding more human storytelling elements, interactivity, social learning and gamification are all interesting challenges to bring to the design phase of creating instruction. Exposure is good, but I look forward to actually incorporating new tools into my own instructional design. For this course, I mostly used tools I already knew or were similar in nature due to the rapid timelines required to meet due dates.

Implementing beta tests, gathering feedback and evaluation are often the most skipped phases of instructional design and they are often the most helpful in producing a product that meets all expectations and quality standards. I was fortunate that I got to do both a beta test and a full implementation of my first project. The beta test helped me revise my project before presenting it to a class full of faculty. I know going through the whole ADDIE process of design on the project made my training session a success. My evaluation from the true implementation was extremely positive. There are some minor areas to tweak, such as the pacing of the instruction, but overall this experience has boosted my confidence in several areas of instructional design. I promise to keep paying due diligence to the instructional design process.

I recently tried using Articulate Storyline 360 to create an online instructional lesson on test-taking strategies to be used at Lone Star College (LSC) in the First Year Experience (EDUC 1300) course. I chose this particular subject because my counterpart at LSC-University Park, Kathryn Bernhardt teaches this course fully online and she volunteered to be my client. We noticed that her test-taking instruction was a static document that did not capture students’ attention nor truly measure their time on task.  I offered to use this opportunity to create a more interactive and measurable lesson for her students.

I had a choice to use Storyline or Rise as the requirement for Project B in my master’s course. I have briefly used Storyline before so I decided to delve further into it rather than learn another new tool. Overall, I found Storyline to be rather user-friendly. The workspace interface is similar to Microsoft PowerPoint so it felt familiar to me. I was able to create Master slides and apply a variety of layouts to my lesson. It was easy to link slide groupings called scenes from one to another to dictate the flow of the lesson. I loved the library of characters I could add to my slides to give the lesson a more human touch.

I did run into some difficulties using Storyline. Some of my troubles were due to ignorance. There is always a learning curve involved when trying a new tool. Knowing a tool well always helps me decide how to approach the design of an online learning object or lesson. In this case, I assumed I could place more than one essay quiz question input on a slide. There were several quiz question slides where I placed two or more text entry fields on the same slide. What I discovered was that the results slide could not collect the input from multiple essay questions on one slide. It would only collect one essay question per slide. I had wanted the learner to be able to compose their reflection responses on one slide and then be able to print them out to keep and review. Unfortunately, the results slide would only print out one designated text entry field from each slide. By the time I discovered this, it was too close to my project deadline to change it. That is a risk when using a new tool on such a tight project timeline.

Another factor of a tight timeline is the speed required for content development. I was fortunate that I found a test-taking strategies chapter in the College Success v 1.0 course offered through a Creative Commons license from Saylor Academy. They graciously shared their lesson under a CC license that allowed me to freely re-mix and adapt their content to our needs. I stayed close to their course organization only shuffling the descriptions of types of tests to a different section. I was worried about the wordiness of their lesson content and wished I had more time to break it up in a creative way.

The amount and length of text to read in this lesson turned out to be the most common criticism of my beta test group. I was lucky to get three out of six faculty who teach this subject (including my client, Kathryn) to review the test-taking lesson. Overall, they were thrilled that the lesson was updated in a more interactive and measurable format. They liked the interface, felt the lesson content was informative, and met the course goals. However, they too were worried that the length some of the text blocks would intimidate students. They suggested more chunking of information and adding supportive images.

I feel I have a good start to producing a quality test-taking strategies lesson. There are many changes I’d like to implement. While Storyline was easy to use and integrated within our D2L learning management system, I think it would be more applicable to shorter lessons that did not involve as much text. I felt this lesson needed more vertical space to allow students to see a complete list. I will most likely use the HTML templates in D2L to present the text and break it into chunks that are more manageable. I also want to move the essay and other quiz questions into D2L for the sole purpose of exposing students to the exact quiz tool they will be using in all their online courses. Finally, I’d like to introduce more story elements and scenarios to the content to increase the engagement and help the students relate the content to their own lives. Overall, I’m pleased with the test-taking strategies lesson I produced for Project B and am looking forward to taking it to the next level.

When searching for the meaning of what it is to design instruction, I came across M. David Merrill and his associates at Utah State University. They wrote a statement titled, Reclaiming Instructional Design in 1996. They put forth a strong standpoint that instructional design is the technology that stems from the science of instruction (Merrill, Drake, Lacy, & Pratt, & ID₂ Research Group Utah State University, 1996). So while reading their statement, I started thinking about design as a technical act based on the scientific study of instruction.  How is designing instruction industrious and full of purpose?

My father is a retired chemical engineer. He spent over 35 years working in the petro-chemical industry. Towards the end of his career, he worked in a pilot plant as part of the research portion of the business. The chemists would work in their labs, coming up with new formulas. They did all the studies on what chemical compounds combine for producing a marketable product. However, the new chemical formula could not be pushed out into the marketplace without a way to make it on a larger scale. That is when my father and his associates would use technology and design to turn the chemist’s knowledge into a product for large-scale distribution and fulfill a needed purpose. They would design the layout of the machinery and calculate temperatures, pressures, and everything else that goes into producing industrial chemicals. It called for testing and evaluation. They may have had to go back and start over. Each time learning some new way to accomplish their goal. Once successful, their pilot plant would be emulated on an even larger scale to make chemicals that would then be marketed and sold to go into many products that we use every day.

I bring up my father’s industry experience because it helps me put a tangible example to what I do as an instructional designer. It is hard to see providing a route for people to learn as a product. The end result is not something that can be seen or touched. However, the design process is very similar. I start with a need. Someone needs to learn a particular skill or know something more about the world around him or her. That advancement of a person’s skill or knowledge is my product. That is what I aim to supply. But what is the best route to deliver this product on a mass scale? This calls for research and drawing upon the knowledge that has been gained by scientists studying how people learn. Once I have the analysis of needs and a theory for how to deliver a solution, then the design phase of instruction begins. Just as my father put together pipes and machinery, I put together instructional delivery tools, activities and ways to measure and encourage success. Testing is the next step. Often this phase is also called a “pilot” just like my father’s smaller-scaled chemical plant. I try out my instructional design and gather feedback from my subjects. I want to know how well it worked before distributing it out for others to use. Did my instructional design deliver the product? Did it help someone learn a new skill or piece of knowledge in the most efficient manner with long-lasting effects? If not, I may have to try again. If so, I have a product that can be delivered to the masses.

But what does it really take to design instruction professionally? It is also quite different from making a product that can be seen and touched. That is because it is very human. It is also not such an assembly line production. It definitely takes someone who can see the forest through all the trees. Like how the chemical my father made is just one ingredient in a product that we see on a grocery shelf. One little lesson, such as an online discussion prompt, does not always seem like it makes that much difference. It takes a positive attitude to realize every way a person can learn works together to build a new skill. Curiosity and perseverance are also a necessity to design instruction professionally. As technology advances, so does our knowledge of how people learn and how we are able to deliver learning. Our methods and tools are continually changing and an instructional designer must seek them out and always revise their ways of accomplishing their goals. A fine eye for details and organization are extremely helpful for instructional designers. Being able to set patterns and find the simplest way to explain and present a concept is a huge part of being a successful designer. It helps to have project management skills in order to calculate time needed, stay on task and see a job through to the end. Finally, because this is a very human industry it is important to be patient and compassionate. Often an instructional designer works with a team. There may be a subject matter expert or client. Active listening and seeking to understand others is often the key to combining talents for reaching the ultimate goal of producing quality instruction and helping others learn.

Reference

Merrill, M. D., Drake, L., Lacy, M. J., Pratt, J., & ID₂ Research Group Utah State University (1996). Reclaiming instructional design. Educational Technology, 36(5), 5-7. Retrieved from http://m.firstprinciplesofinstruction.com/Papers/Reclaiming.pdf

“Do it now!” is easier said than done. Perhaps it needs to be proceeded by Nike’s “Just do it!” slogan. I remember a time of little sleep, three weeks before submitting my final portfolio to graduate with my bachelors of fine art when I stuck a “Do it now!” post-it note above my drafting table. Those three words helped me persevere and continue to do so today. I have since studied other methods of self-regulation, goal setting, leadership and communication styles and techniques. Some I have taken lightly and others have really struck a deep chord in my psyche. I experienced the following two programs at about the same time within the last ten years. They have both helped me put a language to how I have determined my path and achieved my goals.

StrengthsQuest

I participated in leadership development with my work at Lone Star College. Part of this development included taking a Gallup survey called the Clifton StrengthsFinder and reading the StrengthsQuest book written by Donald O. Clifton and Edward “Chip” Anderson and revised by Laurie A. Schreiner. The StrengthsQuest program is designed to help you discover your greatest talents and develop your strengths. The Gallup Company claims to have conducted millions of psychologic interviews with top achievers over three decades. From the information gathered, they identified more than 400 themes of talent, however only used the most common 34 themes to form their StrengthsFinder survey. The entry-level participants to this program only receive the top five of the 34 themes. The idea is to help participants focus on what they do best. My top five themes are input, learner, connectedness, achiever, and intellection.

I strongly believe that if you want to achieve your goals, you need to know yourself. In what areas do you excel? What brings you satisfaction and enjoyment? Reading about my strengths confirmed my intuitions and observations about myself and gave me a quick way to express areas where I thrive. I can consciously use these strengths to reach my goals and select goals I know I can achieve. For instance, I recognize using my input strength when researching information. My learner strength comes in handy when there is a new task to master or knowledge to gain. Connectedness helps me find a purpose in all I do and keeps me motivated. My achiever strength keeps me on track and helps me get things done. Finally, my intellection allows me to think critically about many aspects of any subject. There is a darker flip side to the strengths that is helpful to know but not dwell upon. I realize my input, learner and intellection strengths can stall my progress. I can be caught up in collecting and thinking about a subject or task and run out of time to accomplish what is required. This is good information to know about myself.

The StrengthsQuest program becomes even more helpful when an organization or team all take the survey and share their strengths. Knowing what others need to be effective and how their strengths can contribute in a positive way helps with accomplishing goals. It also helps with what communication style is best suited to approaching different people. Someone like me, with input and intellection appreciates knowing the details are covered. My husband has a strategic strength. According to StrengthsQuest, he is fast at coming up with a plan to get from point A to point B. Once I found out he had this strength, I quit pestering him and gave him more of my trust. He also came to realize that I felt better when he explained some or all of the details, even when he did not think it was necessary. I think having these tools of self-knowledge and communication have helped in many ways. In addition, I feel that StrengthsQuest is just one tool. I believe any method that helps a person stop and analyze what works in their life is worth consideration.

The Leader in Me

When my daughter was in kindergarten, her elementary school purposefully adopted Stephen R. Covey’s The Leader In Me program into their culture. The program derives from his popular The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People book. The simple language used to help elementary school children learn these good habits is catchy and have become my motivation mantras. For example:

1. Be Proactive. This habit reminds me to think ahead and be responsible for my own actions.
2. Begin with the End in Mind. Getting a clear picture of the steps needed to reach a well-defined goal prevents me from unnecessarily expanding the scope of an endeavor.
3. Put First Things First. This is one of my favorites. I try not to let distractions hinder my priorities.
4. Think Win-Win. When working with others this helps remind me to look for solutions that are beneficial to all.
5. Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood. This habit is important for good communication. Active listening is a challenge when my brain tries to skip ahead. I try to make an effort to stop and listen to others’ complete comments.
6. Synergize. I respect others’ abilities and seek to learn from them. I try to put my ego aside so I do not miss good opportunities or solutions that come from another perspective.
7. Sharpen the Saw. Self-regulating my health is a hard but important challenge. I will not be able to accomplish any goals if I am sick or weak.

Paying attention to these habits and trying to live by them has become important in my life and communication with my family. I find myself using this vocabulary with my daughter; especially “Put First Things First” when she is trying to avoid a chore. The advice does not just come from mom, but a well-respected author and expert on leadership skills.

References

Clifton, D. O., Anderson, E., & Schreiner, L. A. (2006). StrengthsQuest: Discover and develop your strengths in academics, career, and beyond (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Gallup Press.

Covey, S. R. (2008). The leader in me: How schools and parents around the world are inspiring greatness, one child at a time. New York, NY: Free Press.

Before this week, I had very little experience with Second Life. I am mostly familiar with meeting people online via video conferencing and instant chat. I have 3D experience using an HTC Vive system. However, the HTC Vive comes with headgear and your whole body movement immerses into and controls navigation within the virtual environment. The first time was a little confusing, but extremely intuitive for me and I quickly caught on to how to operate how to maneuver in the new 3D world. With Second Life being a computer operated application, my mastery of the controls was slower.

I installed the Second Life viewer onto my computer and set up an account. I chose an avatar and was comfortable with the interface. Once I started the orientation tutorial, I was not as confident. The system responsiveness greatly decreased. I wasn’t the only user who was having difficulties as there were a stack of avatars hovering on top of each other at entry point. My first social interaction was a quick chat with another user who said, “This is very laggy.” I accessed an external website to get basic instructions and was able to maneuver away from the pile. I managed to slog my way through the orientation and fumble through the controls. At the end was an opportunity to visit other “islands” including one for beginners called Caledon Oxbridge University. This turned out to be a lucky choice.

Caledon Oxbridge University’s Second Life Orientation is what I expected an immersive 3D tutorial to be. It immolated a museum visit with clear signage and huge arrows letting me know which direction to go. Each stop was like an exhibit. It started with the most basic information and did not assume I knew anything about Second Life. I spent many hours absorbed in learning how to move, behave, interact, play media and even dress my avatar in Second Life. There were activities and challenges to perform as I progressed that let me try out newly acquired skills. After moving through several halls and feeling more at ease operating my avatar, I felt confident I would be able to join my class for a meeting in Second Life.

I was first to arrive at my meeting on the ISTE organization’s island. My instructor arrived next and I was unsure how to greet her. It felt awkward not having the physical cues a normal introduction would include. Only one other student arrived shortly after the instructor. There were some technical difficulties with mics and speakers. We did have the ability to use the nearby chat feature. My instructor was speaking and I could hear her, but my mic wasn’t activated. Once I found how to activate my mic and also helped my fellow classmate, we were able to hear and talk to each other verbally. However, it didn’t seem my instructor was ever able to hear us.

Our assignment instructions for the meeting had been given to us ahead of time. My instructor reminded us of our tasks and then immediately “teleported” to the next location. It took my classmate and me a few minutes to work out that we would team up as assigned. Then we followed our instructor to the EdTech Island, our first location. My classmate and I looked around to get our bearings. We weren’t exactly sure what we were supposed to do. There was some signage, but no clear goal or objective that indicated this was a tutorial or lesson. It was a space with several buildings and pathways. We saw our instructor but she didn’t speak or chat with us. She teleported away. We decided to look in the nearest building. It has some posters, a math experiment and some meeting tables, but it looked abandoned. My classmate and I decided this was not a lesson in itself, but perhaps would make sense if when filled with students and an instructor who was teaching them. We decided to “teleport” to the second location we had been assigned. It was actually associated with the Caledon Oxford University I had visited previously. However, this time I landed in the trees and once I figured out how to come down, my classmate and I visited an empty cabin. Again, we decided this space might be useful as a gathering place but by itself was not an instructionally designed lesson.

Not sure if our meeting was over, my classmate and I decided to go back to the ISTE Island to see if our instructor was waiting for us. Instead, we interrupted a group’s live meeting. It was a bit embarrassing but they were helpful and nice. It was hard to communicate with all the overlap in talking and I did not know how to mute out the conflicting sounds. My classmate and I did manage to walk far enough away from the noise. I convinced him to visit the Caledon Oxford University tutorial to show him a comparison and there we were able to gather our conclusions.

I decided that immersive 3D virtual environment have potential to be a beneficial place for online learning. However, if looking to create an asynchronous lesson, there needs to be clear goals, outcomes and instructions. If leading a synchronous lesson, the instructor needs to be prepared to offer technical assistance, either through clear instructions beforehand or at the beginning of the meeting. There can be a high learning curve for students who are unfamiliar with the technology. In order for a student’s cognitive load to be at a level where they can focus on the intended information, they need to be so comfortable operating their avatar it is instinctual. To avoid further interruptions, the equipment used to run such a graphic heavy environment must also run smoothly. I think advances in 3D immersive virtual environments will make it easier for students and the uses will increase especially for simulating learning that would typically involve danger or high material costs.

References

Moore, K., & Pflugfelder, E. H. (2010). On being bored and lost (in virtuality). Learning, Media and Technology, 35(2), 249-253. doi:10.1080/17439884.2010.494438

Webster, R. (2016). Declarative knowledge acquisition in immersive virtual learning environements. Interactive Learning Environments, 24(6), 1319-1333. doi:10.1080/10494820.2014.994533

I just completed a formal instructional design process following the ADDIE model. I created a three-hour face-to-face training session for faculty professional development on using SoftChalk to create interactive online lessons. ADDIE is an acronym for five phases of an instructional design model developed in the 1970’s by Florida State University for the United States military (Instructional design models, n.d.).  Each phase presented challenges but ultimately helped me create a responsive and thoughtful instructional design.

A = Analysis

To start an instructional design following the ADDIE model, I first needed to gather all the information I needed to understand what was needed to create an instructional design that met my client’s needs. Fortunately, my client was Sandra Velazquez, the manager of Lone Star College-North Harris’ professional development department. She had previously conducted faculty-focused surveys and met with her faculty advisory committee. Through interviewing her and the department’s faculty fellow, I was able to glean the faculty performance needs and define the problem this training session should address. I found by taking the time to analyze and pin down the exact problem to address, my instructional design had a true purpose that helped me focus all my actions for the rest of the project.

D = Design

The design phase helped me decide what goals and objectives the faculty would need to meet in order to increase their knowledge of how to use SoftChalk for creating interactive online lessons. I found it helpful to refer to various infographics, such as Allan Carrinton’s Padagogy Wheel English V5 to help me use action verbs that accurately described what levels of thinking and actions would occur in this session to help faculty gain a better understanding of SoftChalk (Carrington, n.d.). Using the Bloom’s Taxonomy reasoning and terms plus keeping in mind Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction helped me devise what activities would best lead faculty to meet the goals of the session (Picciano, 2017).

D = Development

Development is tedious, lengthy and detailed. However, it is also my strongest area of the instructional design process. Developing is the phase where the minutia is captured and the session starts to form into a real entity. Building on what I started in the design phase, I tried to document everything needed to make this training session successful. I was able to create a minute-by-minute guide for any facilitator to use when delivering this session. I created a presentation using SoftChalk itself. I also created a handout for the session participants. I used my graphic design skills to layout these documents in a clear and professional manner.

I = Implementation

In a normal period, my implementation phase would be much stronger. Because this instructional design project was for my master’s class, I had a due date that did not coordinate when my client actually wants to deliver the training session to our faculty. Therefore, my implementation was based on a beta test delivered to my client and one of her staff members instead of to actual faculty. Because my client was thinking about the future session offering, the beta test run of the training was often interrupted with questions and comments about how the future session would be delivered. It was a helpful way to get feedback and conduct a trial run of the session, but I do not feel it was a true implementation.

E = Evaluation

In spite of my weak implementation, I believe I did gain a good evaluation of my design. My client, her staff member, and my class peer all gave constructive feedback to help me improved my instructional design and ultimately create a better session for our faculty. I used a survey tool that helped me calculate the strengths versus the weaknesses in the session. Part of their critique suggestions included improving the survey. I am anxious to see the feedback I receive once the session is truly implemented. I received the best evaluation feedback in the form of live interview comments gathered during the beta test. My client and her staff member freely brought up questions and gave me wonderful and encouraging compliments. I think the evaluation was an important step in improving my instructional design and one often overlooked.

How I will proceed

I think the experience of carefully going through each phase of the ADDIE model to create my instructional design for the Project A: SoftChalk session will make me more cognizant to spend time on all the phases instead of just diving into the Development phase. Defining needs, targeting a problem and writing out actionable and measurable goals and objectives saves time in the end by helping me develop a training session or lesson that will be well received. I will also pay more attention to how a beta test and implementation can provide me with evaluation feedback for future improvement.

References

Carrington, A. (n.d.). The padagogy wheel english V5. Retrieved from Designing Outcomes: https://designingoutcomes.com/english-speaking-world-v5-0/

Instructional design models. (n.d.). Retrieved from Instructional Design Central: https://www.instructionaldesigncentral.com/instructionaldesignmodels

Picciano, A. G. (2017). Theories and frameworks for online education: Seeking and integrated model. Online Learning, 21(3), 166-190. doi:10.24059/olj.v21i3.1225

The Method of Loci

I am normally all for trying new methods of learning and keeping an open mind about ways to obtain and store knowledge. But I have to admit either I didn’t give the Method of Loci a chance or it just is not the right method for me at this moment in my life. Some people would be hesitant because it involves meditation and requires stillness. That is truly a hard thing to do for many of us. We are constantly on the move. But that is not always the case with me. I practice Yin style yoga at my local YMCA. My yoga master is truly gifted at leading us through deep meditation and visualizations. I do not always succeed at emptying my mind of everything but my breath, but I come close.

Reading about a visualization exercise and then trying to do it on my own was difficult. As I stated, I’m used to having a person lead me through this sort of exercise aurally. I tried copying the text into a format that the computer could then read to me. But the tinny voice was distracting and not engaging at all. It could be I’m just too tired. As I tried to count my breaths, I would lose my place as I found myself drifting off to sleep. By the time I got to the part I was supposed to be memorizing, I was slumbering. Perhaps this would work better for me when I’m not burning the midnight oil trying to complete my assignments.

When memorizing facts and figures, I have always done better if I write it out, or have a real-life application for the information. If I do need to just memorize it to memorize it, then making my own flash cards and then practicing it over and over is a method that works for me. This is likely because I was trained to learn this way as a kid in elementary school. Finding a story that goes with it helps as well. If there is a storytelling aspect to a fact that catches my interest, then I’ll likely remember it better. Doodling also helps me absorb facts. My high school chemistry notes were full of doodles. Some I can remember to this day such as picturing Ohm’s Law as a meditating yoga master chanting “Ohmmmmm.”

As for improving my instructional designs, I have found if I am blocked or lacking inspiration, it is best for me to just take in the problem without trying to think of a solution. I then back away from it for a while. I’ll go for a walk or wait until the next morning. Sometimes it gets worked out in my dreams. Most times solutions come to me while I’m doing a routine chore such as taking a shower or brushing my teeth. And sometimes, even though my yoga master is asking me to empty my head of thoughts, I really can’t do it and the relaxation does indeed get me past a block and the ideas start to flow.

My Implementation & Evaluation

I’m in the final stages of the ADDIE model on creating a training session for our faculty at Lone Star College-North Harris on some more advanced techniques of using SoftChalk to create interactive online lessons. I’ve gathered feedback from a classmate and conducted a beta test with my client and one of her department staff members. As I’m preparing to present this session at the end of the month, I appreciate the other “eyes” that help me produce the best training I can offer.

I’m not a stranger to critique. You cannot graduate from art school without developing a thick hide. After putting my heart and soul into a project, I have had to place it at the front of the class for the instructor and all my classmates to dissect publicly its strengths and weaknesses. I once had an instructor tell me in a football analogy that “I needed to punt.” Talk about returning to the drawing board! Plus, working as a graphic artist and web designer with clients who have their own opinions and ultimately the final say in what is produced, I’ve learned not to take it personally, not hold a design or creation so close to my heart, and to keep an open mind. It is actually amazing how someone who has not been looking at a project day in and day out can easily see the flaws. A good and caring critique is worth active consideration.

I will not be ignoring much in my client and peer’s feedback. Their suggestions were thoughtful and good. My peer encouraged me to include my evaluation tabulations and not shy away from the math. My client was also my beta tester. She and her staff helped me plan how to keep session participants on track even if they are all on different technology skill levels. I had already accounted for most of their suggestions. However, they surprised me with their reaction to the negative language in my participant and facilitator session evaluations. I will be taking their suggestion to change this to a more positive evaluation because I want to gather thoughtful results not emotional ones. I am indeed appreciative of their input and my session will be better off having gone through this beta test and evaluation.

An often rushed and sometimes completely skipped part of the instructional design (ID) process is the very first part: the analysis phase. However, as an online instructional designer for Lone Star College, it has been my experience that even a small amount of time on analysis can have huge benefits and perhaps save time overall on an instructional design project, such as an online lesson or in-person training session.

Part 1: My Recent Analysis Experience

To put my experience with ID analysis in perspective, I will share a recent experience. This experience was only slightly more detailed than what I typically encounter. I was approached by the professional development manager and full-time faculty fellow with a request to facilitate a training session at their “Faculty Institute.” This is an annual program of training sessions delivered during the first week faculty return for the fall semester after their summer hiatus. With their request, came the analysis they had conducted with the faculty advisory committee. This committee served as a focus group offering suggestions on the type of professional development they wanted offered at our college. So my own learning analysis started with this interview where I gleaned from the manager and fellow what performance gaps the faculty advisers had identified. One problem to address was faculty difficulty engaging and connecting with students via our Desire2Learn (D2L) learning management system (LMS). They informed me the theme for the training event was centered on technology and the format was a three-hour face-to-face hands-on session. In addition, since faculty have now been using D2L for four years, they expressed interest in offering them more advanced skills. They also desired to have faculty leave the training with an idea or product that could be immediately implemented in their instruction.

At this point, I started mentioning to the manager and fellow various topics I thought would fit their requirements. I was limited by applications approved within my department’s technology service level agreements. I also drew upon observations and input I have had from other faculty voicing a need to provide more interactive online lessons that could track student completion in order to meet accreditation requirements. This is especially important with our workforce faculty who need to prove their students are fulfilling the amount of instructional hours required to get a license. The manager and fellow agreed to my suggestion to design a training session centered on teaching some more intermediate level skills using a product called SoftChalk. It is an online lesson builder tool that fully integrates with D2L and is supported by my department.

Now, as I am about to enter the design phase, I am brainstorming intermediate level activities I can demonstrate and have participants do in SoftChalk. I must keep in mind that faculty wish to have an idea or product they can immediately implement. My thoughts revolve around building an interactive syllabus since that is a course material all faculty need. I have also observed that many faculty want proof their students have read the syllabus and SoftChalk’s assessment feature would accomplish that act. Because of the time limitations, I will need to narrow down the session to just a few tasks, such as:

• I have to make sure all participants can log into SoftChalk.
• I decided to teach them how to copy and edit an existing lesson rather than create one from scratch.
• I want them to learn how to apply a custom theme. Theme design can either clutter a lesson, making it harder for student to learn, or be clean, making a lesson seamless and reducing cognitive load for the students.
• Adding audio to a lesson would be helpful. It increases teacher presence and adds another learning modality. This will need to have a pre-prepared audio file sample in order to save time.
• Finally, I will need to teach them how to save and upload their SoftChalk lesson and add it to D2L as an assessable learning object that sends a score to the gradebook.

This is just one example of how an instructional design project begins at my job. I have learned from reading various articles and our textbook that my rushed nature of analysis is not uncommon. In my position, there are many times when the analysis comes to me secondhand. It would be quite an experience to be part of a more formalized analysis phase from the very beginning.

Part 2: The Bigger Picture

After watching the video Information R/Evolution, I was contemplating the massive amount of information available to those of us with access to the Internet. I have a love/hate relationship with the Information Age. I love that it is possible to immediately find out whatever you wish to know. I have searched out how to make balloon hats and found flashcards to help practice speaking Japanese. There is value and added knowledge to be gained when a student pursues their own research and learning journey. As an instructional designer, it is exciting to see where a student may take a more openly structured learning assignment.

The flipside, is I sometimes hate the time it takes to wade through the massive amount of information to find a reliable source. Students (even faculty learners) can hate this as well. Time is precious and it can be more efficient to be delivered pre-arranged instruction from a trusted expert. This is where good analysis and design closely connect. An instructor-led training session that follows what analysis indicates, will have a better chance of delivering an instructional design that is relevant and meaningful to the intended learners. It will not waste their time to attend. To me, happy successful learners are the ultimate goal.

References

Molenda, M., Pershing, J., & Reigeluth, C. (1996). Designing instructional systems. In R. L. Craig, The ASTD Training and Development Handbook (4th ed., pp. 267-293). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Piskurich, G. M. (2015). Rapid Instructional Design: Learning ID Fast and Right (3rd ed.). Hoboken: Wiley.

Romiszowski, A. J. (1981). Designing Instructional Systems. New York: Nichols.

Wesch, M. (2007, October 12). Information r/evolution. Retrieved from YouTube: https://youtu.be/-4CV05HyAbM

Learning happens when people encounter new information. They synthesize it with prior experiences or instincts and turn it into knowledge and actions. It can happen in an informal situation, such as learning a candle can burn you by touching the hot wax or by accidentally touching poison ivy and getting a rash. It also can happen in a formal situation when an individual actively seeks a learning experience such as reading a book, viewing a how-to video or attending a class. I believe different goals, situations and individuals determine how the best learning can occur.

Learning Theories and Models

There are several learning theories and models that support my belief and resonate with me. I agree with Leidner and Jarvenpaa’s acknowledgement that, “No particular model is the best approach” (Leidner & Jarvenpaa, 1995, p. 271). Depending on the instructional situation, desired outcomes and all the individuals involved each theory and model can be applied, sometimes in combination. The following theories and models have influenced my own views on learning.

Objectivism

George Siemens, when describing Mary Driscoll’s three-branched approach to epistemology, states that Objectivism approaches reality as external and objective where knowledge is acquired through experiences. He continues to describe how objectivism relates to Behaviorism in which observing and repeating actions results in human learning (Siemens, 2008). I have noticed where some skills are quickly learned by an objectivism approach such as a machining student learning to use a lathe by observing the instructor’s demonstration and then practicing the method in the exact manner of the instructor.

Constructivism

While recognizing Objectivism’s external reality, Constructivism poses that each individual creates their own internal reality based on their personal experiences and bias. Leidner and Jarvenpaa quote O’Loughlin by mentioning, “Learning is reflected in ‘intellectual growth that leads to scientific reasoning, abstract thought, and formal operations’ “ (Leidner & Jarvenpaa, 1995, p. 267). They explain that the best learning occurs when individuals seek out their own facts and explanations to construct their own meanings (Leidner & Jarvenpaa, 1995).

Cognitivism

As Peggy Ertmer states, “Cognitive theories focus on the conceptualization of student’ learning processes and address the issues of how information is received, organized, stored, and retrieved by the mind” (Ertmer & Newby, 2008). As medical technology advances and we are better able to test and view how our bodies function, there are advances in theories and understanding of how our minds build and process knowledge and memory. Cognitivism aims to apply what we have learned about the brain to how we deliver and best receive instruction. Chunking instruction into smaller manageable portions that allow our brains to absorb and store information easier is one of the more familiar tools of cognitivism. I strongly relate to creating instruction that removes extraneous barriers such as confusing directions and allows an individual to concentrate on the most pertinent information needed to learn a concept.

The Universal Design for Learning Guidelines

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guidelines promoted by the CAST organization provide a common language for developing instruction that is inclusive to all individuals. The guidelines are based on observations of three large brain networks where learning occurs. Instruction methods are mixed and matched to accommodate the differences in how individuals use their affective, recognition and strategic networks in their brains. Lieberman, et al. (Lieberman, Lytle, & Clareq, 2008) reference Rose & Meyer’s thoughts about UDL:

Universal design is not achieved through uniformity but rather through flexibility and creativity. Universal design for learning is a framework that provides alternatives for methods of instruction, delivery of instruction materials (equipment), and student responses (how students show what they can do)— all within the general curriculum for the benefit of every student, regardless of his or her specific areas of diversity (p. 34).

When the UDL guidelines are followed all learners can benefit.

Connectivism (Cooperative or Collaborative)

Especially in our technology connected world today, Connectivism draws upon how knowledge can be accessed across networks and individuals take an active role in seeking, participating, and learning from others (Kop & Hill, 2008). Seeking knowledge using this method not only increases our shared understanding, but helps develop better social skills such as improving communication, active listening and encouraging participation (Leidner & Jarvenpaa, 1995) .

Community of Inquiry (COI)

The Community of Inquiry (COI) Framework is a model used by Garrison, Anderson and Archer to illustrate how the cognitive, teaching and social presence overlap to create the optimal educational experience. They explain how the interaction of all the presences fulfills each phase of a Practical Inquiry (PI) model comprised of a triggering event, exploration, integration and resolution. I often refer to this model as a reminder to balance good course design and materials, with student interaction and teacher facilitation and feedback (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2010).

Five Actions Teachers Provide

In this highly connected, information-rich world, there are at least five actions a teacher provides in formal learning situations: Collect, Share, Facilitate, Motivate and Celebrate. In anticipation of passing on skills or knowledge, a teacher collects their own information and expertise. Teachers find the best ways to share the knowledge they have accumulated. Learning should not be an elitist activity. A teacher facilitates learning by creating a safe and fair community for students to inquire and express their opinions. They can prompt students to make connections with each other and outside materials, the student may have never considered on their own. Motivation occurs when a teacher challenges levels of learning through assessment and feedback offering encouragement and direction on how a student can improve. Finally, the best teachers love learning and celebrate when their students gain the knowledge they worked so hard to provide.

References

Ertmer, P. A., & Newby, T. J. (2008). Behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism: Comparing critical features from an instructional design perspective. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 6(4), 50-72. doi:10.1111/j.1937-8327.1993.tb00605.x

Garrison, R. D., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2010). The first decade of the community of inquiry framework: A retrospective. Internet and Higher Education, 13(1-2), 5-9. doi:10.1016/j.iheduc.2009.10.003

Kop, R., & Hill, A. (2008). Connectivism: Learning theory of the future of vestige of the past? IRRODL – The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 9(3). doi:10.19173/irrodl.v9i3.523

Leidner, D. E., & Jarvenpaa, S. L. (1995, September). The use of information technolgoy to enhance managment school education: A theoretical view. MIS Quarterly, 19(3), 265-291. doi:10.2307/249596

Lieberman, L. J., Lytle, R. K., & Clareq, J. A. (2008, February). Getting it right from the start: Employing the universal design for learning approach to your curriculum. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 79(2), 32-39. doi:10.1080/07303084.2008.10598132

Siemens, G. (2008, January 27). Learning and knowing in networks: Changing roles for educators and designers: Presented to ITFORUM for discussion. Retrieved from https://www.calvin.edu/~dsc8/documents/GeorgeSiemensPresentation-Jan2008.pdf

Instructional design is not that uncommon in the world around me. I have been given the assignment to look for it in everyday occurrences. Once I started looking, I noticed there are so many lessons being taught each day in all sorts of places. The following are two lessons I found out in the world.

Optimizing Your Roomba

The Roomba is a popular robot vacuum cleaner made by the iRobot company. They want the owners of their product to successfully set up and use their vacuum effectively. Therefore, part of their online support are video tutorials for Roomba owners. Their video on Optimizing Your Roomba provided tips on customizing their smartphone app and making homes robot friendly. Their tips included where to set up the docking station, how to create an invisible barrier, what to do about clutter and cords, and how to schedule routine cleanings. The video effectively showed the Roomba in action from many angles and in various scenarios while the friendly narrator explained each tip. I learned that the Roomba docking station should be placed next to a wall and away from stairs. The virtual wall tool can create an invisible barrier in two different shapes. The first shape is a straight line that acts like a wall to keep the Roomba out of rooms. The second shape is a semi-circle that can keep the Roomba away from an area such as where a pet’s food may be placed on the floor. Also, the Roomba has clutter navigation to help it navigate around objects left out and anti-tangle technology to keep it from getting stuck on cords and carpet fringe. The Roomba can be scheduled to clean automatically up to seven times per week. All of the tips were delivered in less than two minutes. Their video convinced me that it is easy to have a Roomba in the home.

TDECU Personal Banking

TDECU is a local credit union with an online banking website. The goal of their help center videos on personal banking is to provide their customers with easy access to assistance on the most popular topics. They want their customers to have a smooth, successful and efficient online banking experience. The personal banking videos are organized into a player with the video display on the left and a navigable library of topics in the right column. The first video is an introduction with a woman speaker. The rest of the videos are narrated by the same woman but have screenshots of the online banking tool and a variety of other still photos that help highlight the current topic. The video lessons are effective because they quickly dispense with clear step-by-step instructions and pertinent screencasts. The woman is inviting and articulate. Each topic is marked with a simple representational icon that makes it easy to identify the contents. I learned how to log into the banking website even if I’ve forgotten my password. I learned about shortcuts to viewing account summaries. I also learned the various ways to transfer funds within accounts and to other member’s accounts. There is even a section that taught me how to stop payments. I have been using the TDECU online banking site for many years and I still gained some useful tips by watching their video tutorials.

Importance of Instructional Design to Me

As I have read about instructional design and observed how it is implemented every day in the world around me, I see how it is critical to my performance as an instructional designer. My future goals include increasing my knowledge on how to best improve online instruction to help faculty with their courses and ultimately improve student lives. Dr. David Merrill (Merrill, 2008) mentions three essential things he believes need to be done when delivering effective instruction:

• demonstrate what is to be learned;
• give students a chance to apply what they have learned;
• do these things in the context of real-world problems.

I agree with him that my role is to help faculty develop and deliver instruction that assists students transfer relevant information into knowledge they can apply. I can also apply the same strategies in my own training instruction delivered to faculty. My training needs to include real-world applications so faculty leave with skills and tools they can use. I am not always given the time to thoroughly go through each step of the ADDIE framework when developing a course, but I hope to gain insights that help me still create a course that contains essential learning elements.

References

iRobot. (2016, November 10). Roomba 900 series robot vacuum optimization – English (US). Retrieved from YouTube: https://youtu.be/uAhIHh1AC8U

Merrill, D. (2008, August 11). Merrill on instructional design. Retrieved from YouTube: https://youtu.be/i_TKaO2-jXA

TDECU. (2018). Help center. Retrieved from TDECU Your Credit Union: https://www.tdecu.org/help/