#idtms

This has been quite the journey, and I hope to capture even just a snippet of it in this final post. This journey is not one that I took alone. Along the trail, I was accompanied and supported by my wonderful family, my incredible cohorts, colleagues, friends all over the world, and an amazing group of inspiring, intellectually stimulating and creative group of instructors!

1) How has each course contributed to your personal and professional development as an instructional designer?

Mastery: Personal Development and Leadership (January 2018)

Helped me to transition into what it means to achieve mastery level

Helped me to learn about others who have attained Mastery over the centuries, and through their stories made connections with traits that I wanted to embody as a part of my journey

Gave me the skills I needed for masters level writing expectations

Developed professional leadership skills

Helped me to build a personal branding presence in the world

Pushed me to learn graduate-level academic research and tools through course required activities.  

These skills started me on a path toward Mastery in my field, and helped me to better identify where I would be heading on the journey.  

Strategies for Learner Engagement (February 2018)

Through research and projects, this course helped me to learn about Instructional Design, the history of the field, and the Instructional Design models of ADDIE, SAM, Rapid Prototyping, and Gradual Release

I designed visual information posters using Piktochart and Photoshop to illustrate these models that would engage the viewer with use of creativity and visual design principles

I learned about adult learning theories, andragogy, and what to consider when building learning experiences for such a target audience

As a cohort, we were introduced to the RISE Review Model for the first time, which became a welcome piece of my Mastery Journey practice, pushing me to delve deeper to help others and myself reflect on our designs and decisions we made with their development.

Visual and Verbal Communication in Instructional Design (March 2018)

I was able to apply visual design principles to the development of an infographic.

This course helped me to develop my skills in delivery of instruction across different audiences.  It benefitted me by helping me master visual design skills to create appealing tools to use with professional development and student learning.  

Through this course I learned to value the live sessions even more than I already had before, as I found opportunity to discuss topics at greater length with my professor and delve deeper into the topics each week.

I learned how to critique the designs of my cohorts, and with this critiquing learned how to also use this as a way to reflect on and improve my own works. I learned how to “find the story in data” and visually designed my infographic accordingly. I was introduced to Color Theory, and became fascinated with the subject, which I made time to discuss further with my instructor on the side. We went more in depth into typography and visual literacy, learning the principles of graphic design.  As a part of the course work, I was pushed to design an interactive and visually appealing presentation that was designed with animation and audio integrated in. This added to my skill set with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, In Design, and Apple Keynote as I created visuals for the presentation and the presentation itself. I remained persistent and thoroughly enjoyed the creation and iterative processes we went through to reach final submission of our projects. As a part of this project, we learned the principles of instructional writing and created effective instructional narration for our presentations. I learned that there were different narrative styles that could be employed when composing instructional narration. Additionally, we learned how to use audio and text together, or just audio itself to aid and engage the learner. We also learned the difference between an infographic and a presentation - and how to design and when it’s best to use each one.

Corporate Training and Motivational Development (April 2018)

Throughout this course I learned:

how to research and utilize the research to build my credibility at the same time deliver quality content for learning

to start with the “POW” and to section out presentations to keep the audience engaged

about the importance of keeping a unified look throughout a presentation

to design and develop presentations according to a target audience

how to add and use graphs in the presentation aiding the learner to visualize the data and tell the story

to be precise in my presentation in order to adhere to time requirements for best engagement

to be meticulous with timing of animation and text in order to keep the modality effect or multimedia principle in mind

I gained greater confidence in my abilities as a presenter as we learned about how to design and develop presentations. I applied these strategies both in my workplace and abroad as I created presentations to better engage educators in professional development experiences.

I was able to help my audience enjoy their learning as much as I enjoyed sharing it with them.

Through the research and reading, we looked at how learning is visual. I created graphics to include consistency and tell a story. Additionally, I was smart with color, leveraged white space, hierarchy, de-cluttering, and accessibility.

Instructional Design and Evaluation (May 2018)

During this class, and through a real-world scenario, my cohorts and I learned how to best design a training needs analysis. We worked hard to further develop and improve a training needs analysis brief based on the strengths and drawbacks among 4 common Instructional Systems Design (ISD) models, knowledge learned from our assigned reading, knowledge gained from peer reviewed research, and feedback from my peers. Through this process, I learned how to select a certain ID model according to the target audience, developed learning outcomes, an action plan, and assessments. Writing ABCD Objectives proved to be challenging, but as we worked together, I developed a better understanding on how these were to be formulated.

Throughout this course I delved deeper into:

ID models

designing an educational game that would engage and assist the learner in their process

the difference between summative and formative assessment, and how to incorporate both as a part of the TNA

data planning and how it plays a role in the training needs analysis

putting into practice skills acquired like storyboarding and the creation of an instructional video

training preferences and different cultures, which I found to be a fascinating subject as well as important to keep in mind when designing learning experiences

Researching the background of each component of the TNA in order to back up decisions being made and provided a highly credible document

Digital Media and Learning Applications (June 2018)

Through this course I learned:

how to define what a learning object is

about digital video as a learning object

how to develop measurable learning outcomes to go along with learning object

how to develop different types of assessments and put them into practice over the course - traditional and authentic, as well as learned their benefits and limitations

to code and design with Angular JS and used the software Brackets to develop an interactive online quiz

While this last part was challenging, I love to code, and because of some past coding experiences was able to pick up the language pretty quickly as well as the interface and creation came quickly. I also learned to tap “the community brain” at times when I got stuck in areas of image development - and learned how to best import vector drawings to be used in the project.

Creating the video presentation of the learning object alongside the video was also challenging, and pushed me in new ways to develop a side by side video in Adobe Premiere Pro, something I had never done before.

Music and Audio for Instructional Design (August 2018)

This turned out to be a course where I really took my creativity to new places! First learning to fix and comp audio, I learned to correct technical issues using cutting, volume automation, compression, graphic equalization, and panning.  I learned skills in Garageband and used aspects of the program that I never even knew existed.

Through the production of a Grimm’s Fairy tale music story, I learned to create using narration,  dialogue, sound effects, and music to communicate the message of the story while engaging and motivating the learner. As an additional challenge, I moved into Adobe Audition to finish this project, where I learned a completely new program to produce a high quality piece. I attempted to, rather than focus in on a specific target audience, appeal to a variety of audiences’ interest.  In doing so, I was looking for a wider appeal. In working on mood, I aimed for a humorous, satirical rendition of a story, helping the listener to sympathize with a character often seen as the antagonist in the original story. The sounds that I selected, helped to enhance this humor, and music to add to the feelings I was attempting to bring about in the listener.  All of the sounds were downloaded from Audioblocks.com where you can find royalty free music, sound effects, and loops.

I learned to create a combination of a personal and dramatic narrative, incorporating both a conversational style at times toward the audience, and then also the dramatic telling of the story. I also thought about how to make the story more memorable, adding in sound effects that might be familiar reminders to the human ear, while intertwining some of the aspects of the original story within as well and shortening the telling. This also led to the importance of the soundscape that would support and surround the narrative to help the listener “understand the context and the relevance of the information being delivered simultaneously” (Carter, 2012, p. 56).

I worked on acoustics, using a sound booth to capture the best audio recording I could. This took reflection, absorption, diffraction, diffusion into consideration, and created optimal conditions (Dittmar, 2012). I continued to use the same microphone and pop filter to avoid plosive sounds and maximize the quality of the narration I wanted to capture. I chose to do close milking in this case as I wanted the audience to feel they were in the story alongside the character. I looked for the environmental sounds to come from the sound effects and music I would add in later. To improve upon my ability to listen and distinguish areas I needed to adjust the volume automation, EQ levels, and more, and upon the recommendation of the instructor, I invested in a pair of Sennheiser HD280PRO Headphones. Throughout the editing process, I utilized these headphones, while still remembering to listen without the headphones allowing the sound to breathe and make sure the recording carried well.

For the final project, I designed and developed music and audio tracks to add to an existing silent video for the purpose of adding instruction and engaging learners by connecting music and audio with visual information. I learned how to create a full music and audio production with use of voice talent beyond myself, as well as to enhance vocals with presets in Adobe Audition.

Through the process, I learned to create an edit decision list (EDL) to help lay out timing of narration and scenes. Again with creativity at my side, I focused on the second set of stories within the audio production to appeal to those that enjoy the mysterious or unexplained, or sitting by a campfire listening to ghost stories being told. From the beginning, the listener is invited in…if they dare. As an instructional designer, I worked to engage the audience and keep their attention throughout using these compelling stories with music and sound effects. I melded history into these stories in order to make them feel more real to the listener. I worked with the voice talent to have the narration feel spooky in its presentation, as well as a Southern accent when spoken in first person. The recording space included Adobe Audition, a sound booth along with the same microphone and pop filter to avoid plosive sounds and maximize the quality of the narration I wanted to capture, and Sennheiser HD280PRO Headphones to listen to audio for final production purposes. For the narration, I normalized all to -0.1 dB, then worked from there with volume automation. Additionally, I experimented with the speech volume leveler, as I was looking to have a similar control as taught in Garageband with the EQ Analyzer and ability to set the range for vocals.

Filmmaking Principles for Instructional Design (September 2018)

Through this incredible course, I learned how to apply the power of storytelling in instructional video to engage and motivate learners. I had to apply principles of pre-production to create a project storyboard - which I completed using photography to capture different camera angles and position, planned out lighting, wrote narration for each scene, and considered props/materials that might be needed.

Through the reading and research included in this course, I learned how to use of autonomy, conflict, and story to effectively engage a target audience. I worked to include ways to encourage the learner in their process, as well as try to find ways to add in elements of surprise/delighters to direct people’s moods in a positive direction. I thought about how I could do this through audio as well as visual design. I made a point to think about how I would help draw the learner in through different shots. Whether through a close up to give a more intimate connection with the actor, a medium shot to show emotion and body movements, or full shot to give the viewer a sense of location/setting, I wanted to make sure to engage the learner and help them become a part of the story.

In order to accomplish this, I learned to:

work with video and narration to create a story that supports an instructional module on the topic of conflict resolution

keep to time restrictions for projects

how to create a story to engage learner

utilize SMEs for my process when producing and creating the story to teach about conflict resolution

edit, taking a film from rough-cut to intermediate cut to fine cut, with post production processes as well

push myself to film with 3 different camera angles and different shot lengths, as well as used green screen and added chroma keying to my set of skills

apply learning theory to the previous version of a video to find areas for improvement

As a last piece in the course, I learned to apply critical thinking and problem solving skills to the subject of video compression. I was able to articulate how compression has an impact on video quality and file size. I also grew to better understand what compression artefacts are. I learned what the recommended resolution, bitrate, and frame rate are for the different devices, as well as five different ways to make videos smaller without losing quality. With additional research I found there are two types of compression, spatial (intraframe) and temporal (interframe) compression (Video Compression, TechQuickie, 2014, 01:24). Spatial refers to working with .jpeg, or applying compression only to individual video frames. With temporal compression, the process works with redundancy and breaks down the video and images into 8x8 pixel blocks of .mpeg. It was incredible to think about the technical skills I was being able to master as well as the knowledge I was gaining.

Game Strategies and Motivation (October 2018)

This course was full of fun, camaraderie, and collaborative learning. Through research I delved into the differences between Gamification versus game-based learning. I made the choice to design a Breakout game-based learning experience to best engage learners. The activity I developed was geared for a middle school course that would engage students in coding, robotics, and computer science. The game followed a distinct storyline that engages learners in activities to help them learn content, skills, and behaviors needed for a robotics unit. A blended learning approach was used to engage students both in online and offline activities to “Break out and save the world!”

As a part of the process, I learned how to:

design and develop a game-based learning plan including learning outcomes, rules of engagement, storyline, conflict/challenge, interaction with environment, and feedback opportunities to aid the learner(s).

produce a video presentation of the game-based learning activity

The video provided a walk-through demonstration of the game plan and summarized the concepts of game-based learning, gamification, and game strategies. The project included storyboarding for planning of the video layout, and then final design, development and production of 2-3 minute video.

Learning Management Systems and Organization (November 2018)

Having worked with numerous Learning Management Systems (LMS) over the years, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this class. I was pleasantly surprised and put to the test to develop and design an LMS for a middle school coding and drones course I was teaching at the time.

I found that there was much more to understand including:

functional architecture,

how to choose technics that could be used in the course,

how social learning and interactions can play a part, and

that it is important to consider both elemental and synthetic learning outcomes, as well as authentic, real-world connections to help support the learner’s construction/development of knowledge, skills, and attitudes (Dempsey & Van Eck, 2018)

Through projects, we learned how to develop and design:

a graphic organizer to map the layout of units to be covered in the LMS

a learning management system to be used to deliver a course, and present the learning management system through a video.

a survey to provide evaluation of the LMS’s instructional qualities and effectiveness

using Canvas, Schoology, and Edmodo

interactive assessments for the course and embedded them within the course

Media Asset Creation (December 2018)

In this course, I explored the power of a variety of media assets that are available to instructors and corporate trainers in developing online learning products, in-class presentations, and corporate learning modules. Specific techniques were examined regarding how to create the best media for a project, while also taking into account the limitations of delivery methods and technical ability. The first task, and definitely not the least, was to develop a TNA. We were allowed to choose our own scenario, or to pick from a series that were offered as examples. I chose to create something that would be useful with educators at my school, but might also prove to be useful for others beyond our walls. This caused me to revisit our previous experiences with TNAs, with the first task being to design the learning outcomes. I revisited the ABCD model we had been taught many months ago in our Instructional Design and Evaluation course, as well as thought through how to make the learning outcomes measurable, something we had gone into great depth in our Digital Media and Learning course not so many months before.

When it came to designing the Media Assets, I used storyboarding techniques that we had also been introduced to in the Instructional Design and Evaluation course, and expanded upon in our Filmmaking Principles for Instructional Design course. This helped me in particular to map out the Instructional Video, and the video I produced to “sell” the educational game I designed. My filmmaking and editing skills, as well as audio and music skills enhanced the assets that I was able to design. I thought about and found ways to create an engaging story as a part of the videos I designed. I also built on my skills and challenged myself with the software I used to design these videos - Keynote, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Audition and Adobe Premiere Pro. For the Interactive infographic I designed to aid the learner, I pushed myself to learn and added further skill to my repertoire with Adobe XD. I found that my experience designing web pages, the skills I learned through the Digital Media and Learning course, as well as the typography and graphic design skills gained through the Visual and Verbal communications course, that were revisited and useful throughout so much of my coursework, came into great use here.

The skills that I had gained over the past number of months like how to work with deadlines, how to get and give feedback, as well as how to adhere to video time limit requirements all served me well on this endeavor. I truly realized how far I had come both personally and professionally.

Instructional Design and Technology Final Project (January 2019)

This course gave me the time to look back. It arched the story back to the beginning of it all, helping me to reflect on all that I had accomplished, but also the importance of reflection. Additionally, I developed a sense of how to create a professional presence in the world through creation of a project portfolio, resume, and the written word. I learned about trends in the world of designer portfolios, and looked at ways that I could apply this to my own portfolio. My instructor encouraged me to push myself to learn how to animate gifs for use in my portfolio, something that I was finally able to accomplish for my Adobe Portfolio. I also appreciated the instructor’s feedback on ways to improve upon my portfolio. This caused me to revisit design principles as well. Resources that I had learned to find through EBSCO, Lynda.com, websites, and my technical skills toolbox that I have developed over this Mastery Journey came into full play as a part of this experience. I was also able to learn of trends in instructional design, as well as professional resources available for IDs (i.e. publications, conferences, professional organizations, etc.) that I could call and count upon for the journey that now lies ahead.

2) How well were you able to utilize the concepts and techniques you learned from the program (theories, systems design, interface styling, and the creation of multimedia content) as you designed, developed, and implemented your Final Project?

From the very first task, as I shared in my writing about the Media Asset Creation Course, I found myself revisiting previous experiences within the IDTMS program. With the TNA, I revisited the ABCD model for developing learning outcomes taught many months ago in our Instructional Design and Evaluation course. Additionally I thought through how to make the learning outcomes measurable, something we had gone into great depth in our Digital Media and Learning course. When it came to designing the Media Assets, I used storyboarding techniques that we had also been introduced to in the Instructional Design and Evaluation course, and expanded upon in our Filmmaking Principles for Instructional Design course. This helped me in particular to map out the Instructional Video, and the video I produced to “sell” the educational game I designed. My filmmaking and editing skills, as well as audio and music skills enhanced the assets that I was able to design. I thought about and found ways to create an engaging story as a part of the videos I designed. I also built on my skills and challenged myself with the software I used to design these videos - Keynote, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Audition and Adobe Premiere Pro. For the Interactive infographic I designed to aid the learner, I pushed myself to learn and added further skill to my repertoire with Adobe XD. I found that my experience designing web pages, the skills I learned through the Digital Media and Learning course, as well as the typography and graphic design skills gained through the Visual and Verbal communications course, that were revisited and useful throughout so much of my coursework, came into great use here. The skills that I had gained over the past number of months like how to work with deadlines, how to get and give feedback, as well as how to adhere to video time limit requirements all served me well on this endeavor.

3) Describe your most outstanding personal triumph in each course.  Mastery: Personal Development and Leadership (January 2018)

My greatest personal triumph in this first course was to learn the lesson to keep moving forward. That everything I would do and experience was a part of the learning journey, and that it was of great importance to take time to reflect and make connections with how I would evolve in the months ahead.

Strategies for Learner Engagement (February 2018)

For the final weeks of this course, we were immersed in a real-world experience, taking on the role of being an Instructional Designer team at the same time as be a project sponsor team, and collaborated with cohorts as a part of the process. This was invaluable to me as it not only challenged my design skills, but also helped me to develop a collaborative relationship with my cohorts Jenny & Devin that would only become stronger as the months would continue. Additionally, this challenged me to find and learn how to collaborate in multiple ways. Through the use of shared Google Docs, Google Hangouts, discussion boards, and Piktochart, my cohorts and I found new ways to be in communication and overcame the additional challenge of being in two different time zones. While developing a Training Needs Analysis (TNA) for the first time, something that was quite challenging, we learned the importance of each component, and because it was broken down into an iterative process we were able to continue to grow while we were developing the TNA.

Visual and Verbal Communication in Instructional Design (March 2018)

The infographic I created and developed for this course was done in Adobe Illustrator, a program I had some experience with, but I found myself being challenged and developed newly heightened skills with element creation and design. Through perseverance and intention, I found great satisfaction when I was not only able to do what was being instructed, but added in creative components of my own making.

Corporate Training and Motivational Development (April 2018)

When it came to the last project where we had to be filmed, I was challenged speaking in front of the camera, I was used to being the one behind the camera. I can barely remember how many takes it took to get things right. Again, I kept with it, and managed to put together a quality video presentation. These experiences and skills helped me grow even more than I could have thought as a presenter and speaker. They also helped to prepare me for experiences to come in the summer as I presented a session at the International Society for Technology in Education Annual Conference in Chicago, and two workshops at the Apple Distinguished Educator Worldwide Institute in Austin. Not to mention the pleasure it gave me to utilize the knowledge to develop a seminar for middle school students in the fall.

Instructional Design and Evaluation (May 2018)

I was truly intimidated when we first started out with this course. How was I going to possibly produce a document that might be up to 24 pages in length, have everything that was required, and do it all in such a short period of time? What I was amazed by was how well planned out everything was, and how like clockwork I was able to check off each component. The biggest challenge proved to be writing learning objectives using the ABCD model. As my cohorts and I worked together, I developed a better understanding of how these were to be formulated. I also looked to the instructor for feedback on the side, and thanks to both efforts was successful in completing the learning objectives.

Digital Media and Learning Applications (June 2018)

I think I was most challenged by the Angular JS, but because I love to code and because of some past coding experiences I was able to pick up the language pretty quickly as well as the interface and creation came quickly. I applied prior knowledge to help me troubleshoot and problem solve. I also found it beneficial to tap “the community brain” when I got stuck in areas of image development - and learned from Devin how to best import vector drawings to be used in the project. Creating the video presentation of the learning object alongside the video was also challenging, and pushed me in new ways to develop a side by side video in Adobe Premiere Pro, something I had never done before. I looked to Lynda.com to aid me in overcoming this challenge, as well as Youtube. It was incredible once I was through it to see all that I had learned and accomplished through these efforts.

Music and Audio for Instructional Design (August 2018)

Challenging myself to be creative took time and effort. I wanted to have the audience identify with the character and to tell a compelling story. I wanted to appeal to a broad audience of those who are interested in stories, lore, and storytelling along with those whose curiosity is peaked due to sci-fi or fantasy shows like Once Upon a Time, often adding twists on an old story. Humor also had a part to play, this is something that can act as a good hook, but also is a great way to keep the audience engaged. I as an instructional designer, wanted my learners’ attention and to keep it. As Peters mentions, “on the one hand because they’ll learn better and on the other hand because they’ll enjoy the experience more” (Engagement and motivation, Peters, 2014).I learned about Carter’s Four Principles and took them into account as I designed the audio projects.

Filmmaking Principles for Instructional Design (September 2018)

There were definitely a few challenges that arose during this course. The first was the fact that while filming, I had difficulty with lighting in my initial cut. I also struggled with how to angle the cameras in such a way that the green screen would remain constant in the background for what I hoped to swap out for great scenes of space, or planet surfaces that would match my topic of creating a lightsaber out of everyday items found around your home. On top of this, it was during the Jewish Holidays (I’m Jewish), and time for filming was tricky. Somehow though, I magically made things come together, worked on the camera issue with the help of some colleagues I work with in our digital media lab at school, and managed to pull together something to be pretty proud of. I was able to learn quite a bit on my own about chroma keying, and adjusting for shadow to get the best experience on film. Incredible! I loved what I was doing and learning, and it just made me want to do that much more!

Game Strategies and Motivation (October 2018)

I found that the storyline came very easily for me in this course, as well as the game concept, but I was challenged with how everything was going to be connected from one stage to another. I had designed games in the past, but I wanted to take things up a notch, keep things really creative. I was given creative license by the instructor, something that helped me to spend more time on the challenge, something that I needed in this case. When all was said and done, I walked away with an exciting game that I was able to put into action in my classroom immediately, and gave me great satisfaction to see how I could use it to engage my students in a way that actually took them further in their learning.

Learning Management Systems and Organization (November 2018)

During this course I found myself struggling with the concepts at first. I took time to draw out a diagram that would help me better understand what I was talking about and how interconnected the different concepts were. I also worked hard to look deeper into Schoology where I would be developing my LMS, watching additional material from Schinkten that helped me to connect what I was learning about from the readings to the actual eLearning environment. As I worked to respond to my cohorts, I took it upon myself to look at additional resources that would help them in their processes and in turn helped me to delve deeper to make additional connections to the content. I found that by keeping a good attitude, and getting the work done and making sure that the contribution and effort I made would be helpful to my cohorts and my own process I was able to overcome these challenges.

Media Asset Creation (December 2018)

One of the biggest challenges that I faced during this course was how different two points of view could be. I learned just how important it is to have someone else view your work and give you their take on it. When I first designed my interactive infographic, I was pretty proud of all that I had accomplished having never used Adobe XD before. Also, in order to design the asset, I had revisited some of the components in Malcolm Knowles’ Six Principles of Andragogy (Toister, 2014). I needed to help learners know that they are responsible for learning decisions (autonomy), while helping them acquire specific skills, knowledge, or abilities through the exercise, and to keep them as intrinsically motivated as possible (Toister, 2014). Autonomy is associated with positive learning outcomes, feeling of competence, persistence, and creativity. This also can motivate the learner as they are motivated by being able to make their own choices (Peters, 2014). I wanted to make sure to build in autonomy from the first page where learners can choose the path of working on Make-a-Map activity, or Make-a-Movie activity. I was aiming to make it so that learner would be able to revisit steps if they needed to, or move around as they liked to explore more, versus a direct path only giving them one way to go. This could confuse learners though, as I learned through feedback I received from the instructor. So I rethought how I could make this clearer, and decided to create a homepage that would explain options for how learners could proceed. The instructions suggested that learners could continue step by step (follow the numbers to know where to click), or choose to go back a step if need be or return home. Creating this approach improved the interactive infographic while also taking into consideration how adults learn. 

Instructional Design and Technology Final Project (January 2019)

I think my most outstanding triumph in this course was how I was able to revisit all that I had learned over the course of my Mastery Journey, breathed in all of the lessons learned, compiled a high-quality and professional portfolio, as well as learned how to create a visual resume! I could hardly believe that I had reached this point in my Mastery Journey...I had conquered the Hillary Steps to look out from the top of Mount Everest, and came to the realization that the sky is not a limit but the space in which we can soar and venture on to new and exciting adventures that await us, and I feel prepared to move forward. I am truly honored to have been able to experience the journey that I have so far, learned all that I have, with the cohorts I have, and developed connections that will last me a lifetime and bring incredible learning experiences into being!

References

Carter, C. (2012). Instructional audio guidelines: Four design principles to consider for every instructional audio design effort. Techtrends: Linking Research & Practice To Improve Learning, 56(6), 54-58. doi:10.1007/s11528-012-0615-z

Dempsey, J., and Van Eck, R. (2018). E-Learning and Instructional Design. In R.A. Reiser & J.V.  Dempsey (Eds.), Trends and issues in instructional design and technology (4th ed.) (pp. 229-236). New York, NY: Pearson

Dittmar, T. (2012). Audio engineering 101: A beginner’s guide to music production. Burlington, MA: Focal Press. Retrieved from http://ce.safaribooksonline.com/book/audio/9780240819150

Peters, D. (2014). Interface design for learning: Design strategies for learning experiences. San Francisco, CA: New Riders. Retrieved from http://ce.safaribooksonline.com/book/web-design-and-development/9780133365481

TechQuickie. (2014, August 3). What is a Codec as Fast As Possible. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/GhWki9a7s18

1) What does Kolovou discuss and/or demonstrate that you could have applied to improve your presentations during this course?

To improve my presentations during this course, I could have maintained better eye contact with the camera. It is obvious that I am reading cue cards. I should have either practiced my script more or ditched the cards all together so that I would have the opportunity to look directly at the audience. According to Kolovou, (2014) “eye contact is the most powerful non-verbal” form of communication (Strategic eye contact, 2:22).

Another area in this month’s presentation that could be improved, is my close. I open the presentation with a “relevant and impactful…statistic,” as Kolovou (2014) suggests (Opening and closing strong, 0:50). I could have added statistics that show how much the residents’ life expectancy will increase, based on lowered carbon emissions from the purchase and use of the three vehicle options.

Lastly, I could have improved my on-camera presence by zooming out a little bit more to include more of my hands. I applied Kolovou’s suggestion of using my hands as “kinesthetic exclamation points” (2014, Gestures that engage, 0:30). However, with the current camera set-up, the viewer can only see the top parts of my hands, with occasional glimpses of emphasis. In addition, I have to improve my posture to appear more confident. According to Kolovou, (2014) I can do this by “keeping my shoulders square” (Smart use of space, 0:34). This will help me not shrug so much, which makes me look like a hurt turtle.

2) Referring to the readings from your books, what key factors would the graphics in your presentations address in communicating the data/information effectively?

According to Peters, (2014) one key factor, which the graphics in my presentation need to address is guiding “visual focus to what matters” (Strategies to reduce overload, para. 6). The use of graphics not only communicates abstract information with ease but also has the power to influence emotions, which in turn, can influence a change in attitude.

Another key factor from I picked up from reading Strategies to Promote Visual Learning is how to use a variety of graphics depending on the type of information I am trying to display. In addition, I have learned the importance of accuracy when communicating ideas via graphics. It is quite easy to distort data. Therefore, I must pay attention to how graphs are scaled (Peters, 2014, para. 6).

The final key factor is Clark and Lyons’ five-phase visual design model “to optimize the efficacy of your graphic.” According to Peters, (2014) “you need to know what cognitive tasks [the graphic] will need to support” (Strategies to promote visual learning, para. 24). Basically, I should avoid using graphics willy-nilly when I design presentations. I can ask myself the three questions provided by Peters (2014) in Strategies to Reduce Overload as I consider various graphic elements as well as use the five-phase model as a guide to facilitate the design process.

3) List at least 3 main takeaways from this course and how they may apply to your long-term goals.

The biggest takeaway from this course that I will apply to my long-term goal of instructional design is how to use graphics that are relevant. Now I have an arsenal of tools that I can apply to select graphics strategically to maximize learning gains. I now know to look out for using graphics solely for the purpose of “seductive details” to increase engagement. According to Clark and Mayer, (2012) improper use of graphics can actually harm learning, which is the last thing I want to do (as cited in Reiser & Dempsey, p. 317).  

Another takeaway from this course is how to shoot and edit video content. I still have a lot of room to grow, but I can safely say that I am walking away with a solid foundation, onto which I can build as I create instructional materials in the future.

Lastly, the final takeaway from this course is the ability to design and deliver effective presentations. I have learned how to develop presentations that are engaging, tell a story, and have the ability to change behaviors. I have already begun practicing using engaging gestures as I teach my classes. I am more aware of what I do with my hands, and frequently catch myself with my hands in my pockets, which I consciously correct. I am also more aware of how I maintain eye contact  with students and colleagues. One statement I often say is “fake it until you make it.” This also applies to exuding more confidence or maintaining an executive presence, as Ullmen (2013) calls it in Communication Fundamentals. I will fake confidence until I actually am confident. Until then, this last image accurately depicts me throughout this course.

References

Clark, R.C., & Mayer, R. E. (2012). Using rich media wisely. In R. A. Reiser, & J. V. Dempsey (Eds.), Trends and issues in instructional design and technology (3rd ed.) (pp. 309-320). Boston, MA: Pearson

Kolovou, T. (2014, May 12). Presentation fundamentals, with Tatiana Kolovou. [lynda.com tutorial]. Retrieved from http://www.lynda.com/tutorial/151544?org=fullsail.edu

Peters, D. (2014). Interface design for learning: Design strategies for learning experiences. San Francisco, CA: New Riders. Retrieved from http://ce.safaribooksonline.com/book/web-design-and-development/9780133365481  

Race: Instructional Design & Technology Masters Program

Short Races: Coursework