Project Completion

My Canvas course is complete and can be viewed publicly at https://canvas.instructure.com/courses/971925. However, I never really feel that anything that I create is truly finished. Every time I review it, I think of something I would like to add or change. At some point, I just have to let the mouse go and log off.

I do still need to finalize my course evaluation. I started a Google form, but I haven’t finalized the questions. I hope to finish that task during the Thanksgiving Holidays. It has been started along with shared to the world but needs major revising. In addition, I hope to get a jump start this week on creating my final presentation, so I won’t be rushed at the last minute. I am looking forward to seeing my peers’ presentations and how they have used Canvas.

The major challenge that I have faced lately is mostly time. I had a great conference that I attended in Salt Lake City earlier this week, the Personal Learning Community Institute. However, the travel time to get there and back, along with attending the sessions, took much of my extra time that I usually use for completing course work. I did plan ahead some, so I wouldn’t get too far behind. But, I found myself working all weekend to meet the Sunday night deadline. Now that I have met the deadline, I am ready to enjoy the Thanksgiving break. So, thanks to my instructor for pushing us to complete it prior to the holiday.

In addition, I did make the deadline for completing my job aid for the course. If you write a job aid that truly provides all of the background that an instructor needs to successfully facilitate the course, they can be very lengthy. And my job aid ended up at about thirty pages long. I don’t see how it could have been any shorter without deleting key information that will be needed to facilitate the course. I think that perhaps, more guidance or information in the course in this area could help the students produce better job aids for their course. I reviewed the rubric, Googled for information about job aids, and researched the library databases, but did not find any good resources to help improve my job aid. So, I produced a document that I felt would help me if I were teaching the course and was unfamiliar with some of the concepts.

I will not have time to implement the course as it spans over a seven week timeframe. However, it will be a great course for me to utilize with our staff next semester. I also had another district inquire about facilitating the course content for their district. 

Creating a Transformative Digital Vision Canvas Course Reflection

The Canvas course which I created for CECS 5510 Technology-Based Learning Environments is finally complete. I adjusted the design of my course, so I could meet the course completion timeline. There are many more resources that I could have included in this course; however, I had to prioritize and decide which components were best for a 40 hour course. I also find it hard to announce that the course is complete as I think that improvements can always be made. Each time I review a module, I find myself changing the sentences and linking a new resource that is better than the previous one.

The technology challenges that I have battled are mostly cosmetic ones. Canvas is somewhat limiting on how appealing you can make the course content. I think the more appealing an instructional designer can make the course, the easier it is for participants to navigate within the course. For example, I made buttons to each module on the splash page. I spent entirely too long working on them to display correctly in various browsers. I think it looks much more professional this way, but was too cumbersome when completing. Perhaps in the future, Canvas will add more of these features as a drag and drop option. In addition, I am a firm believer in the use of rubrics. I included thirteen different rubrics in my course. Creating the rubrics were much more difficult than they should have been. For example, each rubric had to be created from scratch. Hopefully, there will be a way to copy a rubric, rename it, and modify it in the future, so you don’t have to continue to recreate the entire rubric each time you want to add a criterion to an existing rubric.

Having three people in a peer review group made peer review more difficult than just having a peer review partner. It is difficult to communicate with everyone and schedule the reviews. For instance, there were a couple of times in which we had to review two courses because it was a little confusing about who was reviewing each other’s work. Also, when you change reviewers, you must go back and review the entire course to understand the navigation and key concepts being built upon throughout the course instead of just reviewing the last 1/4^th of the course. However, on the flip side, having multiple peer reviewers helps ensure that the student is receiving accurate information from multiple resources and may eliminate student assessment error (Bostock, 2000).

I’ve also learned that when designing an online course with a timeline, you must plan and set completion goals, so you are not trying to complete your project at the last minute. I used my project timeline for completing my course and met the deadlines accordingly. Everyone in my peer review group did a great job of meeting the deadlines.

I didn’t know my strengths in this process until I saw everyone’s project presentation. I think that having a background in education and previously being an ELA teacher helps tremendously. It is very natural to me on how to set up the modules and activities, but others struggled with this. I am very happy with my course and look forward to using it myself in the future with other administrators.

Reference

Bostock, S. (2000). Student peer assessment. Learning Technology.

Reflection on Progress of Online Canvas Course

The development of my online class is moving along according to schedule. Although we are nearing the end of the semester, there is still quite a bit of detail to complete. For example, I only have one module left to construct. It is the final module which includes the presentations of the comprehensive digital portfolios. Then, I need to go back through the entire course and fine tune the details.

I enjoy the creativity of building the class; however, it is the detail involved that I find rather tedious and tiresome. But from experience, this is one of the key factors that I find online instructional designers tend to overlook. It is very frustrating as a student, when materials in the online class contradict each other or are too vague for the student to understand the assignment.  Therefore, I want to be sure that the syllabus, the assignment due dates, and instructions all align with the course activities and modules. And, you don’t want the course instructor modifying course content while teaching the course, as trying to create course content and meet the student needs at the same time would be overwhelming and effect the success of the course (Caplan & Graham, 2004).

Time has been the biggest challenge in creating this course. If I had more time, I could develop most of the instructional videos myself. However, in this case, I had to pick and choose which ones I needed to customize and create myself. Although, in some instances, the student is charged with researching and finding customized videos and information. In addition, Canvas is somewhat limited when it comes to formatting the material. I spent too much time trying to create a professional looking line break between activities in each module. I wanted to break the activities into chunks of information, so the material would not look so overwhelming to the participant. However, it still isn’t perfect and views differently depending on the device being used to view the course.

Currently, I am on schedule to meet the timeline for completion. However, I am always thinking of things that would enhance the course, but usually end up abandoning many of the ideas due to time constraints and the scope of the assignment. The course is set up so that each module should be completed within a week’s timeframe. So, I will not be able to implement the course during this timeframe; however, I will be using this course with our administrators next summer. And I have been asked to conduct training for another school district based on the information and materials in the course. So, the evaluation will be conducted after this semester.

Reference

Caplan, D., & Graham, R. (2004). The development of online courses. Theory and practice of online learning, 175.

Feedback and Updates on Creating the Transformative Digital Vision Course

I have received feedback from two of my classmates on the course I’m designing in Canvas. First, I used a program called Canva, www.canva.com, to create the graphics in the course. The splash page contains a graphic listing all of the modules that will need to be completed throughout the duration of the course. On my computer, the text on the graphics was very easy to read. However, when viewed on other computers it was more difficult.  So, I redesigned the graphic so that the text is easier to read. In the next peer review, I hope my peers find it easier to read.

When I click through the course, it is hard to believe that it took the amount of work and time that has gone into creating the project so far. For example, as I work on each module, it takes quite an amount of time to ensure that all of the details in one module are consistent with the other modules. I get extremely frustrated when I am participating in an online class, and the information in the various areas such as the syllabus, assignments, and modules are reporting due dates or other requirements that are inconsistent.  

I find the course content easy to produce because I work with the subject matter each day. I know that if I was designing a course in a subject that I am not so familiar with that it might take even longer to create the course. Fortunately, there are many videos on YouTube that can supplement the course materials. However, I have had to produce content so it is tailored to the expected outcomes of the course. And that definitely takes more time to complete.

In addition, as I build the activities for each module, I reflect to see if it is the best online pedagogy for the student task. For example, does the task allow for active learning, interactivity, or collaboration? These specific pedagogies promote and enhance the online learning environment and ensure that students are engaged in the course (Ukpokodu, 2008). In this course, I also want to ensure that the activities and the applications chosen model transformative learning. So, as I build each module, I double check to see if the web applications or resources I have provided are conducive to achieving this task. Again, this takes more time to research; therefore, the timeline becomes hard to meet when you are focusing on the quality of the course.

Reference

Ukpokodu, O. N. (2008). Teachers’ reflections on pedagogies that enhance learning in an online course on teaching for equity and social justice. Journal of Interactive Online Learning, 7(3), 227-255.

Online Instructional Design and Considerations

The instructional design document is the roadmap for creating the course in the Canvas learning management system (LMS). As I have begun building the modules in the LMS, some activities in the design document have been tweaked as well as enhanced along the way.

For example, I am using social media applications in my course to demonstrate to administrators how they can connect with other experts in their field. I discovered that you can embed a twitter handle or hashtag into a Canvas page, so participants can view the conversations within the LMS. Basically this works off of the Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) technology. You can find the application collections in EduAppCenter.com, which is managed by Instructure, the creator of Canvas. Any application on the EduAppCenter page can be embedded into the LMS for a seamless experience for the user. The only downside is that many of these applications use a key or secret in order to be installed. This represents that a fee is associated with the application. However, I noticed many free applications that could be integrated such as Educreations, Youtube, Dropbox, Quizlet, Wikipedia, Vimeo, and Slideshare.

I have also noticed that I left out some details in the design document and a few areas need minor revising to ensure the participant has a clear understanding of the concepts being introduced. In my third module, I forgot to create an assignment or assessment for brainstorming a personal learning network. In my design document, I only listed an assignment dropbox for the final product; however, the task could be quite difficult for people not familiar with personal learning networks (PLNs). So, I added a monitoring or checkpoint assignment. This assignment will provide an opportunity for the instructor to offer feedback or redirection if the participant is struggling with the newly introduced concept. The assignment has little weight in the overall course, but it will provide insight into the overall understanding of the concept before the participant begins to construct their own PLN. Research has shown that providing feedback guides the learner’s performance and is positively related to their achievement (Reigeluth, Watson, Watson, Dutta, Chen, & Powell, 2008).

The design model is working well so far, as I am constantly referencing the instructional design document as I build the modules. There are so many details to consider when you begin placing instructional content online versus a face to face course. The pedagogy that is selected for the online course must be carefully considered and revised to ensure it meets the needs of the learner in the LMS format.

Reference

Reigeluth, C. M., Watson, W. R., Watson, S. L., Dutta, P., Chen, Z., & Powell, N. D. (2008). Roles for technology in the information-age paradigm of education: Learning management systems. Educational Technology, 48(6), 32. 

Reflection on Developing a Course in the Canvas Learning Management System

So far, I have been pleasantly surprised by the intuitiveness of how to build a course in Canvas. Before you begin creating your course, it is important to map out how you want to organize your instructional materials, assignments, discussions, pages, syllabus, and modules. I plowed right in to the program and quickly discovered that it would be worth my time to map out the overall navigation of the course. Once I decided on organizing the materials into weekly modules and accessing the modules from a home page or landing page, the organization of the course began to flow.

One item that has been rather challenging is the use of the rubric feature. I am a firm believer in the use of rubrics to establish assignment expectations. And the rubrics are fairly easy to build within Canvas. The only problem is that it drives me crazy that I have three areas in each criteria of the rubric, however, the lines will not align. In addition, the rubrics are managed under the outcome section. I would suggest to Canvas that rubrics have a section of their own. Furthermore, you can’t clone a rubric and make minor adjustments to it for a similar assignment. Instead, you must completely re-type it. Last, the student must select the gear button in the upper right hand corner to view the rubric, or you must hyperlink it to its URL, which seems much more difficult than it should be.

I have just about completed 25% of my course and have received feedback from a peer. The feedback was helpful, and I always welcome input from a second opinion. In addition, I did glance through his course and found them to be very similar in structure, so I must be on to something. I have created my own graphics and discovered that the main graphic on the landing page displays a little too dark for some monitors compared to how it appears on mine. Another note is to always check your work on various computers, browsers, and on a variety of settings. And I don’t want to forget to check it on a mobile device. Although, I think I read that Canvas doesn’t fully support the iPad application just yet.

Finally, I provided feedback to another classmate today. The best advice that I could give her was to consider how the participant would navigate through the course and what the most logical manor is without missing any important instructions or assignments. Along with this, is ensuring that you are also considering how the students will learn. For example, what are the pedagogical principles being used in the LMS, so students are successful learners (Suddaby & Milne, 2008). I feel these are truly the first big obstacles that the course designer must tackle after a strong instructional design document has been created.

What have I learned from the process of developing instruction in an LMS? I can conclude that it is very time consuming although once it is completed may look very simple to accomplish.  Perhaps that is what a good instructional designer does for the learner? They make everything very easy to navigate and provide explicit instructions, so the learner has a clear understanding of the course expectations.

Reference

Suddaby, G., & Milne, J. (2008). Coordinated, collaborative and coherent. Campus - Wide Information Systems, 25(2), 114-122. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/1065074081086660

Instructional Design Model

An instructional design model in which I was not currently familiar with is the ASSURE model. In summary, this module emphasizes analyzing the learners, developing a clear understanding of the expectations of the learning outcomes, and then reflecting on the data that was gathered about the learning outcomes. In a discussion about the ASSURE module, Sharon Smaldino (2013) stresses the importance of the evaluation process and including time to reflect on the learner outcomes with the intent of improving the instructional design for future learning opportunities.

The attraction about the ASSURE module is that it includes the use of technology in the instructional design of the lesson.

A—Analyze the learners

S—State the standards & objectives

S—Select strategies, technology, media and materials

U—Utilize technology, media and materials

R—Require learner participation

E—Evaluate and revise

I like the idea of the integration of technology being part of the framework when designing a lesson. So many times it seems that teachers force the use of technology just for the sake of using technology because it is a district expectation. In this model, instructional designers would consider the technology integration as part of the instructional design process and not as an element added as an additional activity or task. Instead, the use of technology is considered as a tool to use to meet the identified standards and objectives of the lesson.  

The model also has several elements which are similar to the ADDIE module which we have utilized in previous instructional design projects. For example, objectives and standards are clearly established in both, an analysis is part of the framework, and evaluation of the instructional design is the last step in the process.

The ASSURE model reinforces the idea of using technology to improve student learning. I am already applying this to my instructional design project for this course. Administrators will learn how to use technology to transform the learning in their district; therefore, the course will include activities and resources that model the use of practical web-based applications they can implement to achieve this goal. 

The instructional design model is not to be confused with a theoretical model. Both are important components for establishing student learning and are seamlessly intermingled within a quality instructional design. In addition, the learning theory should be considered when the instructional designer is deciding what method is best for how the learning will be processed or acquired by the learner. For example, once this is established, then the learning theory will guide the instructional designer on what type of student activities might be chosen during the select, utilize, and require stages of the ASSURE framework.  The distinction between the two are relevant since each are dependent on one another for creating lessons that are instructionally sound and achieve the learning objectives outlined in the instructional design.

The client is focused on the student learning outcomes and depends on the instructional designer to design instruction so the content is delivered in a meaningful way, meets the needs of the participants, and achieves the desired learning outcomes. The methods to achieve this is more important to the designer.

Reference

Culatta, R. (2013). Instructional Design Modules. Instructional Design. Retrieved from http://instructionaldesign.org/models/

The Power of Peer Review

My peer review group got off to a chaotic start, but in the end, I was lucky enough to receive feedback from both Benny and Neethu on my instructional design document (IDD). The peer review experience did help me to improve the content in my document. Simply reading through my peer’s document enlightened me on some requirements and formatting that needed my attention.  For example, I did not fully understand the requirements outlined in the rubric for the section on learning theory. So, I searched and found several peer reviewed journal articles and included them as references to strengthen and support why I chose the constructivist learning theory. I included the statement that constructivism is the foundation of project-based learning in which students are approached with a problem and engage in activities that allow and lead to real world problem-solving (Almala, 2005). Then, I linked the learning activities in my project to the constructivist learning theory. Now, I feel the paragraphs on learning theory meet the expectations outlined in the rubric. 

Next, there was information in the environmental resources that needed more detail in which I assumed the reader would understand. So, I added the specifics of items such as naming the particular learning management system participants would be utilizing. Towards the end of the document, the reviewers restructured a few sentences and added and deleted words.  I made all of these changes based on their suggestions. In addition, a great resource was shared that explains the levels and adoption of technology integration into the classroom. Although, I didn’t use the resource in my design document since the analysis was already conducted, it is a website that I will introduce in our district as we look at teacher levels of technology integration.

Another suggestion that I considered was changing how I numbered my goals and objectives. In the first instructional design course I completed, we did not use the format that Benny suggested. However, when I looked at how the goals and learning objectives for this course were formatted, I noticed that it was the format in which Benny referenced. So I used the G.1 and O.1.1 format when listing goals and objectives. I have noticed there are several inconsistencies with how things were presented in our previous instructional design course versus this instructional design course. So, I will need to ensure that I read the directions and rubrics carefully as not to assume I already know the expectation.

My design document was similar to one of my peers, so that reassured me I was on the right track. I know that the instructional design document needs to be well thought out because the course in which I will be building the next twelve weeks will be based on the information outlined in it.  Therefore, I appreciate having a peer from the class review the IDD and make suggestions as it only strengthens the content of the document. 

Reference

Almala, A. H. (2005). A constructivist conceptual framework for a quality e-learning environment. Distance Learning, 2(5), 9-12. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/230696773?accountid=7113

Strengths and Weaknesses of Pedagogies Underlying Online, Blended Learning, and MOOC's

          Advanced technologies and media have rapidly increased the progression of online, blended learning, and massive open online course (MOOC) learning formats. Self-directed learning, collaborative inquiry, instructor and peer feedback, and development of social presence are all pedagogical methods when utilized in e-learning formats can improve student learning outcomes when applied to fitting content and needs of students.

Self-directed learning has become important with the exponential growth in information and ever changing technologies. People are challenged with continuously developing skills and knowledge in order to be competitive in the work force. For example, distance learning has increased in popularity as it offers flexibility of scheduling and educational opportunities that might not otherwise be available. However, self-directed learning sounds like an easy strategy to implement, but in reality, people often are not motivated or need the social support of community to help them engage in the learning process (Lin, 2008).

Collaborative inquiry is a design that recognizes exploring issues and determining solutions through questioning, reflection, and dialogue. Learning is achieved by participating in dialogue through interactions and basing new learning on prior experiences (Lin, 2008). The learner can reach out to peers to collaborate, share knowledge with others, build on each other’s knowledge, or co-create knowledge. Forms of collaborative inquiry include participating in discussion forums, blogs, and wiki spaces. These technologies help users create online communities where they can connect with others who have the same interests or expertise. Through the use of these online tools, students have more opportunities to an increasing knowledge base. However, learners must be willing to actively seek communications with others who have the same aspirations instead of depending on the educator to find answers to their questions or provide the knowledge they are seeking (Lin, 2008).

Providing feedback that accesses the quality of work or student performance can help guide a student’s learning throughout an online course and establish teaching presence (Getzlaf, Perry, Toffner, Lamarche, & Edwards, 2009). Feedback can include encouragement and direction, so students can expand their ideas and reach specific learning goals or outcomes. Feedback from peers can be utilized to critique student artifacts, while feedback from instructors can provide both guidance and motivation to the learner. In addition, when students participate in providing feedback to peers, students receive practice at critically examining a concept. However, if feedback is not constructive or provided in a timely manner, then the feedback may not be beneficial to the student. 

Students establish social presence when they have a sense of belonging and ownership in their own learning (Swan & Shih, 2005). Social presence can be developed in online discussions using textual cues which indicate satisfaction during interactions between students. In addition, the development of relationships between students during online discussions increases student social presence; and in return, students present more social presence in responses to their peers. However, research found that online discussions that focused on readings that were provided for students did not produce personal responses that led to having a social presence. Instead, discussions based on a student’s own personal experience led to a higher social presence in the course. The use of online discussions which focus on personal experiences can increase the student’s social presence in the discussion or interactions with peers (Swan & Shih, 2005).  

          Online, blended learning, and massive open online course (MOOC) learning formats provide new learning opportunities when course design includes proven online pedagogy.

References

Lin, L. (2008). An Online Learning Model to Facilitate Learners' Rights to Education. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 12(1), 127-143.

Getzlaf, B., Perry, B., Toffner, G., Lamarche, K., & Edwards, M. (2009). Effective Instructor Feedback: Perceptions of Online Graduate Students. Journal of Educators Online, 6(2), n2.

Swan, K., & Shih, L. F. (2005). On the nature and development of social presence in online course discussions. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 9(3), 115-136.

What have I learned so far in my Technology-based Learning Environments course? How can I apply what I have learned? or What do I need to know more about when designing my own instructional design project in Canvas?

The teacher's role is to be an instructional designer that can
implement effective online technology that elicits the
desired student outcomes.

I found the article by Savery and Duffy (1995) to be beneficial and timely since our district is implementing a blending learning pilot program at our high school campus, and I will be designing an online class for my project. In a blended approach, instructional design is based on problem-based learning and a constructivist learning theory. In addition, my classmate Kelly Kelsoe also had an article posted about several factors that must be in place for students to grasp the benefits of a blended learning instructional design approach (Francis and Shannon, 2013). And I found an article that addresses the challenges and experiences of transforming a traditional classroom into a social constructivist approach (Dalsgaard and Godsk, 2007).

Some people might think that I am a little crazy, but I actually enjoy the opportunity to design instructional projects. And all of the articles above have certainly given me some new aspects in online instructional design to think about. First, let’s consider key factors that will transform an online course and engage students. Effective online tools need to be included in the design to take advantage of the affordances that technology can offer. This will mean creating activities in which students can interact and receive feedback from their peers. In addition, reflective activities will need to be included in order to give students time to think about their own thinking. We all know that reflection has a big effect size on student learning. So, discussion forums and blogging are activities to consider during the design and development phase of the ADDIE model.

Next, what have I learned about the constructivist learning theory and the social constructivist learning theories? How can I apply them to my design? I focused on the idea of “puzzlement is the stimulus for learning” when reading the Savery and Duffy (1995) article. I will need to consider how to organize the online course so that authentic learning is taking place and students are the center of the learning. In addition, I will need to create a stimulus puzzlement that stimulates the new learning opportunities.

The Savery and Duffy (1995) and the Dalsgaard and Godsk, (2007) articles both highlighted that knowledge evolves through social interactions which lead to individual understandings of knowledge. I will need to research which social media and Web 2.0 programs could be implemented to elicit the desired student outcomes in the project.

And the biggest challenge will be designing the course with a scenario or problem and also ensuring that the activities the students complete will cover the intended goals and objectives of the course. But first, I must draw a conclusion to what the subject of the instructional design might be. Digital Leadership? Implementing Blended Learning? iPads in the Classroom? So many interesting choices to select from.

References

Dalsgaard, C., & Godsk, M. (2007). Transforming traditional lectures into problem‐based blended learning: challenges and experiences. Open Learning, 22(1), 29-42.

Francis, R., & Shannon, S. J. (2013). Engaging with blended learning to improve students’ learning outcomes. European Journal of Engineering Education, 38(4), 359-369.

Savery, J. R., & Duffy, T. M. (1995). Problem based learning: An instructional model and its constructivist framework. Educational technology, 35(5), 31-38.

Web 2.0 and Student Writing Scores

I have been asked by my colleagues on several occasions, "Does the money in which the district spends on technology really make a difference?" "Can you provide evidence?" Well, my best answer today is embedded in the research that has been conducted by others. And hopefully soon, I will be completing a study of my own  in which I can shed some light on the subject. For now, here is an abstract of a research paper that I recently completed, and if it sparks an interest, I have provided a link to the full 10 pages. What do you think about the impact that technology has on your district?

Does the Implementation of Web 2.0 Applications in the English Language Arts Classroom Improve 7^th Grade Student Writing Scores?

Abstract

Over the last ten years, interactive Web 2.0 applications have become widespread and are popular forms of communication among school-aged children. With the gain in popularity of online Web 2.0 applications and being an essential part of a student’s everyday life outside of the classroom, teachers should take advantage of the affordances these evolving technologies can bring to the classroom. In particular, can the implementation of Web 2.0 technologies in place of traditional writing methods improve student writing scores as denoted on the STAAR writing test? Does the use of interactive Web 2.0 applications motivate students to share their thoughts through their writing? Currently, there is little evidence that the use of Web 2.0 technologies versus traditional writing methodologies have a significant impact on the improvement of middle school student writing scores. A quantitative study involving classes of 7^th grade students who utilize Web 2.0 applications during writing assignments compared to classes of 7^th grade students who practice traditional writing methods could provide more insight about the results of implementing Web 2.0 applications in an English Language Arts classroom.

Keywords: Web 2.0, English Language Arts, STAAR test, writing performance

If this peaks your curiosity, then here is the link to the 10 page research paper and all of the resources. 

Branding Yourself as a Digital Leader

I am ecstatic to blog about my final project in which my classmate and colleague, Kelli Kelsoe, and I have just completed for our Instructional Design class we are taking through an online program at UNT. It was designed as a two day training which addresses the problem that many administrators today lack the knowledge to lead and implement a vision for using technology to promote excellence and support transformation throughout their campus, department, and district. The advancements in technology, and its use in our everyday lives, have changed how students communicate and learn. In order to keep students engaged in their own learning, administrators must embrace the new technology innovations to optimize the potential that digital devices and their resources can bring to the educational environment. 

Although all teachers in Castleberry have a professional development plan which includes the infusion of technology, all administrators have not been afforded training opportunities on how to utilize and model the use of technology to transform their campus or department into a 21^st Century digital-age learning environment. The burst in growth of free Web 2.0 applications has provided new ways to improve public relations through two-way communications, receive personalized professional development, brand yourself, increase student engagement, and take advantage of new opportunities by leveraging connections made through the use of technology. Because of this burst, it is an ideal time to train administrators on how to use technology tools to transform their campus or department and become a digital leader.

The format of the training includes face-to-face instruction along with collaborative group time. Electronic resources have been provided through a shared livebinder titled, Branding Yourself as a Digital Leader. This format meets the needs of both the participants and the trainers by providing all resources in one shared online location that can be accessed both during and after the training. The livebinder provides multiple formats of training materials including: Prezi’s, Slideshares, Google Slides, YouTube tutorial videos, links to Web applications, interactive surveys, links to documents, blog posts, scholarly articles, online classroom management tools, embedded interactive and/or collaborative Web applications, and activity rubrics. The selected format provides adequate face-to-face time to introduce concepts, collaborative activities so participants will have time to implement what they have learned, and time to reflect on how to implement and apply what they have learned.

A link to an emaze presentation is available that summarizes the project, the implementation of the project, sample products created during training, and key topics to consider in future training. In addition, videos of several administrators and their testimonials describing what they have learned about branding themselves and how to be a digital leader on their campus are provided in the presentation. As new administrators enter the district each year, they will complete this training on, Branding Yourself as a Digital Leader.   

Reflection on Instructional Design

First, in order to have good instructional design, the ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation) framework should be implemented. During the analysis stage, the problem preventing the desired outcome or behavior should be identified along with the causes of the problem. The designer can conduct interviews, review existing documentation, or review surveys. In addition, the format of the training and lesson goals and objectives should be established. During the design phase, the learning activities should be determined and aligned with the goals and objectives. How the lesson will be assessed to ensure mastery and consideration of the evaluation process is completed during the design phase. Next, during the development stage, the actual activities of the lesson should be fully created along with the job aid for the client. Then, you are ready to implement your training. Once the training is complete and participants provide feedback, the instructional designer should adjust any areas that were unclear to the learners or repair any technical glitches.  Taking the time to complete this process can help ensure a successful training.

Also, what did I learn from the Evaluation of the product? What would I do differently next time? How much did I learn from the process and evaluation that will make me a better future instructional designer?

I completed this project with a colleague and classmate, Kelli Kelsoe. I believe that it takes longer to develop training when working with a partner; however, the end product was much better than the first instructional design. Each instructional designer brought new innovative ideas to the table for discussion in which the other designer was not aware of. In addition, we were constantly reviewing the product, so mistakes were found quickly and corrected. The project scope was overwhelming once we added the content from two designers into one document and training session. The participants did complain that they needed more time to complete the assignments. The training will be utilized in the district, so the allotted time for each activity has been adjusted along with allowing some “think” time between day one and day two. One item that I had to learn the hard way was concerning the use of a google survey form. I created a 20 question survey, but did not set the permissions so others could not edit the survey. Unfortunately, someone customized the form after the participants utilized it. I was able to collect the data, but I will have to recreate the form again for future use. 

The Texas Library Association Conference 2015

TLA 2015 Conference

The Texas Library Association Conference April 14-17

Last week, I was honored at the Bluebonnet Awards Luncheon and received The Distinguished Library Service Award for School Administrators because of the hard work that the Castleberry ISD teacher-librarians put towards my nomination. I can’t express how privileged I am to have the opportunity to be representing the libraries as an advocate and friend of school libraries. Today, libraries play an important role in our schools and are the learning hubs that bring students, teachers, parents, and experts in our community together to learn.  

Although our libraries are equipped with books, ebooks, digital resources, databases, makerspaces, brainstorming tables, presentation TV’s, Smart Boards, Digital Signage, Cable access, computers, mobile devices, Xboxes, a Wii, a virtual high school library created in Minecraft, and our latest edition, the Castlebucks café, our greatest assets are our Castleberry ISD Teacher-Librarians.

You can build beautiful libraries and have a great vision, but without the right people in place that share your vision, it is impossible to reach your goals! I want to send a special thanks to our CISD Teacher-Librarians for being the best group of librarians the district has ever employed! I look forward to working with you in the years to come. 

What does it mean to Design Instruction?

First, what does it mean to design instruction and what skills are needed to design lessons that can bring about significant and relevant learning experiences? Designing instruction is complex and consists of several steps in order to create an instructional design which elicits the learning that you want to occur. It is a process of steps in which each step should be evaluated and improved upon before completing the final project. Instructional design begins with an understanding of the learners’ needs. What exactly do we need the students to learn? This is sometimes complex itself because before teachers can design their instruction, they must fully understand what the TEKS are asking students to be able to perform or master. An analysis of the deficiencies and concepts that should be learned must be identified first.

Design and development are the steps in which the instructional designer must have an understanding of the content, and then be able to construct activities that are engaging and meets the individual learning styles of the student. How should the content be delivered? Decisions about whether the content is best learned in a face-to-face setting, flipped setting, collaborative, or independently must be considered. This also relates to the student’s learning styles. For example, some students can learn from simply hearing the content via lecture, others in a hands-on environment, while still others from simply watching. The instructional designer may be a master at the content, but they also must recognize and understand the best method to construct the learning activities. Then, they must have the skills to develop lessons in which the expectations and procedures can be clearly understood and delivered in a logical manner that makes sense to the learner.   

Instructional design necessitates that the designer is familiar with innovative methods that can be utilized in the learning process. Educational instructional designers must be current on what digital resources are available and how students can utilize them in an educational environment. More learning opportunities are provided outside the four walls of the classroom, so the instructional designer must have the technology proficiencies to design activities that support electronic delivery and interactions. This idea is fairly new; however, more secondary classes and college classes are delivering instruction in a complete online environment or a blended learning approach.

Finally, an instructional designer must implement the lesson, acquire feedback, and be willing to adjust where needed. I believe that the instructional design of a lesson can always be improved upon. Each time I taught a class, I learned something that I could do to improve it. Professional instructional design takes someone who is not only a master in their content, but understands how people learn, keeps abreast of innovative technologies, and is willing to implement and evaluate for the purpose of improvement.   

Self-regulating Yourself and Others during the Instructional Design Process

In order to produce a successful instructional design, the designer must create the instructional design, implement it, and evaluate it so that improvements can be made. This takes someone who has the grit to continue the evaluation and revising process until the design is finalized and meets the needs of its audience. Instructional designs are dynamic in nature because they can always be improved upon; therefore, much time is invested into creating a successful instructional design. Completing the entire instructional design process requires someone who can manage and self-regulate themselves and others until a finished product is completed within the allotted timeframe.

First, what does it mean to self-regulate yourself and others?  Once the implementation date of the lesson is established, then the instructional designer must create a timeline to work from. Careful thought should be given to the progress that should be made each day or week in order to meet the implementation timeline. That is where self-regulation comes into play. If the designer isn’t making progress each week, then it will be difficult to complete all of the steps in the ADDIE framework of instructional design, and the effectiveness of the lesson will suffer.

During the first project, students were asked to upload their design documents each step of the ADDIE process. The instructor was regulating and establishing a method to ensure that students would have ample time dedicated to each step of the process. In addition, feedback was provided along the way so that improvements could be made prior to implementation. This method was helpful and enabled the designer to meet the deadlines established in the course.

During the second project, the completion date was given; however, the instructional designer was responsible for establishing a timeline so the lesson design would be completed before the end of the course. Documents were not required to be turned in, so it was imperative that a self-regulating plan was established between the designer and the client, so they could meet the target implementation date. In my second project, I was also working with another classmate, so we had to establish a completion timeframe in which both of us could accomplish. This took much more time than I originally expected. Coordinating both clients’ and both designers’ schedules was more difficult and limited productivity at times.   

Both designers accomplished the steps of the ADDIE framework and met the clients’ implementation date. Regulating the process and meeting the timeframe was effective because a checklist of what to accomplish and the person responsible for completing the task was established before the process began. This strategy worked well for the second project; therefore, the implementation of the design was completed in a timely manner and revisions could be made to the final document that improved the overall instructional design.

Reflection of my Experience in Second Life

This is my second experience teleporting into Second Life (SL). In this experience, we were asked to partner with a classmate and to relate our experience in SL to the principles of instructional design.

We first teleported to the Edtech area. Upon arrival, there was an avatar named Amelia that greeted us, but we couldn’t figure out what we were to do next as she only responded with giving us someone’s name. In addition, she would not respond through the chat or by clicking on her. When we looked around and decided that the information kiosk might be a good location to see if more directions were available, nothing we did prompted us or provided information about what we needed to accomplish next; however, we did find a sign that led us down a path to our building. One of the main questions we were seeking to answer was, “What is the purpose of this area?” “What resources are available for us?” When you are designing a training or lesson, the purpose of the assignment should be communicated so participants have a clear understanding of what they are learning and what is important to focus on during the instruction. Otherwise, students may spend time on activities that are not related to the instructional objectives. This area lacked clear instructions and goals and objectives. In addition, we quickly became frustrated when some of the hints or activities that we found looked like math problems or a programming language in which we were unfamiliar with; therefore, we couldn’t complete the tasks or engage in the activities in the virtual world. The activities did not appear to be intended for our audience.   

Once we entered the Edtech building, we found that by touching some objects text would appear and give hints or directions. However, the quality of the text was not readable, and we spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out what the text was asking us to do. So, we decided to try another area and headed over to the Monopoly board. We found maneuvering around a familiar object such as the Monopoly board and interacting with familiar objects such as the dice was intuitive and was much more engaging. For example, we knew that we needed to roll the dice, so we naturally knew to reach out and touch them, and we were able to roll the dice quite easily.  

We then teleported into the second location. We found that this area provided affordances that made interacting with the environment much more natural. For example, when you touched a light, it turned on and off. Once you figured this out, then you knew to go to the other lights, and this action worked for all of them including the fireplace. So, there was consistency throughout the design of the building. With consistency, performing the activities were more instinctive and less frustrating to perform.

I can see how using a virtual environment such as SL could be used as a form of e-learning. However, when developing the activities, the instructional design framework still needs to be applied to this e-learning environment to make it an engaging and a productive learning experience. The 3-D experience contributes to learning because it provides a simulation in which an avatar can interact with, and this is how our mind naturally makes learning connections.

Reflection on My First Instructional Design Project

I have completed Project A in my Instructional Design course and am fairly pleased with the overall design and participant results. My client, Jessica Batchko, was very easy to work with and offered some great suggestions during the experience of working through the ADDIE framework for instructional design. The ADDIE method was quite extensive, and the design document was dynamic in nature and improved during each step of the design process.

The format of the activities in the intervention worked very well. The previous training was delivered in a face-to-face format and was not taught at the depth in which the concepts needed to be covered. The instructor wasted valuable face-to-face time with low level activities in which participants could read and review outside of trainings; therefore, the online or “flipped” format allowed the face-to-face time to be utilized on more difficult tasks in which participants might need assistance.

Creating the materials for the online module took more time than I anticipated. But, I do think that the time spent on developing the materials will pay off in the long run because new staff to the district will be able to use the online resources over and over again. Although it took quite some time to develop the materials, using the websites and technology applications were engaging and enjoyable to experiment with. I always like investigating new Web 2.0 applications and creating activities with them that are both engaging and have an educational value. Like students, adults can become consumed in their own learning when they use technology to learn.  

What needed improvement in my design? For the most part, everything seemed to go smoothly upon implementation of the intervention activities. There were only two places in which participants indicated that if they would have had a little more detail or perhaps an online video demonstration that they could have completed a task quicker. I assumed that the participants would know the skills in which they struggled with. However, the module included a section for participants to post questions if they were struggling with an activity. None of them took advantage of this feature in the module.

How will this process effect my next instructional design project? First, I will want to work closely with my peer and client to ensure that the scope of the design document doesn’t cover too much material for the project. In addition, the activities in which the participants complete can have more weight in the intervention activities.

I am working with a peer during Project B and am finding that it will be beneficial, but it will not necessarily mean that the work will be easier. We have already discovered that there will be more planning time that we will have to coordinate with our busy schedules.

Visit the new teacher training module at: http://www.castleberryisd.net/departments/technology_services/new_teacher_module/

Method of Loci/Memory Palace

Method of Loci/Memory Palace and Implementation of the Instructional Design

Our assignment was to picture a familiar room and take a mental image of it. Then, we were asked to try to associate something that we were learning with the mental images as we walked through the familiar room. I had tried this once before when I was in a professional development session and to my amazement, it really helps you memorize items such as numbers, faces, and concepts. The concepts that we were asked to associate with the view of Situated Instructional Design was somewhat hard to picture perhaps because I really didn’t comprehend  the four components that were trying to memorize.

How could I use the method of loci to improve the acquisition of knowledge in my designs? So, you could use this approach when you introduce the goals and objectives for each activity in the instructional design. For example, if your goal was to teach responsible use of electronic systems, then you could ask students to create mental images of appropriate use and then inappropriate use of the electronic resources as you read the district policies and procedures to them. The students could associate them with items as they are walking through their room. Afterward, you could ask them to recall as many items as they could from each category.

Implementation of the Instructional Design

Reflect on the implementation and evaluation: What changes will you make before implementation? Why? First, upon reading the job aid, my client had some great suggestions for improving the design document before implementation. First, we created a google spreadsheet that earmarked important checkpoints in which Jessica could use to monitor each participant’s progress. Since, some of the training module is self-paced; I thought that this was a great idea. It will be important for Jessica to ensure that the new teachers don’t fall behind in the beginning because it will be very difficult to be successful in the face-to-face session that follows this module.

What did you ignore in the client's feedback? Why?  In addition, Jessica had some other suggestions, but because they wouldn’t significantly affect the success of the participants, I didn’t add them. The major reason was simply a time factor. I spent quite a bit of time on this module. The scope became bigger than I first anticipated, but the adjustment in scope was needed in order to accomplish the outlined goals and objectives as this module will be utilized in the district with all new teachers.

What did you ignore in your peer's feedback? Why? In my peer’s feedback, I included all of the suggestions. I think that you are really never finished making revisions. Every time someone reviews the instructional design, there seems to always be a new idea that can be added or improved upon. However, at some point, you must call it the final draft and then implement the instruction. After the implementation, it can be modified based on the feedback provided in the evaluation.

What do I think about instructional design?

Instructional design can be very time consuming when done effectively. I have been involved in trainings and professional develop sessions that have been presented in an effective manner, but I have also attended some that have not been very effective. Teachers have so many job duties to accomplish and so little time that when they attend training, the professional development needs to be relevant and effective.  Taking time to design the trainings using the ADDIE framework helps instructional designers to create effective instruction.

When I was a teacher, I always enjoyed the opportunity to create my own lessons. It was much more difficult to create the activities than to simply copy a worksheet and pass it out to the students to complete on their own. Unfortunately, because of time restraints, teachers turn to the worksheet method of instruction. It is so much simpler and certainly faster to produce a worksheet than developing a lesson yourself, but it’s not very effective instructional design.

As I have been creating my instructional design document for this course over the last several weeks, it has changed forms more than I had anticipated at each submission time. As you progress in the design process, you often go back and continue to edit previous ideas such as the understanding of the problem, the performance gap, the format of the instructional materials, and how the activities will support the goals and objectives that have been identified. Making everything cohesive and relevant to one another takes much planning and an open mind to realizing that the instructional design is dynamic in nature and can always be revised and tweaked for continuous improvement. 

  

My project that I am working on for my client is an online format and is based on the idea of “flipped” instruction. In the future, there will be a greater demand for instruction to be created in this format. However, I find it even more difficult and challenging to create than the face-to-face instructional materials. You must stay abreast of the latest technology tools, web applications, and web authoring skills, along with understanding good instructional strategies and the level of rigor each activity should contain. Currently, Governor Greg Abbott’s, Educating Texan’s Plan, calls for increased blended learning course offerings, so students can enroll in classes in which their district can’t afford to offer. With the increase of high school classes that will be offered online, more quality instructional designers will be needed.  

References

Bichelmeyer, B. (2005). The ADDIE model: A metaphor for the lack of clarity in the field of IDT. IDT Record.

Refection on Analysis and Design (Using the ADDIE Framework for Instructional Design)

Part 1: What have you learned from the analysis? What are you planning to do with it? Do a little brainstorming about what activities tied to your learning objectives that you might include in the design of your lesson.

In the analysis step of the ADDIE framework for instructional design, I worked with my client in order to get an understanding of the existing situation and what the desired performance outcome should be. I utilized the six step performance gap analysis outlined by Leidner and Jarvenpaa (1995) and utilized 3 different tools to gather data. I reviewed existing policies, conducted an interview based on observations in the field, and reviewed the existing format, timeframe allotted, and instructional materials. From this analysis, I was able to identify the problem, the purpose of the training needed, decide a format for the training, and determine the causes for the problem being experienced in the district. Analyzing this data, I could establish both the learner and instructor needs along with the goals and objectives for the desired performance outcome. In addition, the environmental resources needed to conduct the training were identified.

Deciding the learning activities was somewhat difficult and will continue to be tweaked throughout the design process. I choose several documents/policies in which the learner will need to read in order to complete the learning activities. The learners will create a comic strip using the www.toondo.com Web 2.0 application. This activity will be performed at the analysis level of Blooms. Next, the learner will watch a slide show in which has been uploaded to Slideshare. In addition, several tasks will be performed based on directions provided by the instructor. A successful outcome will be determined if the user is able to create secure accounts, and then log on and utilize several websites using a personal device and school issued iPad.  The evaluation will include a reflective activity in which learners are asked to respond and extend on the ideas of other colleagues.  

Part 2: How are analysis and design related for you? Think about it in the context the articles and chapters we have read thus far. How closely should these two pieces of the model connect? How does the Information R/Evolution video affect each of these?

The analysis drives the design of the training. The information which was gathered during the analysis phase was important in order for the instructional designer to understand the performance gap. The tools you use to collect the data during the analysis phase are also critical, so the designer can gather the key components that will help identify the problem. The training then should directly connect back to solving the problem or the performance gap being experienced by the entity. The analysis provided insight into establishing the topic, audience, purpose, and expected format of the training. From the analysis, the goals and objectives can be established and consideration of the learners’ schema and learning in context should be considered during the design phase (Gagne and Merrill, 1990).

Key points that I took away from The Information R/Evolution video included, information can find us, people create information and can tag it for easy retrieval, and the old categorization of information must be rethought.  Information is easier to collect when conducting an analysis for the training than previous times. Information was once difficult to obtain, but now it is at our fingertips in various electronic resources such as the Internet or other electronic databases. In addition, the experts are no longer the keepers of the information. People are curators and creators of information and can categorize information in tags for easy retrieval. In the design stage, learners can participate in curating, creating, and organizing information for others to retrieve. People can easily be producers of information and content. However, evaluating the content that is found on the Internet is another consideration during the analysis phase and designing the training activities.

References

Gagné, R. M., & Merrill, M. D. (1990). Integrative goals for instructional design. Educational Technology Research and Development, 38(1), 23-30.

 

Leidner, D. E.,& Jarvenpaa, S. L. (1995). The use of information technology to enhance management school education: A theoretical view. MIS quarterly, 265-291.

Welch, M. (2007, October 12, 2007). The R/evolution [video file]. Retrieved from      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4CV05HyAbM&feature=rec-fresh