OTID Reflection

Final Online Teaching and Instructional Design Reflection! Hooray!!

What have you learned about course design and planning? 

While finishing up the requirements for the MS in OTID I learned a great deal about prior planning in regards to course design. In the process I also learned that I am not a planner on "paper" by nature because I found I very often change my plans, design, concepts etc when I am actually in the building stage of design. 

I completely see the benefit for both the client and designer when having pre-planning documents. This is an area I want to continue to work on because sometimes in the planning stage I cannot see the design in my head until I start working in the online learning environment. 

I realize with the changes that were made to the OTID program in the last 2 years I have been given a great advantage for not only designing for education purposes but also for the business and nonprofit professional settings. Terms like Gantt Chart are not often used in educational design planning and I now feel I am better suited to design in many professional settings no matter the content. 


How close was your final product to your planning document? 

My final Accessibility Training was actually very close to my planning documents in terms of layout, however, there were a few content pieces that I changed and decided to elaborate on more once I saw the visual aspect of it in Canvas. I found that once I started designing this training that it could become a very large training and had to really only highlight big items for the purposes of time. 

What new technology, if any, did you find yourself using to complete your module(s)? 

I didn't utilize a lot of new technology because I specifically focused on digital tools that had accessibility statements like Thinglink, however, I did learn a lot about new HTML codes and how to apply them to making your online learning environments accessible to all learners. I found myself getting more comfortable with HTML codes and design layouts and using them when creating each module. 

What lessons have you learned from this experience in applying what you have learned? 

I learned that HTML is very tedious. I also learned more about accessibility in the online learning environment to help make myself more knowledgeable as well as more versed to help any clients I may design for so that their online learning environments are legally accessible to all participants. 

What would you do differently?  

I think I took on a very large project with my accessibility training and have really only touched on the big topics. There is so much more that could and should be discussed within the training and I can very well see this training becoming a full semester (or at least 8 week) long course. I know I need further direction and editing eyes to help me with this process. 

What would you add/delete/expand upon? 

I would most definitely expand on the examples of accessible content and provide more opportunities for reflection for participants to look at previous content they have designed and see how they would change it to make it more accessible. 

I also think I would break up each of my tabs into different modules so that "accessible text" is it's own module with examples, "accessible tables" is it's own module with examples etc. I researched and researched and think there is still so much more that could be added to really help a designer understand accessibility in the online learning environment. 

What was the most difficult/easiest component to craft? Why? 

The design process and actually building the content was not difficult because of my experience working with designing courses in Canvas, however, finding really good examples of accessible content OR actually creating the accessible content proved a bit more difficult. I wanted to show a variety of bad, good and better accessible content and it really was a task trying to show case and highlight the best examples.  

What makes you the most proud?

I am proud to be finished with the program. I am proud to have completed this MS (even though it took 4 years) while working, moving to two different states due to my husband job, having a 3 baby and finally completing this during a Pandemic. I have worked in the online learning environment for 10 years and have trained 100's of teacher to be effective online educators but I am very proud to have planned, designed and created an entire training myself that was not 100% knowledgeable of all items before starting. In the process of this training I taught myself a great deal about accessibility but also realize there is still so much more for me to learn!

Methods For Online Teaching And Learning Takeaways...

EDU 654 has been a rewarding yet challenging experience. This course has fallen right in the middle of the COVID -19 Pandemic which added an immense amount changes, stress and pressure to our normal day to day lives. With a new normal being implemented, there are several items that I learned regarding building a training, working with a virtual partner, managing every day household tasks including: homeschooling 2 older children, keeping a very wild toddler alive and how important and useful virtual learning is for all.

Three Learnings From The Course

1. The most helpful items that I learned about during this training creation was how to create buttons, tabs and navigation links in Canvas. These skills proved to be incredibly useful and something I will be able to use again and again in my future instructional design opportunities. The buttons were so easy using a website call DaButton Factory. I loved how you could customize color, size etc. to match whatever color scheme or design element you were looking to add to your training. 

Creating tabs was also a very huge part of designing our training. My partner and I wanted to make sure everything looked very clean, streamlined, accessible and easy to navigate. Creating tabs in Canvas was the best way to do this to avoid unnecessary scrolling. I used the information below to help me create my tabs and add additional ones where needed. 

Creating Tabs in Canvas

Learning to add navigation links that met the needs of my training was something else I researched. Since this was a training a normal course syllabus was not needed but I did want to provide a training agenda/overview so participants knew what to expect going into the training regarding time commitment, prerequisites, etc. 

Add A Tab To Your Canvas Navigation Bar

2. The most frustrating learning experience in the course was seeing just how tedious it can be when working with HTML code within the tabs. I am used to working with HTML and embedding HTML code as needed but I usually do most of my editing in the "Rich Content Editor" mode. During this training I primarily worked in the "HTML Editor Mode" and this was time consuming and tedious because if I messed up an / of > it would change the entire layout of my tabs. If I used "return/enter" my information would be placed under my tabs and not in them. I did this once and completely changed the lay out of one of our tools and I had to go back through all the HTML and carefully find where I messed up a code. This was new to me and while it was frustrating and tedious I learned a lot and am now much more comfortable with my designing abilities and being able to perform more tasks with more tools. 

One area that really helped me was the Canvas Instructional Designer group. Within this group there were lots of questions and other designers helping each other out as they design in Canvas. I think it is a great resource for any one that is doing design work. 

Canvas Instructional Designer Group

3. Being in a virtual setting, it can be more challenging to work with a partner. During this course I worked with a wonderful partner that was able to contribute a lot to our training design as well as learn a ton about designing on the fly. My partner has a business/Nonprofit (BNP) background. Because I do not, and am only used to designing for educational settings, I learned a lot about how trainings can be used in the BNP setting. We worked well together and met weekly through Zoom to discuss our progress and divvy up topics. She would pick up on tasks that she knew she could handle independently and let me handle tasks that I was familiar with. She was able to teach me areas of the BNP world I was unfamiliar with and I was able to teach her a lot about digital tools and designing an online training. Our partnership worked so well that we are planning on working on some future consultant projects together on a professional level. 

Example of a fun digital tool I introduced to my partner! Bitmoji!

My Plans To Integrate Three New Ideas Into A Training Or course I Facilitate

1. Accessibility is a passion of mine regarding online learning. My culminating graduation exercise will be to create a training to show how to make online learning accessible for all types of learners. This will mostly be geared towards businesses that want to get more involved in online learning but may not know how to design a training that does not unintentionally discriminate against any of its employees. I have found that when working with adult learners, many may have never been officially diagnosed with certain learning disabilities. This could cause them extreme anxiety when having to be involved in an online learning environment. To help prevent this I want to demonstrate easy and effective ways to make trainings more accessible. 

I did a lot of work with closed captioning and transcripts when working in this EDU 654 course as practice for my practicum and will continue to work on my skills with transcripts and closed captioning on future courses/training I create and/or facilitate. 

Example of video I created with closed captioning is below. For a larger view please visit: Canva Overview

Video created by C Daugherty using Canva, Quicktime and Youtube. 

2. Another plan I will integrate more in the future is the use of Thinglink. I have worked in online education for 10 years and have trained new online educators for the past 5 years on the best practices in online learning. One tool I always highlight is Thinglink because of its versatility but I notice I rarely use it in my own courses. As educators we can get into a rut of using things over and over until they are no longer relevant and I learned I need to work more with my variety of digital tools. Thinglink was one digital tool that my partner and I highlighted for EDU 654 and I saw so many ways  to incorporate this for my K-12 students, adult learners and in professional trainings for BNP. An example of one I created for higher ed is below. 

For a larger view please visit: Higher Ed Thinglink Example

Created by C Daugherty using Thinglink. 

3. Finally, I plan to pay more attention to social, cognitive and teaching "presence" to make sure all three are balanced and included in all of my future design and facilitation opportunities. I was already using these three methods in my online courses, I just didn't know the official terms and how they related to each other.  From a previous blog, I discuss these items and HOW and WHY they are important in the online learning environment.  There are some great resources located within the blog as well on these three types of "presence". 

Social, Cognitive and Teaching Presence In Online Learning

My Personal Professional Development Plan. How I Plan To Keep Current On Technology And The Best Methods For Online Facilitation And Instructional Design

As an educator, to stay current our learning must never stop. I have several professional development plans I will continue to work on to hone my skills in online learning and instructional design after I graduate from this program this summer. 

1. I plan to work with a Higher Ed Disability Coordinator on accessibility in the online learning environment. I already have contacts and names of professionals that can help guide me in additional ways to make sure the courses/trainings I design will be accessible for all learners. This will include K-12, higher ed and nontraditional adult learners.  I want to be a well versed designer that can bring many skills to the table when working on a professional design project. 

2. I will be working more this summer to learn about SCORM and Articulate Rise. These are two tools that are utilized a lot in the design world and are often a required skill when interviewing for instructional design positions. I want to at least have a small working knowledge of each when designing. I already have a lot of experience utilizing them in my online courses but I want to be able to design them myself. 

3. At this time I am also signed up for an online PD for english learners through ENACTED. This training will be self paced but will introduce to some great ways to help me with my ELL learners and the technologies available to help them succeed in my online courses. I believe I will gain some great skills that will help other learners and this training should go hand in hand with my accessibility research as well. 

4. Finally, I have a webinar I have saved to view on helping create accessible trainings for adult faculty. I think this webinar will give me some additional design tools to add to my tool belt and make me a more marketable designer for many instructional design projects. I will continue to keep an eye on MOOC trainings through the Friday Institute  and other organizations as well. These types of trainings allow me to continue to earn CEUs to keep my teaching license current.

Accuracy Matters: Accessibility in Faculty Created Video

These are just my short terms plans for continuing my professional development because I already have access to all of the above but I will continue to research additional trainings that I can be a part of to help grow my instructional design and online learning capabilities.

References

Each resource is linked within the above information for further exploration. Please feel free to explore all BLUE and GRAY links for more information on the topics discussed. Enjoy!

Social, Cognitive and Teaching Presence In Online Learning

If you have never heard of the term "presence" in the online environment then you may not realize some of the strategies you use as an Instructional Designer are actually implemented to create "presence" in your training. To have a basic understanding lets look at what this term means. In 2006, D. Garrison first presented the idea of three types of "presence" that should be present in an online learning environment: Social, Cognitive and Teaching presence. Please view the video below to get a basic understanding of each term and how it can apply in the online environment.

Video created by C Daugherty using Prezi Video.

To view in a larger window please visit: What Is Online Presence? 

Each of these three terms can and should be implemented into an online training environment for maximum effectiveness. This shouldn't really come as a surprise, but can be tricky to balance depending on the training, audience and information being presented.

A few examples of how I incorporate a social, cognitive and teaching presence in both my online classroom and the adult professional learning course I facilitate are below. If you notice one or more "presence" are used in conjunction with one another to help create a more well balanced training experience. 

Social Presence:

The very first thing my students see when they log in their online course is my instructor information. I connect my profile image with my contact information so they know I am a real person. This also helps them when I use audio/video feedback through the course to connect a voice to a face.

I encourage my students to set up profile images in canvas as well so I can make connections with them and their work. Additionally, I build relationships with my students through various communication methods to alleviate the "virtual distance" that they may feel when they are first enrolled in an online course.

Canvas has many social presence tools built in like allowing the profile images to be uploaded and canvas messaging. Additional tools I use to create a social presence in my classroom are: Padlet, Remind and even in some cases Twitter chats can be used in real time! 

Image taken from my course and modified using Powerpoint

Cognitive Presence:

For the teachers I work with, cognitive presence is a huge component to the training. We offer very specific assignments that require the teachers to reflect on current face to face teaching practices and how they will change and/or apply these practices in the online classroom. 

Additionally, assignments are offered to increase their awareness of how to meet the needs of all learners in the online classroom. One such assignment involves the teachers going to the misunderstood minds interactive activity. This activity allows the teacher to see first hand what certain students may struggle with when diagnosed with certain learning disabilities. The teacher must complete the activity and then answer a set of questions that not only makes them reflect on how they have approached this before but how they will change and adapt their methods in the online classroom.

Example of questions used to confirm the importance of this activity and  promote reflection from their own teaching practices: 

1. What activities did you choose to complete? What were your responses? Your reactions?
2. Does your experience change the way you might view students who need IEP/504 modifications?
3. What differentiation techniques might have helped you when completing these activities?
   (You can be specific about one activity)
4. What modifications might have helped?
5. Reply to at least two other TnT posts

If you have never tried the misunderstood minds activity before, please take a moment and look through the activities. It is truly a remarkable and eye opening experience that allows you as the instructor to see exactly what may be happening with a struggling student. 

Image taken from my course and modified using Powerpoint

Teaching Presence:

For my students and the teachers I train, very personalized feedback with additional instruction is offered over various mediums. Padlets and google surveys are used to help with a social presence in the beginning of the training but also help me to understand my audience for a teaching presence purpose. 

I utilize several of the Canvas tools built into our courses like audio/media comments and Canvas messaging to deliver direct instruction and additional help, review, expansion on topics being covered. The example below shows how I connect written reminders with audio comments for each student. I am combining communication methods with direct instruction via audio reminders. 

Additionally, I use many various external digital tools like screencast-o-matic, Prezi (as demonstrated above), animoto, telegami, etc to deliver very direct instruction and personalized feedback. 

Image taken from my course and modified using Powerpoint

References

Anderson, T., Rourke, L., Garrison, D. and Archer, W., (2001). Assessing Teaching Presence in a Computer Conferencing Context.  Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 5 (2), 1-17

Establishing an Online Teaching Presence. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.duq.edu/about/centers-and-institutes/center-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-and-learning-at-duquesne/establishing-an-online-teaching-presence

Garcia-O'Neill, E. (2016, January 15). Social Presence In Online Learning: 7 Things Instructional Designers Can Do To Improve It. Retrieved from https://elearningindustry.com/social-presence-in-online-learning-7-things-instructional-designers-can-improve

Garrison, D. R. (2019). Online Community Of Inquiry Review: Social, Cognitive, And Teaching Presence Issues. Online Learning, 11(1). doi: 10.24059/olj.v11i1.1737

Morrison, D. (2014, February 10). Critical thinking in the Online Classroom. Retrieved from https://onlinelearninginsights.wordpress.com/2012/05/24/critical-thinking-in-the-online-learning-classroom/

Synchronous and Asynchronous Facilitation

When designing and implementing an online training you should examine the different types of facilitation that you would like to incorporate. As a designer, you have the option of using asynchronous facilitation, synchronous facilitation or a combination of both. The type of facilitation and methods that you choose to use will largely depend on the audience AND the information that is being presented. Why is the type of facilitation important when designing and ultimately implementing your training? I believe this comes down to your overall goal: a successful training with engaged participants that will take the material you present and apply it in real life applications.


If we break down the two types of facilitation you will notice that one involves real time live communication with your participants while the other one offers methods to collaborate but not together at the same time. Please take a look at the infographic below to see what each type of facilitation is and how it can be used in a training with various digital tools.

Infographic created by C Daugherty using Canva. 

For an additional expanded view of the infographic above please visit: Asynchronous and Synchronous 

You may ask yourself...synchronous or asynchronous? Which one is better?  Is it really a competition between the type of facilitation or do you have a goal to have a balance of each for an effective online platform? All trainings may not be able to incorporate both styles and this factor is partly determined by your audience as discussed above (and in a previous blog post). 

For example, the online high school courses I instruct have all asynchronous facilitation that is built into Canvas, however, I have weekly synchronous contact via phone or text to allow for questions during built in "office hours". This allows me to answer real time questions about the material if needed but students are not required to attend live instruction with me. 

On the opposite spectrum, I also train teachers that want to become online educators. While their training material is uploaded in an asynchronous format, I do require a weekly live meeting (on Monday evenings) to discuss the upcoming coursework, provide examples using presenters, and offer Q and A for that week's material. This has proven to be a necessary component of their training since certain rigorous expectations are to be followed and these synchronous meetings allow a better understanding of expectations and best practices. 

How can you make Synchronous Facilitation interactive and engaging?

If you have the opportunity to provide synchronous facilitation via live instruction there are several digitals tools available to enhance your instruction. These tools are designed to engage and help your participants become actively involved in your presentation. One such tool is Nearpod. The following video briefly explains and demonstrates this useful platform as well as ways it can be used in an online synchronous facilitation environment! Enjoy!

Created by C Daugherty using screencast-o-matic 

If you have trouble viewing the video above please visit: Nearpod Example

If Nearpod looks like a digital tool you may be interested in implementing you might considering exploring the following resources: 

Engaging Virtual Learners using Nearpod

10 Ways to Use Nearpod in the Classroom 

6 Ways to Transform your Next Presentation

Information in above infographic gathered from:

McClelland, L., McClelland, L., McClelland, L., McClelland, L., Brock University, Waterloo District School Board., … Waterloo District School Board. (2019, June 28). 4 Tools for Synchronous Teaching and Learning. Retrieved from https://tophat.com/blog/synchronous-teaching-tools/

Differences in Synchronous and AsynchronousFacilitator Skills

References and additional resources regarding asynchronous and synchronous facilitation:

Kontos, F., & Henkel, H. (2008). Live Instruction for Distance Students: Development of Synchronous Online Workshops. Public Services Quarterly, 4(1), 1–14. doi: 10.1080/15228950802135657

Higley, M. (2014, July 2). Benefits of Synchronous and Asynchronous e-Learning. Retrieved from https://elearningindustry.com/benefits-of-synchronous-and-asynchronous-e-learning

Lawless, C., O'Neill, E., & McGarry, O. (2019, August 6). Synchronous vs Asynchronous Learning: Which is Right for your Learners? Retrieved from https://www.learnupon.com/blog/synchronous-learning-asynchronous-learning/

Course Design: Why Knowing Your Audience Is Crucial

Have you ever participated in a training where you went into the training with a mind set of "have to" instead of "get to"? Was the information being presented relevant to you and your needs? Perhaps if the training had been more tailored to you as audience member then you would have found it more engaging and worthwhile? We've all participated in professional engagements we were less than thrilled about, however, do you want participants to feel that way about YOUR training/course? I am pretty confident the answer to that question is NO. As an instructional designer you want to create an effective training/course that will be relevant, motivating and interesting to all of your participants. 

When creating content no matter your professional field, whether it's marketing, entertainment, education, etc understanding your audience is the first step to making your content relatable and successful.  WHY and HOW you do this effectively is critical. 

You want your WHY to be simple...engagement and retention! Hamilton College addresses that a  presenter should want the audience to feel that the presentation is personalized just for them. You want your training to match the participants' interests and needs (Wrench, Goding, Johnson, & Attias, 2017). You should draw your audience into your presentation! The end goal of completing your training is to have your audience grow in their knowledge of what you presented and be able to apply it in real life applications.

Check out the short video below to get an idea of WHY understanding your audience is a critical first step in course design.

Knowing Your Audience on Biteable. Created by C Daugherty for EDU 654

Having trouble viewing the video above please visit: Knowing Your Audience

Now, lets look at HOW we understand our audience when designing content.  The video above briefly mentions "getting to know" your participants. But how can you do this? To make your training more effective one strategy is conducting a learning analysis of your audience. This may take some time to complete. The Compass for SBC suggests conducting an audience analysis 3-4 weeks before you create/present content to allow enough responses to be collected.   

The article below looks at how to do this in the e-learning community and has some great strategies for implementing this first step in content design.

HOW TO DO AN E-LEARNING AUDIENCE ANALYSIS

One strategy I use whenever I am getting to know a new cohort of teachers is an introduction Padlet similar to the one below. Each Training Teacher is asked to complete this upon starting the training. Now, keep in mind this step is completed after the course design so although the training is already being implemented I am able to tailor my feedback, communication etc based on some of the answers I receive on the introduction Padlet.

Created by C Daugherty as an example for "Knowing your Audience" https://padlet.com/coston_daughert/mly9qzba6fqfdj20

For additional ways on how to effectively navigate the "understanding your audience" step in training/course design check out the links below. I believe you may find some helpful tips and strategies for tackling this step. 

How To Create An Effective Training Program: 8 Steps To Success

6 Compelling Reasons Why You Should Know Your Learners Better

Audience: Introduction and Overview

References: 

Wrench, J. S., Goding, A., Johnson, D. I., & Attias, B. (2017). Stand up, speak out: the practice and ethics of public speaking. Boston, MA: FlatWorld.

How to Engage Your Audience and Keep Them with You. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.hamilton.edu/academics/centers/oralcommunication/guides/how-to-engage-your-audience-and-keep-them-with-you

How to Do an Audience Analysis. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.thecompassforsbc.org/how-to-guides/how-do-audience-analysis

How Do We Overcome Technology Challenges In The Classroom?

As educators approaching the year 2020 we fully understand that technology is no longer a suggestion in our classrooms but an integral part of our every day lessons. The need and requirement for technology in the classrooms can be both awesome and frustrating. 

While some teachers have no problem implementing technology in their every day lessons many teachers and even entire schools run into technology related challenges making the use of these awesome resources obsolete...thus frustrating for all parties. If we take a look at the infographic below I have outlined four technology related challenges I have personally encountered over the years as I moved from the face to face classroom to the 100% online arena. 

These challenges face many teachers and schools in both the brick and mortar classroom and the virtual classroom. While all 4 may not plague everyone, a study by Samsung showed that 90% of teachers believe technology in the classroom is important to achieve success, therefore making it important to discuss these challenges and ways to overcome them. (Samsung, 2015)

 Use this link for a larger infographic representation: Technology Fears In The Classroom

Technology Challenge #1: Digital Divide - Digital Literacy

“More than one in four higher education students . . . take at least one course online” (Allen
& Seaman, 2010, p. 1). As an online educator this statistic is important and eye-opening. This number shows educators that technology in the classroom as well as online learning is not a fad but part of our mainstream. The first technology challenge that both face to face and online educators may face is known as the digital divide.

The digital divide is known as the "gulf between those who have ready access to computers and internet and those that don't" (Dictionary.com). This divide in recent years in America has shifted. According the a government census is 2015 over 290 million Americans had access to the internet.  Technology access is no longer the challenge but HOW to use it. 

For students to continue to be successful in an every changing technological world they must have their fundamental digital literacies intact. They must be able to perform basic internet skills in order to be successful in the classroom (both face to face and online)

I read an article recently: Digital Literacy in Education 

In the article it is stated that digital literacy can now be seen as a life skill. Students today are part of a new “digital divide”. It is often times no longer a question of IF a student has internet access but do they know HOW to use it. Studies have been conducted among different ethnicities and cultural backgrounds where students know how to tweet, text and use Facebook but they do not know how to do a common internet search

Our world continues to grow in technology and having it in the classroom is definitely not a passing fad. Helping students blossom in their use of technology is imperative and necessary in today’s classrooms and finding ways to do that is becoming easier with the ever growing technology tools and educational technologies possible. Incorporating digital literacies and helping to close the digital divide in our online classroom is one way to help with continued student success.

I encourage you to take a look the article with video below (click image) for a bit more information about the digital literacy in the US and how some are helping combat it.

Additional Link: Digital Literacy Unlocks Opportunity For All

Technology Challenge #2:  Resources...But No Training

In the text I have chosen to read for EDU 659 Harnessing Technology for Deeper Learning, Scott McLeod discusses how to implement technology effectively for better student engagement and understanding. In the text McLed states "Although most schools have a lot of technology, they rarely use it well...many schools are using technology simply for technology's sake"  (McLeod, Pg 5) Why is this? In most cases it's simple...the educators are not properly trained on HOW to use the expensive resources they may available. 

When a school system spends money on technology resources and/or moves their students into online classrooms it is important for all parties involved to be trained effectively. Training alleviates questions, stress and ensures the tools and technology equipment are used properly. For example many schools system may use a Learning Management System (LMS) like Canvas to allow students to work in a blended space. Students are able to submit assignments online, complete research and integrate their studies using technology, however, if the teacher does not know how to navigate Canvas or understand the LMS's many useful functions this technology tool may go unused leaving a vast untapped technology resource. 

Training in the form of Professional Development allows educators to build their own digital "tool boxes" of resources they can effectively incorporate into the classroom to allow technology to assist in better engagement and understanding. 

I see firsthand how important it is to have teachers properly trained when it comes to technology and using online resources. I work with educators wanting to move into the online classroom and for many teaching 100% virtually is a foreign concept and without training (16 weeks worth in my job) neither teachers or students would be successful. 

This ties in our first technology challenge. Teachers must be properly trained to use technology resources in order to help those students that are struggling with their own digital literacies. The article below is a great example of how educators can learn to use technology to effectively reach all of their students. 

**One important point that I am not discussing are those schools that do NOT have technology resources readily available, however, this article does shine a bit of light on this challenge as well. 

Poor Students Face Digital Divide In How Teacher's Learn To Use Technology

Technology Challenge #3 - Time and planning to implement effectively

A third and very notable challenge that teachers and schools may face when it comes to technology is the amount of time it will take to learn new technology resources. This is a major concern and challenge among the already numerous hats an educator must wear daily.  Kick back from schools and teachers may result when districts try to move certain classes online or integrate new technology systems. 

Honestly, from experience this is one area of education that may always be a challenge. As educators we must constantly revamp, tweak, change and grow in order to best serve our students so while there may be some growing pains and extra upfront work the benefits of properly implementing technology in our classrooms is worth it. 

This challenge also ties into the previous two...(Can you see what I am doing here?).  Not only do educators and schools need proper training on technology resources they also need continued support to make sure the strategies they learn are properly implemented long term. After a semester of using a new technology what does the student data say about the change? Was it successful? Are additional tweaks needed? If we want be more successful what do we need to change? 

These are important questions to ask but with a bit of initial time and planning an educator should be able to make quick tweaks to see success. I am a firm believer that while things may take longer in the beginning to get going IF you spend this extra time it does in fact save you time later on when you are implementing and evaluating effectiveness. 

The brief article below dives into why preparation and planning (in general) for teachers is so important! Take a look: 

Strategies for Teachers: The Power Of Preparation And Planning

Technology Challenge #4 - Fear of Technology

A final challenge that educators may encounter regarding technology implementation is fear! An educator may say "well I tried this before and it didn't work" or "there's too much to learn how will I ever remember it all" or "I've taught my way for 20 years surely the kids will know more about this than me". 

All of these are valid questions and concerns but should not stop an educator from challenging themselves to learn new technology resources. The video below was developed by Angel Bradford and helps a fearful educator start small with a few easy free tools to get their technological feet wet.

Any good educator knows that change is always inevitable and to better meet their students' needs an educator must also continue to learn and grow. This may be uncomfortable at first but in a country that is so technologically advanced it is necessary. 

Used with written permission from Angel Bradford, M.ed. Edtech Angel . Uploaded August 31, 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7rQUF9KLgQ&feature=youtu.be

Final Thoughts...

Educators and schools want to use technology to foster deeper understanding of content. We research technology that is accessible and practical for particular learning needs and styles. We crave training to be able use technology. We also may be fearful of using technology but no matter what we must recognize that technology is intertwined with all educational curriculums and there is no way to get around using it.

So why not look at the challenges, embrace them and overcome...even if it takes a few tries?!?!

An additional idea to ponder about using technology in the classroom is how do we make it accessible to all students no matter the learning level or style? With the above mentioned technology challenges can ANY student take an online course or use technology tools?  To these questions I say YES and I invite you to read a previous blog post I wrote concerning meetings all students' needs in the online classroom by allowing them expression in their choice of work. Using technology does not mean pen and paper are obsolete as these are still powerful tools for understanding in the online world. Enjoy!

Incorporating Universal Design for Learning in the online classroom

Resources

Allen, I. E., & Seaman, J. (2011, November). Going the distance: Online education in the United States. Retrieved fromhttp://www.onlinelearningsurvey.com/reports/goingthedistance.pdfS

Samsung Newsroom US

Computer and Internet use in the US, 2015

McLeod, S & Graber, J (2019) Harnessing Technology for Deeper Learning; Bloomington, IN. Solution Tree.

Julie Dirksen's Design For How People Learn (2nd Edition) - Book Review

As an instructional designer have you been looking for a practical way to learn about instructional design and where (even as a novice designer) should a reader even begin?  I recently had the pleasure of reading a very conversational and witty instructional design book: Design for How People Learn by Julie Dirksen. I am happy to say that Dirksen's book covers these questions as well as several other areas designers should look at when creating courses. This book explores the learner, our brains and memory, environmental factors to learning, knowledge or motivational gaps, evaluation techniques and much more.

Design For How People Learn (2nd Edition) by Julie Dirksen  

ISBN-10: 0134211286 

ISBN-13: 978-0134211282.  

This book can be purchased on Amazon for around $30 (click book cover image below).

About the Author...

Julie Dirksen is an instructional designer and independent consultant who has almost 20 years experience working with clients like fortune 500 companies helping them design interactive e-learning experiences. Dirksen first published her book "Design for How People Learn" in November 2011 and then published a second edition in December of 2015. For the purpose of this book review I will be looking at the 2nd edition version although I personally read through the majority of the first edition as well and feel it is just as worthwhile to consider reading. The information in both editions is essentially the same but with a few updates including the addition of 3 new chapters.

Dirksen also has a very informative blog at http://usablelearning.com/blog/.  She welcomes comments and contact from her followers.

Book Breakdown...

First, as a educator and instructional designer I respect the structure of this book. It is a quick read for a 304 page book because of HOW the information is presented. Written as well as visual aspects of the book will appeal to many types of readers and learning styles. Dirksen pairs simple stick figure drawings with real world images that discuss real life applications and antidotes. These images, charts and drawings grab a readers attention and allow them to really grasp the information being discussed by using different mediums.

Image excerpt from Chapter 8: Design for Motivation, Pg 222 (Dirksen, 2015). A sample chapter of the book may be viewed through the Author's Blog: http://usablelearning.com/the-book/

The chapter layout also appealed to me because Dirksen starts first with the learner and how people learn and retain information. Then, through a series of subsequent informative chapters she delves into what and how to design for different learners by exploring topics like knowledge, motivation, and environmental factors. The book closes with how to design successful evaluations within courses to help the instructional designer be able to properly measure the success of the information they have designed.

Chapter 1. Where do we Start? - This chapter looks at learning as a journey and how the learner not only needs to know more but needs to be able to "do" more with the knowledge they are gaining in a course. Gaps in knowledge like: skills, motivation and environment are also explored

Chapter 2. Who are our Learners? - This chapter dives into the particular audience you will be designing for and what do they already know and what learning styles should be taken into account when designing instruction.

Chapter 3.  What's the goal? - This chapter explores and asks what as a designer are you trying to accomplish in your particular instructional design? Are there any gaps (discussed in Chapter 1) that need to be addressed

Chapter 4.  How do we remember? - This chapter goes into great detail explaining  the different types of memories and why do we remember some things over others as well as how our brains work to help us remember.

Chapter 5.  How do you get their attention? - This chapter digs into getting your audience interested in the material by eliminating oustide distractions. How do you make your learner focus?

Chapters 6-9.  Design for: Knowledge, Skills, Motivation and Habits - These chapters look at each of these topics individually and explain how to make sure your design process is meeting the needs of all of your learners including those with motivational issues and practicing skills for better retention

Chapter 10.  Social and Informal Learning - This chapter discusses how social learning is innate for humans since one of our greatest skills as species is communication. (Author's Blog also gives some great links to other resources that dive into this topic more even relating to social learning vs social media learning)

Chapter 11.  Design for environment -  The chapter goes into how a persons particular environment impacts their learning and how we as designers should appeal to knowledge they already have on topics.

Chapter 12.  Designing Evaluation - This chapter hits on several points on why designing evaluation is so hard and how to make it more applicable to your audience so as a designer you can see and determine that retention is occurring.

Personally I enjoyed Chapter 4 the most. I am not new to the online instructional design world but am also not an expert. This chapter helped me tap into how my audience thinks, remembers and retains the information that is being presented on a deeper level. I think as a designer sometimes we are so focused on the content itself and WHAT we must teach that we forget or overlook how important it is to approach the design aspect from a point of view of HOW this should be taught to reach more learners.

While reading this chapter I found myself back in a Psychology 101 class saying to myself "ahhhhh I remember" which is really the point of the entire chapter! The most beneficial aspect of this chapter to me was looking at simple methods of taking large information and breaking it up for better memory retention...chunking. Also, looking at how much is too much and at what point do our brains hit a limit on memory and how to avoid that in the design process?

Final Thoughts...

The one drawback I encountered to this text was that it was geared towards adult learners. The examples included adults in the work force working on different projects. While the idea of K-12 students is not really explored a designer that may be working with younger students will still find this book extremely beneficial. The designer no matter what age audience will be able to learn tools behind how we learn and remember as well as effective design strategies to help them create effective instruction that will lead to better retention.

Overall this was an enjoyable read and I was able to quickly go through the chapters as I had a free moment (which are few and fleeting with 2 almost 3 kids, a home to run and working as an online educator). I found myself really enjoying the break up of text with the images included. Dirksen ties in several "characters" throughout her chapters like Marianna (Chapters 1 and 8) which help sync each chapter to one another.

This book will appeal to those just starting out in the design world as well as those more experienced designers that may be stuck following just one design model. For me, the book included great reminders of many topics I already knew or had learned but was able to see presented in a new, fresh light. The practical examples and antidotes found within the text help a designer make real world connections with the practices discussed.

For the instructional designer no matter the audience this is a great and beneficial handbook to keep close by during your design process.