brittany nicole

My last assignment…

I started researching fields during the pandemic that would provide flexibility and the opportunity to assist in leaving an organization better than I found it. I started applying for jobs in tech at the beginning of this year and I never received an interview opportunity. Some of the recruiters so graciously followed up with me via email to express that my resume was “impressive” but didn’t give any reference to having any experience in the tech industry. So I started doing research and I’ve discovered that I too can break into tech when the time comes for me to leave higher ed and while I wait, I’m going to be a sponge and soak in information.

So this spring semester, I took two courses to help me understand the field more and it was quite insightful. This particular course helped me to understand the systems theory and the importance of instructional designers understanding how individuals process information/instruction. It’s crucial in this field to understand the learning differences or challenges that may present itself and how to steer the instructional process for all to comprehend and fully benefit from the modules created. The final project was a beast for sure that included breaking down the following:

• Needs, Task, Learner Analysis

• Planning, Designing, and Implementing Intervention

• Determining the Effect of the Intervention

Each section required me to shift my own perspective and think about how others may interpret the process created.

The psychological factors that break down instructional design were fascinating to dive into. If you can master understanding how individuals learn, you can master creating materials to help aide in the learning process. You can also monitor the behavior of a learner and apply tools that will not only help you guide a learner through a step by step process, but you can also assess how well or how poorly the learner is doing. As one who aspires to work in tech with the mindset that I can be successful in the field as an instructional designer in the workplace, here’s a few things that I didn’t know before the class.

• There’s multiple approaches that can be used when analyzing a situation and that you’re not obligated to just use one method.
• Your instructional goals and objectives help clearly define an organizational chart for the activities that need to be completed and the order in which they need to be completed in.
• Evaluation is probably the most crucial part of the process because it will help you understand which parts of the design were successful and which segments need to be tweaked to increase understanding.

This field is so fitting for me for me because I can merge my two worlds: education (8 years of experience) and technology (1 semester down). I didn’t expect to learn so much outside of the introductory information but the class set up and structure was great. Syllabus and modules were easy to follow. I also greatly appreciated the detailed description and the rubric for each assignment to properly explain the professor’s expectations. My initial challenges revolved around shifting my perspective to see things differently to help me navigate learning the information and applying the information learned during each module.

If I was teaching the course, I’d incorporate many of the tools used and the only other component that I might add to this introductory course would be to require for students to partner on one assignment to introduce us to the importance or best practices of mastering collaboration in its early stages. I’m not a huge fan of “group work” but I could easily see a company/school having more than one instructional designer on the team and having to navigate that space and their ideas as a professional.

There’s so much value in the instructional design process. It takes a creative mindset to master this field of work. Individuals who think outside of the box must also be flexible in the developmental stages to consider all learning styles and individuals’ personal background and experiences. I will one day have the opportunity to help shift the workplace culture by incorporating modules and training materials that will assist those employed with the company. I look forward to being able to use the tools and resources that this course introduced me to. I embrace the challenges that lie ahead because it’s an opportunity to apply my knowledge and background to discover or create a system that eliminates confusion and enhances the overall learning experience. If re-taking this class, I’d try to work through parts of the instructional goals and objectives and activities of one of the examples given to see which parts or sections were easiest to follow or what methods could be altered to simplify the process.

A quote that I live by and read to myself every morning:

Grateful for purpose…

Grateful for the opportunity to be learning new ideas and concepts centered around instructional design…

Grateful for fields that embrace creativity…

Grateful to be developing as a person and a professional…

Grateful that the spring semester has come to an end…

June classes are right around the corner though.

Until next time,

#BNspired2day

References:

Principles of instructional design. Principles of Instructional Design | Mind Tools for Business. (n.d.). Retrieved May 3, 2022, from https://mindtoolsbusiness.com/resources/blog/principles-instructional-design