Danae Cowell
Final Reflection Paper
In this course, I feel as if I have gained a better understanding of what is means
to design instruction and how to approach it. It seems that the major class project, the
course design document, provided us an opportunity to really explore the analysis and
the design phase of the ADDIE model. With that, I believe the key takeaway I have
gained is that it is important to tailor and customize as an Instructional Designer.
Understanding an organizations needs, its resources, available delivery methods, the
audience, etc. are all factors that influence how instruction should be developed to
address gaps in understanding. Not performing some type of analysis at the beginning
of a project could lead to ineffective or even unneeded instruction, which has historically
been a problem with trainings before instructional design became a recognized field.
Furthermore, I now realize the need to have clear and measurable objectives that match
instruction. This piece also ties into customization due to the need to develop
instructional objectives that are sequenced in a way that makes sense for the topic and
audience and that strive to summarize what an individual will be able to do after
completing the training or course.
This course has already impacted my instructional design practices and will
continue to influence my instructional design practices in the future. For example, my
course design topic is one that we would like to implement at work, and the front end
analysis piece has turned into a research survey that we hope to have faculty take to
address their understanding of trauma and ways that they support students with
traumatic experiences. That survey piece will actually help to inform the computer
based training we hope to create, an idea that emerged from this class. That is just one
example of how I have been impacted. Overall, I think it has made me aware of the
need to do investigative work, whether thats interviewing people, surveying, looking at
past student data, etc to get a better idea of what peoples goals and needs are and
has further made me recognize the need to plan out instructional projects before
jumping into constructing them. In my current position, I believe that will translate into
looking further at the current population we serve, understanding their backgrounds,
experiences, and preferences, to continue to build materials that are accessible and that
help the student experience. Not only that, but as we potentially move into Universal
Design in the years to come, I believe it will be important to connect with instructors and
evaluate their course goals and activities, specifically looking at how we can align them
to meet UDL standards.
In the end, I believe this experience has really been worthwhile. I think the most
fun or interesting course activity for me was getting the chance to explore and compare
two different instructional design models. For me, it opened me up to the realization that
there are different models to choose from that have similarities as well as differences.
While there are more popular models, it is also good to know that others exist and may
be more appropriate depending on the situation. For example, using the ARCS model
when considering student engagement and motivation in a course over a different
model.
Going forward, I dont feel as if I have too many lingering questions or concerns. I
feel that if anything, Im excited to learn more about the design and development
process, further looking at how to implement and evaluate instruction. I believe that will
be addressed further in the ID certificate courses to come, and I also realize that
reviewing my textbook, talking to my boss, an instructional designer, and utilizing
keyword searches on the internet will be ways to refresh and address any questions
that do arise.
Reflection on Portfolio Project
Looking specifically at my portfolio project, I can see how what I learned in this
class influenced the decisions I made when tailoring my training. For example, given the
fact that I was working with a adult population that was highly educated and also
juggling multiple roles, I saw the need to incorporate corresponding learning and
motivational theories that would best match that population. For example, I decided to
incorporate behavioral techniques and utilized the ARCS model to promote engagement
and reinforce participation in the self-paced, online training. Not only that, but I thought it
was important to consider the cognitive side of things as well, recognizing the
importance of connecting to schemas and the cognitive load limit for learning.
Additionally, I went even further and considered what it means to be an adult
learner. I think this was a key consideration as adults are at a different developmental
level and stage within their lives than children. Given this, I understood the need to offer
a flexible platform for taking the course as well as stating the benefits of the course,
providing real world application and role play scenarios, and by making the expectations
and objectives clear for those going through the training. After taking this course, I see
how adult learners do come with a wealth of knowledge and experiences and
connecting to that can greatly enhance their motivation and also their ability to retain the
information you are presenting.
In the end, I think the portfolio project has taught me that the learner analysis and
the tasks do influence what type of instructional design model and instructional
strategies you choose to incorporate. Depending on the needs of the situation and the
learners, it may be important to use one model over another, which is why it is important
to be aware of different strategies and models and how they may align within
instruction. This leads me to believe that instructional design, while it does follow certain
steps, isnt completely standardized or prescribed. One way of doing things isnt always
the best and may even stifle reaching and promoting course objectives. Therefore, I
believe that instead of subscribing to one way of doing things, its best to be open to
different avenues and to recognize the need to be flexible. .