Program!Synthesis! · Program!Synthesis! 2! September!25,!2013!! explained theories or would put...
Transcript of Program!Synthesis! · Program!Synthesis! 2! September!25,!2013!! explained theories or would put...
Program Synthesis
University of New Mexico
Organizational Learning
and
Instructional Technology
Fall 2013
Claudia M. Lopez
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Organizational Learning and Instructional Technology
Program Synthesis
Introduction
When I first started the OLIT program I was not sure in what direction I was going or
what type of career I was wanting once finished. I was interested in this program because
I heard that there are many career possibilities available after completing the program. I
was also interested in this program because of my love of learning and technology. Now
that I am at the end of the program I finally know which direction I am heading. I have
decided that a career in Instructional Design is the way to go. The classes I have taken in
this program and my background with various technologies such as Flash, SharePoint,
and Videocasts/Podcasts has prepared me for a successful career where I can design
effective training videos and other important learning documents that are needed. I am
excited about completing this program and finding a business that can use the skills I
have learned over the last two years. In this paper I will focus on the skills that I have
taken from this program which include Instructional design, critical thinking and
technology.
The OLIT program has been a wonderful program to be a part of and I am grateful for
the opportunity. This program has provided me with valuable information throughout the
two years, which I will carry with me as I go in search of my ideal career. The resources
and readings were great tools that I have saved to look back on if I need to in the future.
All the faculty members that I have had during my time in the program have been
knowledgeable and experienced in the field that they taught. The instructors always re-
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explained theories or would put them in simpler terms to make them clearer for me. They
were happy to show examples of previous students works that met their expectations for
that particular assignment. This was very helpful for me as well as the rubrics that were
always provided. The hands on projects were also very helpful because that is the best
way for me to learn. One of the real world projects that has helped me includes writing a
grant. Learning to write a grant is a valuable skill to have because it is a form of funding
that many people can use for their causes. This skill is important to me because I can use
it in the future to write a grant to help start my videography business. This has been one
of the assignments that I really enjoyed and was proud to be a part of. Another helpful
benefit of being part of the OLIT program is the weekly emails featuring available jobs
related to OLIT. This is a great resource for many OLIT students, as they get ready to
search for their careers because of the variety of skills that are taught.
Focus Areas
What is nice about the OLIT program is that there are so many different routes that
can be taken with a Masters in OLIT. There are many different areas that one can focus
on based on their interests. That is one of the reasons that it took me a while to figure out
which direction to go with this degree. I have narrowed down some focus areas that are
essential to being successful in my Instructional Design career. These focus areas
include: Teaching the Adult learner, Instructional Design, Technology, and Positive
Psychology. I have decided on these focus areas because I enjoy sharing the knowledge
that I have learned with other adults. I also enjoy designing instruction and using video
and animations to get the message across. The Positive Psychology is important in an
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organization because keeping the employees happy will mean they save money by having
a low turnaround.
Teaching the Adult Learner
I feel that Teaching the Adult Learner was one of the most important classes I have
taken and will be an essential class for my career. Before taking this class I did not know
that there was a difference in learning between adults and younger learners. I have
learned previously through tutor trainings that there are different learning styles but I
never took into consideration the differences in learning in adults. Adults have different
attitudes towards learning as well as the motivation to learn so we have to approach
teaching at a level that is focused towards the adult learner. Taking the Adult Learner
class my first semester in the OLIT program has made me aware of the differences at
work at the Highway to Success (HTS). At the HTS we deal with students that are at the
developmental level, which includes students fresh out of High School to students that
have been out of school for a while.
I have noticed the difference in motivation and attitudes between the adult learners
and the just out of High School/GED students. Some of the younger ones in our program
think that they are still in High School and do not realize the importance of studying, or
getting help. The adult learners are usually the ones that come in to see the instructors
during office hours for help or they will come see a tutor on a frequent basis. However,
there are some adults that have to learn how to be a student again.
All the classes that I have taken in the OLIT program have re-enforced the techniques
needed to effectively teach adult learners. However, the classes that had the biggest
impact on me concerning adult learning were The Adult Learner and Cross Cultural
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Adult Learning, which were both taken my first semester in the OLIT program. Both of
these classes helped stress the importance of how to teach the adult learner. The Cross
Cultural class also covered various learning styles as well as how to communicate
effectively with adult learners from various cultures. I believe this is important especially
since we live in a state that has many different cultures. This class has taught me to take
into consideration that people from different cultures may perceive things in a different
way that I might. For example in my culture, when you greet someone, even if it is the
first time you hug them or even give them a kiss on the cheek or forehead in Japanese
culture that would be frowned upon. Being aware of the cultural differences is important
so as not to offend anyone.
In my desired profession as an Instructional Designer teaching the adult learner
will be very important as well as being able to communicate effectively. I will use what I
learned about the various learning styles to design an effective lesson plan or training for
my future organization. While working on the Highway to Success website during my
internship I kept in mind the different learning styles and the ways most adults learn best.
Since there are many adult learners in our program that are visual learners I have
included videos in the new student orientation page as well as interactive quizzes. A
scavenger hunt is included so that they can familiarize themselves with the campus and
the many resources that are available at the Valencia Campus.
Instructional Design
Instructional Design has been a major topic in many of the courses I have taken in the
OLIT program starting with the Instructional Design course that I took my first semester.
Being one of my first classes I was confused about the instructional design format, but
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with each class that used the ADDIE format reinforced my learning. I have found this
format very simple to follow and I will keep my Instructional Design textbook to
reference when I need to. ADDIE is an acronym for the five phases of the Instructional
Design process. They are as follows: Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation
and Evaluation.
During the Analysis phase the problem, need, goals, and objectives are defined. After
these are defined one then needs to consider the type of learning environment the student
will be in such as the classroom, office, or conference room. During this phase delivery
of instruction must also be considered. For example a Smart Board, or projector might be
needed for presentation. A timeline of how long the instruction will take and date is also
included in this phase. The next phase is the design process. This is where the storyboard
or rough drafts are done. The Development phase is where the creation of the learning
materials is done. The Implementation phase is where it all comes together and the lesson
is delivered. After the delivery is done the effectiveness of the materials needs to be
evaluated. The Evaluation phase of the ADDIE model is to get feedback on the
instructional design. The classes that reinforced this format included Instructional use of
Computer Simulations, Contemporary Instructional Technology, Instructional
Multimedia and Designing Knowledge Management Solutions.
During the process of my internship I followed the ADDIE model and it has helped
me to use my time wisely and keep organized. Starting with the Analysis phase we found
the need for a new website. The old website was not being promoted and also not very
user friendly. I gathered the existing knowledge, and parts of the website that were still
wanted and we came up with the goals and objectives for the new website. Included in
the Analysis stage is my internship proposal, which also follows this format. Next I
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started the design process which included two different sets of rough drafts, and training
to get started on the website.
The development was started by putting the website together following the design of
the rough drafts. This process took the most time because of the trainings and labs that I
went to when I needed help. The Implementation phase was implemented when we had
the website up and running online. I still continued working on some unfinished parts like
adding the instructors syllabi and office hours to the website for the Math and English
pages. The last step was to create an evaluation which consists of ten questions and added
it to the website as a link under quick links.
I know that the ADDIE model will be one of the most important instructional design
formats that I will use in my future career. Taking these classes that have focused on this
instructional design format has given me the perfect foundation to get started as an
Instructional Designer. The instructors were all very knowledgeable about the design
process and have guided me through each process step by step. They were always
available for questions and gave me great feedback that I will take with me.
Technology
Technology was one of my main focuses in the program. Because I enjoy working
with various technologies such as video and animations, as well as learning new
technologies, my electives have all been technology based. I have chosen this focus
because I currently hold a Bachelors degree in Media Arts and an Associates degree in
Information Technology. Being able to use various technologies, as an Instructional
Designer would be important for a successful training. Knowing different ways to present
material can make the instruction interesting for the visual learners as well. By making
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the instruction interactive and adding a flash quiz or a Prezi presentation can make the
training a little more enjoyable, and will most likely keep the attention of the audience.
All the technology courses in the OLIT program have been great experiences for me.
Each one taught me new technologies that I either was never aware of such as
SharePoint, or did not know how to use like Flash. These classes focused on theories of
learning as well as how to effectively use the technology in a training properly. I found
that these classes also focused on using the ADDIE model before actually getting
involved in the technology itself. One common factor that I will take from this program is
to think about the end-user, that is, the person that will be on the receiving end. With
them in mind I can use the ADDIE model to start working on the design one step at a
time. This is something that has taken me a lot of training to learn. I always wanted to
dive into the technology with out actually thinking about the end-user.
The technology classes that I have taken in the OLIT program include: Instructional
Use of Computer Simulations, Cultural & Global eLearning, Contemporary Instructional
Technology, Instructional Multimedia, and Designing Knowledge Management
Solutions. All of these classes have played an essential part in my internship as well as
preparing me for my chosen career in Instructional Design. I can use this information and
training to teach distant adult learners as well.
Instructional Use of Computer Simulations and Cultural & Global eLearning were
both classes that taught me to think about who the audience is, who I am creating the
instruction for. For the Simulation class, my audience was young teenagers and for the
eLearning class my audience was the instructors of a blind/deaf school in Sri Lanka. Both
of these assignments were tough but very valuable. It had me critically thinking about
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how to go about presenting the information to the audience it is intended for. In the
Simulation class, we did a lot of reading about different types and ways that Simulations
are used. By exploring and playing with various types of simulations I was able to figure
out how to effectively deliver the message. There were some that were not user friendly
like Second Life for example. Although this simulation can be used as an instructional
tool for long distance learners, it was hard to maneuver the animated character. The
readings and exploring the simulations helped me realize what works and what does not
work when it comes to designing an animation. The final outcome was a PowerPoint
representing the reason for the simulation, which was to bring awareness to teen
pregnancy to young teens, and then at the end we demonstrate how the simulation would
work. The important take away from this class was learning how to storyboard and plan
each step of my design. This was very helpful in planning the website during my
internship.
In the eLearning class we had to figure out how to help the instructors in a boarding
school for the deaf and blind in Sri Lanka. This school runs on minimal funds and
technology to help these students. From this project I learned the different types of
technologies that would help the instructors with teaching. This had our group critically
thinking on what can be used in a part of the country where they often had electricity
shortages. From this class I learned the different types of learning management systems
that can be used for teaching as well as distant learning for example Moodle, and Wiki
sites.
Instructional Multimedia, Designing Knowledge Management Solutions, and
Contemporary Instructional Technology were all classes that taught me how to use new
technologies that can help me in my future career. These three classes all used the
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instructional design format, keeping me organized and focused while working on my
projects. Although these classes had the instructional design format in common,
Designing Knowledge Management Solutions is geared towards sharing information
within a company using a knowledge management system such as Microsoft SharePoint.
The Instructional Multimedia class focused on theories of how people learn best from
multimedia. For example using animation with sound and words can help some people
retain the information easier than just animation and words. This class reinforced what I
learned from the Adult Learner and Instructional Design and added the theory of how to
best deliver a lesson for the intended audience. I learned how to use Flash to develop an
animation that teaches second grade instructors how to teach their students to add using
Base 10 blocks. This animation takes the instructor step by step through the process using
the blocks along with the written problem and also includes audio. After the lesson, there
is a short quiz to make sure they understood the information. What I learned from this
class, I will take with me to my future career. This class has taught me how to effectively
make a flash animation that can teach adults who are visual and hand on learners. During
my internship I used the skills learned from this class to design two flash quizzes for the
new student orientation page on the Highway to Success website.
In the Designing Knowledge Management Solutions class I learned how to use
Microsoft SharePoint. My group and I designed a SharePoint site for the CommGrads,
which is the Communication and Journalism’s graduate club. The SharePoint site is a
place where CommGrad members can post documents such as meeting notes and other
important documents to share with other members. There was also a new member area
included for those that were interested in joining the club. What I learned from this class
will help me in the future by being able to create a knowledge management system.
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Using the SharePoint site, I can teach an organization how to organize their files so they
can be shared with the appropriate staff or employees.
From Contemporary Instructional Technology I learned how to design an effective
instruction using simple technology sources such as using my iPad for video recording a
lecture that I used in my final presentation. I learned how to use Prezi, which is similar to
a PowerPoint but is animated and interactive. Again, using the ADDIE model I designed
a “Flipped Classroom” instruction with my partner. The “Flipped Classroom” a
classroom that has students watching lectures in the form of video casts, podcasts or other
videos online, for example Khan Academy. The classroom time is then used for hands on
assignments and group work. I have found this class very valuable for my future career as
an Instructional Designer. I will be able to design an interactive lesson that will hold the
learner’s attention and hopefully they will be able to retain the information that was
taught by using the class time for hands on activities. I feel that these classes have
strengthened my technology skills and prepared me for my future.
Positive Psychology
In the Positive Psychology class we looked into various organizations to see what
makes them successful. A successful company has a low turn over rate and treats their
employees well which in the long run saves them money. We took some online quizzes
like the Happiness Scale and Life Satisfaction scales to see if we were happy with our
current careers. I enjoyed the readings, discussions, and the exercises that we did in the
class. An exercise that had the biggest impact on me was to write about who has helped
me the most. This exercise had me thinking deeply and took me back to when I met my
Husband; it made me realize that he was the main reason why I am at this stage in my
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life. That stage is currently finishing my Masters degree and it would have not been
possible without the support of my husband. This class has also helped me improve
relationships at work by looking for the positive aspects in my environment, which has
made my job very rewarding. The Positive Psychology class has taught me to think
critically about my future career and will help me find a career that I will flourish in.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I am now prepared and excited to look for a career as an Instructional
Designer in an organization that has a positive environment. The OLIT program has done
a great job in helping me build my confidence. The theory and hands on trainings has
been essential in my understanding of the concepts needed. All of the classes have
interlaced and worked off each other, and has helped reinforce the skills needed to be
successful.