CSUF TITANium / Moodle Online Interface

As this is the year 2014, there are things that you would expect to be able to do online with your college program. California State University, Fullerton has a robust student interface that allows students to apply for programs and purchase textbooks, as well as to enroll and pay for classes online. But for the MSIDT program, all of the classwork is conducted online. How can that possibly work while still providing student interaction and encouraging participation? The answer is the TITANium Moodle system.
Moodle is much maligned in the academic world because it is kind of a clunky old interface that is not visually appealing, and it has many features that are redundant and unnecessary, but it worked just fine for my first term.
For the first two courses, IDT 505 Foundations of Instructional Design and Web Authoring Tools and IDT 510 Research Practices in Instructional Design and Technology), the professors posted assignments for each week on Sunday or Monday, with homework assignments that included readings, short assignments, and quizzes, as well as major assignments that included the submission of learning objects and research papers.
But the heart of this online experience was the discussion forum for each course. For many weeks the instructors would provide a prompt (e.g. a reading assignment or a video to watch) and then it was the students’ responsibility to post their thoughts on the subject and have online discussions with the other students. This was helpful in helping to define the instructional design process, as it provided the opportunity to learn from the others’ experiences and to gain consensus.
The final output of many of the major assignments were posted to the forums as well. It is helpful to have another 28 sets of eyes take a look at a learning object you have created and to have them provide positive feedback, and suggestions for improvement. Plus, every student seems to be running a different type of computer and web browser, so any functionality problems were quickly unearthed.
Surprisingly with this many students with diverse backgrounds there was no discord. Apparently the interview process resulted in students that would be a positive force in the progress of the program. I approve!
Also available through Moodle was an online chat function that allowed the instructors to provide online office hours. I only participated a few times as I had a good idea of where the courses were headed, mostly because the syllabus for each class was complete and left little to guess about.
And one last feature of Moodle is that how you are doing in the courses is never a mystery. If the instructors are on top of their grading you can check your grades anytime to see if there are any missed assignments or if your progress is sliding.
As this is the modern era, the Moodle / TITANium app can also be accessed on mobile devices, such as tablets or cell phones. While it is admittedly difficulty to participate in lengthy forum discussion on such tiny keyboards (at least for fat-fingered me), it is a great way to stay up-to-date on assignments and grades.
There are a few things that I did not care for with Moodle, but it mostly had to do with the choices that were made when setting up the courses for each course. Each course had its own weak point.
For one course the assignments were a surprise each week, while the other instructor had every week’s work posted right from the beginning of the course. This is helpful for me, because it helps me know which books I need to pack for my business trips. If the assignment is posted Monday morning it is too late, so I had to study the syllabus carefully each week.
In the other course the forums were set up so that every post was a response to the initial prompt, which meant that there were often hundreds of posts to sort through to figure out which ones were new. The other instructor had the first response from each student set up in its own thread, so they were much easier to read (and it was easier to find responses that did not have many comments and I could make sure that everybody got some sort of feedback.) To get around this, I had each of the posts automatically sent to my email. This resulted in a metric ton of emails, but it also ensured that I did not miss out on anything.
But, all-in-all, I find this to be a great solution for distance learning, and it is going to work well for me as I continue through the program.
Thanks for checking in! Next time we will take a look at Turnitin, the ultimate big brother of the anti-plagiarism movement.

CSUF MSIDT Course of Study

Hello!
Over the 21 months of the program, Cohort 13 of the MSIDT program will have to copmplete 10 courses to fulfill the degree requirement. It is hard to believe that 2 of them are already finished! Here is a list of the courses, which is adapted from the CSUF online catalog (https://www.fullerton.edu/catalog/pdf/HumanServices-Women_and_GenderStudies.pdf):
Session 1 – September, 2014 through December, 2014
1. IDT 505 Foundations of Instructional Design and Web Authoring Tools
--Necessary understanding of operating systems, hardware and networking environments to develop instructional tools and products using a multimedia authoring tool.
2. IDT 510 Research Practices in Instructional Design and Technology
--Survey course on terms and accepted procedures in qualitative and quantitative inquiry as they apply to instructional design and technology. Students conduct controlled portions of IDT research and prepare preliminary proposals for larger projects.
Session 2 – January, 2015 through early May, 2015
3. IDT 520 Instructional Design 1: Issues in ELearning and the Design Process
--Systematic design of instructional courseware, including analysis, media selection, design, development and evaluation. Topics include learning principles, learner characteristics, instructional strategies, screen design, response analysis, feedback and interactivity.
4. IDT 525 Learning Theories for Postsecondary and Adult Instructional Settings
--Behavioral, cognitive, constructivist learning theories, related concepts and their implications for designing instruction. Develops critical thinking about desirable cognitive outcomes when designing educational experiences.
Session 3 – May, 2015 through August, 2015
5. IDT 530 Instructional Design 2: Advanced Issues in Implementation, Management and Program Evaluation
--Application of computer-based instructional design principles to develop new methods and materials for technology-based instruction. Topics include computer-based instruction, project management, planning, assessment, design principles and development tools. Students will design multimedia courseware.
6. IDT 535 Instructional Strategies and Universal Design Issues in Learning Environments
--Instructional strategies for Pre-K through adulthood. Emphasizes current research on instructional strategies and assistive technologies in a variety of instructional contexts.
Session 4 – September, 2015 through December, 2015
7. IDT 540 Systematic Approaches to Web and Multimedia Design and Development
--Design, development and implementation of Web pages and sites for instructional purposes. Issues surrounding using the World Wide Web for instruction.
8. IDT 545 Trends, Emerging Technologies and Issues in Instructional Design
--Theoretical basis, issues and strategies for improving teaching and learning through the use of emerging technologies.
Session 5 – January, 2016 through early May, 2016
9. IDT 550 Practicum in Instructional Design and Technology
--Strategies for effectively implementing and evaluating instructional design and technology to improve learning; includes significant field work assignments in work-related settings.
10. IDT 597 Project
--Individual research on an empirical project, with conferences with the instructor, culminating in a project.
Thanks for checking in! Next time we will take a look at Moodle / TITANium, which is an essential online system for this distance learning experience.

MSIDT Program Tuition and Fees

Well, the MSIDT program is not free, but it is a great value in the masters program world, at least if you are a California resident. I figured this out ahead of time to make sure it was within my family’s budget, but of course there were a few things I forgot. Surely there will be more unexpected things as time goes on, too…
There are a lot of things that are not a financial issue in the distance learning world. No parking fees! No extra holiday trips home to see the folks. No dorm room to redecorate. No kegs of beer to take to toga parties…
But there is the rest of the stuff, as well as things I did not have to pay for when I was studying for my bachelors degree.
First off was a new laptop, which I am not including as it was not necessary. But it is really nice to have a good piece of equipment for school and blogging. I went with a MacBook Pro, and after a lifetime of PCs, it is an amazing breath of fresh air.
Of course there is tuition, which is currently $1953 per semester (for two classes)
Next come other expenses that will occur each semester, some of which I will never get to use:
-Online learning fee:$198
- Books: $463
- ASB Fee: $74
- Campus Union Fee: $134
- Consolidated Course Fee: $25.00
- Health Center Fee: $78.00
- Health Facilities Fee: $3.00
- IRA Fee: $36.00
- Student ID Card Fee: $4.00
- Student Success Fee: $60.34
- Titan Participation Fee: $7.00

If I added that up correctly, that is $3035, so for five semesters it will be $15,175, barring any inevitable fee increases. Of course it would be much higher if I were paying non-resident tuition.

But that is not all, there are some one-time costs to include:
-Application fee: $55
-Transcript: $13
-Boot-up Camp: $345
-Mid-point Symposium: $228
-Adobe Captivate 8 Software: $299

These extras add up to around $940, and when added to the tuition make for a grand total of $16,115. This will creep up as unexpected expenses that pop up and fees increase, but I think this going to be a wise investment in my future. I do not think you will find a better deal on an instructional design program from an accredited university, and the CSUF program is highly rated.
Thanks for checking in; next time you will get an overview of the courses that make up this program!

MSIDT Boot-up Camp

Ater being accepted into the California State University, Fullerton MSIDT program, the first real event (after paying for everything) way one of the two mandatory days to appear on campus – the Boot-up Camp.
The first challenge was that the Boot Up was scheduled in late August, which was smack dab in the middle of a family vacation to Hawaii that had been scheduled for a year. There was no way I was going to miss vacation, so I made arrangements to fly home for a day to attend, and then fly back again.
I got into town around midnight on Friday night, and headed over to the campus on Saturday morning for the camp. The other 29 member of Cohort 13 all showed up, and we spent the day meeting the director, a few members of the faculty, and other essential staff that we should know to help us out in the course of our studies.
We received a handbook for the program, as well as a thumb drive with the book and all of the presentations for the day. Part of the planned activities was to head over to pick up our ID cards (discounts at Wienerschnitzel and the movies!) and to look around the bookstore.
Better yet was meeting one of the instructors for the first term, having the opportunity to sign up for a mentor. They also introduced us to the Moodle/Titanium e-learning course management system (which is used for everything), learning more about how the library works, and a few presentations on the APA format, Turnitin and plagiarism. This gave me a lot better idea of how things were really going to go, and put many of my fears to rest. I had not been in college for a long time, you know.
But the best part of the day was meeting my classmates, so that it would be easier to put a face to a name as we interact through the forums and shared projects that are a daily part of or tasks while learning about instructional design. By the way, I did not feel too bad about having to fly in after this, wither, as there were students from all over the country: central and northern California, Washington DC, New York, and even Hawaii.
There will be one other mandatory meeting in Fullerton, which will be a one day midpoint checkpoint symposium at the end of three term segments in early October of 2015. This event allows the students to see how they are doing relative to their professional goals and learning outcomes, as well as confirming the final project and related subjects.
In case you were wondering, neither one of these activities is free, or even included in the regular tuition costs. The cost is $345 for the boot-up camp and $228 for the midpoint symposium, and they are both billed along with the first term tuition.
We wrapped up by the scheduled 5:00 end time, and I headed home to catch my Sunday morning flight back to paradise. It was worth the extra effort and really helped to get me more comfortable and enthusiastic about the program.
Thanks for checking in! Next time we will be taking a quick look at how much this program will actually cost to complete.

CSUF MSIDT Program Application Process

Last time I wrote about choosing the right graduate program for me, which turned out to be the Master’s in Instructional Design and Technology from California State University, Fullerton. It turned out that the application process was not too daunting!
For starters, there were no tests to take – no GRE – nothing! There was a minimum undergraduate GPA and bit of other work to do, but it was all laid out in a straightforward manner on the CSUF MSIDT website (http://ed.fullerton.edu/msidt/), including the dates that should not be missed.
Before I going over the application process, I should mention one thing. Only 25 or 30 new students are accepted to the program each year, so do your best on everything that is submitted and double or triple check everything before you send it in.
Here is about how it went for me, and most everything was done online:
1. After reviewing everything on the CSU website, I signed up for CSU Mentor (https://secure.csumentor.edu) which is where everything gets started. The online application is also submitted through this website.
2. The application was due at the end of March for my program. There was not much difficulty with this until I got to the part where they requested academic references from my college professors. It had been 25 years since I was in college, and I could not even remember any of my instructors’ names, and I am sure they did not remember me. So, I left this blank and figured that the university would understand – I guess that approach worked. I also skipped the part with the statement of purpose essay, as the MSIDT department requested that it be sent directly to them.
2. The MSIDT department requested a 3-page essay that was due on April 20. It was to include why I was a good candidate, my experience, technological skills, and access to technology, as well as my future goals. For my experience I went back and figured out how many courses I had written and it added up to almost 50 instructor-led and online learning courses. They also asked how I planned to fit the coursework into my life, as there is a big commitment of time (at least 20 hours per week).
3. The department also requested a resume, which was not a problem. You should ALWAYS keep your resume updated, as my friend John S. always says. This was also due on April 20.
4. Around this time I arranged for my college transcripts to be sent from UCI to CSUF. It took awhile to find my old student ID number, but it turned out that I did not need it anyway.
5. Not long after this there was a phone interview with a member of the CSUF MSIDT faculty. It was really nice to speak with somebody in person, and I think I got as much out of our conversation as they did. If you do not have an idea of what your final project is going to be, you should have at least a few ideas before you start your interview, as the subject might come up.
In late June I received an e-mail from the university informing me that I had been accepted into Cohort 13, and would be able to start my studies in Fall of 2014. I was very relieved as I had not applied to any other schools, and if things had not worked out I would have waited another year to try again as I truly feel this is the best program for me and my future career goals.
As I said before – be sure to check out the CSUF MSIDT website if you are thinking of applying. The dates and procedures could change from what I just described and you do not want to miss anything.
Next time, we get to go to Boot-up Camp – one of the only two days where the MSIDT students actually have to come to the campus.

Instructional Design Programs

After deciding to pursue a master's degree in instructional design, it was time to start doing homework to figure out which program would best suit my needs. There were a few things I was looking for:
1. It would have to be worthwhile. I would not be doing this just to get a degree, I would actually have to be developing my knowledge and skills.
2. It would have to be completed while working full-time at my career. This made online programs a lot more attractive.
3. It would have to be accredited, so it would be accepted by future employers and customers.
4. It would have to be affordable on my family's budget.
After completing a lot of research and speaking to other instructional designers, I focused on five different instructional design programs. These included Indiana University, Florida State University, Virginia Tech, Boise State University, and California State University at Fullerton.
These are all very good programs, but out-of-state tuition prices put many of these out of reach for me. I initially gravitated towards CSU Fullerton because it would be more affordable, but the more I looked at it, the more I liked it.
The Fullerton program is very well-regarded, and it is a Master's of Science in Instructional Design and Technology. This means that it focuses on the basics of instructional design, but also brings many elements of online learning into the mix, which is the way of the future. This program puts together small cohorts of 25 to 30 students that take the same courses at the same time over a period of 20 months (five 12-week sessions with a total of 10 courses). The program relies heavily on discussion boards and collaboration with others, both of which are extremely important things to practice for today's instructional design community.
And, the CSUF program only required two days on campus, with the rest of the work to be done online. If I got accepted to the program, I could start in August of 2014 and finish up in May of 2016. This looked like my best choice (not that there were any bad ones), so I figured out what was needed to apply and started the process.
Stay tuned for my next post, where I will talk about the application process.
Thank you!

Rex and Instructional Design

Hello, and welcome to my instructional design blog!
How did I get to this point? Well, I drifted through various technical jobs during my career in the automotive industry, but generally did not find a lot of personal satisfaction in what I was doing. The jobs were important as they involved fixing things and making customers happy, but it seemed like I was just doing the same tasks repeatedly and was not able to use creativity and innovation in my day-to-day tasks.
A little over ten years ago one of my friends asked me to apply for a job in my company's training department. He pestered me for few years, and over that time I was increasing unhappy with the work I was doing and eventually decided to make the move.
It was the best career decision I ever made.
I knew nothing about training, but my bosses supported me and made sure I got the education I needed to be able to do my job properly -- most notably, I had the opportunity to learn from Dr. Jim Cook. Dr. Cook introduced me to theories and processes that were mostly based on the work of Robert Mager, with a lot of real-world common sense thrown in. These processes worked well for me for ten years, and over that time I refined my approach and enjoyed using my creativity to develop courses that would help people do their jobs more effectively. At times there was frustration as I tried things that did not work, but overall it was a very satisfying endeavor.
Last year I attended a training development seminar that was moderated By Bill Heacock, at a time when I realized that I was not growing and I wanted to increase my knowledge so that perhaps some day I could help others improve their instructional design processes. I felt like I had learned as much as I was going to on my own, and asked for his guidance with what direction to take my development next. Bill gave me some very good ideas, and one solid recommendation: I needed to pursue an advanced degree in instructional design.
A masters degree in instructional design would immerse me in the theories behind what I had been doing for years, so that i would know WHY I do the things I do, as well as providing other options for how to do things better. Also, a program like this focuses on the entire development process, which includes project management and the important nuts and bolts on programming and hosting online learning which would help round out my skills.
After checking with my family, I decided to take the plunge and apply for a masters program in instructional design, but there were a lot of programs out there to choose from.
Stay tuned for my next post, where I will write about which program I picked, and why.
Thank you!