CSUF MSIDT Midpoint Reflection

Hello!
After completing more than half of the CSUF MSIDT program, it seems like a good time to look back and see how far I have come in the process. Today we are going to take another look at how I chose the program and a few things I have gotten out of it already.
After deciding to pursue a master's degree in instructional design, I did some homework and the program I chose would have to be:
1. Worthwhile, as I was not doing this just to get a degree, there would actually have to be development of knowledge and skills.
2. Completed while working full-time at my career. This made flexibility of online programs more attractive.
3. Accredited so it would be accepted by future employers (or customers).
4. 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: Indiana University, Florida State University, Virginia Tech, Boise State University, and California State University at Fullerton.
These are all good programs, but out-of-state tuition prices put many of these out of reach. I initially gravitated towards CSU Fullerton because it would be more affordable, but the more I looked at it, the more I liked it. Also, the Fullerton program is well-regarded, and its a Master's of Science brings many elements of online learning into the mix, which how a lot of learning will happen in the future.
There are a few things that I have learned in the CSUF MSIDT program that are already helping me in my career.
The first thing is a more extensive knowledge of learning theories. Learning about them is one thing, but there is also the realization that there is no single right way to do things. All learners are different, and effective learning for any group or individual will probably require more than one theory or approach so that as many students as possible can benefit from the experience.
The other thing that has been great for me is having the luxury to go through full development processes with completely prepared design documents. I often do not have the luxury of time to do this on work projects, and there are some important steps that I have missed in the past that could have made my life much easier.
Thanks for checking in, and stay tuned for more news from the IDT program!

Leaving ADDIE for SAM MegaWorkshop

Hi there! Today I am taking a break from discussing the CSUF MSIDT program to talk a bit about a great seminar I attended in Chicago on September 28 and 29.

The seminar was title Leaving ADDIE for SAM, and it was presented by Richard Sites from Allen Interactions for ATD. Allen Interactions was founded by Michael Allen, who is considered to be the father of SAM, or the Successive Approximation Model.

An important thing to note right up front is that Richard Sites emphasized right up front that ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation) is really the gold standard of development processes. But, it is slow, particularly when the Analysis stage extends on, and on, and on (analysis paralysis).

SAM uses an iterative process to arrive at a solution that arrives at the performance that is desired. Instead of using lengthy linear steps, it uses much smaller iterative steps. This helps avoid time sucking traps (dealing with SMEs, running out of budget, and quality issues). While doing all of this, the process focuses on preparing genuine performance learning.

One major divergence from ADDIE is that SAM starts with the preparation phase where research and background information is created. This phase is supposed to be much quicker than the Analysis stage of ADDIE.

From there, SAM moves into the Savvy Start, which is a collaborative brainstorming session that should include the major stakeholders. This meeting focuses on learner performance and serves as the project kickoff meeting and will be the first opportunity for all team members to collaborate. This is also an iterative process, and it is recommended that three rotations of this design, prototype, and review process take place.

After this the model moves into the iterative design phase which goes through development, implementation, and evaluation. Sites pointed out that most users of ADDIE never actually go through the evaluation phase. The design should go through three iterations, which they coined Alpha, Beat, and Gold. During this the product is being constantly analyzed and evaluated, so that changes can occur very quickly. One hint that Sites provided was to present the material to the stakeholder with the request that they evaluate if the product does what it is supposed to do, not if they want to add anything to it. If changes are requested it is best to simply ask if the changes met the stakeholder’s request. Going beyond this will lengthen the process and make the final product more bulky.

This workshop proved the worth of the SAM process to me, and I am motivated to implement it on the next new project that I start. The facilitator suggested that it would not be wise to change methodologies midstream on a project, which makes sense.

The conference itself was set up to be a collaborative learning environment for the attendees. There were many group projects over the two days, and the concepts of SAM were practiced a number of times as parts of the Savvy Start were modeled. There were about 30 attendees (at $1500 each!), and they represented an interesting cross-section of different institutional types, including education, non-profits, government, freelance workers, and private industry. Interacting and networking with these individuals was very valuable, as there were a lot of unique viewpoints on the subject of adult learning.

ATD did a good job of setting up this “MegaWorkshop.” Conference Chicago at University Center is a very nice facility, and getting to be downtown was a nice change from the usual airport hotel banquet rooms where things like this usually take place.

Review of Williams’ Non-designer’s Design Book (4th Ed.)

For the IDT 520 course, , Instructional Design Level 1: Issues in E-learning and the Design Process, one of the three required texts was the fourth edition of the Non-designer’s Design Book by Robin Williams. No. Not that Robin Williams.
This 240-page text is really a fun read, with plenty of realistic advice and design tips, starting from the basics, which is something that an art-challenged person such as myself needs the most. These include the four principles of design (C.R.A.P.), designing with colors, designing with type, and how to see things from the point of view of a designer. I took a lot away from the content, especially the ideas of contrast and repetition, as well as a better understand why some colors work better together than others.
Bringing this all together is a a good selection of color images of actual products that run the gamut from simple card to elaborate websites. And these are modern examples of objects and media that most all of the readers would be familiar with. These are interspersed with tips, as well as descriptions of why some of these things are visually more effective than others. Williams has a firm grasp of the subject and is able to communicate well with the reader, which is an unbeatable combination.
Robin Williams’ Non-Designer’s Design Book is a must buy, not just for instructional designers, but for anybody that has to produce media. This includes business folks who produce PowerPoint presentations, professors that think they know how to make an effective presentation, and even people that do newsletters for their club, or small business owners that makes their own flyers and menus. And best of all, it is priced reasonably, with new ones selling for only around $23 on Amazon. It is worth every penny!
Williams, R.. 4th Edition. (2014). The non-designer's design book. San Francisco, CA.: Peachpit Press.