MSIDT 545: Emerging Technologies and Issues in Teaching

Hello!

The other course in my fourth semester of my CSUF MSIDT program (Fall 2015) was MSIDT 545, Emerging Technologies and Issues in Teaching. According to the university website, this course “Focuses on the theoretical basis, issues, and strategies for improving teaching and learning through the use of emerging technologies.” To support this, the course instructional objectives are:

- The ability to develop a curriculum-based instructional project that incorporates one (or more) emerging technology.

- Describing and evaluating ways in which emerging technologies are likely to change the teaching and learning process.

- Locating, analyzing, and synthesizing resources that identify and describe the development and use of emerging technologies in teaching and learning.

These are not exactly the same objectives that were outlined in the course syllabus, but they are pretty close. According to the syllabus the instructional objectives were to:

- Examine and explicate the theoretical basis and issues regarding a variety of emerging technologies

- Assess a learning activity that incorporates one (or more) emerging technologies;

- Evaluate and compare a variety of emerging technologies as they relate to theories of learning and curriculum development;

- Create, investigate, analyze, and discuss ways in which emerging technologies are likely to change the teaching and learning process; and

- Locate, analyze, compare, and select resources that use emerging technologies for effective teaching and learning.

This is a lot of stuff, but this course was able to address all of these objectives in one form or another. Many of the activities for this course were designed to introduce the learners to various social media formats that could be used for instructional purposes. These included:

Discussion threads. This is a common instructional method that was used for every class in the first four semesters of the IDT program, so the learners were already familiar with posting and responding to these threads.

Voicethread. This technology is interactive, and required learners to use microphones to record responses through the Voicethread website. This was used for discussion on copyrights, fair use, and the Teach Act.

Podcasts. Many of the learners were already familiar with podcasts, but few of them had actually recorded a podcast before (I had never listened to one before, to be honest). We used the Podomatic website for this, and I really enjoyed this activity, and am considering supplementing my blogs with this technology.

Wiki Entries. The learners were expected to produce a website for this course using Dreamweaver, and the instructor set up a wiki so that each student could contribute tips on using this program. This seemed like a clunky way to present learning, but if the whole course was based around the wiki it would probably seem a lot more relevant.

Blog. Each student was expected to start their own blog and make a few entries related to instructional design. This was kind of a slam-dunk for me as I had already started this blog, which was pretty fortuitous.

Live Chats. The instructor set up two live chats for the learners, and these were some of the very few examples of synchronous learning that took place during the entire program. These were technically challenging for some of the students, as there were cases where some learners were not able to figure out how to log in or make their microphones work. These were learning moments, to be sure.

Twitter. Each learner was expected to have a Twitter account and Tweet relevant ID links using the hash tag for the cohort. Not all students were familiar with the technology, but this was a great opportunity for some students to embrace this social media.

Facebook. Students were also expected to maintain a Facebook account, and some of the students were reluctant to participate due to privacy issues. This was a great reminder that there is a fairly large portion of society that does not use or trust Facebook, so it might not be the greatest instructional tool.

Supplementing this was the aforementioned Dreamweaver website project, which was quite involved for me. I had difficulty translating the text to the real world when I put together my website. Lynda.com tutorials were a godsend for this course, and I was able to make a pretty respectable site on analyzing performance problems. The biggest thing to keep in mind when working on the site is to follow the rubric and make sure everything is included. Seriously.

For this course, the learners were assigned two main texts (reviews of these will be provided soon):

- Palloff, R., & Pratt, K. (2013). Lessons from the virtual classroom: The realities of online teaching. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

- McFarland, D., & Grover, C. (2014). Dreamweaver CC: the missing manual. Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly Media.

IDT 545 was a valuable course, particularly for learners who were not already savvy with the use of social media. One does not have to use social media on a personal basis to be an effective instructional designer, but it is important to know how it works and to acknowledge its importance to many learners. Also, I was a bit skeptical about the Dreamweaver website assignment, but when it was all done I felt that I had a lot better understanding of how websites are constructed. It was definitely time that was well spent.

Thanks for checking out my IDT blog, and next we will take a look at the texts we used for the IDT 545 course.

MSIDT 540: Systematic Approach to Web and Multimedia Design and Development

Hello!

The fourth semester of my CSUF MSIDT program (Fall 2015) included MSIDT 540, Systematic Approach to Web and Multimedia Design and Development. The course objectives were (from syllabus):

- Examine, explain and plan effective web design to facilitate instruction online;

- Utilize the internet to locate resources for research and teaching;

- Critique, assess and evaluate the design of internet pages and sites used for instructional purposes;

- Plan a website or multimedia project for instructional purposes;

- Appraise and synthesize the theoretical basis and issues involved in using the internet in teaching and learning; and

- Research and complete a literature review using APA guidelines, based on a topic related to the teaching and learning process.

These are solid and achievable objectives and I feel that they were met through the course activities and assignments. Students in Cohort 13 were expected to participate in the group discussions and critiques, complete a web search/evaluation project, design a proposal for an instructional multimedia/website project, and write a literature review.

The group discussions were standard fare, and the web evaluations were very straightforward to complete. The real meat of the course was in the project plan and literature review. As I already knew what my final project was going to be I spent a lot of time writing and revising these documents, as much of the material could be carried forward to the final semester to be used for the thesis and instructional project. I was very fortunate to have two excellent editing partners who helped make sure that everything I was writing was heading in the right direction. For anybody else who goes through this program, I cannot recommend highly enough that they make good connections and have friends from their cohort who will be available and committed to the peer review process.

Supporting the course were two main texts:

-- Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th Edition)

-- Web development and design foundations with HTML5 (7th edition) by Terry Felke-Morris

I really struggled with the HTML5 book, as it was really huge and I had trouble sifting it down to a level where it helped me with the Dreamweaver project that I was completing in the concurrent 545 course. Thank god for Lynda tutorials!

Thanks for checking out the blog today, and next we will take a more in-depth look at the Felke-Morris text that we used for this course.

Mahalo!

Review of Joyce, Weil and Calhoun’s Models of Teaching

I have not posted to the blog since the beginning of the year, but I got caught up in the final semester of my instructional design program and needed to take a little time off from writing after I graduated. Thank you for your patience!

For the IDT 535 course, Instructional Strategies and Universal Design Issues in Learning Environments, one of the two required texts was Models of Teaching (9th Edition) by Bruce Joyce, Marsha Weil, and Emily Calhoun. I still refer to this book even after I have graduated, and consider it a valuable purchase. This is saying something as this 480-page book is $140 if purchased new and $113 used. I bought the used one…

There are few things that I had to get past when I started reading this book. For starters, the general format of the text is that a real-world example is provided, and then there is a discussion of the model(s) of teaching that are applicable to the situation at hand. This did not fit is well with my note-taking style, so there were a few adjustments that I had to make, and after awhile I would usually skim the examples and go straight for the meaty stuff. The other thing that was a little tough for me is that the focus of this text is K-12 learners, so I had to put a little extra thought into how I would apply this knowledge to what I actually do in the corporate world. But, I got over both of these things after a few weeks of class.

All of this being said, Models of Teaching has a lot of great stuff in it, and the material that you will find within is very helpful beyond the K-12 setting. The authors start with a discussion of where teaching models come from and what they are, and then they cover the basic information-processing models. There are also in-depth explanations of the special purpose information-processing models, the social family models of teaching and the behavioral family of models of teaching, Finally, Joyce, Weil, and Calhoun finish up with practical advice regarding the conditions of learning, learning styles, and conceptual levels.

This book is considered a classic reference for teaching models, and since 1972 there have been nine editions, so apparently I am not the only one that thinks there is something valuable to be gained from this text. The print quality of my copy was not great (for a $111 used book, especially), but it is still a keeper, and I recommend that you buy, not rent, Models of Teaching.

Thank you!

Joyce, B., Weil, M., & Calhoun, E. (2014). Models of Teaching (9th Ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon

MSIDT 535: Instructional Strategies and Universal Design Issues in Learning Environments

Hello!

The other course in my third semester of my CSUF MSIDT program (Summer 2015) was MSIDT 535, Instructional Strategies and Universal Design Issues in Learning Environments. The university website says that this course will: “Provide students with training in instructional strategies for Pre-K through adulthood” and that there will be “Emphasis on current research on instructional strategies and assistive technologies in a variety of instructional contexts.”

The course objective are listed as:

- The ability to effectively select the instructional strategy that meets the instructional needs of the learner.

- The understanding and effective use of the concepts of learning styles in a variety of instructional contexts.

and

- The assessment and utilization of appropriate technology with a variety of instructional strategies to meet the needs of the learner.

These seem reasonable for a student who wants to learn about instructional design, and the course met these objectives! Students in cohort 13 accomplished these by developing a comparative instructional strategies chart, writing an annotated bibliography, constructing a lesson plan (which was then evaluated by other students), and writing an essay on the learning theory book of our choice. There were also a weekly forum discussion, but there were no tests or quizzes for this course.

Supporting the course were two main texts - the APA manual has already reviewed, and the other will be reviewed here soon:

-- American Psychological Association (2010). Publication manual of the american psychological association (6th ed.). Washington, DC.

-- Joyce, B., Weil, M., & Calhoun, E. (2014). Models of Teaching (9th Ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

There was a nice variety of coursework for IDT 535, as the projects were different than what we had experienced in previous courses. I approached the learning theory book essay, annotated bibliography, and the instructional strategies chart from the viewpoint that I was building them so that I could use portions of them for the final project for the program. In the end, I think that I came away with a much better handle on learning theories and their applications, so this was a very worthwhile course.

Thanks for checking out my IDT blog, and next we will take a look at one of the texts we used for this course.

Mahalo!

Review of Daniel Pink’s A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future

For the IDT 530 course, Planning, Designing, Developing, and Evaluating Technology-based Instruction, one of the other three required texts was A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future by Daniel H. Pink.

Pink has written five books,is no stranger to the New York Times best-seller list and has attained the status of business guru; he has been on the board of directors of many non-profits and start-ups. This 304-page business text was a logical choice for inclusion in the Instructional Design curriculum, as it emphasizes the roles of creative individuals in today’s business world.

He starts off the book by recapping the four “ages” that he says define progress of the modern world: Agricultural, Industrial, Information, and Conceptual. He asserts that society is now in the Conceptual age, which is marked by creators and empathizers (right-brain people). He looks at how there are many things that the Western world is not competitive with anymore, as many tasks are no longer in demand or can be done better (and cheaper) via computer or overseas.

Once this background is set, he goes on to describe essential differences, or “senses,” that can give industries a comparative advantage. I am not going to ruin the surprise of what these are, but he does seem to make sense and fairly reasonable arguments here for how our business focus needs to adapt.

I am not going to go so far as to say that Daniel Pink’s A Whole New Mind: Why Right-brainers Will Rule the Future is a must-buy (unless, of course, your professor puts it on the required text list), but it is interesting enough that you might want to thumb through it if you have the time. The book is reasonably priced, with new ones selling for only around $10 on Amazon, so there is not much to lose if you do not like it.

Daniel H. (2006). A whole new mind: Why right-brainers will rule the future. New York; Penguin Group

Review of Peter F. Drucker’s Management Challenges for the 21st Century

Hello!

For the IDT 5300 course, 530, Planning, Designing, Developing, and Evaluating Technology-based Instruction, one of the three required texts was Management Challenges for the 21st Century by Peter F. Drucker.

Drucker was born in Vienna, and became a US citizen in 1943. He was an educator, management consultant, and author, having written 39 books. Over time he became a mythical figure in the study of management, and he was known as the “Founder of modern management.” Management Challenges for the 21st Century was published in 2001, so it is not terribly new, but this was one of his last works as he died in 2005.

This 224-page text is not a terribly onerous read, and when people saw me reading it they would comment that they had read it before (usually as part of an MBA program). The text is broken up into six sections, each of which is a nice stand-alone essay. They include: “Management’s New Paradigm,” “Strategy – The New Certainties,” “The Change Leader,” “Information Challenges,” “Knowledge Worker Productivity,” and “Managing Oneself.” The book still seems relevant 14 years later, and a lot of the things that Peter foretold have actually come to pass.

Of course, this has to all fit in to an Instructional Design program, so what were the takeaways for me? Well, the details of the changing world economy and how information were used were certainly interesting, but the real meat were the chapters on knowledge workers (which instructional designers are) and how to manage oneself. Drucker did a good job of defining knowledge workers and discussion their importance to an organization, as well as how to properly treat them and keep them motivated. And the information about managing oneself was also valuable as I am in the last half of my life and should start considering my role in the world more carefully.

Though I initially did not see how it was going to apply to me, Peter F. Drucker’s Management Challenges in the 21st Century ended up being an interesting read, and I think it was a good use of my time. If it sounds like you might enjoy it, this book is not terribly expensive, with new ones selling for only around $10 on Amazon. Or I could loan you my copy…

Drucker, P.F. (2001). Management challenges for the 21st century. New York: Harper & Row

MSIDT 530: Planning, Designing, Developing, and Evaluating Technology-based Instruction

Hello!

The third semester of my CSUF MSIDT program (Summer 2015) included MSIDT 530, Planning, Designing, Developing, and Evaluating Technology-based Instruction. The course description and objectives were (from the university website): “1) The ability to determine appropriate design strategies for an assigned instructional program. 2) The development of storyboards and flowcharts for an interactive lesson with appropriate tools. 3) The recognition and assessment of factors impacting cost and scope of multimedia projects. 4) The assessment of the capabilities of authoring tools, programming languages, and HTML.”

The course met these objectives for me. Students in Cohort 13 were expected to work in small groups to produce a multimedia learning object using Captivate 8, prepare small group peer reviews of other groups’ projects, lead a discussion thread (again in a small group), complete weekly assignments on the web forum, and write a summary paper. There was also a final exam thrown in for good measure.

Supporting the course were three main texts (reviews of two these will be provided in subsequent blog posts, and one has already been reviewed):

-- Multimedia for Learning: Methods and Development, by Alessi and Trollip (already reviewed)

-- Management Challenges for the 21st Century by Peter F. Drucker

-- A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink

There was nothing in the coursework that was really hard to do, but the small group dynamic did give me some problems. The instructor assigned the small groups (3 students in each), and this was the same group that worked with on each of the projects (except for the final exam and the summary paper). I had difficulties understanding my team mates and communications were poor at times, so there was a lot of stress involved with the projects as my grades were dependent on what I thought they were supposed to be doing. I would have preferred to pick who I worked with, which was the case in the rest of the courses in the IDT program. Everything worked out well in the end, and overall this course was very beneficial.

Thanks for checking out the blog, and next we will take a look at the texts we used for this course.

Mahalo!

CSUF MSIDT Summer Semester of 2015

Hello!

My third semester in the MSIDT program was in the Summer of 2015, and like the other four semesters, it lasted for 16 weeks. Six units are taken at a time, so there were two courses: IDT 530: Planning, Designing, Developing and Evaluating Technology-Based Instruction and IDT 535, Instructional Strategies and Universal Design Issues in Learning Environments.

This third semester was the toughest one of the program, and it got off to a rocky start for me because there was a very short break after the Spring term, so there was not much time to recharge my batteries. Once things got started, the 535 course was very straightforward as we prepared lesson plans and worked on research papers. The 530 course was difficult, mostly due to a group project that I was involved in where things just did not go very smoothly. As a result, there was a lot of stress for me (though I still learned a lot). When it was all over I was relieved to get a few weeks off before the Fall semester, and had the chance to take a wonderful vacation with my family.

Stay tuned to the blog –- I will be writing in more detail about both of the Summer semester classes as well as the texts we used in them.

Mahalo!

Rex

MSIDT 525: Instructional Approaches in Learning and Cognition

Hello!

The other course in the second semester of my CSUF MSIDT program (Spring 2015) was MSIDT 525: Instructional Approaches in Learning and Cognition. The university website says that this course “Focuses on behavioral, cognitive, constructivist learning theories, related concepts, and their implications for designing instruction. Develops students’ critical thinking about desirable cognitive outcomes when designing educational experiences.”

The course objectives were (again from the university website):

- The ability to examine learners’ learning preferences and their capacities to organize and coordinate information

- Comparing and contrasting emerging theories of adult learning (andragogy) with theories of how children learn (pedagogy)

- Recognizing the impact of learning theories on the design of learning environments including environments where technology supports learning

The highlight of this class for me was fulfilling the second objective, and to this end I wrote a research paper on Knowles’ andragogy and its application to multimedia learning. This helped me to bridge the gap between theory and application, and components from this paper will be essential in the preparation of my final program thesis and project.

On the fun side of things, I got to work in a small group to author a PowerPoint presentation on learning theory as it applies to online learning. This was probably the most enjoyable group project that I worked on in the program, as the other members were cool people and everybody pulled their weight and respected each other.

And lastly, there were ten discussion forums that the members of Cohort 13 were expected to participate in. These provided a lot of different viewpoints on learning theories and helped to continue building the learning community that was established in the first semester.

Supporting the course was only one main text:

-- Merriam, S., Caffarella, R. and Baumgartner, L. (2007). Learning in adulthood (3rd Edition). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

The readings were difficult ( a review is on its way) and in this course it took a surprising amount of time to do everything right. There were no quizzes or exams, and from the course description it may look like there was not a lot going on, but the paper and discussion boards were very involved and we kept busy throughout the 16 weeks of the course.

Thanks for checking out the blog, and next we will take a look at the text we used for this course.

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!

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.

Review of Alessi & Trollip’s Multimedia for Learning: Methods and Development (3rd 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 third edition of Multimedia for Learning: Methods and Development by Stephen Alessi and Stanley Trollip. This book is also required for future classes in the MSIDT program.
This 580-page text is fourteen years old, and many of the examples are dated when it comes to technology, but it still has a wealth of knowledge for non-technological curriculum design elements. What is particularly impressive is how well the authors managed to avoid specific platforms or programs throughout much of the book. Unfortunately, this is the last update that Alessi and Trollip are planning to do, so another source of knowledge will have to be found in the future as the content of this text ages even more.
Multimedia for Learning: Methods and Development contains a good general overview of learning principles and methodologies from both constructivist and instructivist perspectives. Definitions of tutorials, simulations, and games are provided, as well as solid examples and comparisons of each, and reasons why each may be good or inappropriate for various learning situations. The authors provide good basic rundowns of testing and assessment methodologies, and relevant guidelines for when they should be applied. There are also good discussions of the administration of testing in online environments. Also included are solid job descriptions for every team member of an e-learning project, even though some of the jobs may no longer exist in today’s educational and business worlds. Lastly, there is a complete description of how to plan a learning project from beginning to end, with checklists and tables that include every imaginable course element, so that nothing gets forgotten.
Despite a great deal of dated content (computers and business world have changed a lot the book in the past 14 years), this book is an excellent as it covers the complete instruction design process, including critical issues such as the needs analysis, planning, storyboarding, design, budgeting, programming, project management, testing, and relationships with the client. Alessi & Trollip’s Multimedia for Learning: Methods and Development is a comprehensive guide, and there is probably not a better alternative out there for the instructional design professional. It is priced accordingly, too, with new ones selling for around $132 on Amazon. This might be a good one to pick up secondhand!
Alessi, S.M., & Trollip, S.R. (2001). Multimedia for learning: Methods and development (3rd Ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

MSIDT 520: Instructional Design Level 1: Issues in E-learning and the Design Process

Hello!
The second semester of my CSUF MSIDT program (Spring 2015) included MSIDT 520, Instructional Design Level 1: Issues in E-learning and the Design Process. The course objectives were (from the university website):
- The ability to recognize and evaluate applications appropriate for designated learners
- The identification of appropriate applications for interactive courseware
- The specification and evaluation of appropriate use of media in interactive courseware
- The development of storyboards and flowcharts for an interactive lesson
- The design and development of a prototype
We did all of these things in this class! Students in Cohort 13 were expected to participate in group discussions, complete software evaluations, complete a prototype project, and write a final research paper. There was also a midterm examination.
Most of these activities were fairly straightforward, but the production f the prototype project had a cool twist. We were asked to prepare all of the documentation for the prototype project, so I prepared objectives, a content outline, a flowchart and complete storyboards for the project. Then all of this documentation was anonymously given to another student to build in Captivate 8, and I reccived another student’s work to program. All of this was anonymous, so there was not chance to ask the developer questions about what their intentions were for the project, so the documentation was crucial. I thought this was a great activity, and I think everybody learned a lot about how important proper preparation is before the actual production of a learning object starts.
Supporting the course were three main texts:
-- Alessi, S.M., & Trollip, S.R. (2001). Multimedia for Learning: Methods and Development (3rd Ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
-- Reiser, R. and Dempsey, J. (2011). Trends and issues in instructional design and technology (3rd edition). New Jersey: AB Longman.
-- Williams, R.. 4th Edition. (2014). The Non-Designer's Design Book. San Francisco, CA.: Peachpit Press.
I have already reviewed the Reiser & Dempsey book as it was used in a previous course, and you can find a review of it on this blog. A review the Alessi & Trollip and the Williams books will be provided at a later date.
The coursework was not difficult, but it required a lot of time to do everything right. The instructor was actively involved, and the syllabus provided an accurate roadmap for how the course actually progressed. Also, it was good to get more experience with creating a learning object in Captivate. This was probably the most “fun” class of the program, at least so far…
Thanks for checking out the blog, and next we will take a look at the texts we used for this course.

CSUF MSIDT Spring Semester of 2015

My second semester in the MSIDT program was Winter/Spring of 2015, and like the other four semesters, it lasted for 16 weeks. Six units are taken at a time, so there were two courses: IDT 520: Instructional Design Level 1: Issues in E-learning and the Design Process and IDT 525, Learning and Cognition Theories for Post Secondary and Adult Instructional Settings.
The second semester was much easier for me than the first semester, and it might end up being the easiest one of the whole program. I got into a good groove, and the study habits I developed over the first semester really started to pay off. Most notably, I got a good system down for taking text notes on the computer, so they were more legible and could be readily searched.
There was a lot more writing in the second semester, so I got a lot of practice with APA formatting (which has come in handy now that my son is in high school). There were also fun projects to be done in Captivate, with emphasis placed on the planning and design stages.
How did it all turn out? Pretty darned well! I put in a lot of hours (almost 35 per week), but I learned a lot and got grades I was happy with.
Stay tuned to the blog –- I will be writing in more detail about both of the Spring semester classes as well as the texts we used in them.
Mahalo!
Rex

MSIDT 510: Research Practices in Instructional Design and Technology

Hello!
The other course in my first semester of my CSUF MSIDT program (Fall 2014) was MSIDT 510, Research Practices in Instructional Design and Technology. The university website describes this course as: “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.”
Perhaps it would be better to go to the syllabus to see what the real course objectives were:
Upon completion of IDT510, students will be able to:
- Develop an understanding of the foundations of research in Instructional Design and Technology.
- Familiarize themselves with sources of research literature in Instructional Design and Technology.
- Acquire skills in research as it applies to the development and implementation of an instructional product or system.
- Utilize statistical and qualitative analytical methods to Instructional Design Technology applications.
- Develop skill in using current writing and editorial style accepted in Instructional Design and Technology.
That is more like it! Pretty much, I feel that the course met these objectives. Students in our cohort were expected to produce a research project proposal, complete with a literature review and many of the actual parameters to complete the study (without actually completing the study). There were also a number of weekly homework assignments, graded discussion forums, six quizzes and four “problem sets” (also quizzes, really) from the statistics text.
It was a bit of a stretch to relate some of this material to the instructional design process, but the Reiser and Dempsey readings were on topic and were pretty valuable. Also, this course provided a good refresher on what proper research methods are supposed to be.
Supporting the course were three (or four) main texts (reviews of these will be provided soon, I promise):
-- American Psychological Association (2010). Publication manual of the american psychological association (6th ed.). Washington, DC.
-- Smith, S., and Davis, S. (2013). The psychologist as detective:(6th Edition). Boston, MA: Pearson.
-- Reiser, R. and Dempsey, J. (2011). Trends and issues in instructional design and technology (3rd edition). New Jersey: AB Longman.
And a surprise text that the instructor forgot to tell us about until he gave us an assignment from it:
-- Pyrczak, F. (2010 or 2014). Making sense of statistics: A conceptual overview (6th edition). Glendale, CA: Pyrczak Publishing
The coursework was a bit harder than IDT 505, as there were many more assignments to keep track of, but it still went ok. I already had a firm foundation in statistics (three semesters of undergraduate work), but the most important things I took away from this class were the overview of the research process, and the ability to present a paper in APA format, which would be essential for the rest of the IDT program.
As with IDT 505, if I had this course to do over again, I would have only changed one thing in the way that I approached it. I already had my final project for the program picked out at the time, and now I wish that I had tailored my research topic and literature review to be work that I could integrate into that project, so there will be a little less research and work to be done at the end.
Thanks for checking out my IDT blog, and next we will take a look at the texts we used for this course. Mahalo!

MSIDT 505: Foundations of Instructional Design and Web Authoring Environments

Hello!
The first semester of my CSUF MSIDT program (Fall 2014) included MSIDT 505, Foundations of Instructional Design and Web Authoring Environments. The course objectives were (from the university website): “The ability to describe and manipulate the basic levels of an authoring environment. The use hardware and software to apply basic animation, sound, and other multimedia properties to an authoring environment. The analysis and assessment of basic media and authoring programming elements as they apply to hardware/networking environments.”
I feel that the course met these objectives. Students in Cohort 13 were expected to produce two original multimedia learning objects using Captivate 8, complete weekly assignments on the web forum (including peer reviews of others’ learning objects), and write a final research paper. There were also a few quizzes thrown in for good measure.
There is no mention of instructional design theory in the main course objectives, but there were readings and assignments on the subject, and there was enough information provided to give an overview of the instructional design process. There was also good information provided on the design process as it relates to human behavioral characteristics. The instructor for the course was a working instructional design professional, and he gave good insight and feedback throughout the course.
Supporting the course were three main texts (reviews of these will be provided at a later date):
-- Instructional Design: A Primer, by Bruce Ledford and Phillip Sleeman
-- Designing Interfaces, by Jennifer Tidwell
-- Adobe Captivate 8 The Essentials “Skills and Drills" Learning, by Kevin Siegel
The coursework was not terribly onerous, but it was hard to readjust to the world of academia, which I probably did not do right the first time around. Learning Moodle, the learning management system, took a few weeks but soon became second nature. And publishing Captivate projects was exceedingly exasperating at times, and the Cohort could have benefitted from some instruction and guidance in this area.
If I had this course to do over again, I would have only changed one thing in the way that I approached it. I already had my final project for the program picked out at the time, and now I wish that I had tailored my learning objects and final paper to be work that I could integrate into that project, so there will be a little les research and work to be done at the end.
Thanks for checking out the blog, and next we will take a look at the texts we used for this course.
Mahalo!

Fall Semester, 2014

Sorry it has been so long since I posted, things have been crazy around here!

My first semester in the MSIDT program was Fall of 2014, and like the other four semesters, it lasted for 16 weeks. Six units are taken at a time, so there were two courses: IDT 505: Foundations of Instructional Design and Web Authoring Environments and IDT 510, Research Practices in Instructional Design and Technology.

As I have said before, it has been a long time since I had been an undergraduate, so there were a lot of things to get used to. I figured out early on that the syllabus is the bible for each course (I never looked at them in college the first time), and I was constantly going back to look at the schedules and the descriptions of the assignments. I made it a point to cross-reference it with the assignments the instructors gave us each week, so that nothing slipped through the cracks. I kept a separate planner (an old-school paper one) just for school assignments, which was (and still is) a big help.

I had forgotten how to read in a scholarly way, so it took quite awhile to get up to speed on streamlining the amount of time I was spending reading, and trying to make notes only on what was really important. I will be providing overviews of the books in future blog posts.

I enjoyed the web forums, and made sure that I posted on a daily basis, paying attention to threads that had few or no posts, so that everybody had a chance to get feedback on the work they presented. I was thankful that I decided to get a new computer (a Macbook Pro), as it was more robust than my old PC, and was able to run authoring software with no problems.

How did it all turn out? Pretty darned well! I put in a lot of hours (almost 30 per week), but I learned a lot and got grades I was happy with.

Stay tuned to the blog –- I will be writing about both of the classes as well as the texts we used in them.

Mahalo!

Rex