Brooke Marton's
ePortfolio
DESIGN
Definition
"The process of specifying conditions for learning" (Seels & Richey,1994, p.30). Essentially, design focuses on the "planning" of instruction. This will include collecting information about the learning environment, the needs, and of course the learners. This information is later used in order to make careful decisions when developing the instruction.
Design utilizes theory, knowledge, and creativity to fulfill a learning need. This is carefully facilitated through the design process. In order to fulfill the determined instructional need and create meaningful learning experiences, careful considerations should be made when planning and carrying out instruction. This includes collecting information on the learners, context, and needs.
AECT divides the design standard into 4 domains:
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Instructional Systems Design
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Message Design
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Instructional Strategies
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Learner Characteristics
A reflection and Artifacts related to these domain are listed below.
Reflection
Prior to enrolling into Virginia Tech's Instructional Design and Technology program, I thought of learning and instruction as a linear process based mostly upon the transmission and reception of information with rote memorization techniques because that is how classes were facilitated back when I was in grade school many years ago. I obtained my degree in psychology, which touched upon learning theories, however I did not know the processes nor application of said theories in the development of instruction.
One of my first instructional products was created when I was an office manager. I needed to create a new training manual based upon the new software for the office staff. I think back now and realize that I did not apply any of the steps in the instructional design process, although some of the formatting, use of color, space, and other message design concepts were unknowingly implemented. Additionally, I did not apply any models or theories such as ARCS, ADDIE, or Gagne's events of instruction either.
I think one of the most important things that I learned from the program was that there is a process of instruction that is grounded in learning theory. My first major project was in Design for Learning where we worked through the design process using the Dick, Carey, and Carey model. Although it took me awhile to properly write the instructional goal and content analysis, it allowed me to work through the process and synthesize the information, as well as work in a team environment, which helped me retain the information and apply it to current projects.
Although DC&C is a longer process, it is more thorough and doesn't lend itself to "assuming" as the ADDIE model can. During this project, we utilized Keller's ARCS model in order to stimulate motivation in the child participants. This helped me further cement instructional design models and participate in a real-world context.
I am currently applying the DC&C approach to a project involving the design of a self-paced online learning module as part of my work. I am also using both ADDIE, ARCS and Gagne's Nine Events in a few other projects that I am working on.
Below are some artifacts that demonstrate the skills I have acquired from the IDT program here at Virginia Tech.
Artifacts
1.1 Instructional Systems Design
"ISD is an organized procedure that includes the steps of analyzing, designing, developing, implementing, and evaluating instruction." (Seels & Richey, 1994, p.31) Within the application of this definition, 'design' is interpreted at both a macro- and micro-level in that it describes the systems approach and is a step within the systems approach. The importance of process, as opposed to product, is emphasized in ISD (AECT Standards).
This was a group project I did for the Design for Learning course. The project entailed creating a learning unit for participants ages 5-10 using the Scratch Jr coding application on a tablet. We created a preactivity warm up in order to facilitate the transfer of knowledge from physical form to virtual form. I added it to this design standard because we utilized the Dick, Carey & Carey model as well as ARCS motivation model.
The links below detail the design process for this project:
This is a project for Project and Report. The online self-paced project will be launched in the real-world context. For this project, I am using the Dick, Carey, and Carey model. The artifact reflects the steps I made to design the lesson including: needs assessment, goal statement, instructional analysis, performance and learning contexts, objectives, instructional strategy, materials, assessment, and evaluation.
This is a project that I am working on for my graduate assistantship and entails the development and implementation of hands-on workshops that teach faculty how they can use the various tools in Canvas. This link provides the instructional strategy details for the first of 5 workshops that will be launching in the Fall 2017.
1.2 Message Design
"Message design involves planning for the manipulation of the physical form of the message." (Seels & Richey, 1994, p.31). Message design is embedded within learning theories (cognitive, psychomotor, behavioral, perceptual, affective, constructivist) in the application of known principles of attention, perception, and retention which are intended to communicate with the learner. This subdomain is specific to both the medium selected and the learning task (AECT Standards).
1.3 Instructional Strategies
This project was a job aid that was used to help faculty operate the media setup in one of the classrooms. I had to carefully plan the job aid utilizing communication theory and design principles in order to create a concise, clear, meaningful instruction. I used PowerPoint, color printer, and laminator to create this job aid.
This is a job aid that I created for work as a GA. This served as a guide for teachers to use so they can setup the WebEx system in the classroom. I used PowerPoint to create it and applied my knowledge of learning theory and message design in order to create it. The learner analysis allowed me to carefully make decisions on how to present this information in a clear and concise manner.
This project is a learning module on the ancient Maya for the Learning Message Design course. I created it using PowerPoint and incorporated various message design elements in order to achieve clarity of content including color, contrast, balance, and proximity.
Before creating this PowerPoint module for the Learning Message Design course, I had to consider the target audience before deciding HOW to present the archaeological excavation process. When I entered the design stage, I reflected upon the message design principles that would help guide me in my design decisions.
This is an artifact I produced for the Learning Message Design course where I provided an overview of different design elements that are a part of communication theory. Some of the images also utilize visual literacy through the placement, color, and texture of particular elements. This project demonstrates my understanding of communication theory and it's application in media.
"Instructional strategies are specifications for selecting and sequencing events and activities within a lesson." (Seels & Richey, 1994, p. 31). In practice, instructional strategies interact with learning situations. The results of these interactions are often described by instructional models. The appropriate selection of instructional strategies and instructional models depends upon the learning situation (including learner characteristics), the nature of the content, and the type of learner objective (AECT Standards).
1.4 Learner Characteristics
Instructional Strategy Scratch
I mentioned this project in the first substandard. This was a group project where we all came together and worked on developing instructional strategies. At first we were just designing this project to be a tablet activity using the Scratch Jr app, but decided to add a preactivity in order to assist participants in the transfer of the skills needed to use the game from the real-world to the virtual world. Essentially, careful revisions were made in order to select the appropriate strategies due to the target audience and context. The instructional strategy specifies a particular sequence of activities leading up to the in-app activity problems.
As mentioned previously, I am working on this project for an online Canvas tutorial module. I had to determine the appropriate instructional strategies to implement in this online module. The instructional strategy is based upon the findings from the learner and context analysis.
"Learner characteristics are those facets of the learner’s experiential background that impact the effectiveness of a learning process." (Seels & Richey, 1994, p. 32). (Seels & Richey, 1994, p. 32). Learner characteristics impact specific components of instruction during the selection and implementation of instructional strategies. For example, motivation research influences the selection and implementation of instructional strategies based upon identified learner characteristics. Learner characteristics interact with instructional strategies, the learning situation, and the nature of the content (AECT Standards).
This artifact was mentioned before, but this is the learner analysis of learner characteristics for a group project for the Design for Learning course. Effective instructional design begins with careful analysis of the intended learning audience. In this project, we carefully analyzed the intended audience so we could make careful decisions about how to develop and implement program. This project entailed creating both a physical form activity into a virtual app game for children ages 5-9 how to problem solve using a computer application.
In this artifact, as mentioned before, this project is from the Project and Report course where I conducted a learner analysis in order which led to the development of meaningful and appropriate content for the target audience. In this case, university professors were the target audience.
Seels, B. B., & Richey, R. C. (1994). Instructional technology: The definition and domains of the field. Washington, DC: Association for Educational Communications and Technology.