What I have Learned

"What I have Learned"

Well, it has been quite a ride this instructional design field has been. There have been ups, there have been downs, there have been late nights and early mornings. But all and all I have survived and I have enjoyed. I have learned so much about instructional design and about myself this year. Here are a few things I have learned about instructional design:

• It is never done because there is always more to do.
• Evaluation and assessments are so crucial to the effectiveness of the design and they should be done early to save a lot of backtracking.
• It is nice to work with people you trust :)
• Designing instruction requires seeing the instruction from multiple points of view, and
• An instructional designer is constantly asking themselves 1) "Where are am going?"2) "How will we get there?" and 3) "How will we know when we have arrived?"
• There is so much more to learn. This is only the beginning.
  

Can Technology Hurt

Shawn Atwood

Can Technology Hurt?

Lately I have been thinking a lot about technology in the classroom as a part of the instructional designing process. As I studied the Frick article as well as this week’s reading it is apparent to me that technology is becoming more and more fluent in the classroom. My question, however; is this: “How can I incorporate technology into the classroom without it being a distraction to my students?” I understand that if I have control over what is done with the technology then I have the power to illuminate distractions, but if the students have control over it, they might have the tendency to use the technology as a form of entertainment instead of as a learning tool. In addition to this, I wonder if technology ever hinders the learning process. For example, I have some students that are very fluent with i-pods, cell phones, and computers but they really struggle with reading, writing, spelling, and basic communication skills. They lack basic social skills and manners.

A Thought on Frick

What to do? What to do? What to do?

Lately I have been fascinated and annoyed at the same time with dealing with students ho don't care. They show up to class but that is about it. I loved this thought from the Frick article. It was nice to hear an expert in the field address student apathy. Frick states: "Education cannot occur without a student who intends to learn. According to Steiner, if a student does not intend to learn, then no education is going on. A student's mere presence in a classroom is no guarantee that education is occurring. There has to be an intent to learn, which is facilitated by the guidance of a teacher. But this guidance does not have to involve face-to-face contact, nor does it need to occur in a classroom. I wonder though, how does a teacher facilitate that?

Revising Instructional Materials

“Revising Instructional Materials”

One of the things that I have really learned this past week is that an instructional designer is always revising and fixing things that didn’t quite go right. I think that revision is an important step in the designing process. However, revisions are only effective if there has been proper evaluations and feedback; otherwise, the designer does not know what needs to be revised. I think that one of the biggest areas where revisions are made, are in the objectives. If the objectives are not solid, then the instruction will be lacking as well. Therefore; once objectives are solid, then that will minimize the amount of revisions that need to be made.

According to Dick and Carey (2005) there are essentially two types of revisions to consider, more specifically, when it is dealing with materials that are being used. They are “changes that are made to the content or substance of the materials to make them more accurate or more effective as a learning tool. The second type of change is related to the procedures employed in using your materials” (p.315). Considering this, I really think that the core objectives can majorly help in these areas of the design.

A Picture is worth 1000 words.

Shawn Atwood

"A Picture IS Worth a Thousand Words!"

With the discussion that we had this past week, I am even now a more firm believer that a picture really is worth a thousand words. I use pictures on the time in my teaching. As we study a particular topic, somewhere in the middle of lesson, I will often find it helpful to change the pace of a lesson for just a little bit and show a picture that ties into the lesson. I will then ask a question such as "what stands out to you in this picture?", "Come up with the moral to the story", or "If you were there, what would you think?". I have noticed that it gets the students back on board with the lesson and it can be used for a good readiness. Pictures are a great thing to use in a classroom.

Media Will Never Influence Learning - Ya Right!

Shawn Atwood

Foundations of Instructional Design

“Media Will Never Influence Learning – Ya Right!”

This past week I recently studied an article entitled: "Media Will Never Influence Learning," written by Richard E. Clarke (1994). It Clark’s article he makes the argument that media makes no difference in a student's learning or motivation, but rather that instructional methods are responsible for achievement gains.

He states that "media are mere vehicles that deliver instruction but do not influence student achievement" (p.22). He likened media to a truck that delivers groceries. Sure, the truck delivers the groceries, but it doesn't change a person's nutrition, just like media does not change a person’s motivation or learning.

Clarke also agrees with the arguments of Gavriel Solomon (1979) that it was certain attributes of media that can be models by the learner that influences a person’s learning, and not media itself. Therefore, Clark concluded that we need to continually ask the question as to whether or not there are other media or other sets of media attributes that yield strong and efficient learning gains, because media in general in the classroom just does not cut it.

As I studied this article I didn’t buy into it because I believe that an instructional designer should use media in the classroom to enhance the learning experience. I don’t think that a teacher should ever just put in a movie and walk away, but I do think that media USED EFFECTIVELY is a great instructional tool and indeed does motivate the learning to learn, especially if the media is used as an instructional tool, and not the instructional tool.

"Thoughts on Media and more on Assessments"

Shawn Atwood
Foundations of Instructional Design

“Assessments and Media”

This past week as I have taught my classes at the Lone Peak seminary as well as been instructed here at the University of Utah, I have experienced the highs and lows of being a teacher as well as being a student. I have noticed the flaws in the instructional design of myself as well as other teachers. A few weeks ago we discussed in class the importance of assessments. It is a true statement that assessments are important. I think that they help show the teacher whether or not the student understands the concepts at hand and they also show the teacher how well they have done in their instruction. However, I strongly feel that although assessments are a method of checking for student understanding, it is not the only method. I will use myself as an example. Personally, I am simply not a good “test taker.” I can know the material forward and backward, I can explain it to other people, and I can easily find concepts in the chapters and articles if I am asked to do so. But I am not a good “test taker.” I believe that all formal assessments do is assess one’s ability as to how well they can take tests. There simply needs to be others sets of evaluations.
Regarding this week’s reading, I strongly believe that media can and should play an important role in instruction design. Whenever there is an element in the class that can appeal to more than one of the senses, the learner will have more success remembering the content. However, just as I mentioned above with assessments, media should be a type of instruction, but it should not be the only type. It can be overly used as well. It is a type of variety to help establish the readiness of the learner and if used properly can greatly enhance the learner’s ability to understand a given concept.

"What vs. How"

Shawn Atwood

“What vs. How”

Well, the question remains, what is an instructional designer? I have learned this week that an instructional designer works at incorporating four things. They include: Integration, activation, application, and demonstration. It is a simplified version of Gagne’s nine steps. As an instructional designer incorporates these four things, naturally they will reach objectives. To make this easier I have also discovered that there are two questions to keep in mind. They are “what should I teach?” and “how should I teach it?”

Keeping this thought in mind, it is crucial to remember to not let the “how” overshadow the “what.” Often times as a teacher I focus so much on how I am going to teach that what I am going to teach becomes weak. But to figure out how to teach, an instructional designer should use integration, activation, application, and demonstration of the content. That is how something becomes real and relevant to a student and you would have been successful in what you have taught.

I love technology . . . . Always and Forever.

Shawn Atwood
Foundations of Instructional Design

“I love technology . . . Always and Forever”

I hope you are all having a blast over fall break! The question: “What is an instructional designer and what is technology is on my mind during this break. So, allow me to venture to answer these questions by way of personal experience and additional thoughts.
First, I do not believe that there is one single tool that transforms a teacher into a master teacher. I have learned as a teacher that all of the teachers that are on my faculty have strengths and weaknesses, but they are still great teachers. Sometimes I have tried to take a teaching idea that I have seen work great, and it has flopped for me, even though I have done the exact same thing. Therefore, the same tools, methods of teaching, and teaching styles do not and should not work for everybody. A teacher just needs to be themselves and use their own style. Every class is different though so an instructional designer is one who is flexible in their teaching.
Secondly, an instructional designer needs to be creative in his/her approaches. Often times, teachers are under the assumption that they have to have great technology in order to be an effective teacher. That simply is not the case. Technology perhaps just may be a form of variety for the students and for their enjoyment as well. Instruction can still go on. A teacher needs to always remember to not let the "how" of teaching overshadow the "what." This challenge may just open the window of creativity for the teachers in that situation.
Last of all, there has to be a reason behind why you are choosing that method of technology. Is it just so it can be used in class, or does it really serve a purpose and what is that purpose? Also, an instructional designer has to make the lesson/technology being used “there own” so that it fits their teaching style.

October 1-7

Shawn Atwood
Foundations of instructional design
EDPS 6430

“Good Analysis Leads to Good Objectives.”

Well, I submit that my mother-in-law is finally starting to understand to a small degree what an instructional designer is and what they do. I however, am still learning and it seems to me that each week I pick up something new to add to the “illuminated cave” as Rich would call it. This last little while as we have been studying task analysis, it has become clear to me that analyzing the learner is such a key element in designing instruction. It perhaps might be the most important thing of all because it is the first step of instruction. It is where it all begins. If analysis is not done right then the instructional design could fail miserably.
This week’s reading backs up the importance of analysis, because as a designer analyzes the learner and directs their instruction towards them, the learner is then more capable of learning and is even more ready to learn. According to Dick and Carey (2005) “few students are likely to be lost for long periods of time, and more are likely to master the instruction when they know what they are supposed to be learning” (p. 124).
In addition to the above ideas, one of the key things that an instructional designer does is come up with, and write performance objectives. These objectives are essentially what the learner will be able to do by the time the instruction is complete. They describe what kinds of skills, knowledge, and attitudes that the student will be learning. In order for an objective to be clearly stated, a clearly identified behavior must be identified first as a result of instructional analysis. So, to sum of this week's thoughts on what is an instructional designer? An instructional designer is one who analyzes the learner, identifies a behavior through that analysis and then comes up with an objective of what they want the learner to be able to do. That is the whole purpose of instruction. When the students leave the classroom each day, they will know how to do something.

Analyzing Learners and Contexts

Shawn Atwood
Foundations of Instructional Design
EDPS 6430

“Analyzing Learners and Contexts.”

Well, this past week as I have embarked even further upon the quest to define what an instructional designer is and how I would tell my mother-in-law all about it, studying “Chapter 5: Analyzing Learners and Contexts” helped me quite a bit in the attempt to define the field. For me, I almost feel the answer is within this title. An instructional designer is one that is continually analyzing the learners and the context and then modifying the content being taught to best fit the needs of the learner.

It is apparent to me that as an instructional designer is continually analyzing their audience then they will learn what it is that the learner needs and as they adjust their teaching, then with regards to the instruction, the learner will “find it relevant to their interests or job, feel confident that they can learn it and will be satisfied when they do” (p.105). This backs up the theory of constuctivism that we studied this week as well because as learners begin to connect material with past experiences, then it becomes both relevant and meaningful to them.

September 16-September 23

Shawn Atwood
Foundationas of Instructional Design
EDPS 6430

“September 16 – September 23”

Well, I feel as if I am one step closer to figuring out what it means to be an instructional designer and what technology is. I feel as if I have learned so much over the last few weeks and at the same time I feel like I have a long ways to go as far as learning and figuring things out. I kind of feel like my newborn baby: late nights and early mornings, being passed around from person to person, and trying to make sense of what is going on. It has been quite a ride this last little while.
Well, in attempting to define instructional design with an even deeper meaning, I have learned that instruction has less to do with the instructor, and more to do with the learner. If one considers what it is that they want the learner to walk away with, then they are better able to align their instruction to fit the student’s needs. An instructional designer is one who teaches the learner, not the content. Or in other words, asking themselves the question: “is specific content being taught, or is the target population being taught” (Dick and Carey 2005 p. 77).
In addition to this, it is therefore important for an instructional designer to evaluate the analysis of the learning tasks before they are ready to proceed to the next type of design activities because if they move on when the learner is not ready, there might be a learning gap where the learner is unable to connect the dots. An instructional designer is therefore someone that analyzes the needs of the learner and then designs and presents the material to the learner in a way that will best fit the learner’s needs. As I think about what technology is, I am now convinced that technology is any thing used in the instruction process. Good luck everyone in your upcoming week.

Shawn Atwood
Foundations of Instructional design
EDPS 6430

“1 Step Closer”

Congratulations everyone! We survived week #2. This has been a fascinating week for me as far as teaching and learning are concerned. I think that both teaching and learning really go hand in hand with each other. As you teach, you learn so much about yourself as well as the learner, and as you learn new things, you naturally have the desire to teach and/or explain it to another person. As I have completed the readings for this week as well as last weeks and in addition to the classroom discussions and student blogs, I have walked away with an even better understanding of what it means to be an instructional designer, and even perhaps more importantly, what it takes to be an effective one. I don’t have it completely down by any means, but I at least feel 1 step closer.
In class on Tuesday we learned that there are three questions to ponder when considering your instructional design: where do we need to go? How will we get there? and how will we know when we have arrived? It seems to me that in instruction there is a lot of emphasis placed on the “how will we get there?” that that becomes the major focus, rather than on the end results. I also appreciated Rich’s acronym with DAN that he explained: Desired results, Actual results, and Need. I think that an instructional designer is one who is constantly assessing themselves and trying to continually improve so that the learners can achieve success. I also think that an additional question an instructional designer may ask might be something like this: “what will the learners be able to do? According to Dick and Carey “the instructional design approach stresses doing” (Pg. 40). It is one thing to understand something, but it is a completely different thing to be able to do something with what you understand.
Finally, an instructional designer is one who focuses on the intellectual skills of the learner. These include “forming concepts, applying rules, and solving problems” (Pg. 41). These skills enable a learner to be able perform and not just understand something. With each step, however; there should be an observable outcome because that is how an instructional designer is able to really monitor if learning really taking place. Have a great week everyone!

Dick W., Carey L., Carey J (2005) The Systematic Design of Instruction (6th Ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

#2 - What is an educational designer? What is technology?

Shawn Atwood
Foundations of Instructional Design
Sept. 5, 2008

“What is an instructional designer? What is technology?”

As class ended a few nights ago, a couple of things have been racing through my mind concerning education, learning, technology, and the instruction that takes place. It is still a very complicated task to try to attempt to define what an instructional designer is and in addition, what technology is, but I will attempt to give it my best shot. So, what is an instructional designer? And what is technology? Fasten your seatbelts because here we go!
First, what is an instructional designer? An instructional designer is one who attempts to continuously facilitate learning in their student through a wide variety of teaching techniques. The more variety the better, because variety is what will keep the learner interested in what is being taught. According to Dick and Carey, there are a few things to consider when deciding on the instructional design. They include four instructional goals: First, is knowing who the learners are. An instructional designer is one who is constantly informally assessing his/her learners. Once an instructional designer understands who their audience is, they will know how to design their instruction to best fit the learner’s needs. They are constantly evaluating themselves as well, deciding how to change their instructional design so they can instruct more effectively. This is a vital step in the effect that just because an instructional designer knows the content, does not mean they know how to teach it.
The second goal is understanding “what learners will be able to do in the performance context” (Pg. 25). Essentially this is the objective of the instructional designer for the learner. Without an objective, instructing is pointless. These objectives will, and should, often change as well based on the level and performance of the learner. The challenge with this is deciding how the learners will learn the content and how long it will take for them to master the content because every student is at a different level. The third goal is how the skill will be applied. If there is no application coinciding with the instruction, then the instructional design failed. I believe that this is the most crucial step because it completely validates the instruction.
The fourth goal is describing “the tools that will be available to the learners in the performance context” (Pg.25). To me, the forth goal helps to actually answer my second question: what is technology? Technology is what the student or the instructional designer uses to collaborate learning, whether it is tools, techniques, or procedures. Put simply, it is anything that makes something, including learning and teaching, more efficient. That is why technology and an instructional designer go hand in hand, because they both have a common purpose: to facilitate learning.

What is an instructional designer? - Aug. 30, 2008

What is an instructional designer?
By Shawn Atwood
EDPS 6430
Foundations of Instructional Design

I love teaching! I always have and I hopefully always will. I have only been teaching full time as a career now for just over 1 year, and I have student taught for 1 year on top of that as well. I am very excited for this new adventure of working towards obtaining a masters degree. I know that doing this while teaching full-time will require a lot of late nights and early mornings, but in the long run I really feel that it will be worth the time and the effort that I will be putting towards it.
Last class there was a great question that was posed: “What is an instructional designer?” To me, the answer lies within the question. It is someone who is continually designing instruction. I view it as the methods, techniques, ideas, assessments and technologies used to instruct. It is how one teaches in order to bring about the learning that is desired in their students. I do not believe that the sole responsibility of the success of the instructional design is entirely rested upon the shoulders of the instructor either. I believe that the contribution of the student is a large factor.
The objective as to why a teacher teaches is to get the student to learn new skills. Instructional design is the process by which a teacher organizes and provides the necessary concepts, information, and instruction to enable a student to take that information and incorporate it into memory. In order to find the desired success, the instructor’s type of design, or in other words, how they teach must match the students desire to learn.
Furthermore, a teacher’s instructional design should constantly change depending on the learner as well. If a teacher really wants a student to learn, then they will teach the student and not the design. If the instructor will modify their design to meet the needs of the student, then both the instructor and the student will be meeting their objectives and both will experience pleasure in learning.