Section 7: New Directions in Instructional Design and Technology

E-learning environments

In order to apply an e-learning environment in my own position I searched the Internet for literature and examples of schools which have successfully applied them in their classrooms. The Adam Scott Collegiate and Vocational Institute in Peterborough, Canada implemented a program that combined cloud computing and portability by using Google apps and netbooks to support e-learning in the classroom. By using Google, educators and students created documents, presentations, spreadsheets, webpages, shared calendars, e-mail, etc. Students showed improvement in learner outcomes as well as student engagement. (Nevin, 2009)Personally, I have seen teachers at my school use Google apps because they are free, but also because they are easy to use across different platforms and devices and lend themselves to data collection and collaboration.  I have also noted an increase in tools such as Blogger, gmail and Googledocs in my college courses and less LMS tools. The greatest advantage of e-learning tools such as these is that they offer more than a platform (e.g., a learning management system) but provide a contextualized, meaningful experience for students. Learning is not limited by what links and learning objects the teacher provides (teacher-centered), instead an e-learning environment in which knowledge is synthesized in a real-world experience (student-centered).  A free LMS platform such as Moodle is a good tool for teachers because it could incorporate Google apps into a well-designed e-learning environment. My main concern is how a library will fit into an e-learning environment. I believe my focus should be in making sure students and families have access to my library catalog, databases and services to support learning, whether the links are within a Moodle course or the district website.

 

Learning Objects

I took from this chapter that learning objects should above all, achieve successful learning outcomes.  We should make good decisions and select relative learning objects because if we are not careful students can get caught up in an interactive game, flashy video or image and lose sight of what is trying to be taught. A way that I would like to use learning objects is in the form of short tutorials created with software such as Camtasia or Jing. I have created a couple of these videos in my grad courses and they are an easy way to create a reusable learning object that engages and helps students make connections to prior knowledge.   One problem I have with learning objects is organizing and classifying them in order to be able to use them again (it’s the librarian in me).  Teachers are using less of the library resources such as DVD’s CD’s and finding material on the Internet.  I believe what keeps some of them coming back is the fact that they can rely on the objects to physically be there – or if not, when it will be available.  The learning objects we collect to use in our curriculum, however get “lost” and we can’t remember which one of the ten thumb drives it is on. My goal is to use my classification and tagging skills to provide our campus with a repository that will organize these collective LO’s in one place such as Livebinders.

 

Rich Media

Rich media can enhance a lesson and improve learning, but this chapter suggests that one should be careful about when, how much and what kind of rich media is selected.  Teachers should recognize the learners’ memory capacity and prior knowledge before introducing rich media to a lesson.  The learners’ capacity to remember information has very little to do with learning styles, so all learners can benefit when images are used. I couldn’t help but think of all of the PowerPoints I have watched, filled with too much text and very little images.  When presenting new material to students, in the form of a video or animation, it is good to pause sometimes to give the students time to process and reflect. Reflecting on my experience as a librarian I have noticed that some students have an extremely difficult time transitioning from picture books to “chapter books” with no illustrations.  This chapter suggests because audio helps bring greater understanding than text alone and I can apply this in the library by making a point to read aloud as often as possible. When an emerging reader sees a book with endless words and no illustrations, panic sometimes sets in and the mind shuts down.  Book trailers have been a great way for me to “sell” novels and books to reluctant readers because they provide images, and limited text that the students can understand.

Emerging instructional technology

My experience with emerging technology is mainly with Web 2.0. I believe these tools should be integrated as much as possible because they reflect the experience of students outside of school in the way they socialize, interact and search for information.  For example, Edmodo is a great way to give students a Facebook-like social experience within a safe environment, and Glogster is a great alternative to Powerpoint. The issue we have at our school is the need for filters. Anderson states that by restricting the use of these tools forces “an unhealthy bifurcation between learning and education” (p.  305). It was explained to me that because of e-rate funding, our school must implement a filter that limits resources such as YouTube, blogs and photo-sharing sites.  As a result, I have searched for ways to help teachers find alternative resources that are not filtered, such as SchoolTube and providing steps for them to download YouTube videos at home. The need still remains for educators to integrate the informal learning students encounter out of school within the confines of the formal learning they experience in school. My goal is to search for good tools for teachers to use in class and continue to be an advocate for using this form of emerging technology at my school.

Nevin, R. (2009). Supporting 21st Century Learning through Google Apps. Teacher Librarian, 37(2), 35-38.

Section 6: Getting an IDT Position and Succeeding at It

My job is in education as a librarian and currently I am working at an elementary school, 3-5^th grade. I was hired four years ago, even though I did not have any library experience at the time; I did receive informal training from a mentor with 30+ years of library experience and received a good foundation of skills to build on. Two years ago the school district required me to become certified so I enrolled in the library certification program at TAMU-C. I chose this program because it was recommended to me by several people who work at Region 8, and the program being available online gave me the opportunity to fit grad school into my busy life. When I graduate I hope I can stay where I am now as the certified librarian for my school district because I love everything about my job, from promoting literacy to collaborating with teachers.

 

According to the WorkMatrixTM my job provides mostly First level service (teaching, delivering, and training), and Second level (training trainers). I teach information and research skills to students, and I also have presented technology training for library aides and teachers. I cannot say which I prefer the most, because both aspects of my job are rewarding and provide psychological income, which is just as important to me as economic income. As far as my priorities for work features, I would not like to have a job that requires a great deal of travel because of my small children and a geographical location that keeps me close to my family is also important to me.

 

My undergraduate degree was graphic design so after college I worked in this field for several years before becoming a teacher, even though the technology I used back then is now embarrassingly antiquated. Designing and developing instruction therefore is interesting to me, but I would need some training in current media production tools for e-learning and interactive multi-media. Out of all the sectors listed, business and industry is the area which I have the least experience. Because of my education background, I can identify with the aspects of instructional design such as defining goals and formative/summative evaluation, but I would need to take an elective such as Designing & Evaluating Instruction in order to obtain a better grasp of the instructional design process for work-based learning. Meanwhile, to stay successful in my job which I love, I need to attend workshops and professional development, stay current on research and emerging technology, and join professional organizations in order to stay current on issues in my field.

The following hypothetical “’experience” chart was posted on the RapidE-Learning blog created by Tom Kuhlman who is a blogger for Articuate e-learning software.

 

 

 

I am currently a member of the Texas Library Association (TxLA) and was able to attend the 2011 conference in Austin, and I look forward to attending the 2013 Fort Worth convention. There are many advantages for a Texas librarian to attend a conference such as this, for example by attending sessions on library advocacy I was able to promote the value of libraries in our district as well as ways to improve much needed funding.



Chapter 28 mentions many professional organizations in IDT and each one is geared toward different sectors. The Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) is for individuals who want to improve instruction through technology and a benefit of being a member for me as a librarian would be topics concerning information literacy. The website lists these topics of interest in the School Media and Technology division:

• Digital Citizenship
• Professional Development
• Achieving excellence in the Information Age
• Studies on School Media
• Collaboration

 

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) also promotes the effective use of technology in education for PK-12 educators.  This organization is an advocate for educators to policy makers regarding educational technology and digital age learning.  ISTE is also responsible for developing the NETS (National Education Technology Standards) which measure proficiency and set goals for what educators and students should be doing with technology in education. I plan to join the Texas Computer Educational Association (TCEA) which is affiliated with ISTE. TCEA hosts a yearly convention and exposition, this year in Austin.  Members also get access to free webinars and training.  It is to my advantage to join these professional organizations because they will help me learn better ways to integrate technology and be an advocate for my program.

Section 5: Trends and Issues in Various Settings

The chapters in this section identify trends and issues with instructional design and technology in a variety of settings: military, health care, P-12, higher education, and around the world. In this week’s blog post, tell which setting you are working in or intend to work in. Then identify one thing that you learned from reading about each of the other settings and explain how that concept, idea, or approach could be adapted to your setting.

My area of work is in P-12 as an elementary librarian for the past four years and before that, ten years as an art teacher. Recently when I completed my LIS courses, passed the test, and completed the majority of my technology coursework, my administration decided to give me the responsibility of District Librarian. I am excited about my new role, but I am also apprehensive about how I will manage the other three libraries as well as my own.  Besides being a media specialist, I also collaborate with teachers on my campus to integrate technology and other resources into the curriculum. Fortunately the library aides on the other three campuses have been patient and understanding with me as I learn how to juggle all of my responsibilities. This week’s reading has been one of my favorites, because it has forced me to think about what happens beyond my P-12 domain. As an educator I believe that is exactly what we need to do because we are supposed to be preparing students for life after P-12 and our instruction should reflect what students will experience in their future careers. 

The chapter about ID in business and industry states, “demands for increased efficiency, lower training budgets and globalized instruction are stimulating the evolution of instruction design” (pg. 184). As a provider of resources for my district, I would like to follow the business and industry’s focus on identifying the learners’ societal and cultural factors. In the library this means having a collection of materials that appeals to the various cultures represented in our district. Another implication for P-12 is the focus on needs assessment before instruction begins. Identifying and researching the cultural factors that require differentiated instruction will help create a better instructional intervention.  

 

The military presents a different type of instructional design scenario than P-12 because of the pervasiveness of training in the military’s day-to-day activities (p. 190). The example on pg. 194 describes a facility in which service-members train in a replicated city to experience and practice actual humanitarian and peacekeeping situations. This can be applied to P-12 by employing contextual teaching methods in the classroom.  A  3^rd grade social studies teacher could help her students make more connections during an economics unit if she uses real-world situations that the students are accustomed to, for example the students become entrepreneurs by creating their own business-babysitting, etc.- to apply the concepts of earning, spending, saving and budgeting.

 

 

Duplicating the practices of health care educators, especially the recent trend of Evidence-based learning would be beneficial in P-12 education.  Instructional designers for health care must help prepare professionals who will be able to make life-and-death judgments; consequently the movement of evidence-based-learning requires medical students to make decisions based on a systematic analysis of empirical research to find the best possible solution.  This method is incorporated in such a way that students become accustomed to consulting information sources so they will continue to do so in practice (p. 200). The movement of EBL in medicine reminds me of the need for educators to teach 21^st century skills at a time when students need it the most. A teaching method like EBS in education should emphasize identifying, locating and evaluating information found on the internet and should be a requirement for students as early as elementary school.

After reading the chapter about trends in higher education around the world, I see a greater need for P-12 educators to incorporate aspects of distant ed into their instruction. Students need to be prepared for this type of instruction and modeling aspects of online education in the lower grades will help prepare them for education after high school, for example, requiring students to post responses in blogs and social media. The section written by Brenda Litchfield was also insightful for my field of work: “I find out what (faculty) considers to be the most important goals and objectives for their courses and then help them design, develop, and implement strategies and activities that will keep their students’ attention and increase learning” (p. 224). My new role as district librarian should reflect her philosophy of being an innovator for my campus and district.

Section 4: Human Performance Technology

Identify a performance problem in your area of work and identify non-instructional solutions that may help solve the problem.

This year, my school district has given me the new responsibility of “District Librarian.” Besides the responsibility of running my own elementary library, I am also required to supervise the library aides who manage the other three libraries in our district. The library aides have been working at the schools for many years and routines and behaviors were already established before I took on my new role. One of the performance problems I have experienced in my work as district librarian is a lack of clearly stated job duties/descriptions.  I hear the phrase “that is not my job” frequently from one aide in particular, and it has been a challenge to communicate just what is expected from her. According to Figures 14.1 and 14.2, a HPI non-instructional fix for “lack of motives and expectations” would be to provide the library aide with “Environment information”—a description of what is expected of performance, guides for how to do the job and feedback on performance. In order for this to be achieved, I need to give the library aide not only expectations, but also the motives for these expectations and allow for her input for achieving them, especially tasks that are less than gratifying, such as shelving books. Applying Situational Leadership from Ch. 12 (specifically explaining and clarifying goals) will provide intrinsic motivation needed for team members to “buy-in” to the importance of performing certain jobs, and from my experience as teacher I have found that this works better for most situations that extrinsic motivation (i.e. rewards & incentives).

 

Define performance support systems and explain how a performance support system might (or might not) help solve the problem you identified above.

Performance support systems are methods that provide timely support to individuals in a form that they can use. A PSS is an intervention for problems that interfere with performance, and can come in the form of online or offline support. One of the reasons problems occur with my library aides is because I cannot be there physically to help with day-to-day library activities. This week’s reading has motivated me to create a District Library wiki as a solution to my performance problems (clearly defining expectations). This form of Web 2.0 will help increase the timeliness of performance support, provide an outlet for point-of-need instructions and provide support for procedures that are less-frequent/critical such as our once a year inventory. Perhaps the greatest benefit of keeping a library wiki will be enabling the aides to collaborate with each other, share their own ideas and provide feedback for optimizing performance in the library. Since I have not created my library wiki yet, the following is an example of a library wiki that was created as a form of performance support for librarians: http://elementarylibraryroutines.wikispaces.com/

What knowledge would help solve the problem you identified above and how would that knowledge need to be collected and managed to help facilitate problem solving?

This chapter gives insight to how knowledge in the workplace is labeled and categorized.  The types of knowledge that would help solve my identified problem of “identifying library job duties” would be sharing explicit knowledge, with the goal being the ability for the library aides to share tacit knowledge, or undocumented knowledge they have acquired as a result of their own experience rather than through training. I would like for the library wiki to address procedures such as Accelerated Reader management, information literacy links, tech-support info for our library automation system, and FAQ concerning day-to-day activities such as circulation and weeding.

The type of knowledge that this chapter recognizes as the greatest challenge to capture is undiscovered knowledge or the hidden knowledge that may help benefit the organization. A benefit of using a wiki for knowledge management is the fact that it fosters collaboration among colleagues and provides an outlet for undiscovered knowledge. Many issues in organizations stem from only one person having the knowledge to fix a problem-one gatekeeper who has the ability to make a project work or bring it to a screeching halt-and by applying KM an organization can prohibit the gatekeeper mentality. My vision for the library wiki is a knowledge management system that does not look like a dull policy and procedures manual, but one that encourages the library aides to share what they have learned from their own experiences to possibly uncover some hidden knowledge that will benefit the whole district.

 

What informal learning experiences have you participated in at your organization? Could those informal learning experiences be shared with others? Could the knowledge gained in those settings be codified and managed? And should it be managed or should the informal experiences be replicated or broadened to include others?

I use a variety of informal methods to gather information about my job, but I use the Internet the most for answering questions from everything to technology to bulletin board ideas. I also rely on other librarians and colleagues to get input about issues concerning policies, and keep a stack of journals by my computer to read reviews and learn about library trends.

I do agree that informal experiences should be replicated in most cases, but there are some exceptions. For example, information concerning technology that changes so rapidly is difficult to codify, because tomorrow when we Google the same question we asked today, there may be a better solution to the tech problem. Another example pertains to the “museum experience” mentioned on pg.173. From my own experience, this type of informal learning is difficult to manage, and the writers of this chapter are correct when they state that words can’t quite express the magical experience of seeing a real artifact in a museum or seeing a live performance and this type of informal experience is often missing in education. On the other hand, informal experiences are the only way to address problems on our campus, because we do not have time to have formal gatherings otherwise.  One way we manage and document our power lunch/ lounge chat sessions is by using our phones to take notes because it is simple to e-mail our lists to other teachers and our principal.

 

I agree with the statement on pg. 175 that perhaps the biggest role for informal learning environments is that of promoting the love of learning itself, and in the future, lines between formal and informal learning will diminish.  One issue in education is the Bring Your Own Device policy, and many schools are creating Acceptable Use Policies for students to use phones, e-readers, etc. to have learning at their fingertips. Our district does not agree with BYOD for reasons pertaining to internet safety; however, I believe we are not taking advantage of a tremendous tool for informal learning.  After all, students already have access to information outside of school, and by making them “power down” during school hours is a set back to the education of our students.

Another example of informal learning was mentioned in an article we were required to read in my last ETEC course titled Creating a New Culture of Teaching and Learning, in which Alan November makes points about how we acquire/share knowledge, and he described how we as educators need to tell our stories. He states that professionals in education isolate themselves, and do not see anything special about what we do every day; however, he believes in documenting what we do as educators and states that we must share our tacit knowledge—what is working for us in the classroom with others in our field so that what we do makes a difference. One advantage I have as a district librarian is that I have the ability to see what is happening around the district. I would like to apply the principle of supporting informal learning mentioned on pg. 175 because I believe it will make a difference in my district if I observe, share, participate and encourage others to recognize informal learning so that this collective knowledge has an impact.

Section 3: Evaluating, Implementing and Managing Instructional Programs and Projects

Eisner’s Connoisseurship Model of Evaluation
When considering which two methods of evaluation to investigate, I reflected on my teaching experience, first as an art teacher, and then as a librarian. The first evaluation process I investigated was created by ElliotEisner (1985) in what he termed “educational connoisseurship.” Eisner’s expertise-oriented evaluation was influenced by his background as an artist and is grounded in the contextual paradigm. Eisner emphasizes the importance of evaluator as judge and relies heavily on qualitative data, as opposed to methods such as CIPP that prefer quantitative data, accountability and control. When I taught art, it was often difficult to translate art success to administration who defined achievement in terms of figures and percentages. This method would be appropriate for evaluating visual art programs in which evidence of achievement would need an evaluator with an “enlightened eye.” A particular lesson that Eisner’s method could evaluate was a lesson that introduced conceptual art, such as students’ ability to illustrate abstract concepts (diversity, beauty, peace, etc.). The evaluator of the lesson would need a level of art expertise in order to determine whether or not the lesson was a success; therefore, an art teacher from another school or campus should fill the role as evaluator-judge. The collection of data would follow a naturalistic/qualitative approach in which the evaluator chooses student critiques, interviews and the art itself as evidence for learning outcomes.

 

CIAO! Framework for Technology Evaluation
This framework was created by Scanlon, et al. (2000) to evaluate education and communication technologies for learning. This framework falls in the contextual category, in which learning occurs based on what tools are available and seeks to evaluate learning in context of the lesson, rather than the educational technology alone.  Scanlon et al. cited many other methods of evaluation for creating the CIAO! method including the Parlett and Hamilton (1972) Illumination framework of evaluation because it did not separate the instructional innovation apart from the learning, and focused on the processes instead of the outcomes (goals & objectives). This evaluation method also uses mixed methods to assess whether or not technology has an impact on learning such as questionnaires, data, observations and tests.

CIAO! stands for context, interactions and outcomes, and the difference in this method and other methods is that it emphasizes changes in attitudes and perceptions as a result of the technology as well as the learning outcomes. Context refers to the technology’s purpose and how it fits into the lesson’s objectives. Interactions focus on the students’ interactions with each other and the technology. Outcomes refer to the students’ perceptions/attitudes to more fully describe the impact the technology had on learning. This method would be appropriate for evaluating any lesson that integrated technology such as blogs, social media and wikis.  Recently, my school received a grant to purchase class sets of iPods and I am responsible for their maintenance and distribution. This method of assessment would be valuable for assessing the effectiveness of their use in classrooms and the outcomes of the evaluation could provide data for future technology grants.

 

From the reading this week and from researching other methods of evaluations I have concluded that programs should not just be evaluated just by learning outcomes and satisfaction.  Many other questions need to be addressed when evaluating a program, especially in education. The reason is because stakeholders who regard the results of the evaluation need to see the bigger picture of a program’s effectiveness. Even if a program did not provide the end results it was intended for, the evaluation can answer questions that affect future decisions regarding other programs. The following are questions that would be beneficial for evaluating a program’s overall effectiveness:

• Was the program cost-effective in terms of money, time and manpower?
• Can the program’s effectiveness be re-produced in other settings or other campuses?
• Is the program sustainable, and can the program have an effect over time?
• Did the program have an impact on the population it was meant for?
• Besides the intended goals and objectives, were there any other benefits that occurred because of its implementation?

Leadership requires one to 1) diagnose and assess the situation in order to solve the problem 2) adapt behavior to match whatever actions are required and 3) be a good communicator in order for others to understand plans and goals (p. 117). A situational leader has the ability to influence and motivate people, not matter the situation and is a requirement for successful management. 

This case of providing training during economic decline applies to me because I was asked to provide technology integration training to teachers on my campus at the beginning of this school year, and the purpose of the in-service was to provide some uses for free educational Web 2.0 applications to use as a result of budget cuts. These chapters provided me with insight on how I could improve my methods to include better resources and leadership skills to motivate my colleagues. For example, I would have selected resources more carefully because some of the applications I chose to include required cell phones, and some teachers did not feel comfortable because of questions of security.  Hersey and Blanchard described four phases of Situational Leadership--S1)Telling-the leader tells the team exactly what to do, S2) Telling-the leader still tells, but is "selling" what he wants team members to do, S3) Participation- leader works alongside team members and shares decisions, S4) Delegating-the leader passes on responsibilities and makes less decisions.  According to these phases, I directed my training by "telling" teachers what to do, and a better approach would have been to focus more on the "selling" of the tools that I introduced, as well as a participatory approach that allowed more time for input from the teachers.  Hersey et al. (2001) stated that influencing people requires, among other things to be able to assess the readiness level followers exhibit performing a specific task. Looking back, I would have made more provisions for different levels of teachers' technology efficacy and readiness to accept the technology. Also, as a result of this week’s focus on program evaluation, I see the importance of following up my training by questioning teachers about the effectiveness of the Web 2.0 applications I included in my presentation.

 

 

 

Section II-Theories and Models of Learning and Instruction

Epistemology seeks to answer questions such as “what is knowledge?” and “how is knowledge acquired?” Epistemology or underlying beliefs about knowledge provide the foundation for a philosopher’s model of instruction, thus influencing specific instructional methods to obtain knowledge. An example is Skinner’s theory of radical behaviorism which dealt with empirical knowledge, or knowledge gained by observation. Skinner’s instructional methods were influenced by the Positivist viewpoint, that scientific knowledge is the only form of authoritative knowledge. Epistemology theories are important to consider because they impact how one views instruction, the role of the learner and teacher, as well the methods and tools instructors use to achieve learner outcomes.

 

A contextualist epistemology is one uses the term “know” dependent on context. In other words, one makes meaning of a situation based on one’s language and surroundings. The objectivist/positivist epistemology defines knowledge as only relative if it can be observed. The subjectivist/relativist epistemology defines knowledge based on one’s beliefs. A contextualist epistemology is different from these epistemologies because it states that knowledge is useful if it is relative to the context in which it occurs.  Vygostsky’s social constructivism theory is an example of contextualism because learning was achieved through everyday settings and tools that were prevalent in a culture. A teacher who has a social constructivist approach creates lessons and activities for learning that are similar to situations students use outside of school, and allows time for discussion and group activities to make concepts more meaningful.  Vygostsky believed one should use any tools available for transfer of knowledge, and if he were alive today, he would be a big fan of blogging, Facebook and Twitter.  While social contructivism concentrates on deeper conceptual knowledge, the behaviorist approach places a focus on external and observable behaviors. The teacher distributes all of the knowledge, and then rewards the student for correct observed behavior. Many activities we do today are influenced by this philosophy, for example, the benchmark tests our students take each six weeks are formative assessments carried out to test if the intervention (instruction) has been effective. Another behaviorist method we use on our elementary campus is our system of rewarding good behavior—students carry “punch-cards” with them from class to class, and teachers give hole-punches for good behavior.

A behaviorist method of teaching is less likely to acknowledge the importance of relevancy in solving problems, and more interested in monitoring progress and reinforcing correct behavior to achieve established learning goals. This method also requires students to master content before applying their knowledge to a problem; on the contrary, constructivist models of problem-solving assume students will achieve mastery of content in the process. Chapter 7 mentions two kinds of problems: well-structured and ill-structured problems.  Word problems are well-structured problems that may or may not have relevance to students and are still predominant in standardized testing today. As a consequence, problems that have no relevancy provide little motivation for students. Reiser states “the industrial-age paradigm systematically destroys self-motivation by removing all self-direction and giving students boring work that is not relevant to their lives” (p.79). Ill-structured problems, on the other hand, would be more suited to a constructivist approach because they resemble problems in the “real world” such as decision making, troubleshooting and policy problems. Problem-based learning, which is grounded in the constructivist theory, supports meaningful connections, thus providing a degree of motivation to students.



I think, therefore I am...dangerous!

This week’s reading was somewhat of a cognitive over-load, if you will, and my brain is still trying to free up some short-term memory space:) Nonetheless, it has implications for those of us who are involved in education, and that is the fact that “what is knowledge?” has been researched, tested, studied and applied by many individuals through Earth’s history and we would be careless not to learn from the individuals who came before us.

Section I-Defining the Field

According to Chapter 1, the definition of Instructional Design and Technology has changed through the years.  My definition has changed as well, and before reading this chapter, I would have said that “educational or instructional technology was any media used to facilitate learning in the classroom.”  My definition was shaped by my experiences as an art teacher, and I probably never gave one thought to the design aspect of educational technology. In reality I used technology in my instruction everyday with no thought of any systematic process.  I recently read a paper that suggested we often make the mistake of focusing on the technology first, and then design ways to use it within our lessons.  The reverse should be true, and that is to consider learning goals first, and then decide if and when the technology can enhance instruction.  After reading the chapter, my definition has shifted from focusing on the media and instructional delivery, to focusing on the end product, namely student performance.  The newest definition is the most relative to today’s educational environment, stating that “the goal of the field is to improve (or facilitate) learning and performance” (p.6).  I understood this to mean that although technology makes tasks and activities easier and more engaging, the ultimate goal of instructional design and technology should be to help students achieve learning goals.  By researching and reading the materials this semester, I hope to achieve a better understanding of instructional design and technology so that I may improve my own teaching practice.

I taught an art lesson about the Fibonacci sequence and the Golden Ratio.  At the beginning of the lesson I gave the students a historical background on the phenomena and showed them examples of artists’ works that were inspired by these sequences and patterns.  I also showed them many examples of the Fibonacci sequence and how it appeared in nature, such as the Nautilus shell or flower petals. I then required the students to search for samples of these patterns in nature and art and then design a presentation that included their findings as well as personal sketches that incorporated Fibonacci’s sequence. 

My lesson included aspects of Instructional Design characteristics 1, 2, 3 and 4—it was mostly student centered (except for my introduction), was goal oriented, and included meaningful performance because it required them to apply the knowledge they attained. I also evaluated their performance by completing a rubric that assessed each step of the project.  I believe I fell short in the last two characteristics—data collection (comparing what they know/don’t know) and team effort.  Many students enjoyed the project, but became frustrated when attempting to create Fibonacci-inspired designs.  If I had been more careful to listen and require student feedback earlier in the project, the lesson could have been more successful.  I also failed at team effort because the lesson could have been enhanced by a math teacher’s expertise in helping students with the mathematical aspects of the lesson to strengthen the relationships between math and art.

 I see Reiser’s reasoning for excluding teachers, textbooks and chalkboards because these three methods of instruction are not the “physical means” of instructional delivery and are what he states are the most prevalent method used in our educational system. I also agree with the Reiser & Gagne definition that instructional media is any physical means in which instruction is presented to learners. Students can attain knowledge in any number of ways including instructor to learner, media to learner and learner to learner.  A teacher is by definition, a form of instructional media, but serves a purpose in the learner-centered classroom that goes beyond this definition, and that is the role of “facilitator” of learning. The chalkboard and textbook here appear to be representations for all other media, including e-books, projectors and tablets, so I believe they should be included in the definition of instructional media.

The chapter gives an account of the history of instructional media and instructional design separately, but I don’t believe that the sole purpose of ID is to incorporate media, rather to improve overall performance, with or without media.  On the flip side, Reiser states that there is an “obvious overlapping between these two areas,” and that “many instructional solutions arrived at through the use of ID processes require the employment of …instructional media” (p. 27).  Consequently, ID&T as a field is the combination of two closely linked practices and it has become more appropriate to use the term instructional design AND technology.