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Week 6 - Activity 3: Blog Reflection What do you think about instructional design so far?

For week 6 we are to reflect about are thoughts on instructional design.  Instructional design has been more complicated than what I expected.  I have come across many challenges for the design project.  My biggest challenge has been understanding the client’s needs.  It has also been difficult scheduling our meetings as she is a very busy person and is traveling a lot this semester.  Another issue for me has been my reluctance at working with the design document.  I am so used to ‘just going for it’ and not having to do any documentation, therefore it has been a very big challenge for my brain to make the metal switch. 
One of my weaknesses is writing lesson’s goals and learning objectives.  I do not have a teaching background and I find this area so confusing.  I have read and watched videos on these subjects and while looking at the information it all makes sense, but when it comes to me writing my project goals and objectives, I get very confused and I would even say, disoriented. This is definitely an area I need to improve on because it doesn’t come naturally to me.  Clark (1991) mentions that instructional designer often fail to “link their work to the basic and applied research on learning from instruction” (p.7) and I think that might be the case with me and this project.
I think my strongest area is creating learning activities.  I enjoy creating content that students can use electronically.  I like the idea of changing static content to something that is more meaningful and useful for both the students and the instructor.  But I do have to admit, I have trouble connecting my learning activities with the objectives, it is a working progress. 
Piskurich (2011) describes the concept of rapid prototyping, which refers to “the development of only a portion of the training… (p. 298).”  It basically means to take only one portion of the training/material and develop it from analysis to evaluation.  It is a complete and finished area of the training that can help the client to get an idea of what the final product will look like and how it will work.  I feel like my project for this one client is basically a rapid prototype, as I am only working on her portion of the course.  It is difficult to describe this project because I only have access to a portion of an entire course.
References
Clark, R. E. (1994). Media and method. Educational Technology Research and Development, 42(3), 7-10. doi:10.1007/bf02298090

Piskurich, G. M. (2011). Rapid Instructional Design Learning ID Fast and Right. Somerset: Wiley.





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