EDUC 766 Instructional Strategies and Assessment methods Reflection Paper

Introduction

In the last year my employer has been in the process of developing a new learning management system. With this new learning management system, there has been a need to develop new training programs. To fulfill this need, my employer has purchased software to help with the development of new training. While in the process of developing training, I have realized that I needed a better process for developing training. During my search for help, I have found that there were a couple different avenues I could take. One was to review my course from my master’s degree. There was another that offered me a certificate in instructional design. I made the decision to take the course that would offer me the certificate in instructional design. This decision has led me to the Instructional Strategies and Assessment Management course. During this eight week course, there have been many new items that I have found, I was able to add many new items to my toolbox. While the master’s program course did teach me many things, I've been able to go much further in depth during my time in this class. 

Reflection

During my time working through the class activities in the Instructional Strategies and Assessment Methods course, I found myself in some familiar areas of learning development. While these areas were familiar, they were not always the same as before. I started with the learning objectives and how I would be able to have these met by my learners. I found that there were some things that I have never before considered. For example, the types of activities that can be used for learning development were different from what I would have initially thought. I had never before looked at activities as absorb, do, and connect type of activities (Horton, 2012). I just thought of them as activities. The other area that was never in my mind was universal design for learning. The main reason for this is that I work as a trainer in the manufacturing world. For the most part, my learners need to be able to read and write English, and they need to be able to use their hands. Because of this I have not had to spend a lot of time looking at the design to see if it is ready for all (Gorman, 2012). These are just two of the activities that were completed during the course work, but each activity taught me something that I would be able to use in my learning development.

From the beginning of the course, I was getting new information that I could use in the future. I was sure that this course would be something that would help me in my employment activities. I did not think it would be something that I would use almost every day. First, we went through alignment and if the activities were properly aligned to our objectives. I needed to make sure that my assessments aligned as well (Horton, 2012). 

From alignment, we then moved to our activities. I believed I was ready to develop my activities,  but I was not. I learned about absorb, do, and connect type activities, and how a designer needs to have them all for effective learning (Horton, 2012). I realized that I have been using all of these different types of activities, but I never felt that it was necessary to involve them all at once. I see how by using just and absorb activity in a course that it would lead to the possibility of the learner not being able to transfer their learning. That is where the do and connect type activities come in. This was all to be done using universal design in learning principles (UDL).

The UDL principles have been in development for a period of time, and I have unconsciously used these in learning development. Going through the online module, Postsecondary Education and Universal Design for Learning made me think of what I needed to do in the manufacturing industry in developing learning. I have never really considered these principles up to this point. As an example the trainer can have a learner complete a quiz or text verbally or by using examples of their work as proof of competency. But, because in my work the learners are required to be able to read and write English, see, and use their hands to perform their job tasks, some of the principles had never been on my radar. This has helped me think outside the box for future development.

This was the second of four classes in the Learning Design Graduate Certification course work. This class has helped in my personal development as well as my professional development. I have had the privilege of working with many others who are working to receive the certificate, as well as the two instructors who have allowed me to find the areas I need for growth and have helped me achieve that growth. 

References

Horton, W. K. (2012). E-learning by design (2nd ed.). Pfeiffer a Wiley Imprint. 

Gorman, M. (2012). Postsecondary Education and Universal Design for Learning online module. Transition Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities into Higher Education (TPSID) grant awarded to the Florida Consortium on Postsecondary Education and Intellectual Disabilities from the U. S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education from 2010 - 2015. (#CFDA 84.407A, P407A100034). Available online at: http://www.flconsortiumudl.net