EDCI 66000 – Learning Design and Technology Seminar
Artifact – EDCI 66000B – Career Pathway – Personal Reflection
- Develops a personal vision of inclusive educational practice
Taking my past experiences into consideration while contemplating how they apply in an educational setting helped to shape my perspectives towards instructional design. My personal reflection describes ways that technology can enable learning in cases where it would be ineffective without it. By reflecting on these descriptions I not only understood their meaning but also how pedagogies can adapt to accompany them. For instance, one video featured a lecture by Dr. Anne Ottenbreit-Leftwich who explained how knowing what technology should be used within the classroom can help form desired approaches of learning and applying them towards desired outcomes. In other words, if the objective is for learners to be more familiar with information delivery formats, lessons may include researching websites, viewing video lectures, podcasts, and other videos on YouTube. This reinforces by belief in the notion that whatever format is chosen it should always rely on student-centered instruction.
- Describes the relationship between Educational Technology and the broader field of Education
The artifact also illustrates how multiple disciplines in media and design can merge with techniques and methods to further education. For example, Erin Kenny of Tier 1 Performance Solutions, noted that her firm had a creative department including its own production studio. Therefore, my knowledge of video and audio production is still useful in curriculum design. Additionally, it represents a perspective of style and expertise that I can provide, saving a potential stakeholder some effort in seeking further outside assistance.
- Critically evaluates theory and practice
One thing that I firmly believe regardless of any advanced form of educational technology, is that it can never completely replace the need for human interaction. While in the artifact I describe several tools that can be used to supplement learning, the fundamental practice of human interaction remains. I also discuss how the experiences of Dr. Dana Ruggiero in the United Kingdom, suggest that these elements are universal. With the understanding that constant innovation occurs in all aspects of design, it’s important to also recognize that an instructional designer must strive to practice new techniques. If a stakeholder is motivated by the latest training solutions and techniques, a designer should be prepared to create and deliver based on these ideas. It is not enough to simply establish an awareness of techniques, but one must also be familiar with how they can be helpful to potential clients.