In my doctoral courses these past few weeks, I've learned a few things in regards to terminology. For example, some common phrases that I'm used to saying are now considered 'wrong' or incorrect by academics in my field. I wanted to take this week's blog to focus on what I've learned and share with you all. Mostly a) to ensure my understanding is correct and b) to see if similar trends with these words are occurring in your environments. Student: A growing trend is to get

Last week, you may have noticed I didn't write a blog up. Welp, that was because a majority of my spare time was prepping for a virtual conference I was able to present at. As part of our ID2ID program, my partner Heather and I were selected to present on our work with Audio Feedback tools. I wanted to take a few moments to reflect on my presentation and how it went. First, I thought it was going to be a small conference (maybe 50 people in the whole attendance). The pres

Camtasia is one of the most user-friendly screen recorder and video editor that I have ever used. While it is not free – there is a free trial and a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. I know I was extremely impressed with the tool and have it as one of my most used tools in my ID toolkit. I use Camtasia at least once a week (if not more). Camtasia is so flexible for use in a wide-variety of environments. Let’s take a minute and discuss how it can be used. Online Learning: I u

I can't believe I'm at the endpoint of my ID2ID experience already! We are wrapping up the "course" but I'm looking forward to some projects and experiences that are after the actual end of the program. We may be 'officially' done at the end of this month but we have a presentation in the STAR Symposium virtual conference in the beginning of February. As described in a previous post, I was accepted into a professional development program for instructional designers through

Right before the new year, I posted some ideas for 2019 and what to look ahead to. You can visit my end of year wrap-up to learn more. As I look ahead, here's what you can look forward to from me and my blog this year: A monthly post on a new technology tool More posts exploring ID related theories and design A larger focus on a practitioners' point of view (application of research into practice) More research focused topics (more on that below) This spring semester, I have

During this time of year, we typically look ahead to our new resolutions and what one has accomplished over the past year. As I look back and reflect on my year - I'm really happy with what I've done. I'm even more excited about what there is to come. Looking Back I've learned a lot of tools over the past year such as Padlet, Poll Everywhere, EdPuzzle, and a lot of audio/visual feedback tools (more on those to come in 2019). I really explored the use of different methods a

As part of the ID2ID Experience I am taking part in this year, we (my buddy and myself) are asked to attend or participate in two professional development opportunities. To learn about our first professional development, please feel free to read my blog ID2ID Professional Development - Synopsis 1. As a reminder, we decided to write up a literature review on our topic of Audio Feedback. Once our resources were gathered, we were having difficulty learning how to structure and

EDPuzzle is an easy-to-use video platform that helps instructors boost student learning through video lessons. It collects learner data and can be used in a variety of learning environments. EDPuzzle allows for instructors or learners to create customized videos specific to a particular topic. For example, if there is an important video you would like for your learners to watch, an instructor can create an EDPuzzle video that tracks who watched the video and set up quizzes

As part of the ID2ID experience I am taking part in this year, we (my buddy and myself) were asked to attend or participate in two professional development opportunities. We decided to write up a literature review on our topic of Audio Feedback. As such, we quickly realized we were having difficulty trying to find current research out in the field. We decided as a team that we wanted to reach out to our respective librarians to determine the best ways to collect research.

Every now and then, I end up in a conversation with a faculty member, co-worker, or employee about what I consider the age-old debate: Should instructional designers learn tools or theories? While I find it important to know both - eventually - initially, the theory should come first. At least that is my thought process and I wanted to blog today about why. This week, I had a student come to ask advice on interviewing as he has a job interview in the field of ID. As this i

I can't believe I'm at the midpoint of my ID2ID experience already! At this point in the process, I wanted to take a minute to reflect on my experiences thus far and identify what my partner and I are doing well and what we need to work on as we move forward. As described in a previous post, I was accepted into a professional development program for instructional designers through Penn State University - the ID2ID Program. According to their website: "The ID2ID program provi

As many people do, I'll be attending a conference soon. In instructional design or really any field, conferences can be a nice place to share your research, your work, or learn from your peers, and build your professional network. However, if your new to attending conferences or just need to revamp the way you view conferences, this post is here to help you! Session Selection & Reflection Your first conference can be a bit overwhelming. There are so many different topics a

In late June, I was informed that I was accepted into a professional development program for instructional designers through Penn State University - the ID2ID Program. According to their website, "The ID2ID program provides a structure for instructional designers to share their areas of expertise with one another and allows them to focus on improving areas where they are less knowledgeable. The program is designed to increase communication among instructional designers outsid

Lately, I've been working on a few course developments and a full program evaluation. What I have started to notice was the trend or reuse of assignments across different courses. I've realized that many instructors find a teaching assignment or teaching style that works for them and then they try to make that style or assignment work for all online courses. While if tweaked properly this may be effective, it could also affect the students in a number of ways. 1) Not all

Recently, I had some major changes outside of my ID world. With any change, comes some sort of anxiety (at least for me). However, in reflecting on these changes I've realized how important the role of compromise is. While you may know what is best for you, depending on your situation it may not be what's best for the bigger group. In order to meet the needs of everyone, you may need to find some middle ground. While in the past, I've discussed the best way to reach out t

It is unfortunate that I feel I need to write this down and blog about it - but honestly, I think it needs to be said. Awards in Higher Education are an interesting beast... When I was younger (middle school, high school, and even college), awards were given to those who earned them and normally were nominated by a peer, mentor, instructor or other individual who saw something in you that needed to be highlighted. Getting an award is a great feeling. Your accomplishments h

I have been working on a blog post about the role of rubrics but have not finalized it yet to share with you all. Therefore, I apologize for not posting weekly as promised. However, I want to make sure what I put out for others to use is not only beneficial and makes sense for those who are new to using rubrics. Until that post is ready... let's talk about engaging in the bigger ID conversation! Sometimes we get caught up in the ID world we are involved in (higher education

I recently started research on Community of Inquiry. The Community of Inquiry (CoI) is an instructional design model focused on creating an educational experience based on social, cognitive, and teaching presence. While reading on the CoI model and framework - it made me think about my own community. As an instructional designer it is not only important to build, develop, and keep up on trends in the field but also build your own support system or community. However, how do

As an instructor, instructional designer, coach, consultant, etc. you may hear about setting effective goals. While we normally do this in the context of our learners, are we doing this for ourselves? While some individuals may be highly motivated to complete tasks on their own, others may need additional support or incentives to set and meet their own personal goals. I think we have all heard about setting goals that are SMART: S: Specific M: Measurable A: Attainable R: Rel