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How Reflection Can Help Develop Empathetic Instructional Designers

Mar 29, 2019
3 min

How Reflection Can Help Develop Empathetic Instructional Designers

Recently, I became aware of the idea of empathy in instructional design. Upon further research, I saw that there seems to be a lot of discussion regarding this topic (especially from the past few years or so). For examples, check out the links below: 5 Steps Towards Empathetic Instructional Design In Online Training A Guide to Empathetic Design Empathy As Your Starting Point for Great eLearning Design Empathy Framework Overview So, what does empathy in instructional design

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Navigating the Instructional Design Terminology

Feb 22, 2019
3 min

Navigating the Instructional Design Terminology

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

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Online Teaching Tools: Camtasia

Feb 1, 2019
2 min

Online Teaching Tools: Camtasia

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

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Who is ready for 2019?

Jan 11, 2019
2 min

Who is ready for 2019?

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

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My Year in Review

Dec 27, 2018
2 min

My Year in Review

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

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When opportunity knocks, do you answer the door?

Dec 13, 2018
2 min

When opportunity knocks, do you answer the door?

There are numerous statements about opportunity, such as: Opportunity does not knock, it presents itself when you beat down the door. Opportunities are like sunrises. If you wait too long, you miss them Success is where preparation and opportunity meet. If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door. Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. However, have you ever just sat back and thought about missed opportunities? Have you thou

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ID2ID Professional Development - Synopsis 1

Nov 26, 2018
2 min

ID2ID Professional Development - Synopsis 1

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.

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Unplugging & Why It Is So Hard

Oct 19, 2018
3 min

Unplugging & Why It Is So Hard

Last week I was on vacation. I was so excited to finally have a break, unplug, and leave all of the drama of work and work-related issues behind. However, I found myself on my email a lot more than what I would have liked. As I think back, it didn't affect my vacation. I checked my email every morning before it was warm enough to go to the beach. While my vacay friends were reading books on the patio, I was checking my emails and working through problems each morning. I

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Making the Most out of Conferences

Sep 24, 2018
3 min

Making the Most out of Conferences

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

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It is not all rainbows and sunshine...

Aug 22, 2018
3 min

It is not all rainbows and sunshine...

Lately, I've been in a "creative rut" where I am just not motivated to do much of anything. It is not that I'm not getting work done or not working on projects - it mostly has to do with being passionate about what I'm working on. Below is a recent situation that I have been in and wanted to share with the group. One of the courses I was designing really had me amp'd up and excited about what I was designing. I had the storyboards. I had the course map all created and read

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Realm of Rubrics.

Jul 11, 2018
3 min

Realm of Rubrics.

When preparing to be an instructional designer, I considered all of the glorious elearning content, online courses, and training opportunities that I would be able to develop and implement. It was so exciting to think about all of these different areas and how I would be in a career where I am always able to learn and improve my skills as technology advances and improves. In these deep thoughts, I did not think about all of the little 'things' that I would need to focus on.

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Practice what you preach...

Jul 1, 2018
2 min

Practice what you preach...

As I write my blog posts, I try to think of new information to present on. What has happened recently that I want to talk about or share with the group? What have I learned this week? What experiences have I had that others would benefit from learning from? This post is going to focus on the last item - experiences I think I need to talk about - practicing what we preach. Often times, we as instructional designers are helping develop training or educational content to pre

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Consistency vs. Creativity

Jun 25, 2018
3 min

Consistency vs. Creativity

Over the past few months, there has been a lot of discussion between some of my faculty regarding the concept of being consistent in our online courses. The debate stems from a discussion rubric that is used in all of our courses. Over time each course and instructor has revamped their discussion rubric to include and align with specific course requirements. These revamps in the rubric has now caused some confusion among students as they progress through our program and di

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Finding middle ground...

May 29, 2018
3 min

Finding middle ground...

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

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Using Web Graphic Memes in Online Course Development

Jan 31, 2018
2 min

Using Web Graphic Memes in Online Course Development

As an instructor you look for variety in your teaching methods. The same is especially true when teaching an online course. However, learning new tools can sometimes be time-consuming and as we all know - online courses can move pretty quick! How do we keep our students engaged and connected to the content we are teaching in such a quick moving time frame? While there are many methods, research articles, and support groups out there to help online instructors with best pra

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Building Your Own Community

Jan 26, 2018
3 min

Building Your Own Community

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

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Goal Setting

Jan 18, 2018
2 min

Goal Setting

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

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Why Digital Badges are All the Craze

Jan 10, 2018
3 min

Why Digital Badges are All the Craze

There tends to be (as with any new trend) a mixed bag of reviews. Digital badges are the future. Digital badges are overrated. Digital badges are awesome. Digital badges are just okay. Digital Badges are... First, let's start with the basics. What is a digital badge? A few definitions of digital badges are listed below: "Open Badges communicate skills and achievements by providing a visual representation of your accomplishments packed with verifiable data and evidence" as

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Learning to say, "No."

Jan 5, 2018
2 min

Learning to say, "No."

Normally, each new year people get all excited about making New Year's Resolutions. You know, "New Year, New You!" This year, I have a different type of resolution - saying, "No." As I reflected on the 2017 year, I found myself taking on projects that necessarily did not help me grow as an instructional designer, improve my skillset, or even interest me. You may ask, "Then why did you agree to do these things?" Well my answer is simple... I have a problem saying no. Ther

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Learning from Self-Awareness

Dec 18, 2017
2 min

Learning from Self-Awareness

Recently, I've been on a Gary Vaynerchuck kick. If you don't know who he is - he is an entrepreneur and founder of a digital agency focused on marketing and media. On a more personal level, he is crude. He is to the point. He tells you how it is. I think this is one of the reasons he has really became so popular in today's population. I am pretty sure he is driving the train with all of the celebrities who now claim to be authentic and use social media to show fans how "re

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