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 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 outside of their reporting unit, and create opportunities to learn about location and unit-specific instructional design roles. The program also provides an opportunity for participants to grow professionally by cultivating their professional network, broaden perspectives within the PSU Learning Design Community (PSULDC), and grow their expertise in the instructional design field."
As part of my final reflection, I was prompted to address the following questions.
What are some of the key challenges that you face in your work?
Personal - In my current position, I really struggle with working with faculty or other academics who want me to come up with these great ideas only to have them shut down. I work hard to identify issues and come up with new project ideas or new ways to present information to learners only to sometimes have these ideas or solutions kicked to the curb.
ID2ID - If I look directly at my ID2ID experience, I can honestly say that we haven't had too many challenges. We kicked it off right away and had similar goals for this program. My partner had set up a Google Drive account and we set goals for what we need to accomplish before our next meeting. I think if I had to determine a challenge that we could maybe work on - it would be more detailed communication? This is only because I think our friendship/partnership has not yet developed to where we could 'fight' regarding decisions. Honestly, I really think it is a stretch to say that.
How have you worked together to develop strategies to face those challenges?
Personal - I've found that by working in this program, I should possibly present the information in different formats. Currently, I use data to suggest my ideas or solutions. However, I've found that some individuals do not respond well to data. Therefore, I'm working to come up with new methods to help faculty understand why some of my suggestions should be [at least] explored or considered. Methods for doing this including exploring theories and trends and using these to support my suggestions.
ID2ID - Based on the above paragraph, I really think fixing the challenge I identified can only come with exposure and working together more closely. Right now we meet 1 hour twice a month (if not more). While we do a brief update on our personal lives, most of the time is focused on our goals. We have not yet had time to develop and understand each other on a deeper level. I believe the only solution for this is to communicate and work on more projects together.
Many of you may have chosen to focus on one or more of the ELI Key Issues. If so, briefly summarize and reflect upon your discussions of these key issues. Have your ideas evolved during your time with the ID2ID program?
While the focus of our year together has been spent specifically focused on Audio Feedback, I believe this stems from a few of the 2018 Key ELI Issues.
(3) Faculty Development
Our upcoming presentation is looking to address how Audio Feedback can help instructors with social presence in online courses. We are looking forward to the opportunity to share our research and hard work with online instructors at this virtual conference.
(8) Online and Blended Learning
In this key issue - you are looking on ways to treat online students the 'same' as those in F2F formats. By using Audio Feedback, online instructors can combine the idea of giving feedback by using their voice - much like they would in a F2F setting.
(9) Evaluation of Tech-Based Instructional Innovations
In the beginning of our journey - we identified and evaluated technologies out there to help give Audio Feedback in online settings. We looked at a number of factors (price, usability, storage, effectiveness, etc.). This evaluation led to resources that we can now share as part of our presentation.
(13) Working with Emerging Technology
Audio feedback while not 'new' is pretty small scale in terms of research. While it may be available in terms of tools, I feel like the use of these tools for educational purposes is still relatively new and unresearched.
Final Thoughts
As I look back, I'm really happy with how the program worked out for me. I was paired up with a great instructional designer and we've accomplished a lot in our time frame. We worked well together and I feel as if I learned a lot from her. Honestly, it was a great experience and I'd recommend to anyone who is on the fence or interested in the program. At times the amount of work did seem heavy - but with time management and working in pairs it was manageable and kept us accountable to our goals. I often speak of my experiences from this program and am looking forward to the things yet to come for us as a result of this program.