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Instructional Design

usability testing_edited.jpg

 Reflection

Instructional design in the online environment has proven to be a very substantial course for me in bringing understanding to not only how I put a course together but using structure, strategy, and tools, to support students in a way that makes the best sense to meet the outcome-based competencies that I am trying to assess.  I have always appreciated the structure of the courses in the ADL program and the way they are set up. It wasn't until I started this program that I believed I could be an online student. It was the first time that I didn't have a lecture that I had to rely on for learning. I wasn't sure I would even be able to do it at all. Little did I know, the way the courses were designed were perfect for a learner like me.  Specifically, for online learning, instructional design is so important because it promotes active learning, improves student engagement and retention, considers the very diverse needs of students, ensures clear learning objectives and assessments, improves usability and accessibility, leverages technology for optimal learning, incorporates feedback and continuous improvement, and last but certainly not least, it reduces cognitive load. By focusing on these aspects, instructional design ensures that online courses are not only informative but also engaging, accessible, and effective in meeting educational goals. My charge this semester was to create a course that used these instructional design techniques. It is a daunting process if you are considering all the elements from the beginning. I believe the collaboration with the learning community made that task much more manageable. 

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I used backward design to create the course. Backward design is an excellent model for instructional design in online courses because it focuses on the desired learning outcomes from the start, ensuring that all course components are purposefully aligned to achieve those outcomes (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005). Backward design focuses on learning outcomes first then you align your assessment and activities based on those desired outcomes. We want to intentional create an efficient design to create meaningful learning experiences that promote active learning that will motivate the student to take ownership of the learning. We aim to create coherence across the course so that it is intuitive for the student and not disjointed. We can easily incorporate various technologies, formats, and tools in the online environment. We can also use both formative and summative assessment. The type of assessment you intend to use is a very important element in choosing outcomes. 

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We started the course with our outline of how many modules, how we would present the course as synchronous or asynchronous and if it would be student-centered or teacher led.  My course is intended for other radiography educators in the program. I am creating a blended-learning course that will teach my fellow educators about how useful blended-learning can be for today's student. I want to create courses that give the students at opportunity to have ubiquitous access to content and significant learning experiences. I created a 3-Column Table using Fink's principles of significant learning.  I have discussed that process in the first video.​

 

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Anchor 1

Fink (2013) identifies six dimensions of significant learning: 

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  • Foundational Knowledge: Understanding key concepts and information.

  • Application: Developing skills, problem-solving, and critical thinking.

  • Integration: Connecting ideas across disciplines or experiences.

  • Human Dimension: Understanding oneself and others.

  • Caring: Developing new interests, values, or feelings.

  • Learning How to Learn: Becoming a better self-directed learner.

The next part of course development was determining what specific activities and resources to use to meet those outcomes we had determined along with building out the course in a very structured way so it is cohesive and intuitive for the learner. We wanted to determine what type of LMS to use. In my case, that was Google Classroom which was the simplest for me as the representative of the technology impaired learners. The big objective was setting up the course with the Overview/Introduction/Start Here Module in such a way that the outcomes were defined and the learner understood the goals and objectives of the course and how to maneuver within the course and get technical support if needed. This was also the part of the process that we determined how we would use media and/or digital tools to enhance the learning. I discussed that process in the implementation video and used many resources and references for building out the course. 

The most exciting part of this course was doing the usability testing which I discuss below and having my peers and administrators look at the course design and getting feedback/feedforward for improvement. It was a long process but the end goal was a course that I am proud of creating. If I meet my ultimate goal of converting my fellow educators to blended learning and creating more engaging and accessible courses for our students then I will truly consider myself accomplished. 

Usability Testing

Usability Testing

The usability testing was conducted by 5 different users. The Program Director, the Board Chair for Imaging Services and 3 radiography faculty. Two of the faculty are technology savvy and willing to use digital tools in their courses. The third faculty is technology resistant. All use some form of traditional learning in their coursework and at least one uses no digital tools beyond the LMS. I have an immense amount of support from the administrators in my program and this served me well for the usability testing.  The course was designed within Google Classroom which was proven very easy to manage and I believe made the course very easy to follow. It is very intuitive. I made improvements based on the testing and added several additional elements such as the introduction video, additional learning activities and a large section of resources for the learners to continue their learning.  I believe all elements regarding infrastructure, support needs, and issues the learner may face were adequately addressed within the course. The learners will be matched in a mentor/mentee situation between educators that are technology savvy and the the more resistant to technology educators. Technical support will be available along with myself as the facilitator and coach. 

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The biggest takeaways from the usability testing was that the "technology resistant" users needed a better hook. The think the introduction video served this purpose. Also, even the users that were already on board, had great input on additional activities/opportunities to align with assessment. They also were enthusiastic about additional resources so that they could continue their own journey of adding blended learning, digital tools, and other collaboration activities for the students. I will now use this type of testing every time I update/upgrade my course because others do recognize areas for improvement that you can no longer see because you are working within it too closely. 

References

 

Fink, L. D. (2013). Creating significant learning experiences: An integrated approach to designing college                       courses (Revised and updated edition). Jossey-Bass.

Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design (Expanded 2nd ed.). Association for Supervision               and Curriculum Development (ASCD).

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