Week 4

1. Chapters in Section V identify trends and issues in IDT in various contexts: business & industry; military; health care education; P-12 education; and post-secondary education. Select at least 3 of these 5 contexts and compare/contrast the IDT trends and issues. Then explain how they are similar or different from the IDT trends and issues in the context in which you work.

Military

Trends 

*International Responsibilities of a national or multinational military force 

Countries use products and training in countries all over the world. For example, many US allies purchase weaponry and training from the United States. International partnerships are a must. There are cultural diversities among the clients and gaining and learning solutions need to accommodate different audiences. 

*New technologies

New technology is a wonderful thing until it gets into the hands of a country's adversary. Using secure networked and limiting the number of applications are ways in which the military tires to prevent illegal access to it's technology. Designers have to learn to work around any change to the training or instruction of a product due to the security solutions. 

Issues:

*Funding - How to stay within budget and still provide the training and technology to every member of the military.

*Technological Range - the problem here is that the range of equipment may be a calculator to a sophisticated simulation for a fighter pilot on a large scale. The designers must adapt to a variety of requirements. 

*Delivery Environment- Instructional designers must recognize that training takes place in the classroom, in garrison, in base and shipboard environments and wherever military members are deployed, sometimes even in combat. Training in all of those scenarios means training products must be made for all environments. 

*Design Constraints -Unlike major corporations that have training departments, the military uses subject-matter experts and provides them with instructional materials. Instructional designers must create materials that explain the lesson plans step by step and incorporate learning theory as well. Materials changes at least every three years. 

*People- recruiting good people and retaining highly trained and skilled service members. 

*Alternative Training Solutions -Designers must keep in mind that instruction that adheres to culturally based considerations increases the likelihood that those learners will succeed. Allowing individual learners to select learning options allows for the learner control. 

P-12

Trends:

System - involves large scale projects 

Product - smaller scale projects more prescriptive to certain issues

Classroom - encompasses the instructor, students, and environment

Issues:

No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 - strongly influence decent technology practices in the US.

*Students must have computer literacy to take part in technology learning

*Student use of technology at low-level takes limit overall impact on student learning

*Teachers myst buy in to the system and use it with fidelity

*Availability and access to computers and resources  - it is not the same across the country

*Technical, administrative and peer support - teachers lack the support from administrators and peers.

*Teachers' beliefs and attitudes toward technology differ across classrooms.

*Teachers' technological and content knowledge differ across classrooms.

Business and Industry

Trends:

*Since the 1980s there has been a steady growth of employee training in business settings.

*Many changes in the training industry and the need for better, faster, cheaper results. Instructional designers must respond to these trends and challenges.

Issues:

*The field today is associated with more than producing instruction. It now analyzes human performance problems, identifies root courses of those problems, considers solutions and address the problems and implements an appropriate solution. 

*There are three broad categories that an instructional designer may take in the corporate setting. 1) sole designer 2) team member of a design ten 3) external designer. All three require very different training and job descriptions.

*The three broad categories must communicate to make an effective instructional design.

I feel that the I can strongly relate to the issues of the P-12 ID. Students understanding of computers and literacy of technology varies greatly in a classroom. It is hard to meet the needs of each learner.  I also know that many times you do not have the support of the administration or technical support that you need in the classroom. I read in the response section tonight about one of our own class members who does not have adequate support through staff development to implement new technology in her classroom. I do not know what the solution to that is because I feel like the common core - making all learning equal across the country is NOT the right way to go, so making technology equal across the country will hold students back also. It is a tricky situation.  I also related to the need for better, faster, and cheaper results from the business field. I feel like we are always trying to find the best way to reach students within our small budgets. My favorite thing I read in the military section was how allowing learners to select how they learn increased their understanding of the material. I think this is what our schools are lacking right now. We have lost the differentiation of our classrooms, and the learners are not being considered. 

2. Chapters in Section VI discuss global trends and issues in IDT. As the world’s population grows exponentially, we face unprecedented challenges that have implications for learning. How and can we prepare our youth to address the problems of living in a world with 9 billion people when the earth’s resources cannot sustain that many? Does our current education system, curriculum, and instructional practices help learners foster the complex problem-solving skills necessary to tackle these issues? Are there methods and practices used in European and Asian countries that we should use here in the US? Why or why not? 

Honestly, the number 9 billion scares me! How can we prepare our youth to address the problems of living in a world where earth's resources cannot sustain that many... that question frightens me too. Especially because I have a 1 year old. 

We must change our thinking from those that have and those that don't and think of the benefit for all rather than something being done by the rich for the poor.  We must start listening to what the actual problems are. We must also embrace opportunities for creative collaboration, and respect complexity of a problem.

 I think we need to start our students with their ability to creatively problem solve at a younger age. I think our colleges are doing a great job of producing students who think outside the box and provide great problem solving ideas. However, I feel like our K-12 students are being held back by the laws that keep standardized testing in place. I think they cause the exact opposite effect of creating problem solvers!

I don't think that our instructional practices help learners foster complex problem-solving skills necessary to tackle these issues. In fact, I think that we are raising a more ego centric population right now instead of an awareness of the world and problems around them. 

IDT is recognized as an integral part of educational process in Japan and Korea. This has accelerated the IDT principles in education and training in both countries. I think that our focus needs to be applied more strongly in technology. We are using technology at lower levels than our Asian counterparts. They are using technology for everyone, we are putting kids in technology magnets and only giving our technology funds to certain schools. I think a wider distribution and expectation needs to be set for us to live up to the Asian system. However, I believe we have parts of our education system that they lack. We have such a diverse learning environment. I think a combination of both systems is the best case scenario.  

Week 3

• Chapters in Section III discuss evaluation in instructional design and provide you with three evaluation models: CIPP, Five-Domain, and Kirkpatrick’s Training Evaluation model. Search for at least two other models used for evaluation and summarize these models. Describe how you would use them to evaluate your instruction.

According to the textbook, Evaluation is the process of determining that merit, worth, and value of things, and evaluations are the products of that process. 

Brinkerhoff's Success Case Method is focused on finding what about a training for other organizational intervention worked. Questions that can be answered in the SCM are; what information, strategies, skills, worked when, how, with whom and where, what successful results were achieved, what good did it do, what factors helped produce the successful result, and what additional suggestions are there for improvement.  The focus of Brinkerhoff's Success Case Method is on locating and understanding program success so that success can become more widespread.The Success Case Method follows five steps: 

1) Focus and plan the study

2) Construct a visual impact model - listing the outcomes that are hoped for or are expected to result from this study

3) Conduct a survey research study to identify the best and worst cases. 

4) Conduct in-depth interviews with multiple success cases. The purpose of this step is to gain detailed information to document.

5) Write up and communicate the findings of the evaluation. 

This evaluation theory reminded me of several things. First of all, every class I have ever taken in college had a course evaluation. Most of the questions are to gather information about what is working in the class. Second of all, it reminded me of going to retailers and restaurants now days and getting a receipt with a survey code on it wanting your feedback. They are asking for what is working and what is not. I always delight in taking those surveys to report both my happiness or my displeasure with the organization. I would use this evaluation method to make a Survey Monkey or a fun feedback form for my students after doing projects. I think we are too often focused on the grade students make and not the student's opinion of the project or what they actually gained from it. I think this again gives the students freedom to express themselves and gives them choice in what they want to do for projects to come. The more the students feel they are involved in their learning process the more they value it and the better the work products will be. 

Patton's Utilization-Focused Evaluation (U-FE)

The U-FE is done for and with specific intended users for specific intended uses. Patton stressed the importance that evaluation findings are used, rather than filed away. The evaluator's goal is to stay with the program from beginning to end and make sure that the evaluation results continue to be used after the evaluator leaves. The thought behind U-FE is that an evaluation done but not used is of little use to the business/organization. The U-FE has 9 major steps

1)Conduct a Readiness assessment to see if the people involved are ready and able to commit to the U-FE

2) Identify the primary intend uses and develop working relationships with them.

3) Conduct a situational analysis - identify what problems or supports you will encounter.

4) Identify the primary intended users for when the evaluator is finished and has left

5) Focus the evaluation - what is the high priority for the organization?

6) Design the evaluation so that it is feasible and will produce results that can have action taken 

7)Collect, analyze, and interpret the evaluation data 

8) Continually facilitate evaluation use - show how to use the evaluation during the evaluation period and not just after.

9) Conduct a metaevaluation (an evaluation of the evaluation) The evaluation is only successful if the findings are used effectively.

In my class instruction I would use the U-FE method to "take the class' temperature" during a project. How are we doing? What is working? What can we change to get better results? I think that doing this will clear up many problems seen at the end of projects or any misunderstandings students have. It again gives the students voice and the ability to take control of their learning. I think the results of a project with this kind of evaluation would be much better than one where it is assigned and then an evaluation is done after. I think facilitating the evaluation during the project would be more beneficial to me as a teacher, and as a student. 

• Reflect on what other questions that instructional design evaluation should address besides whether the instructional design leads to comparable amounts of learning and learner satisfaction as traditional methods. 

I think that instructional design evaluation could address other ideas students have that may help their satisfaction as a learner. An open response part of an evaluation that may ask what other ways would you like to learn this subject matter or what other ideas do you have for projects about this topic? I think that teachers may be able to tap into students' interests through that type of question.  

*Should return on investment and management of resources also be considered in evaluations of instructional programs? What other measures should/could be considered? 

I think if you spend a lot of time on a project that does not help your students become a master of the subject or help them in other grade levels or, dare I say it, a state test, then you are not getting a return on investment. I helped a new teacher this year who insisted on spending a lot of time making foldables, but the students were not getting the information that they needed to get to pass the grade level state exam and so it was wasted effort. I tried to explain that to her, but she did not take kindly to my suggestions. I just feel like you have to have bang for your buck. If you are spinning wheels on projects that are not helping your students grow, then you are not benefiting them in the long run.                                                                     

• Section IV focuses on human performance, performance support systems, knowledge management systems, and the concept of informal learning. Not all problems in learning and/or performance require an instructional one. Many times a non-instructional approach is a more appropriate solution. Identify a performance problem in your area of work and identify non-instructional solutions that may help solve the problem. Would better performance support systems, knowledge management systems, or opportunities for informal learning solve the problem?

Performance Improvement- I think the biggest problem I have right now in my area of work with special education students is shifting the responsibility to the learner. I work with learning disabled students. They are very used to and comfortable with being told what to do and how to do it than thinking for themselves. This has been a big problem since we switched from TAKS to STAAR. With TAKS there were simple ways to solve questions. If it was a summary question, you looked for the answer choice with the BME - beginning, middle, and end. When STAAR came around they asked questions with summary of certain paragraphs and using paraphrased language, this threw off our students who were looking for the quick TAKS fix. In elementary school we are very used to helping students in need. Special ed students NEED our help! However, they will never spread their wings if they are not allowed to have the responsibility of their learning shifted to them. 

Week 2 Post

1. Epistemology (the study of what and how we come to know) is discussed in multiple chapters in this section. Distinguish epistemology from instructional methods or theories. What are the differences between theories, methods, or models of learning and epistemologies or underlying beliefs about ways of knowing?

I want to start off this blog with a disclaimer that I have always been very intimidated by philosophy. I took  a philosophy class in my undergrad classes that made me feel like I had never had a decent thought in my whole life. So, with that in mind, please forgive my weak understanding of this content!!! 

Epistemology is the study of knowledge and how we come to know. Several theories and methods were discussed, but I don't think there is one size fits all for this large branch of philosophy. I tried to picture myself and my views for each of the theories and I don't know that I fit best in one category, I think this comes from the fact that a lot of elementary school teachers are trained to help learners in all different learning styles and use whatever it takes to help their students grasp content. 

2. Chapters in this section discuss three contrasting epistemic stances: positivist, relativist, and contextualist (or hermeneutical). Positivists believe that the only truth or knowledge is objective truth. Relativists don’t believe that objective truth is possible and that all knowledge is subjective to perception or relative to a particular frame of reference. Contextualists believe that truth or knowledge is relative to context rather than individual, subjective understanding. While designers and educators with a positivist stance generally apply behaviorist principles to the design and development of instruction, those with either a contextualist or relativist epistemological framework employ constructivist theories and methods. Reflect on whether your stance is primarily positivist, relativist, or contextualist. Then, identify an instance when your perspective or stance as a learner conflicted with that of your instructor. Describe the conflict that you experienced and analyze whether opposing epistemic stances may have been at the heart of the conflict.

The three contrasting epsitemic stances are positivists, relativists, and contextuatlists. Positivists believe that the only truth or knowledge is objective truth.Relativists don’t believe that objective truth is possible and that all knowledge is subjective to perception or relative to a particular frame of reference. Contextualists believe that truth or knowledge is relative to context rather than individual, subjective understanding. I believe that I fit somewhere between contextualists and relativists. I think that something I see every day in the schools is that students are not able to put meaning behind learning because they have no frame of reference to what it means. A lot of my students are not taken places or given life experiences that are pertinent to learning, especially reading.  As a reader you have to visualize and read between lines of what the author is saying. I remember a time in one of my classes when I first began to teach. We were reading a story about that had to do with baseball and the question after the passage was about an inning and a little girl I was helping was so upset because she had no idea what an inning was. She didn't have a frame of reference. I think I also relate to the contextualists because I think I like to examine why someone took something and made that analysis with it, what was the context of their learning?  I like to think I am not very closely associated with the positivist, though I did have to sit in an ARD meeting (special ed meeting) this year and be very frank with a set of parents about their child's diagnosis and what that means for them in the future. In my job I have to be very data driven and the diagnostician's tests are what I have to go by. Even though the parents didn't see their child as having severe cognitive disabilities I had to explain that the truth was that he will always be somewhat behind. I hated myself that day. :(

3. Differing epistemic stances lead to differing approaches to learning and instruction, and ultimately to problem-solving. Explain differences in problem-solving when approached from behaviorist and constructivist perspectives. How do the approaches differ in both the nature of the problem to be solved and in facilitating the problem solving process? Finally, what effect might these differences have on learner motivation?

Behaviorists believe in a measurable result. They want to see if a behavior shows learning. Constructivists believe that the learner receives information and learning through their environment. Behaviorists believe learning is made and will stick if there is something positive that comes with it. Constructivists believe that the learner has to take on the meaning of the learning to learn. Learner motivation may be impacted by how the learner is affected by the environment or the positivity of their learning. 

Chapters 1-3 Responses

1. How do the definitions in the first chapter compare to your own definition of instructional or educational technology?  What experiences or other influences have shaped your definition? How has your definition changed from examining the definitions in the first chapter of this book?

The fact that the definition for instructional or educational technology has changed so much over time is fitting with how much technology has changed over time. In the latest definition, the word that stood out the most for me was facilitate. I think that is the thing that many people miss about technology. Some people think that the technology itself is the teacher, some don't use it to back up any of the learning taught in class (used more for games or free time), but the teachers are the teachers and the technology is there to facilitate, make the learning deeper, make it more understandable, more life like, and relatable. It is there to help the teacher and the student. 

In my own experience technology facilitators in my district swoop in and build around my lessons. They ask many questions, they look at my goals and they help me build a lesson with technology that will reinforce the student's learning. They are truly facilitating. 

My own definition for instructional technology has become much stronger after reading this chapter. I definitely thought of this field as having their own unique objectives.  As a teacher I know that people define my job as much smaller than what I really do. I think I was doing the same for educational technology after reading this chapter!

2. Next, think of a lesson or unit of instruction that you have developed. Or if you haven’t ever taught or developed instruction, think of one that you have received. How does that lesson adhere or fail to adhere to the six characteristics of instructional design? How would you redesign it to better adhere to the six characteristics.

You know, I'm good at making a fun flip chart or power point for kids to learn from, but you know reading this chapter made me realize that sometimes those aren't always student centered. I think that in the beginning of the year I spend a lot of time telling and teaching and then by the middle of the year I am more comfortable letting the reigns loose. I think a good goal for myself would to be making every lesson more student centered and letting them be more responsible for their learning earlier on. In particular I have a go-to inference flip chart. I put pictures on the screen and have the kids tell me what has happened before or what is happening in that picture and why they think that based on evidence from the picture. A better way to get the students involved would be to let them see one or two of my examples and send them out to find a pictures on the internet that they can do the same thing with and have them make their own flip charts. 

3. In the 3^rd chapter, Reiser distinguishes instructional media from instructional design, excluding teachers, chalkboards, and textbooks from the definition of instructional media. Why? Would you consider teachers, chalkboards, and textbooks instructional media? Is the purpose of instructional design to incorporate media into instruction?

Teachers, chalkboards, and textbooks... 2 of those words are becoming relics of the past. Teachers, however, can be the key to instructional media. Many new ideas in technology have come and gone, but the teachers are the mainstay.

Instructional design's purpose is to let media into instruction. Like the chapter says there is always a great deal of optimism about new technology entering the classroom.  The purpose of the instructional design is to let these new ideas into the classroom.  

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Welcome to my ETEC 561 blog. I am excited about this semester. I hope to learn a lot and have fun doing it!