Section 7: New Directions in IDT

1. Section VIII addresses new directions and emerging technologies for IDT. Select three of the following and reflect on how you might apply them in your current or future position in the IDT field:

•    distributed or e-learning environments

•    reusable design or learning objects

•    networks or Web 2.0 technologies

•    rich media

•    digital games or simulations

•    virtual worlds

What learning goals or objectives could the technologies you selected help learners foster? Could the technology facilitate attainment of that learning goal better than traditional instruction? Why or why not?

The three emerging technologies I would choose would be distributed or e-learning environments, reusable design or learning objects, and networked or Web 2.0 technologies.  The reason I selected these technologies to help foster learning and facilitate attainment of learning that would be better than traditional learning is related to these key impressions I have, having been exposed to them.   Distributed or e-learning environments can give the learner a more diverse exposure to relevant information.  The traditional rigidity of the classroom environment, where the only conveyance of the lesson to be learned is a textbook and a white board, to me is very limiting.  There is so much more of the world that should be experienced and learned that what is provided in a textbook.  My travels around the world have afforded me the opportunity to develop a greater understanding of many diverse cultures.  The education I received from my travels is not something that is available to everyone.  However, by using distributed and e-learning environments, learners are not only exposed to the lesson in the textbook, that lesson can be supplemented with additional information that is available from other sources from around the world.  An example of this would be a textbook lesson on Chinese culture.  With a Distributed or e-learning environment, now the student can supplement that learning experience by collaborating with a student or instructor who is actually living in China.  This is also one of the benefits of networks or Web 2.0 technologies and using Rich Media is lessons.  A greater learning experience is one of the affordances of networks and/or Web 2.0 technologies and Rich Media technologies.  Watch how the connected environment of the students on this Corning Glass Video entitled A Day Made of Glass enables an enhanced learning environment.  With reusable design or learning objects, designers working with programming personnel or through their own knowledge of programming, can take basic lesson plans and tailor each lesson to suit the learning objective.  For example, an instructor may want to develop a chemistry lesson with interactive modules starting with basic atomic theory at the beginning of each semester.  As the semester progresses, the instructor can plug in more modules (objects) of interactive media, videos and advanced lessons and information.  At the end of the semester, the instructor removes the more additional advanced modules to bring the lesson back to the basic atomic theory for the next class.

 2. Section IX focuses on issues related to instructional design, rather than new technologies: professional ethics, diversity and accessibility, the nature of design, and providing instructional guidance. For each of the technologies you selected above, discuss what ethical issues using the technology might present. Does the technology enhance accessibility and accommodate diverse learning needs? How and/or can you design instruction using that technology? How much guidance would instruction with that technology require? What kinds of guidance would be necessary?

I think the three technologies I chosen would have very positive ethical effects.  Using Universally Designed, distributed or e-learning environments, with networked and/or Web 2.0 technologies, that include Rich Media, with designed interchangeable learning objects, educators would be able to make ethically decisions on how to accommodate the many varying learning audiences. Using a variety of plug-in course objects during the instructional design phase, accommodations could be tailored for the individual learner, while maintaining the basic content of the lesson.  For example, using the scenario of a basic Chemistry lesson, differing objects of the same lesson could be used to accommodate language and/or sight barriers using videos instead of written text.  There could be accommodations (objects) made to stream the lesson to learners who are unable to physical attend classes.  There could be objects written that were not focused at one particular culture or nationality.   By using these technologies, the possibilities of development of enhanced lessons could be greatly expanded and adapted to cover all manners of accessibility.

Section 6: Getting an IDT Position and Succeeding at it

Section 6: Getting an IDT Position and Succeeding at It

This section of your textbook focuses on jobs in the profession of instructional design and technology: lessons and tips on how to get one and organizations that can support the job search and continued learning in the IDT field. Many of you already have a job in the field or in a related field; however, based on this week’s readings, you’ll reflect on where you are, where you want to go, and what you need to learn or do to get there. Begin your post for this week with some background: what is your current job, what program are you enrolled in, what brings you to that program, and what do you expect when you graduate (change jobs? obtain a promo)

Well, to begin, I am currently a Senior Server Administrator working in the District Information Technology (IT) Department at the District Service Center for the Dallas County Community College District (District).  I have been working for the District in the IT department for over 14 years.  As a Senior Server Administrator, I am a mid-level manager, managing the team that supports the Library Information system, the Document Imaging system, the District Intranet server and the online Self-Service Knowledge Information system (FAQs).  Before coming to work at the District, I served a 20 year career in the U.S. Air Force as a Jet Engine Technician and a Bioenvironmental Engineering Specialist (which means I was part of the OSHA, EPA, and Nuclear Regulatory Commission compliance team for the base) followed by a couple years of Government Civil Service and a short tour overseas with Halliburton. While still on active duty, I began my education in computing.  I finished my under grad at University of Phoenix with a major in Business Information Systems.  I am enrolled in the Masters of Education in Educational Technology/Leadership program.  I have had a desire to pursue a Masters degree for quite some time.  However, work schedules and life events have always delayed me.  I have added my Masters Degree obtainment to my job performance review for the last 7 years.  One of my fellow workers had just completed her Bachelors degree with TAMU-C and had enrolled with TAMU-C in a different Masters program.  She told me how great of a school it was, so I started doing research into the different Masters programs.  When I researched the Educational Technology/Leadership program, it definitely peaked my interest.  I will be in the window to retire from full time employment in about 4 years.  My original plan (and may still be) was to teach part time after full time retirement.  However, after enrolling in the program and some advisement from a wonderful TAMU-C professor, I am considering during Instructional Design on a contractual or part time basis.  I am not the type of person that considers retirement as a “sit at home and watch TV or fish all day” thing to do.  For me, it is more of a “life-career change”.  I retired (life-career change) from the USAF when I was 39 and started my next career.  This will be another life-career change for me.  It keeps life interesting.  I have also always had a desire to pass on the knowledge that I have.  Whether it be to someone younger or older, i have always thought it was good to share information and not keep it.  I have always wanted to  teach or having something to do with knowledge sharing 

Next, describe the kind of work that you want to do and the type of organization or institution in which you want to work. Use the WorkMatrix in the chapter titled “Getting a Job in Business and Industry” to help organize your thoughts. Do you most desire first, second, third, or fourth level service? Or would you rather design or develop instruction? What features of work are important to you? What economic sector do you want to work in? Based on these intentions, explain what you need to learn. What skills and qualifications do you need? Will you obtain the skills you need in the required courses in your program? What electives might you need to take to help you develop skills specific to your aspirations? 

Like I stated above, at this point I am really getting interested in doing Instructional Design on a part-time and/contractual basis.  I have been a manager in my present position for several years and doing my military career.  I think I would like to work as an Instructional Designer, as team member.  Not so much as a manager (although I would not managing a small team), but more as an Instructional Evaluator on a team.  The more knowledge I gain from the classes I take, the more I am leaning towards Instructional Design evaluation.  I would love to be able to travel as part of the job.  I also would like to work for a firm that designs and consults for the government and military sectors.  I have already readjusted class schedule to fit into more of an Instructional Design track.  Additionally, I would still like to leave the door open to teach an online course or two with the District.  In that aspect, I will be looking at taking some electives in Distance Learning and Education also.

Finally, what organizations would best support your continued learning after you graduate? Do you think you would benefit from joining those organizations before graduating? Explain why or why not?

I have already research joining the AECT.  I think this is a good source of information for IT professionals in Higher Education.  I plan on joining as a full time member before the end of the semester next spring.  Since I am only a part time student, I don’t believe I can join as a student member.  I am currently a subscriber to the digital edition of The Chronicles of Higher Education. I have found a lot of good articles on Distance Learning and IT implementation at other universities.

Section   5: Trends & Issues Various Settings

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.

I will compare the military, health care education and post-secondary education contexts.  As far as the military trends in industrial design, it doesn’t surprise we that future trends will be toward a greater multi-national training role and newer technologies.  During my Air Force career I had the pleasure of being assigned to a NATO unit overseas in the early 1990’s.  When I work at the NATO garrison, I worked with and encounter military members from various other countries including Turkey, Germany, Italy, Canada and England to name a few.  The commanding officer at the time was Turkish.  At that time, we had separate training sessions.  However, occasionally, one of the other nations military members would ask to sit in on a training sessions just to be exposed to the American military’s way of training.  Not in an official capacity, but just the exposure.  Also, I member going to flight training bases in the United States and see foreign flight officers attending training there.  Also, the military has always been on the leading edge of technology. The Internet was first developed for the military (secretly).  So it is not surprising that training military members to use the latest technological advances would be the latest trend.  Consequently, this would also be one of the major issues.  That issue being the large scale budget that that would be inherent with a project such as training a multi-national global military.  In comparison, the health care industry although not as large as a global military training project, can be a multi-cultural, large-scale design project endeavor.  The health care industry has become multi-cultural and if you think in terms of the Baylor or Methodist health care systems here in Dallas, you would be designing for geographically separated locations that could 20 -30 miles from each other.  The health care industry like the military tends to stay on the leading edge of technology, so designing an instruction unit that focuses on instructing the latest advances in radiology to several geographically separated units can be challenging.  Instructional Design for the military and health care industry contrast starkly to the post-secondary education.  Here instead of cultural, technological and global considerations, here there is more of a buy-in for instructional design from some of your fellow instructors that is the issue. Also, something that is really prevalent and I have encountered where I now work and I imagine in instructional designing in higher education is the political arena that exists in higher education.  At the institution I work at now, there has always been this subdued hierarchy that dictates an order of privilege.  When I was in the military, at least you knew what the ranking order was.   

     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? 

Yes, I think we can prepare our youth to address these issues through the use of technological learning methods that can provide real-world simulations of the impending issues the world is facing.  One issue that we have to solve as a nation and on a global scale is that available technological educational resources do not exist at all economical levels of our society.  If we are to survive as a nation and on a worldly basis, we have to come together and share methods and practices globally, not just to a few privileged.  I do believe that there are some who are not making a concerted effort to make sure our youth receive the best education possible.  Those individuals make need to be re-educate on the implications for their children if they don’t get involved in their children’s educational endeavors, now and in the future.

Section 4: Human Performance Technology

Not all problems in learning and/or performance require an instructional one. Many times a non-instructional approach is a more appropriate solution. This week's reading and reflection focuses on human performance, performance support systems, knowledge management systems, and the concept of informal learning.

1. Chapter 14 discusses the concept and evolution of human performance improvement. Several sections of chapter 14 present a variety of non-instructional solutions to performance problems. Identify a performance problem in your area of work and identify non-instructional solutions that may help solve the problem.

One performance problem in my area of work has always been the silos that exist. They exist in the District as a whole, in the between the different colleges, within the different departments, and between the different employee classes (faculty, administrators, and professional support staff).  In the past, in the 14 years I have been employed at the District, there has always been an autonomy that existed.  I have always been told it was for accreditation purposes.  However, it seems to go a lot deeper than that.  Although we are a District, each college is autonomous from the other colleges in the District.  Each college has is own business office, that is autonomous from the main business office.  Inside the main business office, the different departments have their silos also.  And then there are the employee class silos that have always been a major issue in the District for so many years. 

A couple of solutions have already been put into motion to reduce these silos.  Some of the solutions that align with HPI principles are proper and commonly aligned policies and procedures, targeted training that is mandatory for all District personnel, sharing information that the beneficial and useful to employees throughout the District and communication of District values and goals.  Another solution to help remove some of the silos would be to start a dialog about systemic thinking instead of the linear thinking that has been the status quo with some of the more senior personnel in the District for so many years. 

2. Chapter 15 presents performance support systems. Define performance support systems and explain how a performance support system might (or might not) help solve the problem you identified above.

A Performance Support System is a tool used to enable someone to timely and efficiently complete a task.  The tool used can be conveyed by any number of means including but not limited to computer software instruction, printed material, video instruction, and audio instruction.  One form of a performance support system that is presently being used at my organization, that may or may not be help to solve the problem of silos is a shared drive that my team uses to shared information with the other IT technicians at the other District colleges. On this shared drive we put the latest information to solve issues with some of the software and hardware that is used throughout the District.  This enables the other IT tech throughout the District to quickly solve computer issues without having to spend the time to research issues that have already been solved.  By putting this information on a shared drive, the information is available 24/7, without need to make a phone call or the time it takes to research information on an issues that has already been solved.  This in turn hopefully will eliminate one of the silo issues which has been the sharing information that is beneficial and useful to other employees throughout the District

3. Chapter 16 explains knowledge management: the way we manage information, share that information, and use it to solve organization problems. Organizations, such as schools, accumulate a great deal information/data, which must be organized in a way that we can make sense of it in order to use for making decisions. What knowledge would help solve the problem you identified above and how would that knowledge need to be collected and managed to help facilitate problem solving?

One example of Tacit knowledge is the example that I used in question #2 where my team shares knowledge of solutions to software and hardware issues that we have encountered. We encourage the other IT techs throughout the District to share information with us as well.  This will hopefully help to eliminate some of the silos that exist within the District between the different college IT departments and the main IT department.  An example of Explicit knowledge is a District website that is accessible by all District employees where the District Board Policy is accessible.  This is where all District employees can research legal and local board of director policies and directives, regulations and exhibits of documents, which may contain forms, charts, and other kinds of supporting information. Hopefully this will help to have all District employees operating under the same regulatory knowledge and help to eliminate some of the silos of autonomy that allow employees of one District college to operate under a different set of rules from the other District colleges.

4. Chapter 17 describes types of informal learning. What informal learning experiences have you participated in at your organization? Could those informal learning experiences be shared with others? Could the knowledge gained in those settings be codified and managed? And should it be managed or should the informal experiences be replicated or broadened for others?

As an avid learner and traveler, I am always researching the Internet for new topics including new ways to use technology at work and everyday life. For example, most people at the office know I am an Apple life person who uses Apple products (iPhone, iPad, iMac, Apple TV). So they are always coming to me for advise on how to use their iPhone or iPad.  Sometimes I will show them what they need to know.  Sometimes I will share a website or web link with them.  When I find new technology or ways to use their Apple devices to enhance their work or personal lives, I share what I know or find.  Many times what I share has helped to enhance how they handle their work schedules or given them the ability to manage their documents on a personal cloud-shared drive, so that they can continue to work on documents on their Apple devices while mobile or at home.  Yes, the knowledge could be codified and managed if the organization formally adopted Apple product for employees and issued them to employees.  However, until that happens (if it does happen), replication and/or broad dissemination will have to be done on a personal level.