Instructional Design Reflection

Technology and how we learn methods, processes or systematic procedures are evolving quicker in the 21st Century. Emerging technologies are rapidly exploding on the educational scene, and there are many articles on instructional design and best practices for implementation. Instructional design (ID) is how you create instructional content and materials for others to learn and manage. Reflection is good and helps me think through how I have expanded my knowledge over the years. The review helps with a growth mindset and what areas I may need further improvement.

My first encounter with Instructional Design was twenty-three years ago, using an HTML page with video content, graphics, some text and a downloadable word document. The content developed from a bible study class at my church. I would lay it out for my pastor and the church secretary to review, and then I would make changes based on their feedback. I guess you can say I created my first storyboard. Before I knew anything about instructional design, it was my initial stakeholder's meeting on how it will display on the internet page. It was exciting to me because, first, I love helping people learn and secondly, I love technology.

I have come a long way since taking an EDx and graduate courses in instructional design. I want to investigate instructional design models in the 21st Century that takes a rapid solution approach. I am also interested in instructional design for mobile learning. In the previous course, I have written articles on the increase of mobile learning worldwide. According to the Statista report by O'Dea, 7.33 billion individuals will own a smartphone by 2023 (O'Dea, 2021). Today we must be adaptable and strategic in approaching instructional design for every student learns differently.

I have a favorable view of instructional design because I know that the ADDIE model is the foundation of most instructional design models. For example, I started as a developer who followed the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) model, and the concept is similar. It is a great model, and many educational and corporate organizations utilize it. ID helps you plan more effectively and manage the design. My experience with instructional design (ID) has been somewhat good. I mostly follow the ADDIE model, but when I need to get a course design quickly, I look for a rapid solution model.

I also would like to help students become more self-regulated in their learning. For example, when I became a Microsoft Certified Trainer and went through the process of studying for the certification exam, I had to understand how one learns. Initially, I did not pass the certification exams and questioned how I studied, did I review the right content and why I was not hitting the passing score. The instructional design knowledge has helped me develop courses that could help learners self-regulate what they learn and keep them engaged to improve their learning. I am a visual learner, so lessons with a great appearance, multi-media and interactive learning activities will always keep me active. I am excited to learn more about instructional design models and strategies to help students improve their learning.

References

O'Dea, S. (2021, March 19). Number of smartphone users in the U.S. 2025. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/201182/forecast-of-smartphone-users-in-the-us/