Portfolio Project

EDUC 765: Trends and Issues in Instructional DesignBy: Monica Kar January 16-February 27, 2015Project ProposalStone Profits Software TrainingSponsoring Organization: Stoneland Inc.Stoneland Inc. is a granite warehouse in Maryland Heights, St. Louis, MO, with branches in Nixa, MO and Iowa City, IA. They sell granite and marble slabs to fabricators, who then cut, assemble and install the slabs into homes, offices, hospitals, hotels etc.

They sell directly only to the fabricators in their areas. Fabricators will often accompany clients to the warehouse to choose their slab. These slabs are then put on hold for that fabricator and transported to them on an agreed date. Stoneland Inc. invoices only the fabricator.Stoneland Inc. purchases granite from all over the world, including Brazil, India and China. The purchasing and receiving is handled at the St. Louis parent location. Once received, required merchandise is transported to the other two locations from St. Louis.

Currently Stoneland Inc. uses QuickBooks for their accounting and inventory needs; and a host of different software for their other needs i.e., Microsoft Excel, databases created in Microsoft Access and pictures of granite slabs saved in Picasa.

Project DescriptionAs the company grows, it feels the need to consolidate all of its departments in one software, so that the different aspects and departments are connected to each other.The company has recently invested in a specific software, built for the Stone Industry, called Stone Profits. This new software will handle purchasing, sales, marketing, accounting, inventory and be able to handle saved images of the granite; and will connect the data.This is an important installation at the company as it will:

Save time, effort and money to not have to update individual software with the different details of the business;

The saving of time and effort on the part of employees who will now enter information into one consolidated system will translate to better customer service and better sales.

Since the new software tracks each data entry, it will be easier to assign responsibility and have accountability.

The new software is cloud hosted and comes with technical support and upgrades. Since Stoneland Inc. does not currently hire an IT professional, this will eliminate software errors, which have been prevalent in the past.

Aim

To teach the employees at Stoneland Inc. how to use the new software which will go live in their office in February, 2015, at a date to be determined soon.Target Audience

The staff at Stoneland Inc. This includes the Purchasing and Finance, Sales and Accounts, Marketing, Inventory and Administrative staff of the parent location. Subsequently, the Administrative staff of the other two locations will have to be instructed in how to handle the new software too.

Delivery Options

The instruction will be mostly face-to-face at the parent location, as most of the issues we deal with are really fires that need to be extinguished right away, so to speak. There will be some blending with online instruction for issues that can wait to be learned; or instruction for information that is not used on a daily basis and is more administrative in nature.

Because of the differences in learning abilities and technical exposure and comfort, as we start to instruct the staff at the other locations, some of it will have to be over the phone, or face-to-face. For the reasons stated above, online instruction will not work too well for those locations.

Front-End Analysis: Instructional Need Instructional NeedThe management at Stoneland Inc. (Stoneland from now) has already decided to install the new software at their main warehouse location in St. Louis in February 2015. The earlier given date of 7th February has changed. The new date is yet to be determined.Since the decision has already been made, it is imperative to look at the new software and compare it to the one currently being used by the staff, in order to ascertain whether instruction will be a need or not.

In this case, the ID has been working as a part time staff member here for 10 months and has used the current software on a daily basis. A partial upload of the new software has already been done; and a basic overview of it has already been given to the key people the core group - who will be handling it in the future. This overview was conducted over the phone by a representative of the software company, using a dummy company to take the core group through the introduction phase.Being part of the core group, the ID has been given the responsibility to ascertain how much instruction will be needed by the staff and to impart that instruction. For ease of explanation, the old, current software is called QB; and the new software, SPS henceforth.

The fact that SPS looks extremely different from QB; the manipulation from one screen to the next is a little different and that SPS is a more comprehensive software, especially developed for the granite industry, than QB, which is a highly respected Accounting software, but generic, nonetheless are all factors that led to the conclusion that a training module, to familiarize the staff with SPS, is needed.For example, consider the following: The staff at Stoneland has used QB for the last seven years. Some of these staff members have been at Stoneland for all of the seven years. They have a set system which they have developed to work around the kinks in QB. With SPS, some or most of these systems will become redundant. To ease the staff into the new software with minimal loss of productive hours, instruction is needed.

Being a specific software, SPS is tailor made with details that QB lacks and which, currently, the staff has to manipulate with added software. The way to incorporate these details in SPS will need instruction.

QB, being an Accounting software, considers the accounts of a business as the home or base. On the other hand, SPS considers the inventory to be the base from which all transactions and updates take place. So, the format in which materials are received and entered into the system will change with SPS.

Currently, Purchasing is done through a totally different software. This is inbuilt into SPS, but in a different format, and familiarity with this functionality will require instruction. Some information may have to be manually entered into SPS to begin with; and the identification of what information that might be, will require instruction. When a slab of granite is chosen by a customer or a fabricator, currently it is put on Hold in a Microsoft Excel file which is controlled by the main location. If the other locations require a slab, they need to call or email or text the main location for availability. The staff at the main location need to refer to this Excel file before answering them. With the cloud-based SPS, within the next month or so, all three locations will have access to the inventory of all three location in real time. In SPS there is a feature which indicates that a particular slab is on hold and who it is on hold for; thus eliminating the need for the time spent in contacting the main location. Which saves man hours that can be put toward generating more business. Similarly, there are other time-saving details which will need to be presented and explained to the staff at all three locations.With the time-saving benefits of having a comprehensive software in place, the business will be more accountable and work in a more disciplined environment, where the staff will be able to devote more time toward generating more business and giving better customer support. To be able to do that, it is imperative that the staff learn to navigate through SPS comfortably. To facilitate this in the shortest possible time, it is imperative to have instruction.

Front-End Analysis: Learner Characteristics Learner AnalysisAs a part of the staff at Stoneland, the ID knows the Target Audience as colleagues; there has been no need for a formal analysis using questionnaires, records or interviews.

Primary Audience

The Managerial Level staff in Purchasing, Sales, Accounts and Finance, Administration, and Marketing at the main location of the warehouse. The Managerial Staff see above at the other two locations

Any assistants to the above.Secondary Audience

Since this is a smaller office and has one-man departments, the only staff that will not be learning or applying SPS will be the Truck Drivers, Warehouse staff and Loaders at any of the locations.General Learner Characteristics

Age: 26-65 Gender: 66% Male; 33% Female Work Experience: One month to 30+ years Education: High school diploma to Bachelors degrees.

Ethnicity: A diverse, cultural mix of people with almost 50% people of South East Asian descent; the rest from South America, and the US Midwest. Adult Learners: 100%

Entry Characteristics

1. Prerequisite skills and knowledge:

All are computer literate, albeit at different levels; 50% of the Primary Audience will need the most instruction, as they are on the lower rung of computer literacy. 80% are long standing employees; their understanding of their own jobs is impeccable.

All are comfortable using QB (the current software) and their own unique systems to get work done. The entire Primary Audience works with QB, at different permissible levels. In addition to their own responsibilities, every member of the Primary Audience is knowledgeable about one other members job, in case a backup is needed.2. Attitudinal and Motivational Characteristics: 80% of the Primary Audience feels the need for the change. In fact, the change to SPS is in answer to the daily challenges faced by them in using QB, an expressed need to which the management paid attention. Almost all of them feel this is the right move at the right time and will give them more accountability and minimize mistakes, thereby improving efficiency levels within the office. All feel the company is growing and the efficiency of daily procedures need to match its growth.

20% do not feel the need for any instruction as they feel SPS is quite easy to learn on their own. These are also the people who are higher up on the computer literacy scale.

100% understand that the change to SPS, once the instruction is received and understood, will save time, effort and energy.

30% of them feel apprehensive about their ability to grasp the new software.

3. Prior Experience: 80% have substantial experience in their field at the present employment. They are bound to compare the new SPS to the old QB more than the staff with less experience in the company. 30% have a thorough knowledge of the industry they work in. Their questions are bound to be more detailed. 20% have limited knowledge of the industry and their own, current positions, having joined the company just recently. They will need to add to their knowledge banks before they can ask detailed questions. Their confusions regarding SPS may be minimal as they have not worked on QB for too long and switching may be easier for them. 20% of the 80% above are part of the core team with the most computer literacy and will likely prove to be assets in the instruction process and the SMEs in this project.

4. Common Errors made by novice learners:

A fear of letting go of how things are done here in order to learn the new, more efficient way of getting things done.

A constant comparison with the old software, disabling them from getting adjusted to the new.

Not paying attention to the entire training module; only to their own part. In terms of the software being taught, all of it is linked to each other. It would be a good idea to get the big picture, even though they may not have the permission to access some of the other parts of the software.

Contextual Analysis

Orienting Context

The goal is to familiarize themselves with SPS to be able to perform daily tasks at each level of working. In addition to their own responsibility, each one needs to re-learn how to perform the daily tasks of one other department on SPS, as backup. The learners expect that after this instruction, they will be able to maneuver through SPS with maximum ease so that they may a) make fewer mistakes, as all the information will now be housed in one comprehensive system; b) need to spend less time doing paperwork as SPS will handle various different components of the business as a whole; and c) increasing their individual efficiencies. All feel the new system will be less work, not more; thereby creating a sense of lightening their work loads. This makes them eager to learn and use the new software. More efficiency leads to more business, which, in the long run will benefit each employee.Instructional Context The scheduling of the different levels of the Primary Audience will be sequential. The scheduling of instruction of the first level of the Primary Audience is slated right after we go live with the software in February. The other two locations will follow in either late- February or early March, depending on weather conditions, as they are a four-hour drive away.

However, training will need to be scheduled for a two-hour period on two consecutive Saturdays for the main location and a two-hour training on a Saturday in the other two locations. The work week can be extremely busy with foot traffic in the warehouses and is not conducive to a good training.

The training will be held in the three office buildings of the warehouse locations. The room(s) in which the trainings will take place have adequate lighting for the training. Only personal computers or laptops will be required. As there is no Power Point presentation, the lights will not need to be dimmed. The noise level is minimal, if the training is held on Saturday. The rooms are well-ventilated, with regulated temperatures for a comfortable training session, considering it is being held in the Midwest in the middle of winter. In the main warehouse location, extra chairs will need to be set up in the training room to accommodate everyone. We will need two extra chairs there.

In this case, the training will have to go to the learner, as it were. The instructor I will drive to the other two locations. It is possible to drive there, complete the instruction, and drive back in the same day; however, the weather may make that impossible. So, arrangements may have to be made for an overnight stay at both locations, depending on the weather. Only office computers (already in the office) and laptops will be needed. Written handouts and/or electronic review instructions, either web-based or on CDs will be provided by the instructor. Transportation does not have to be provided for anyone for the training.Transfer Context As SPS is cloud-based and the trainings are planned for after the software goes live, SPS will already be installed on each users computer, making the transfer of knowledge from the training more real for each staff member. Before SPS is launched, it will be available, without real time data, for the staff to familiarize themselves with. Each staff member will have a unique username and password with clearance/permissions to access the part of SPS they will use the most. For a time period of one week, both QB and SPS will be available to the staff to see the differences for themselves. When the staff comes to training, they will have a clear concept of what SPS looks like and should have a few questions and observations of their own.

On completion of the training, the staff will be expected to start using SPS in real time. However, a second two-hour training will be held the following Saturday, mainly for follow up and in-depth detailing. This will be for Primary Audience Level One held at the main location. If Primary Audience Level Two or Three have questions or concerns, they may request to attend and a time slot will be set aside for them during that training. Follow up will be conducted on the phone or via Skype for the other two locations, following their trainings. Instructional Impact Based Upon Learner Characteristics

Application of Learning Theories

J.M. Carrolls (1998) Minimalism Theory and Malcolm Knowles Andragogy (1975 and 1984) are relevant to this project. Minimalism is based upon studies of adults learning to use new computer applications. Both theories will be applied to the instruction.Both theories state learners already existing knowledge to be a valuable resource. The learners in this project already know how to enter information in and obtain information from QB. That knowledge can be used as an entry point characteristic to teach the same functions in SPS.

The instruction aims to allow learners to start immediately on real tasks. The subject has immediate relevance and impact on the learners daily work life as this is the system they will be required to use once installed.The blended learning approach will allow the adults in the instruction to self-regulate their progress, while the instructor acts as a scaffold.Application of Motivational Theories

"Motivation consists of the amount of effort a person is willing to exert in pursuit of a goal; hence, motivation has magnitude and direction. Consequently, motivational design is concerned with connecting instruction to the goals of learners, providing stimulation and appropriate levels of challenge, and influencing how the learners will feel following successful goal accomplishment, or even following failure"(Keller, 2006). (1)

SPS is being introduced at the behest of workers for a better and more comprehensive system of accomplishing daily goals and knowledge of SPS is crucial to daily working. The motivation is already present; however, John Kellers model of Motivation (1983), Attention, Relevance, Confidence, (1) Satisfaction (ARCS), will be applied in the instruction.

Attention To gain and keep attention, instruction will be task oriented, not content oriented. Problem solving will be used as a technique, using a comparison of QB and SPS.Relevance Each learner will be instructed in one other task in addition to their own, as a backup. Since the current working environment demands that each learner wear more than one hat, this falls in the realm of current relevance to their daily job. The future goal of decreasing frustration at having to use varied systems to achieve daily goals is another motivation for learners, which the instruction will make clear.Confidence Sequencing instruction with increasing difficulty and reasonable challenge will build confidence. Face-to-face instruction will be used primarily, blended with some online and some printed quick-reference materials which will be handed to the learners. This will enable learners to keep learning and make it easier for them to recall the many new details they will need to grasp.Satisfaction Instruction is being given to make the transition from one software to another simpler and smoother. Immediate use of the instruction enabling learners to use newly acquired skills in realistic settings and immediate positive feedback will provide satisfaction.Impact of a Diverse Audience on InstructionIn this scenario, the cultural ethnicity of the Primary Audience will probably not affect instruction as much as the Educational and Technological Diversity of the Primary Audience. Add to this their varying experiences in the industry and at their present positions, and we have quite a crew here, even with the small numbers. And if we were considering their learning styles, the instruction would definitely be impacted in a big way.

Even so, being a group varied in cultural ethnicity will have some impact on the design of instruction.

Points to consider while creating the instructional design:

Since only 30% of the Primary Audience grew up in USA, avoid idioms, figurative speech, abbreviations, humor and puns. Watch for cultural bias towards the instruction itself. For instance, the South East Asian culture (about 50% of the Primary Audience) do not consider it polite to question instruction even when they do not understand the instruction.

The Adult, Primary Audience is both Multicultural and Cross Cultural, and not even at the same level of instruction they all need to be taught different levels of the new software system. As an instructor, pay attention to this diversity by being a facilitator, rather than a leader. Try scaffolding start off with a step-by-step instruction. Steer the learners into a try-it approach and lead them to an ask-me conclusion where they feel free to voice their hesitations. Goal Analysis The Goal Analysis described on pp 39-41 (Morrison, Ross, Kalman, and Kemp 2012) was used to conduct an analysis and determine objectives.Goal Analysis

Identify an Aim

Instruct and enable the Sales and Administrative staff at Stoneland Inc. to use SPS software to handle Pre Sales, Sales, Inventory and Transfer of granite slabs.Set Goals Describe the benefits of switching from QB to SPS Log on to Stoneland account through SPS website Maneuver through the different pages on SPS to access relevant information Enter granite slab measurements and prices Receive granite shipments Conduct Pre Sales using SPS Look up specific prices Maintain updated Fabricator and Vendor records Convert Sales Opportunities into Sales Orders (SO) Convert Sales Orders into Invoices Transfer Inventory to two other warehouse locations

Use the features in SPS to locate granite slabs in the warehouse easily

Locate a particular slab between the three warehouse locations Add pictures of particular slabs in SPS

Enter Returns in SPS

Refine Goals Log on to Stoneland account through SPS website using a unique username and password.

Maneuver to desired page from the Master List without hesitation Receive granite slab shipments by entering individual slab measurements Assign a unique number to each slab

Assign warehouse location and location within warehouse to each slab Locate slab location on SPS to assist customers and save time

Place customer handpicked slabs on Hold Email Hold information to Fabricator from SPS

Convert Sales Opportunities into SOs by Releasing Holds Convert SOs into Invoices

Update fabricator and vendor details for Invoice purposes

Look up prices and locations of slabs quickly Create Pick Orders for Loaders and Truck Drivers to Transfer slabs between locations

Email Transfer list to appropriate location

Enter Returns of slabs on appropriate form in SPS

Rank Goals1. Log on to Stoneland account through SPS website using a unique username and password.

2. Maneuver to desired page from the Master List without hesitation

3. Receive granite slab shipments by entering individual slab measurements

4. Assign a unique number to each slab

5. Assign warehouse location and location within warehouse to each slab

6. Look up prices and locations of slab(s) quickly

7. Locate slab location on SPS to assist customers and save time

8. Place customer handpicked slabs on Hold

9. Email Hold information to Fabricator from SPS

10. Convert Sales Opportunities into SOs by Releasing Holds

11. Convert SOs into Invoices

12. Update fabricator and vendor details for Invoice purposes

13. Create and print Pick Orders for Loaders and Truck Drivers to Transfer slabs between locations

14. Email Transfer list to appropriate location

15. Enter Returns on the appropriate page in SPS

Refine Goals Again Goal 2 Revised Memorize the Main Home Page or Master List Page in order to maneuver quickly and efficiently to desired page upon logging on Goal 7 eliminated as it similar to Goal 6 Goal 4 Revised Assign a unique number to each slab including a SKU number auto generated by SPS and a Bin number allocated by Warehouse Supervisor Goal 15 eliminated as SPS has a rather obvious and self-explanatory labeled Returns which needs no further instructionMake a Final Ranking1. Log on to Stoneland account through SPS website using a unique username and password.

2. Memorize the Main Home Page or Master List Page in order to maneuver quickly and efficiently to desired page upon logging on

3. Receive granite slab shipments by entering individual slab measurements

4. Assign a unique number to each slab including a SKU number auto generated by SPS and a Bin number allocated by Warehouse Supervisor

5. Look up prices and locations of slab(s) quickly to assist customers and save time

6. Place customer handpicked slabs on Hold

7. Email Hold information to Fabricator from SPS

8. Convert Sales Opportunities into SOs by Releasing Holds

9. Convert SOs into Invoices

10. Update fabricator and vendor details for Invoice purposes

11. Create and print Pick Orders for Loaders and Truck Drivers to Transfer slabs between locations

12. Email Transfer list to appropriate location

Instructional Objectives

Project (Instructional) Goal

The Stone Profits Software (SPS) Training unit of instruction is designed to help employees of Stoneland Inc. maneuver through the layout of the new software to accomplish daily tasks of receiving, selling, invoicing and transferring and locating granite slabs between three warehouse locations.Terminal Objectives and Enabling ObjectivesTerminal Objective 1

On completing this instruction, the learner will be able to maneuver between Home (Master), Inventory, Sales, Products, Customers, and Returns pages with no more than two errors in SPS. (Cognitive Domain Knowledge) Procedure/Recall Log into SPS using your unique username and password. Given the Master or Home Page, click on Pre-Sales, Sales, Customers and Returns links successfully at least eight out of ten times each. Given the Master or Home Page, click on the Products and Inventory at least 10 times in 30 seconds.Terminal Objective 2 The learner will be able to retrieve slab measurements, prices, locations, and fabricator and vendor details from appropriate pages in SPS without any help from the instructor. (Cognitive Domain Comprehension) Procedure/Recall Find the number of slabs available of Absolute Black 3 cm in the Iowa City location. Find the price and measurement of the biggest Absolute Black 3cm slab available in the Iowa City location. Locate the address and phone number of the vendor associated with the above slab.

Given the Home page, find the list of fabricators in Iowa City.Terminal Objective 3

The learner will be able to create Pick Orders for truck drivers and email Transfer lists between warehouse locations from SPS without error. (Cognitive Domain Application) Procedure/Application Given the Home page, find the link for Transfers between locations. Create a Pick Order successfully and without help from the Instructor. Email this Pick Order to the appropriate warehouse location.Terminal Objective 4

The learner will be able to place slabs on Hold, release Hold, convert to a Sales Order, and convert the SO to an Invoice in SPS and email the same to fabricators. (Cognitive Domain Synthesis) Procedure/Application Given the Master or Home page, convert an Opportunity to a Hold. Release that Hold by converting the Hold to a Sales Order. Convert the Sales Order to an Invoice. Email this Invoice to the fabricator Titan Granite.Enabling Objectives Matrix & Supporting Content Retrieving Slab-Vendor-Fabricator Information in SPS

Presales and Sales Group

Terminal Objective: The learner will be able to retrieve slab measurements, prices, locations, and fabricator and vendor details from appropriate pages in SPS without any help from the instructor. (Cognitive Domain Comprehension) Procedure/RecallOverview

On completing this unit of instruction, the Presales and Sales staff at Stoneland will be able to find a list of fabricators located in Iowa City. They will also be able to access the correct page to retrieve details of each granite slab received, such as slab measurements, price, and quantity in sq. ft. They will be able to maneuver from the given page to the Home page. The staff will be able to find the number of available slabs of Absolute Black 3 cm in a given location (Iowa City); pick the largest slab available there and retrieve the price of that slab. The staff will be able to find additional information for that slab, i.e. vendor details.Enabling ObjectiveLevel on Blooms Taxonomy*Fact, concept, principle, rule, procedure, interpersonal, or attitude?Learner Activity(What would learners do to master this objective?)Delivery Method(Group presentation/lecture, self-paced, or small group)

Given the Home page, find the list of fabricators in Iowa City.

KnowledgeProcedureEnter the following sequentially:

1. Stoneprofits.com/Stoneland in the URL

2. Username and Unique password in the appropriate fields and click Enter

3. Click on the Customers tab on the Home page

4. In the Locations tab, pick Iowa City from a drop down menu and click Search

Small Group

2. Find the number of available slabs of Absolute Black 3 cm in the Iowa City location.KnowledgeProcedure1. To return to Home page from the list that just got created in Enabling Objective 1, click on the words Stone Profit Systems in the upper left hand corner.

2. On the Home page click on Inventory under the Stoneland logo.

3. Click on All Inventory.

4. In the Name field, type Absolute Black 3 cm.

5. From the drop down in the Locations field, choose Iowa City.

6. Click Search.Small Group

3. Find the price and measurement of the biggest Absolute Black 3cm slab available in the Iowa City location.UnderstandingProcedureFrom the list that gets populated in Enabling Objective 2 above:

1. Under Product Name, click on Absolute Black 3 cm to expand that section.

2. From the available slabs and measurements, check the serial number of the largest slab.

3. For that slab, click on the i note icon in Column D to see price.Small Group

Locate the address and phone number of the vendor associated with the above slab.

ApplicationProcedure1. In the Form in Enabling Objective 3 above, note the Name of Vendor in Suppl. Ref. No. column.

2. Return to Home Page by clicking on the words Stone Profit Systems in the top left corner.

3. Click on Inventory Supplier tab

4. In the Search box, type the name of the Vendor and click on Search.Small Group; Self-Paced for the more advanced learners.

Job AideThis Job Aide is a screen shot handout that will be given to the learners at the end of instruction. This will be their quick reference guide. This could be laminated on a two-sided sheet for handy reference on each desk.

The elements of Visual Design have been employed here. Since the screen shots do not demand too much explanation, the instructions have been kept to a bare minimum and have been highlighted to demand focus.

The red arrows and yellow highlights are repeated in each screen shot to give consistency and unify the design.The screen shots have been left aligned to give a cohesive look and an order to the Aide.

Originally, the background of the two-page Aide was colored a medium dark grey, giving it the contrast it needed for the screen shots to stand out and be prominent. However, in attaching the Word file to the project, the background color was lost as it could either be applied to the entire project or not at all.Task: Find the list of fabricators in Iowa City in SPS1. In the URL, type www.Stoneprofits.com/Stoneland2. Complete the steps in highlighted text below:3. 4. This will take you to the Master or Home Page below:

5. 6. This will open the Customers Search Page, below: Reflection PaperEDUC 765: Trends and Issues in Instructional Design

By: Monica KarSubmitted February 27, 2015Self-Insights and Reflections:

This course has been an eye-opener about the world of Instructional Design. The way the course is designed is conducive to discovering something new in each Module, building on already existing knowledge exactly on the lines of Malcolm Knowles Andragogy.

To begin with, we were asked to choose our ID Model. I chose Merrills First Principles of Instruction. As the project progressed and I learned more details about how to tackle my project, I realized that this was a good choice. To solve a real world problem understanding the new software (SPS) - I was going to activate the learners existing knowledge about their daily tasks and how they did them currently; demonstrate how they would be doing them in SPS by having each one complete the Terminal Objectives I had outlined and apply a combination of their existing knowledge and the new knowledge. To help them integrate this knowledge better in their world, I would create job aides like the screen shots I created for quick reference once the instruction was over.

At the start, while learning about Learning Theories, Behaviorism (B F Skinner et. al) seemed like the villain of the piece, while Cognitivism (Bruner et. al) and Constructivism (Dewey & Knowles et. al) seemed more attractive. On being reminded of the success of positive validation that Behaviorism proposes and follows, it became apparent that combined with one or more of the other Learning Theories, it had definite merit.

Personally, Cognitivism appealed to me the most. It seemed to be the perfect starting point to apply while structuring instruction for both children and adults. Where Behaviorists focus on the observable, Cognitive theorists focus on what occurs inside the mind: how we think, process information, remember and forget information, and acquire and use language to communicate. (Morrison).

Studying the different types of learners there are, and the possibility that many or all the types of learners may exist in any given group, I see how a combination of more than one learning theory, depending on Learner Analysis, Need Analysis and the scope of the project at hand, would give it a wider reach among the learners.

Malcolm Knowles Andragogy, Jean Piagets Genetic Epistemology especially for instructing children, David Merrills Component Display Theory, Skinners Operant Conditioning and Bruners Constructivism Theory were some of the theories I looked at closely. In my opinion, Andragogy and Genetic Epistemology are extremely important basic theories in order to understand broadly how children and adults learn and where they differ in how they learn. For my project in the course, however, I decided to apply J. M. Carrolls Minimalism Theory. It is a specific theory directed towards instruction of computer based applications. I decided to apply this and Knowles Andragogy principles as my learners are all adults, coupled with the ARCS Model of Motivation.

The ARCS Model of Motivation allowed me to focus on the main variables of motivation Attention, Relevance, Confidence and Satisfaction, again tying this in with the ID Model I had chosen for my project. The Attention is also generated from this being a real world task the learners need to master, making the instructional Relevant to their daily life. The Confidence and Satisfaction is tied in with being able to apply and integrate their newly found knowledge immediately.

I realized how important the Goal Analysis and Learner Characteristics were as they helped me to zero in on my Terminal and Enabling Objectives. The process of setting, refining, ranking, re-refining and re-ranking goals, seemingly superfluous at first, clarified and detailed the instructional goal in an efficient manner, resulting in clear objectives; while learner characteristics made it clear how to sequence the objectives so as to benefit the most learners, by starting with tasks that all learners needed to know, going on to more complex tasks, needed by only a few.

I appreciate the linear way in which Instructional Design works. Having a linear mind (that panics every once in a while) the systematic and methodical approach of Instructional Design works for me.

Professional growth and reflection on ID as a field:Instructional design is a totally new field for me. All I knew about it, before joining this course, was that it would help me to design instruction in the most efficient manner; and that, as a freelancer, it would help me broaden my horizons of work. What I discovered as the course progressed was layers upon layers of information that I had been aware of in an unstructured way but had never paid attention to. Whether it was the different learning styles or the ways of motivating learners; the importance of setting goals for an instruction, sequencing and prioritizing clear, measurable objectives or the principles of visual design. As I mentioned in our discussion thread, I looked carefully at the webpages I visit frequently and found, with more knowledgeable eyes, what was lacking or working in the design of those websites.

I can use the principles and elements I learned in this course and apply them to almost any activity where instruction is needed teaching someone to knit or cook; managing events like weddings; introducing new software to a varied group of workers; creating a web-based course for learners of a new language. I know that even in my current position, I can apply what I have learned in any situation where instruction is needed, to streamline our daily operations. Personally, this has been the most valuable idea I have gained from this course.

The most fun part of the course for me were the weekly Discussions with my peers. The one week we did not have to post anything was probably the one I remember as being the least interesting week of the course. It was fun to bounce ideas and get feedback and learn from very accomplished and talented people. We were a big enough group (10 to start with, nine to end the course), all professionals in different fields, for the Discussions to be interesting and varied and valuable.

I look forward to being able to take on freelance, online jobs, creating instruction for different fields. I enjoy learning; and this skill will allow me to take on various projects and learn how to present them in the simplest, most effective way possible.

This course has started what I hope is going to be a long career as an Instructional Designer. Since this is my first brush with the subject, this is going to be my base for all future learning that I hope to add to what this course has taught me.

My biggest question right now is whether I am suited as an Instructional Designer; if yes, then how do I start my career in the field? I know I need knowledge of various software in order to get jobs; knowledge that I dont have as yet. I also know that I am a verbal learner myself. Will I be able to design instruction that does not rely too heavily on words, so as to reach out and engage more people; people who are perhaps visual or mathematical learners?

I would like to go back and learn some of the aspects of the course that I didnt pay too much attention to; maybe study more Learning Theories; try my hand at a proper Task Analysis and above all learn how to apply each element to a different type of instructional need.

I do know that I need to understand the principles of basic visual design better and to be able to create content without panicking.

I appreciate all the excellent reading material this course has guided me to and look forward to delving deeper into some of them as my confidence increases.

I hope to complete my certification in Industrial Design this year and look forward to my next class starting on March 2, 2015.

References

Bean, C. (n.d.). A Shot of Theory - Keller's ARCS Model. Retrieved from http://www.kineo.com/us/resources/top-tips/learning-strategy-and-design/a-shot-of-theory-kellers-arcs-modelMorrison, R. K. (n.d.). Designing Effective Instruction. Retrieved from https://uwstout.courseload.com/#content-1335/address/247Retrieved 11th February, 2015 from http://teachinglearningresources.pbworks.com/w/page/19919538/ARCS%20Model%20of%20Motivational%20DesignEnter Username, Password, and Log In

Click on Customers on Home Page

-Choose Iowa City from the drop down in Location

- Click Search

PAGE 20