Quilting a Journey: Decolonizing Instructional Design

Lyn DeLorme, PhD

Star Quilt Framework

Star Quilt Framework

• To highlight the orientation of the study

• As a metaphor for the research journey

• As a visual organizer for the findings

Instructional Design:

Process of planning and developing

learning environments

Instructional Design:

• Courses & training programs

• Often includes digital technology

A.D.D.I.E.

• Analysis• Design• Development• Implementation• Evaluation

• Missing: – Culture as a consideration in the

process– Instructional designer as actor

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study was to

critically examine the practices of an

instructional designer working within

an Indigenous higher education context

in order to identify culturally relevant

approaches to instructional design.

Auto/Ethnography

• Ethnography– A cultural study

– Observing and documenting a culture

• Autoethnography– A cultural study of the SELF

– Documenting personal experiences and

growth as an instructional designer

Study Design

• Engaged in 8 week unpaid

instructional design internship with a

Tribal College

• Lived in the community

• Participated in assigned tasks as a

member of the information

technology staff

Norming the Other,

Othering the Norm

Completing the Circle

A collection of stories.

They’re all our kids, you know. They’re all our children. I can leave here and make a living somewhere else. My nieces, nephews, grandsons, granddaughters, they’ll all be here…. If we have educated people…we’re going to be able to do better in the ways of providing…things that all the community needs. When you do something for somebody else and bring somebody else up, it helps all of us. It helps our community.

Knowing the dynamics of the people in terms of cultural heritage, reservation life, and family structure is important. A good teacher doesn’t use any negatives derived from that as a measuring device…. From day one a teacher has to gain the respect of the students by showing they care about them.…Once you develop that relationship you can have a greater impact on student success. Students need to see that someone believes in them and therefore they become more receptive to the skills and knowledge needed to enhance their development as students.

A Collection of Stories

• Establishing relationships with

the actors in the system

• Valuing identity

• Doing identity work

• Using the autoethnographic skill

set to study culture and reflect

Implications

Seeking a product

model…finding a

person model!

Star Quilt Framework for Culturally Competent ISD

Miigwetch!