My Reflections on the journey to go back for my Masters Degree…
This has been an incredible journey. I have overcome Detroit and all that it brings, living in an urban situation where going to college is not on the roster of most. I am generalizing, as I do not know how others grew up, but as a kid, the thought of being a college graduate, much less getting a Master’s Degree was not an option.
Starting my education in the Navy consisted of correspondence courses with George Washington University, but taking college courses on a Navy Destroyer was not exactly what I was looking for.
I wanted the experience of learning Computer Programming in a Lab at a College. I felt like I was missing opportunities that I was not able to receive, and I felt the urge to go to college, no matter what.
After my Navy tour, (and music career) , the urge to go back to college began again. I started at Community College, ended up at Cabrini College, and after 20 years in the Instructional Design field, I enrolled at Penn State for the Master’s Degree program for Learning Design Technology.
In my career, I have created e-Learning for 47 companies, so I thought I had the skill set to complete this course, and I have succeeded in receiving a 3.75 GPA in my class training.
It is a wonderful feeling in which I had to face age, race, and other situations to receive the one thing that has not been achieved in my family. To get an opportunity for an advanced education in one of the main parts of my life, Learning Design and Technology.
Edpuzzle Project.
The Edpuzzle project was extremely interesting to me because of my ability to use it on music projects! I had never heard of this app before, but I intend to use it not only on music projects, but also on other projects where I can create questions on different times in videos! Love this app…..
Prominent Design Decisions.
I love all of the new ways to incorporate e-Learning, Quizzes, and video into one large project. Getting to see if a learner is paying attention to the course material is always a difficult process, but adding the quiz questions in at different time points is a great way of using the ADDIE Process. ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation) are critical to building training for target audiences, and in the case of the Edpuzzle video lesson, all of these points are addressed.
Theories/Principles.
There are multiple theories involved with building these projects! In my LDT 440 course, for example, I learned of the Affordances Theory, in which the environment provides cues that suggest how objects can be used. In this case, questions pop up for the user at different time points in the video. Using Technology Assisted tools like EdPuzzle will be of great assistance for me in the future of building AR/VR and GenAi based trainings.
Articulate Storyline Project.
I have had the honor of being the Single Point Minority Vendor for Campbells Soup and Campbells Foods since 2020. I create all of the e-Learning Computer Based Training as well as Manufacturing Instructor Led Training for the Company. Here is a screenshot of the Diversity and Belonging training…
Prominent Design Decisions.
Design decisions for diversity and inclusion can be achieved through the following approaches:
Embracing diversity in visuals, typography, and messaging
Shifting mindset and approach to create a more equitable and representative design landscape
Practicing self-awareness consistently
Learning from those who are different from you
Double-checking data
Watching language
Paying attention to hierarchy
Being careful with color
Using inclusive imagery
Addressing other accessibility concerns.
When designing courses for Androgogy, I had to keep these design specification in mind.
Theories / Principles
Diversity training in Manufacturing sites is a new avenue for most companies, and getting to create training for adult manufacturing workers allows a new avenue for training and development. I always use ADDIE principles, but I also used the RIPPLES matrix to determine:
Resources
The fiscal resources necessary to purchase, implement, service, and support a technology; answers: “How are we going to pay for it?”
Infrastructure
The hardware, software, facilities, and network capabilities of a learning environment; answers “Will it work in our current system?”
People
Cooperation among all stakeholders through shared decision-making and effective communication, cannot be overlooked; answers “Who will do it?”
Policies
Organizational policies and procedures that enable adaption to new technologies; answers “Are we allowed to do it? Are we expected to do it?”
Learning
The technology is a means for enhancing the specific learning goals of a learning environment; answers “How will it improve learning?”
Evaluation
Continual assessment of the learning technology about (a) its effectiveness for enhancing teaching, (b) whether a better alternative has emerged, (c) the efficacy of its integration into the learning environment, and (d) the return on investment achieved in relation to the technology’s cost; answers “Is it actually working?”
Support
The training, technical support, pedagogical support, and administrative leadership that enables the technology to continue to be effective; answers “Will it continue to work for us?”
Articulate Storyline Project.
I have had the honor of being the Single Point Minority Vendor for Campbells Soup and Campbells Foods since 2020. I create all of the e-Learning Computer Based Training as well as Manufacturing Instructor Led Training for the Company. Here is a screenshot of the Diversity and Belonging training…
Prominent Design Decisions.
Design decisions for diversity and inclusion can be achieved through the following approaches:
Embracing diversity in visuals, typography, and messaging
Shifting mindset and approach to create a more equitable and representative design landscape
Practicing self-awareness consistently
Learning from those who are different from you
Double-checking data
Watching language
Paying attention to hierarchy
Being careful with color
Using inclusive imagery
Addressing other accessibility concerns.
When designing courses for Androgogy, I had to keep these design specification in mind.
Theories / Principles
Diversity training in Manufacturing sites is a new avenue for most companies, and getting to create training for adult manufacturing workers allows a new avenue for training and development. I always use ADDIE principles, but I also used the RIPPLES matrix to determine:
Resources
The fiscal resources necessary to purchase, implement, service, and support a technology; answers: “How are we going to pay for it?”
Infrastructure
The hardware, software, facilities, and network capabilities of a learning environment; answers “Will it work in our current system?”
People
Cooperation among all stakeholders through shared decision-making and effective communication, cannot be overlooked; answers “Who will do it?”
Policies
Organizational policies and procedures that enable adaption to new technologies; answers “Are we allowed to do it? Are we expected to do it?”
Learning
The technology is a means for enhancing the specific learning goals of a learning environment; answers “How will it improve learning?”
Evaluation
Continual assessment of the learning technology about (a) its effectiveness for enhancing teaching, (b) whether a better alternative has emerged, (c) the efficacy of its integration into the learning environment, and (d) the return on investment achieved in relation to the technology’s cost; answers “Is it actually working?”
Support
The training, technical support, pedagogical support, and administrative leadership that enables the technology to continue to be effective; answers “Will it continue to work for us?”