Final Blog for EDPS 6430

I end where I began, with the questions we were asked to answer and at the beginning of this blog. What is technology? What does an 'instructional designer' do? How would I explain to friends, co-workers, or my mother-in-law what it is that I am learning and what I will be able to do with my future degree?

Technology is a tool that is used to accomplish a task. Technology includes the alphabet, paper, a wheel, a computer, a video camera, and on and on. It was surprising when Dr. Monson shared in class that technology isn't necessarily helping us do new things, but helps us to things we would already be doing anyway- only we can do them faster (please correct me if this not what Dr. Monson said as my memory could be fading).

As I said in my answer to this question at the beginning of the semester, I still believe an 'instructional designer' works to set up steps to solve an existing problem in the most efficient and effective way. Only now I believe the process is more detailed then I did before. An instructional designer needs to be able to analyze a problem to see if instruction is even the correct solution. It can take restraint to say 'what I do as an instructional designer' is not the solution to this problem'. If instruction is needed, the designer needs to know what questions to ask to determine what kind of instruction is needed and we willing through the process of designing to evaluate what they are doing and if they are still on track solving the problem that started the design process. An instructional designer, like other professions, needs to be persistent in their questioning so the instruction meets its intended objectives. An instructional designer needs to constantly seek feedback on their work from subject matter experts and people in their target audience to see where the instruction can be improved to meet its objectives. An instructional designer needs to stay up to day on instructional media and methods that are being created so they can use the best method to present the instruction. I learned in this area of instructional media and methods I need to do more study to be up-to-date. The media presentations in class were eye opening to what is out there to aid in instruction.

And what do I now tell people about what I am learning and what I hope to do with my future degree, I think I was on track at the beginning of the semester. I hope to be able to begin lesson preparation and presentation with my end goals in mind. I hope to design instruction that engages different senses of each student to make it a richer learning experience for them. Outside of work, I hope to be able to more efficiently and effectively solve problems at home and in other areas of my life. I think the fact that I still feel on track with what I wrote at the beginning of the semester shows that I choose the right program of study.

To Dr. Monson and everyone in class, thank you for a great semester!