Education Commons^™

Using Focus Groups For Assessment, Evaluation, And Improvement, Yuerong Sweetland

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

A focus group, as Krueger (2015) defined, is “a carefully planned series of discussions designed to obtain perceptions on a defined area of interest in a permissive, non-threatening environment.” A focus group approach, as a qualitative method, can provide rich information on perceptions, feelings, and reactions through participant interactions resembling the dynamics of real life in a comfortable environment. In particular, it can be used to uncover mysteries behind vague or unexpected responses by probing into the “how” or “why” of participant behavior and thinking.

Learner Responsibility: Questions And Implications, Jesse Fuhrman

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

Recently, I was discussing the issue of personal responsibility with a colleague. Specifically, we were discussing the responsibility of students to know where certain kinds of information is found within a course, or how a certain type of action is accomplished within a given learning management system. At what point is it no longer the responsibility of the course designer to create learning objects to convey this information? When does the student bear the responsibility to either already know or to learn this information on their own?

My Reflections On The Association For Educational Communications And Technology (Aect) 2017 International Convention, Lewis Chongwony

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

From November 6 – 11, 2017, the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront in Jacksonville, Florida was a beehive of activity, as members of the AECT, one of the oldest professional organizations, passionate about uncovering better ways of helping people learn, congregated for the 2017 convention. With close to 400 concurrent sessions, several workshops, and more than 1,000 attendees, the place was beaming and brimming with excitement and an aura of freshness as attendees imbibed from pots of research, best practices, and experiences of speakers and peers both in sessions and during breaks. Looking around, I could easily tell that the 2017 …

O Designer, Look In The Mirror, Matthew Barclay

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

What chef ever made a meal that he or she would not be happy to eat or was doubtful the paying customer would relish? It may happen but it is likely rare. People in the profession of cooking and creating excellent meals take pride in their work to satisfy their customers. They strive for the joy of those they serve.

Looking Back, Looking Forward: Instructional Design Reflections, Rob Wood

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

Franklin University graduate student Amie Tope is preparing to enter the instructional design field in early 2018. Dr. Rob Wood has been practicing instructional design since 1988 and serves as a faculty member at Franklin University. Amie and Rob recently sat down for an informal, collegial discussion to talk about their perspectives. While Amie looks forward to stepping across the threshold and formally beginning her instructional design career, Rob is looking back over nearly 30 years as an instructional designer and considering what eventual retirement might look like.

Clients As An Instructional Resource, Xiaopeng Ni

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

Higher education is under pressure to change from both within and outside (Christensen & Eyring, 2011). One such pressure is from future employers. According to the survey conducted by The Chronicle of Higher Education (Supiano, 2013), most employers significantly value students’ authentic experience over their classroom activities or grades. Authentic learning experience is a direction for teaching and learning innovations. As I discussed in my previous blog post (“Let’s Get Real about Learning”), authentic learning facilitates the transfer of learning and provides students contextual knowledge and skills. Students who learned decontextualized knowledge can answer items on a test but may …

Human Resource Development For Learning And Performance Improvement, Jessie Kong

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

Having studied Human Resource Development (HRD) in my Ph.D. program, I have received many questions from students, colleagues, and others about what HRD is. Therefore, this post briefly discusses the definition and functions of HRD as they relate to the role of an instructional design leader

7 Skills Of Knowledge Work, Joel Gardner

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

We are now working in the knowledge society, in which information and knowledge are the primary commodity. The majority of employees in this society are knowledge workers, which means their primary function is to gather and create new knowledge. The nature of work in the knowledge society is cross-disciplinary, complex, varied, and ambiguous, and knowledge workers must be able to access and use broad knowledge in flexible yet disciplined manner.

Why Should You Use An Introductions Activity In Every Course?, Erin Wehmeyer

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

Introductions and icebreakers are very popular activates but they are also dreaded by participants (and leaders). I recently read a blog, Icebreakers that Rock (www.cultofpedagogy.com), which explains what is wrong with most icebreakers and gives three examples of icebreakers that don’t have the “cheese” factor that tends to make us cringe. Icebreakers can be effective tools to create a sense of team or community in a group. But most icebreakers require some type of physical interaction (e.g., grouping, lines, circles, physical characteristics). How do we make these activities correlate to the online classroom (or meeting)? What’s missing from the online …

Everyone Needs An Editor, Gregory Kurtz

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

Walt Disney once said, “Everyone needs deadlines.” That statement may seem straightforward enough, but it’s important to note that the entertainment legend was referring not merely to arbitrary dates on a calendar. Rather, Disney was talking about the benchmarks to which each contributor to a project must adhere in order for a creative process to reach its ultimate goal—the delivery of a product or production on time and with a minimum of frantic, last-minute activity. Failing to recognize and meet deadlines can easily lead to ill-advised shortcuts and the resulting deliverable either falling short of its full potential or even …

How To Select An Instructional Design Master’S Program – List #1, Yi Yang

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

Instructional design jobs are continuously becoming more in demand. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that by the year 2022, jobs in instructional design are expected to increase by 15 percent. Most of these positions either require or prefer a master’s degree. Getting a master’s degree is thrilling. Searching for the best program and school that meets your needs is exciting and daunting. If you are shopping for an instructional design master’s program, first of all, consider your needs and goals. To help you out, try answering the questions in the following list, LIST #1: My Needs and Goals.

Assessment Of And For Student Learning And Success: Who Cares?!, Lewis Chongwony

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

A couple of months ago I came across a Chronicle of Higher Education article titled “Does Assessment Make Colleges Better? Who Knows?” The gist of the article is that virtually nobody, even those in higher education, truly cares about an institution’s assessment in making informed decisions about quality of institutions, for example, when considering a significant choice of which college to send one’s children.

5 Tips For Cultivating Engaged Students, Barbara Carder

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

I have been teaching primarily in the online environment during the past several years, but this trimester I am teaching a face-to-face class. I very much enjoy being in the classroom, even though it does make for a long day. Most of our students are working adults, so I can commiserate with them on what a marathon it is to attend class after working all day!

Assessment As An Agent For Change, Yuerong Sweetland

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

I recently attended two assessment-related conferences: the AALHE (Association for the Assessment of Learning in Higher Education) 7th Annual Conference and the SAARC (Student Affairs Assessment and Research Conference) at the Ohio State University where I served as a panelist. These two conferences were quite different, with the second one leaning more towards assessment and research in student affairs or co-curricular areas and the first one having a more comprehensive focus on assessment, learning and teaching. In spite of the many differences, I felt that a common challenge was being addressed, either explicitly or implicitly: how to make assessment meaningful …

A Non-Traditional Journey To Instructional Design: An Interview With Roberta Niche, Niccole Hyatt

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

Renowned psychologist Abraham Maslow had this to say about humans: “A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself. What a man can be, he must be.”

Maslow then followed up with this haunting quote: “If you plan on being anything less than you are capable of being, you will probably be unhappy all the days of your life.” In light of Maslow’s work on self-actualization and our quest to find the meaning of work in our lives, I decided to interview a colleague who has …

What Reflection Teaches Us, Patrick Bennett

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

I think it can be easy to get caught up in the day-to-day and sometimes forget that our interactions with others have impact, both positive and negative. It takes a lot of energy to be mindful and present throughout our day, but it’s a really important skill. Lowney (2003) argues that “we’re all leaders and we’re leading all of the time, well or poorly” (loc. 125). I agree completely and love this quote because it can be applied to just about anything and everything we do. Simply replace the word leader with another such as educator, or team member, or …

Cognitive Load Theory: Helping Students' Learning Systems Function More Efficiently, Jesse Fuhrman

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

Cognitive load is the amount of working memory being used, like the RAM in your computer, only for the human brain. When memory usage on your computer is high, the system starts to slow down; it doesn’t function as efficiently. The same thing happens with learning. When the cognitive load is high, learning is less efficient

Life Is Like A Box Of...Projects, Kevin Stoker

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

I recently found myself watching Forrest Gump on a rainy Saturday afternoon. I have seen this movie probably 10 times and I always struggle with Forrest’s famous quote “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” I always tell Forrest to just look at the paper insert in the box that identifies what is contained in each chocolate…but he never listens. The chocolate maker had already recognized this potential risk in making assorted chocolates and put a plan in place to mitigate that risk. This is the value of project management—and we all use …

Why Your Course Needs An Editor, Carolyn Levally

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

Instructional design is definitely an iterative process; we design courses, get feedback, make adjustments to the course, etc. But who is reviewing our courses and providing us with feedback? More than likely, the Subject Matter Expert (SME) or the instructor who will be teaching the course reviews the course design. Having SMEs review the design is excellent, as they know the content and the course objectives best. However, at the International Institute for Innovative Instruction, we also strongly recommend that all courses be reviewed by a content editor.

Critical Reflection Is More Than Just Looking In A Mirror, Barbara Fennema

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

"Magic mirror on the wall--who is the fairest of them all?" spoken by the Evil Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). Looking in a mirror (and most of us don’t have a magic mirror!) provides us only with a surface reflection of how we look – not who we are or what we’ve learned. In this blog post, we’ll look at what critical reflection is and its importance in a learning experience

Caring For Lawns And University Courses: Fixing Common Problems With Deliberate Treatments For Good Growth, Matthew Barclay

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

It is springtime and that means lawns are growing. What do you do to help your lawn along in the spring? Many people just start mowing. They also rely on spring rains for water. A lawn might look okay for a while with just this treatment. However, a minimalist approach does not usually result in a green, healthy lawn for the whole season. While mowing and watering are necessary, leaving out additional intervention puts a lawn at risk for various weeds and other problems. Grass needs added nutrients, aeration, grub prevention, mowing with a proper blade, water in correct amounts …

3 Key Principles For Increasing Self-Confidence & Engagement In Online Developmental Math Courses, Jessie Kong

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

Most students who enter colleges need basic math skills to succeed in college-level mathematics. Therefore, most colleges provide “a sequence of developmental mathematics courses that starts with basic arithmetic, then goes on to pre-algebra, elementary algebra, and finally intermediate algebra, all of which must be passed before a student can enroll in a transfer-level college mathematics course” (Stigler, Givvin, & Thompson, 2013, p. 1).

3 Top Leadership Competencies For Instructional Designers, Yi Yang

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

A successful instructional designer not only needs to be excelling in design and development, but also needs to be a leader, a change agent, and a strategist. Within higher education organizations, instructional design leaders are in demand because they are uniquely qualified to envision the future of education, give critical and strategic direction to others, and ultimately provide an organization with the leadership necessary to move institutions deeper into the 21st century and beyond (Shaw, 2012). However, both International Board of Standards for Training, Performance, and Instruction (IBSTPI , 2012) competency standards and the ATD (2014) competency model put strong …

Begging The Question: Strategies To Increase Student Performance, Roberta Niche

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

If you’re an instructional designer or an instructor, you undoubtedly know a lot about questions. You know that simple yes-no questions are often a dead end and that open-ended questions generally make for more interesting discussions. You know that students typically aren’t given enough think time; teachers’ average wait time is less than one second before they pick someone to answer or answer the question themselves.

E-Textbooks: Making Course Resources More Accessible And Affordable, Patrick Bennett

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

The affordability of, and accessibility to, lower cost course resources such as textbooks and supplementary materials in higher education is a growing concern in the United States. Currently, the process of textbook adoption has been left mostly unregulated at the federal, state, and university levels (Hill, 2015). In traditional settings, ultimately, the university selects the required textbooks and students are required to purchase them. In economic theory, this is referred to as the Principal Agent Problem.

Let’S Get Real About Learning, Xiaopeng Ni

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

The primary reason instructors are interested in integrating real world tasks into the classroom stems from a belief that learning that emulates real life is more likely to promote student motivation, engagement, transfer of learning, and professional development. Students who learn decontextualized knowledge are likely to be able to answer items on a test, but often struggle to apply what they have learned when attempting to solve real problems. In this post, I would like to discuss the following three questions related to real-world/authentic tasks

How To Make Assessment Meaningful, Yuerong Sweetland

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

One of the challenges with assessment is answering the “so-what” question. After the initial nationwide calls for assessment more than three decades ago, most institutions are conducting assessment. However, when it comes to using assessment data, there are varying levels of success at higher education institutions, even though accrediting bodies are placing more and more emphasis on closing the assessment loop by using evidence of student learning to inform changes in curriculum and instruction (as well as co-curriculum).

Change, Ambiguity, And Uncertainty: On Becoming An Expert Instructional Designer, Rob Wood

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

“If you can learn to tolerate change, ambiguity, and uncertainty, you will be successful in this field.” That was the answer my supervisor gave me when I asked him how I could be a really good instructional designer. It was 1989, and I had been working at it for a whole year. I really wanted to know! I must have looked crestfallen, because he added, “Don’t worry. You’ll get it later.” Great. Thanks, Boss.

How To Use Media Effectively In Online Courses, Carolyn Levally

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

In the online higher education community, course designers are constantly trying to develop courses that reach beyond the learner simply staring at a static screen. With the instructor and the learner at a physical distance, there are many features we use to try and bridge that gap, from online class meetings via Adobe Connect to discussion board postings to other engaging activities designed specifically for achieving the learning outcomes. However, when it comes to simple content delivery in an online setting, breaking through the wall of text by providing learners with more engaging media can sometimes be difficult. Many people …

Online Experiential Learning: Bringing The Courtroom To The Classroom, Karen Miner-Romanoff

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

Experiential learning (EL) is the “process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience” (Corbett, 2005, p. 479). As Kolb (1984) posited, individuals learn through experience, reflection, thought, and experimentation. Knowledge and understanding are created and refined through the application and transformation of experience. Many scholars and educators agree that experience and active participation can help students connect theory to practice, develop higher order thinking skills, and enhance the educational environment (Burke & Bush, 2013; LaRose, 2011). Much research has indicated that authentic and experiential online learning experiences can lead to greater student success (Broadbent & Poon, 2015; Inan, …