Education Commons^™

Identifying Support Structures Associated With Informal Formative Evaluation In Instructional Design, Suzanne Smith, Tian Luo

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Instructional designers perform informal formative evaluation in design practice. An evaluation may be used to locate errors in alignment of instructional objectives or to increase the quality or effectiveness of a design. An instructional design review is similar to peer reviews in higher education which are often structured, and tools are provided to contribute to the review. A study was performed to identify the support structures and tools that contribute to building a community of feedback within the practice of instructional design reviews. Six instructional designers and design managers were interviewed to gather the processes they use in design reviews …

Assessing The Impact Of Substituting Interaction Types: An Empirical Study Of The Interaction Equivalency Theory, Scott Alan Hauert

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Multimedia technologies allow instructional designers to transform interpersonal interactions into interactions between learners and content. These learner–content interactions are more scalable in online, asynchronous distance education (DE) than interactions between learners and the instructor or interactions among learners. Additionally, learners sometimes prefer interactions with course content over interactions with their peers and instructor. Studies on learner–learner and learner–instructor interaction provide insight into the preferences and perceived effects of interaction types. However, the literature has not directly discussed the impact on performance resulting from substituting learner–content interaction for learner–learner interaction. This study examined the impact of substituting interaction types on perception …

Investigating The Effect Of Universal Design For Learning On Learner Performance, Engagement, And Self-Efficacy, Ana Elizabeth Redstone

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

This study sought to address the gap in knowledge about the effect of UDL features on asynchronous online postsecondary learners’ achievement, engagement, and self-efficacy. The study also described a process for redesigning an online course to incorporate UDL components and provided specific examples of the implemented UDL guidelines. The study was conducted in a three-phase multimethod research design, which included quantitative and qualitative data collected from the participants, the learning management system (LMS), and the course instructor.

In collaboration with the course instructor, the researcher redesigned an existing asynchronous online university Computer Science course using UDL guidelines to address learning …

Near Transfer After Direct Instruction: An Experimental Inquiry Within Aviation Technician Training, Francis Eamonn Powers

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

This study put forth two instructional interventions set within a direct instruction (DI) framework specific to an aviation maintenance context. To evaluate the effectiveness of these two training interventions a criterion was established to measure near transfer during a performance evaluation on a live aircraft. Information learned within this study indicates that DI can be highly effective in technical training environments. This study also articulates how VR experiences may be included within these types of training contexts and discusses the factors and affordances that come with utilizing VR in instructional activities.

Additionally, this study revealed experiential characteristics of a DI …

Teaching Higher Education During A Pandemic: A Phenomenological Study Of Instructor Decisions Associated With Switching From Face-To-Face To Online-Only Sessions, Steven M. Miner

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, university instructors were required to shift their course delivery from face-to-face to online-only presentations with two weeks of preparation. Volunteering instructors were interviewed via a semi-structured interview protocol regarding their actions to maintain instructor presence in an online-only setting. The term emergency remote teaching (ERT), defined by fellow researchers as the adoption of just-in-time remote teaching practices that would otherwise be offered face-to-face, aligned with the actions taken by interviewees. The data indicated that given an event requiring ERT, instructors should: overcome technology issues for themselves and their students to verify communication pathways, and exhibit …

Instructional Designers' Perceptions Of The Practice Of Instructional Design In A Post-Pandemic Workplace, Donna Petherbridge, Michelle Bartlett, Jessica White, Diane Chapman

Educational Foundations & Leadership Faculty Publications

This article explores instructional designers’ perceptions of changes to instructional design practice in a post-pandemic workplace. A thematic analysis of interviews conducted with 33 instructional designers revealed that instructional designers believe that the profession is profoundly altered post-pandemic. Findings around post-pandemic instructional design practice include adopting agile instructional design practices, increasing collaborations with others within a context of empathy, recognizing the importance of accessibility, and increasing reliance on technology to deliver both instruction and training within the context of an expanded portfolio of how instruction will be delivered in the future.

Universal Design For Learning Implementation In Higher Education: Survey Of Faculty And Instructional Designers, Breanne A. Kirsch, Tian Luo

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Universal design for learning (UDL) is an inclusive design framework. Faculty and instructional designers were surveyed to investigate UDL implementation in higher education. This survey was based on one used by Westine et al. (2019). Results about how faculty and instructional designers learn about UDL, how instructional designers train and support faculty in UDL, and why and how participants choose to employ UDL are shared. The results from this study have provided new findings in relation to faculty and instructional designer UDL implementation efforts in higher education that have implications for training and supporting faculty with UDL application efforts.

Building Belonging Into The System, Kristin Herman, Michelle Gill

STEMPS Faculty Publications

This design case documents how a K-12 district took steps to systemically support virtual student wellness and belonging. Plans for course design to support social-emotional-academic learning (SEAL) competencies, increase perception of belonging, and create safe, predictable learning environments characteristic of a trauma-informed approach to teaching and learning are shared. The assumption virtual learners are not looking to experience belonging and cannot be successful unless they already have strong SEAL skills is challenged. Rather, the positioning of SEAL competencies as learning objectives rather than necessary prerequisites to access online learning proved to contribute to more equitable learning opportunities.

Authentic Learning Design Failures: The Need For Learner And Contextual Analysis And Participatory Design, Mohan Yang, Jon Harbor

STEMPS Faculty Publications

This design case examines what program leaders learned from failures in the design of a program of authentic learning about teaching diverse audiences through educational outreach. The program was initiated and then redesigned to develop the teaching and communication skills of graduate students from a wide range of backgrounds by engaging them in authentic experiences with middle school teachers and students. Analysis of post-program data revealed seven design failures related to the lack of upfront analysis to inform the program design. Each design failure was detailed through a fishbone diagram method to identify the corre- sponding contributing factors. The failures …

Pursuing Professional Learning By Using Social Media: How Do Instructional Designers Apply Self-Regulated Learning?, Pauline Salim Muljana, Tian Luo

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The instructional design and technology field are dynamic, requiring instructional designers to stay abreast through timely professional learning. Social media offers characteristics to collapse the time, geographical, and financial limitations of informal professional learning, but challenges exist. Continuous professional learning requires proactive actions, wherein self-regulated learning (SRL) plays an important role. How-ever, not all professionals know the effective strategies to promote SRL skills. This study examines instructional designers' (N = 17) experiences of professional learning on social media through an SRL lens. Data collected through semi-structured inter-views were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings include SRL strategies con-ducted by instructional designers …

A Nexus Of Literate Activity: The Design Of Writing Assignments In The Disciplines, Lauriellen Stankavich

English Theses & Dissertations

Writing plays a critical role in higher education as students are inducted into disciplinary practices through different genres, methodological repertoires and argumentation strategies. In Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) initiatives, the instructor serves as an embodied reservoir of disciplinary knowledge and an arbiter of literate practices but most crucially employs the mediating capacities of the writing assignment as a potent pedagogical nexus. In this practice space, the instructor acts as designer of the pedagogical experience—the course as a whole and writing assignments in particular. This study used interviews, survey, and the collection of syllabi and other instructional artifacts to examine …

Leadership Competencies For Instructional Designers: Identifying Critical Incidents Used To Lead Design Projects That Improve Performance, Heidi Elaine Kirby

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Even though an instructional designer may not have formal authority or direct reports, to be successful, they need leadership skills. Although the literature calls for instructional designers to possess several critical leadership skills, it does not consistently present the same important skills and often defines them very broadly. Further, authors who have argued that leadership skills are not taught to instructional designers in a sufficient way often call for more education on leadership competencies in graduate school, but the literature does not state where these skills are currently being learned and fostered.

This qualitative research study used methods of grounded …

Instructional Systems Design And The Diffusion And Adoption Of Technology: (Volume 1), Miguel Ramlatchan (Author & Editor), Mark Parsons (Author), Meghan Soldani (Author), Josie Joswick Mendoza (Author), Maria Satre (Author), Brittany Spitz (Author), Jasmine Bundy (Author), Amanda Kline (Author)

Distance Learning Faculty & Staff Books

Instructional designers, instructional systems designers, and other educational technologists are, by their nature, innovators. These professionals apply and extend the applied science of learning, systems, communication, and instructional design theory to help students learn. Technology in some capacity is used to make the connections between subject matter experts, teachers, instructors, and their learners. It is common for instructional designers to seek new tools, techniques, and innovations for the improvement of learning, access, quality, and student satisfaction. However, the adoption and diffusion of new educational technology and innovation is a complex process that depends on many variables. Understanding these processes and …

Instructional Message Design: Theory, Research, And Practice (Volume 2), Miguel Ramlatchan, Elisa L. Shaffer, Marissa A. Jimenez, Spyridoula Tsouganatou, Yolanda Montague, Maria Satre, Brittney Heath, Bradley Sanders, Jim Shifflett, Meghan Soldani, Shuree Altantsetseg, Melissa Hatfield, Casey Kohler

Distance Learning Faculty & Staff Books

Message design is all around us, from the presentations we see in meetings and classes, to the instructions that come with our latest tech gadgets, to multi-million-dollar training simulations. In short, instructional message design is the real-world application of instructional and learning theories to design the tools and technologies used to communicate and effectively convey information. This field of study pulls from many applied sciences including cognitive psychology, industrial design, graphic design, instructional design, information technology, and human performance technology to name just a few. In this book we visit several foundational theories that guide our research, look at different …

Instructional Message Design: Theory, Research, And Practice (Volume 2), Miguel Ramlatchan (Author & Editor), Elisa L. Shaffer (Author), Marissa A. Jimenez (Author), Spyridoula Tsouganatou (Author), Yolanda Montague (Author), Maria Satre (Author), Brittney Heath (Author), Bradley Sanders (Author), Jim Shifflett (Author), Meghan Soldani (Author), Shuree Altantsetseg (Author), Melissa Hatfield (Author), Casey Kohler (Editor)

Instructional Message Design, Volume 2

Message design is all around us, from the presentations we see in meetings and classes, to the instructions that come with our latest tech gadgets, to multi-million-dollar training simulations. In short, instructional message design is the real-world application of instructional and learning theories to design the tools and technologies used to communicate and effectively convey information. This field of study pulls from many applied sciences including cognitive psychology, industrial design, graphic design, instructional design, information technology, and human performance technology to name just a few. In this book we will visit several foundational theories that guide our research, look at …

Chapter 05: A Brief Introduction To Instructional Message Design In Synchronous Online Learning Technologies, Spyridoula Tsouganatou

Instructional Message Design, Volume 2

This chapter will analyze and discuss concepts related to instructional message design as it relates to synchronous online learning technologies. Synchronous online learning is becoming increasingly popular especially in the pandemic era and it is able to provide students with a lot of opportunities and benefits for their learning processes. This chapter specifically will provide an analysis of the major benefits and challenges of synchronous online learning technologies. It will also discuss learning platforms such as Zoom, that can be used to further provide the reader with concrete examples of an online tool that is able to successfully develop a …

Chapter 06. Instructional Applications Of Augmented And Virtual Reality, Yolanda Montague

Instructional Message Design, Volume 2

Virtual and augmented reality are two examples of message design tools in the arsenal of educators that can be employed in order to create relations between content and the real life experiences of students. Virtual reality can take many forms and augmented reality may be an option that provides more relatable hands on experience for learners. As leaders in education are on a continual journey towards more innovative means of teaching, these two choices provide opportunities for educators to be innovative, while maintaining learning as the primary focus. Within the realm of both virtual and augmented reality, there are many …

Chapter 11: Instructional Message Design In E-Learning, Meghan Soldani

Instructional Message Design, Volume 2

Instructional message design is an essential aspect of an effective e-learning experience for learners. E-learning is the use of online and mobile technologies to develop learning material, content, and applications for online learners. As an instructional designer, it is important to analyze and know your audience, engage the user, use relevant information, and provide a good user experience. Other critical aspects of message design for e-learning include the reduction of extraneous cognitive load, the aesthetic look and feel of the design, designing for learner motivation, and a focused simplicity of design. User engagement can also be encouraged by relevant content …

Chapter 12: Perception In Instructional Message Design, Shuree Altantsetseg

Instructional Message Design, Volume 2

This chapter aims to discuss perception from various academic disciplines and its relations and effects on information processing in instructional message design. Improved awareness of this concept assists instructional designers in conveying their message effectively and improves effective instruction in immersive learning environments. In this chapter, Gestalt, neurological, ecological, and computational perspectives and processes on perception are first discussed and followed by applications in instructional message design and instructional design.

Chapter 13: Web Conferencing Best Practices For K-12 Online Teachers, Melissa Hatfield, Miguel Ramlatchan

Instructional Message Design, Volume 2

There is no shortage of online advice on how to use web conferencing applications like Zoom, that allow for real-time audio, video, and content engagement between teachers and students. While much of this advice is based on practitioner experience, a growing number of guides are now based on applied research and theory. This is one of those later guides, presenting best practices based not only on practical experience but on applied research from instructional message design. While not meant to be an all-encompassing treatise on all things Zoom, this chapter does present and encourage the use of Zoom’s functionality to …

Chapter 01: Message Design For Instructional Designers - An Introduction, Miguel Ramlatchan

Instructional Message Design, Volume 2

Instructional message design is the use of learning theories to effectively communicate information using technology. Design is guided by theories including gestalt, cognitive load, multimedia learning, media selection, media attributes, and general communication systems. Our communication designs can be based on a wide variety of technologies or a combination of technologies. Technology in the form of tools and techniques includes, among others, the study and the use of typography, color, illustrations, photographs modeled graphics, augmented reality, animation, video, video games, simulations, and virtual reality. This introduction serves as a brief overview of these theories, tools, and techniques while subsequent chapters …

Chapter 02: Cognitive Load Theory And Instructional Message Design, Elisa L. Shaffer

Instructional Message Design, Volume 2

Cognitive Load Theory’s (CLT) purpose is to aid in the design of messages, instructional and otherwise, so that learning and message retention are more effective. CLT was introduced in 1998 by John Sweller and his colleagues. They used the constructs of three areas of memory, sensory, working, and long-term memory, to develop a theory to address the limited capacity of working memory. Through these efforts, they created the concepts of intrinsic, extraneous , and germane cognitive load and used these concepts to explain how various loads are placed on working memory. The purpose of this chapter is to describe the …

Chapter 03: Multimedia Learning Theory And Instructional Message Design, Miguel Ramlatchan

Instructional Message Design, Volume 2

Multimedia learning theory describes how the designers of instructional messages, systems and learning environments can optimize learning. The principles and heuristics of multimedia learning theory have application in traditional and online environments, with young and adult learners, in K-12, higher education, military, corporate, government, and informal learning environments. This diversity of application is based on the foundational premise that all learners can independently process auditory and visual information, have limited working memory resources, and require cognitive resources to process new information and to learn. This chapter describes the basic tenets of multimedia learning theory, best practices that can improve our …

Chapter 04: Instructional Message Design In Moocs, Marissa A. Jimenez

Instructional Message Design, Volume 2

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are appealing to higher education institutions, as they consider MOOCs a way to reach a large, varied group of students. With a completion rate of less than 10%, however, institutions struggle to maintain MOOCs (Major, 2016). While there is little to no cost for students to enroll in them, the cost for the institution to develop and maintain MOOCs can be high from a time and resource perspective. Improving student motivation and interaction in MOOCs may impact completion rates. Designers of MOOCs could leverage instructional message design strategies to improve social presence, and as a …

Chapter 07. Message Design For Healthcare Simulation, Maria Satre

Instructional Message Design, Volume 2

Simulation is a teaching method that motivates and engages learners (Ifenthaler et al. 2020; Martin & Betrus, 2019), can provide better student performance outcomes compared to traditional classroom education (Chernikova et al. 2020; D’Angleo et al., 2014; Di Natale et al., 2020; Gralnick & Levy, 2011; Pellas et al., 2019), and can even replace some real-world learning experiences (Alexander et al., 2015). Instructional designers who develop healthcare simulations should use relevant learning theory and instructional message design to ensure that the simulation is learner-centered and based in evidence-based practice to maximize the potential for the learning experience.

Chapter 08: Designing With Disabilities In Mind, Brittney Heath

Instructional Message Design, Volume 2

Instructional message designs are everywhere, and not everyone that interacts with the messages do so with ease. We need to begin thinking about those with disabilities while we are creating our designs to make understanding the importance of each message easier for everyone. Some strategies that can be used are: chunking information, using one main theme, and visual supports. This chapter focuses on a few common disabilities that can easily be accommodated: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Specific Learning Disabilities, and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

Chapter 09: Messaging For Performance - Instructional Message Design In Human Performance Technology, Bradley Sanders

Instructional Message Design, Volume 2

Human performance technology (HPT) is the practice of applying systematic models and methods to uncover the causes of systemic performance issues, particularly within organizations. HPT seeks to improve human performance outcomes by placing an emphasis on the investigation of causal factors outside of training and education deficiencies; only looking for those causes after all factors outside of the individual have been exhausted. In these instances, instructional interventions are chosen to close the identified performance gap and improve performance. This chapter defines HPT as a practice and provides the professional foundation of prominent models and methods used to improve performance. In …

Chapter 10: Game Literacy And Message Design, Jim Shifflett

Instructional Message Design, Volume 2

The popularity of video games with today’s learners requires that educators and instructional designers develop game literacy , or an understanding of game mechanics and design. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss game literacy within the context of instructional message design and to illustrate how video game designers apply and adapt principles of instructional message design to manage cognitive load through an immersive experience. These techniques include customizing the screen to display only necessary information and signaling changes in gameplay through sound cues and cinematic perspective. Game mechanics that foster germane load include tutorial missions and interface design. …

Chapter 14: Zoom Conferencing Best Practices For Professional Presentations, Conferences, And Events, Brian Watkins, Miguel Ramlatchan

Instructional Message Design, Volume 2

The adoption and diffusion of online web conferencing has allowed for expanded access to professional seminars, workshops and webinars. However, unlike in-person, face-to-face presentations, delivering a Zoom Meeting or Webinar creates a number of new and different concerns and configuration challenges that are not present in an in-person event. This chapter summarizes instructional message design best practices for Zoom conferencing and serves as a guide for how to set up your computing environment, physical location, presentation, and how to keep your audience engaged. This section of our instructional message design book also presents a guide to planning for the delivering …

Instructional Designers Conducting Professional Learning Using Social Media: A Phenomenological Study Of Their Experiences Through A Self-Regulated Learning Lens, Pauline S. Muljana

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Because the instructional design and technology field is dynamic (Sharif & Cho, 2015; Wang et al., 2021), instructional designers need to pursue continuous, just-in-time professional learning (Carliner, 2018) to improve knowledge, skills, and abilities (Sharif & Cho, 2015; Ritzhaupt & Martin, 2015), without being constrained by location, budget, and time (Muljana et al., 2020; Muljana et al., 2021). On the one hand, the omnipresent social media technologies offer affordances for facilitating this type of professional learning. Such technologies allow instructional designers to reach out to colleagues, search for ready-to-implement strategies, and find relevant, timely information. On the other hand, conducting …