My name is Elne and I am a classic example of the accidental Instructional Designer.
I’ve been designing and developing online learning experiences for most of my career, never realizing that there was a name for what I was doing. Then I ‘discovered’ Instructional Design and realized that this is exactly what I have been doing for years! I decided to make it official and completed my M.Ed. in Learning, Design & Technology, Instructional Design and Development at the University of Georgia in 2021. Go Bulldogs!
“To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination.
It means to know where you're going so that you better understand where you are now and
so that the steps you take are always in the right direction.” (Covey, 2004, p.98)
As a learning experience designer, I recognize that education and training are always changing, and thus, one must be flexible and fluent in the field. I am a lifelong learner - a quality that is essential to the field of Instructional Design.
By utilizing knowledge of Instructional Design models and processes, I am able to identify those components, make decisions and adapt guidelines to every unique context that I am faced with. I wholeheartedly agree with Clark & Mayer (2016, p.392) “that a variety of factors shape e-learning decisions, including the desired outcome of the training, the culture of the organization sponsoring the training, the technological constraints of the platforms and networks available to the learners and pragmatic issues related to politics, time and budget.” Only, I believe this is not limited to e-learning but, in fact, applicable to Instructional Design as well.
In my opinion, the Instructional Design process is informed by:
An understanding of learning theories and models;
Situational Assessment (learner analysis, educational goal, performance assessment);
Instructional Strategies; and
Continuous evaluation to identify areas for improvement.
The acquisition of the following instructional design tools, resources and research have influenced my design acumen:
The TPACK framework guides my design as I recognise that effective teaching and training depends on an understanding of the different domains of knowledge of pedagogy, knowledge of content, and, increasingly, knowledge of technology. (Koehler et al., 2013)
Bloom’s revised taxonomy for learning (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001), provides a hierarchy of learning objectives in the cognitive domain to help guide the design of tasks.
ADDIE as a blueprint for an Instructional Design process and project management.
Incorporating backward design allows for defined learning goals that provide a clear picture of what learners should get out of learning activities. (Bowen, 2017)
Applying the Design Thinking methodology to help with truly understanding situations and iteratively exploring creative solutions to learning.
Ultimately, I strive to bring about positive change in the world by applying my knowledge and exploring appropriate technologies, models and theories to produce the best possible learning experiences and to ensure that true acquisition of knowledge and skills takes place.
I am married to my best friend and I am a mother of two girls and one boy.
I enjoy:
Painting (though it is hard to find time for that with young, curious children),
Spending time with family which often also leads to playing board games, and
Reading fantasy books with a glass of good wine.
I live for the challenge of solving problems people face and finding solutions that leverage modern learning experiences in order to help people reach their full potential. I am confident that my experience and design thinking approach will contribute to any organization I can feel passionate about.