Janet Saman's ePortfolio
Comprehensive Reflection
The San Diego State University (SDSU) ED TEC program was not something I initially chose for myself, I had no intention of going back to school. My department had hired a new Chief Learning Officer and Design Director who had visions of overhauling our entire Learning & Development structure and focus. I was asked by my employer to choose whether or not I wanted to remain an Instructional Designer (as were others). If I did, I would have to work towards my Masters degree, if not…well…I could go back to being a Facilitator, or I could leave. I decided that after 15 years in the training field, I liked being a Designer and wanted to continue in the profession and continue to work for my company. But, I was also upset and a little angry that the choice was being forced upon me in order for me to keep my job. After all, shouldn’t 15 years of experience count for something? I wasn’t seeing the bigger picture yet, or the “what’s in it for me?”.
So, I started the ED TEC program with a slight…well, maybe fairly good sized chip on my shoulder. The first couple of classes I completed didn’t really teach me anything I didn’t already know…or, did they? Without realizing it, I was absorbing and learning, I just didn’t want to admit it. It took a little time, but the chip started to wear away and I finally started to rationalize that the education I was receiving would only benefit me and benefit my clients. Even with all of the on-the-job experience I had, there was certainly room for learning and improvement in my work.
I must admit that the theory part of what we do in Instructional Design was not and still is not my favorite part of the job. Some people thrive on the need to know why and how things are done, while I am always more focused on the design, development and completion of the actual learning product. That being said, I realize that for everything we do in learning, there needs to be a reason and purpose. Without the reason and purpose, the outcome can be incomplete, incorrect, or inappropriate. This can all lead to ineffective training and unprepared learners. So, while I don’t really LOVE all of the theories, principles and models, I do have respect for why they exist and the usefulness they have in our world of Instructional Design.
The ADDIE Model
I confess that I had worked for years doing Instructional Design without knowing or using the ADDIE Model. I had never taken a class or a workshop that taught me how to be an Instructional Designer (ID). Most of my colleagues and I just did what we had to do to create and deliver training. There was no specific thought process or analysis…we just gave the client what they wanted, whether it was what they really needed or not. Sometimes the training was insufficient or ineffective, but we didn’t really know why. We hadn’t asked the right questions or done a thorough analysis to determine the root cause of the problem.
From the first mention of ADDIE in ED TEC 540, I took the diagram of the ADDIE Model and placed it on the wall in my cubicle. I thought to myself, this is simple and yet so powerful – it is the basis for everything in Instructional Design. It reminds me every day, with every project I work on, of the necessity for following a process to deliver the final product. Often, we want to jump right into the design and development and then deliver it without any follow-through afterward. Usually, it is because the client wants and needs training yesterday and there is no time for doing it the right way. But, I (and my colleagues) have learned the hard way, that not doing it the right way has consequences.
It is my job as an Instructional Designer to educate my clients and consult with them to find out the why and how and determine what can be done to correct the problem. Sometimes the answer is training and sometimes it isn’t. Design, development and implementation are important middle steps, but analysis and evaluation are critical to completing the circle. Although there is no documented founder of the ADDIE Model, Leshin, Pollock and Reigeluth in their book, Instructional Design Strategies and Tactics, label the first step in Instructional Design as Analyze the Problem. “Regardless of whether the problem involves a performance deficiency, as may be found in training, or an information deficiency, often found in education, the primary purpose of this step is to help determine whether instruction is an appropriate solution or only part of the solution” (1992).
Analysis determines how and why the rest of the work gets done and evaluation justifies the steps it took to get there - if you did it the right way. I love ADDIE because it gives me a path to follow with my clients and shows them that if a project is conducted properly, the end result is much more successful and rewarding. After years of struggling to achieve recognition and respect as an ID, I feel that I have finally reached the point in my career when my clients look to me for my expertise. I have seen the progression from the client always dictating what they wanted to a point where we collaborate and they ask what I think will work based on the information they are giving me. Sometimes compromises have to be made on both sides, but the final decision is more mutual now than before. Learning about ADDIE has helped shape who I am as an ID and how I partner with my clients.
Writing Performance Objectives
Before ED TEC 540, I began my learning objectives with “Understand”, or “Display”, or “Demonstrate”. Then I learned about the ABCD’s of writing performance objectives. Objectives need to be measurable and attainable - what I had been writing was neither, but no one knew the difference, including me. Learning the proper way to write performance objectives was both challenging and frustrating at times, but also enlightening. It gave me a new way of looking at the training I developed. It wasn’t just about giving the learners the content; it was about making the content relevant to the learners and their job and providing a measurable goal to achieve. Robert Mager says, “When clearly defined objectives are lacking, there is no sound basis for the selection or designing of instructional materials, content, or methods. If you don't know where you are going, it is difficult to select a suitable means for getting there” (Mager, 1997).
My sense is that most adult learners want to be given clear, concise, meaningful information, as well as a reason why they need to know it. By stating objectives that identify the Audience, Behavior, Condition and Degree, learners have clear expectations about what they are responsible for. Writing better performance objectives not only benefits the learners I develop training for, it also benefits the managers of these learners. By providing a measurable goal, the managers can hold the learners accountable for the training content. It gives them a target for identifying what the learners should know upon completing the training.
When I write performance objectives now, there is still the occasional urge to use “Understand” or “Display” or “Demonstrate”, but I remind myself that those words are just fillers. They don’t have meaning in the realm of learning because they don’t address the who, what and how. As an ID, I appreciate the logical nature of the ABCD’s of writing performance objectives. Knowing that I have to answer each one of those questions before my objectives are complete helps me to stay focused.
The use of technology to engage learners
I started in training when all we had were paper manuals, Telex (retrieval only) monitors and paper-based exams. I know that my students were mostly bored to death listening to me lecture to them day after day for the 5 weeks of their new hire training program. And frankly, I got tired of lecturing every day for 5 weeks – I know I must have sounded bored on too many of those days. I didn’t know at the time that it was called “Instructor-led Training” and that there was such a thing as “Computer-based Training”. We started to use some CBT exams in my first company, but it was somewhat experimental.
As time went on and I changed companies, technology started to take off in the training industry. Now it seems like every day there is a new tool to make learning more fun and engaging. At my company we use many tools for learning and development. Captivate allows us to simulate a system or process that our consultants need for their jobs. Lectora helps us to develop online training programs because classroom training is not always “in the budget”. Brainshark is more than just a regular PowerPoint presentation. Global Crossing records systems demonstrations and online meetings so we can have them for playback later on. We use SnagIt to edit screen images, highlight changes and jazz up our instructional memos. In the past couple of years, we have introduced wiki technology to house learning content so consultants have the information they need right at their fingertips. And, our latest research is looking into using gaming software to make learning more fun.
Thanks to the ED TEC program, I have also learned online collaboration tools that I might never have come in contact with otherwise – Blackboard, Wimba, Connect, Moodle, PINOT, Google Docs. Each one has had its own pluses and minuses, but all of these tools have taught me something that I can take back to my every day work.
I love learning new technology – it keeps me in touch with the current trends and it gives my learners something more interesting than the same old routine training day after day. I know I still have a lot to learn, especially in the way of social networking, but I’m sure that day will come too. Sometimes it is hard convincing my clients that we should do something different to keep learners engaged, but the more I learn about what the tools can do for them, the better able I am to address their concerns.
It amazes me every day how technology has changed and how far my career has taken me in just 20 years. The constant progress can be a little overwhelming at times, but I believe that it is important for the future of learning to embrace that progress for the sake of our audience.
Change – My Own and Instructional Design
So I guess I really did learn something in that first class I took - even though I was convinced at the time that I hadn’t. Funny how two out of my three loves stemmed from ED TEC 540. ADDIE and Performance Objectives are part of the foundation of sound Instructional Design. ADDIE is one of the basics of our entire interaction with and development of learning. Each step in the process has a purpose and one cannot be accomplished before the other. Performance objectives are important to the way learners receive and interpret information. New principles, theories and models will come along, but I don’t imagine that these two basic principles will ever go away.
As for new technology in learning, the future is a sea of endless possibilities. As we continue to study how people learn and what makes for an engaging learning experience, we will need to develop and refine the tools we use to teach. These tools will need to continue to become more sophisticated, but at the same time, offer quicker, easier access to learning. The internet has opened up a whole new and different experience in learning that didn’t exist when I first started in training. The use of social media and virtual worlds is just beginning and will provide the next generation of Instructional Designers and learners with more real-life learning experiences.
Remember that chip I told you about? Well, after 4 years in the ED TEC program, I think its finally gone for good. Amazing what a little self-reflection can do for the soul!
References
Leshin, C. B., Pollock, J., & Reigeluth, C. M. (1992). Instructional Design Strategies and Tactics. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Education Technology Publications.
Mager, R. F. (1997). Preparing Instructional Objectives (3rd ed.). Atlanta, GA: CEP Press.
So, I started the ED TEC program with a slight…well, maybe fairly good sized chip on my shoulder. The first couple of classes I completed didn’t really teach me anything I didn’t already know…or, did they? Without realizing it, I was absorbing and learning, I just didn’t want to admit it. It took a little time, but the chip started to wear away and I finally started to rationalize that the education I was receiving would only benefit me and benefit my clients. Even with all of the on-the-job experience I had, there was certainly room for learning and improvement in my work.
I must admit that the theory part of what we do in Instructional Design was not and still is not my favorite part of the job. Some people thrive on the need to know why and how things are done, while I am always more focused on the design, development and completion of the actual learning product. That being said, I realize that for everything we do in learning, there needs to be a reason and purpose. Without the reason and purpose, the outcome can be incomplete, incorrect, or inappropriate. This can all lead to ineffective training and unprepared learners. So, while I don’t really LOVE all of the theories, principles and models, I do have respect for why they exist and the usefulness they have in our world of Instructional Design.
The ADDIE Model
I confess that I had worked for years doing Instructional Design without knowing or using the ADDIE Model. I had never taken a class or a workshop that taught me how to be an Instructional Designer (ID). Most of my colleagues and I just did what we had to do to create and deliver training. There was no specific thought process or analysis…we just gave the client what they wanted, whether it was what they really needed or not. Sometimes the training was insufficient or ineffective, but we didn’t really know why. We hadn’t asked the right questions or done a thorough analysis to determine the root cause of the problem.
From the first mention of ADDIE in ED TEC 540, I took the diagram of the ADDIE Model and placed it on the wall in my cubicle. I thought to myself, this is simple and yet so powerful – it is the basis for everything in Instructional Design. It reminds me every day, with every project I work on, of the necessity for following a process to deliver the final product. Often, we want to jump right into the design and development and then deliver it without any follow-through afterward. Usually, it is because the client wants and needs training yesterday and there is no time for doing it the right way. But, I (and my colleagues) have learned the hard way, that not doing it the right way has consequences.
It is my job as an Instructional Designer to educate my clients and consult with them to find out the why and how and determine what can be done to correct the problem. Sometimes the answer is training and sometimes it isn’t. Design, development and implementation are important middle steps, but analysis and evaluation are critical to completing the circle. Although there is no documented founder of the ADDIE Model, Leshin, Pollock and Reigeluth in their book, Instructional Design Strategies and Tactics, label the first step in Instructional Design as Analyze the Problem. “Regardless of whether the problem involves a performance deficiency, as may be found in training, or an information deficiency, often found in education, the primary purpose of this step is to help determine whether instruction is an appropriate solution or only part of the solution” (1992).
Analysis determines how and why the rest of the work gets done and evaluation justifies the steps it took to get there - if you did it the right way. I love ADDIE because it gives me a path to follow with my clients and shows them that if a project is conducted properly, the end result is much more successful and rewarding. After years of struggling to achieve recognition and respect as an ID, I feel that I have finally reached the point in my career when my clients look to me for my expertise. I have seen the progression from the client always dictating what they wanted to a point where we collaborate and they ask what I think will work based on the information they are giving me. Sometimes compromises have to be made on both sides, but the final decision is more mutual now than before. Learning about ADDIE has helped shape who I am as an ID and how I partner with my clients.
Writing Performance Objectives
Before ED TEC 540, I began my learning objectives with “Understand”, or “Display”, or “Demonstrate”. Then I learned about the ABCD’s of writing performance objectives. Objectives need to be measurable and attainable - what I had been writing was neither, but no one knew the difference, including me. Learning the proper way to write performance objectives was both challenging and frustrating at times, but also enlightening. It gave me a new way of looking at the training I developed. It wasn’t just about giving the learners the content; it was about making the content relevant to the learners and their job and providing a measurable goal to achieve. Robert Mager says, “When clearly defined objectives are lacking, there is no sound basis for the selection or designing of instructional materials, content, or methods. If you don't know where you are going, it is difficult to select a suitable means for getting there” (Mager, 1997).
My sense is that most adult learners want to be given clear, concise, meaningful information, as well as a reason why they need to know it. By stating objectives that identify the Audience, Behavior, Condition and Degree, learners have clear expectations about what they are responsible for. Writing better performance objectives not only benefits the learners I develop training for, it also benefits the managers of these learners. By providing a measurable goal, the managers can hold the learners accountable for the training content. It gives them a target for identifying what the learners should know upon completing the training.
When I write performance objectives now, there is still the occasional urge to use “Understand” or “Display” or “Demonstrate”, but I remind myself that those words are just fillers. They don’t have meaning in the realm of learning because they don’t address the who, what and how. As an ID, I appreciate the logical nature of the ABCD’s of writing performance objectives. Knowing that I have to answer each one of those questions before my objectives are complete helps me to stay focused.
The use of technology to engage learners
I started in training when all we had were paper manuals, Telex (retrieval only) monitors and paper-based exams. I know that my students were mostly bored to death listening to me lecture to them day after day for the 5 weeks of their new hire training program. And frankly, I got tired of lecturing every day for 5 weeks – I know I must have sounded bored on too many of those days. I didn’t know at the time that it was called “Instructor-led Training” and that there was such a thing as “Computer-based Training”. We started to use some CBT exams in my first company, but it was somewhat experimental.
As time went on and I changed companies, technology started to take off in the training industry. Now it seems like every day there is a new tool to make learning more fun and engaging. At my company we use many tools for learning and development. Captivate allows us to simulate a system or process that our consultants need for their jobs. Lectora helps us to develop online training programs because classroom training is not always “in the budget”. Brainshark is more than just a regular PowerPoint presentation. Global Crossing records systems demonstrations and online meetings so we can have them for playback later on. We use SnagIt to edit screen images, highlight changes and jazz up our instructional memos. In the past couple of years, we have introduced wiki technology to house learning content so consultants have the information they need right at their fingertips. And, our latest research is looking into using gaming software to make learning more fun.
Thanks to the ED TEC program, I have also learned online collaboration tools that I might never have come in contact with otherwise – Blackboard, Wimba, Connect, Moodle, PINOT, Google Docs. Each one has had its own pluses and minuses, but all of these tools have taught me something that I can take back to my every day work.
I love learning new technology – it keeps me in touch with the current trends and it gives my learners something more interesting than the same old routine training day after day. I know I still have a lot to learn, especially in the way of social networking, but I’m sure that day will come too. Sometimes it is hard convincing my clients that we should do something different to keep learners engaged, but the more I learn about what the tools can do for them, the better able I am to address their concerns.
It amazes me every day how technology has changed and how far my career has taken me in just 20 years. The constant progress can be a little overwhelming at times, but I believe that it is important for the future of learning to embrace that progress for the sake of our audience.
Change – My Own and Instructional Design
So I guess I really did learn something in that first class I took - even though I was convinced at the time that I hadn’t. Funny how two out of my three loves stemmed from ED TEC 540. ADDIE and Performance Objectives are part of the foundation of sound Instructional Design. ADDIE is one of the basics of our entire interaction with and development of learning. Each step in the process has a purpose and one cannot be accomplished before the other. Performance objectives are important to the way learners receive and interpret information. New principles, theories and models will come along, but I don’t imagine that these two basic principles will ever go away.
As for new technology in learning, the future is a sea of endless possibilities. As we continue to study how people learn and what makes for an engaging learning experience, we will need to develop and refine the tools we use to teach. These tools will need to continue to become more sophisticated, but at the same time, offer quicker, easier access to learning. The internet has opened up a whole new and different experience in learning that didn’t exist when I first started in training. The use of social media and virtual worlds is just beginning and will provide the next generation of Instructional Designers and learners with more real-life learning experiences.
Remember that chip I told you about? Well, after 4 years in the ED TEC program, I think its finally gone for good. Amazing what a little self-reflection can do for the soul!
References
Leshin, C. B., Pollock, J., & Reigeluth, C. M. (1992). Instructional Design Strategies and Tactics. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Education Technology Publications.
Mager, R. F. (1997). Preparing Instructional Objectives (3rd ed.). Atlanta, GA: CEP Press.
Copyright © 2010 by Janet L. Saman for the Department of Educational Technology at San Diego State University. All Rights Reserved.
