robcarson

[robcarson]

12.4.1 Mastery: Review

How has each course contributed to your personal and professional development as an instructional designer?

01   Mastery: This course used the paths of people that are considered to be masters in their fields to illustrate the journey that I must take to become a master in Instructional Design and Technology.

02   Strategies for Learner Engagement: This class taught me how to use Adobe Illustrator which I now use on a regular basis for my career.

03   Visual and Verbal Communication in Instructional Design: This class taught me how to turn data into a visually dynamic graphic.

04   Corporate Training and Motivational Development: This class taught me how to tailor a presentation towards a specific audience.

05   Instructional Design and Evaluation: This class taught me how to work remotely with a group to create a project for a client.

06   Digital Media and Learning Applications: This class taught me to evaluate the quality of an assessment.

07   Music and Audio for Instructional Design: This class taught me how to edit audio. I have used the skills that I obtained from this class repeatedly in my professional, educational, and personal life ever since I completed this class.

08   Filmmaking Principles for Instructional Design: This class taught me the value of storyboarding. I have adopted the skills that I learned in this class to create numerous presentations in both my professional and educational life.

09   Game Strategies and Motivation: This class taught me the difference between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. I use this to learn about my audience so that I can determine the best way to engage with them.

10   Learning Management Systems and Organization: This class taught me about online platforms that educators can use to construct lessons for remote learners. I frequently teach classes for learners that are spread out geographically. The platforms that we learned about will be helpful when I teach my next class of this nature.

11   Media Asset Creation: This class taught me how to create a lesson with multiple parts in a short period of time.

12   Final Instructional Design and Technology Project: This class taught me how to present my work to future employers.

How well were you able to utilize the concepts and techniques you learned from the program (theories, systems design, interface styling, and the creation of multimedia content) as you designed, developed, and implemented your Final Project?

I decided to use my Final Project as an opportunity to revisit some of my favorite projects that I have worked on over the past year. The project consisted of three assets an interactive infographic, an instructional video, and an educational game. During month six, I discovered a new interest in coding. This was something that we worked on for a month and then never revisited. I decided to use my Final Project as an opportunity to create a game with the coding skills that I learned. During month two of this program, I learned how to use Adobe Illustrator and how to create pop-up layers with Adobe Acrobat. The Adobe Illustrator skills that I learned can be seen in all three of my projects and I used pop-up’s in my interactive infographic. Months seven and eight were dedicated to audio and film making. I used my experience with GarageBand for the audio on my instructional video and educational game. The filmmaking class taught me about story boarding, editing, and camera angles which I also used on my instructional video and educational game.

Describe your most outstanding personal triumph in each course.

01   Mastery: The paper that I wrote for this class helped me visualize the paths that people take to mastery. Prior to this paper, I had not written a paper for a class in several years. Writing this paper proved to me, that I could accomplish my goal of successfully completing the Instructional Design and Technology program.

02   Strategies for Learner Engagement: This class introduced me to Adobe Illustrator. Several of the skills that I learned with Illustrator translate to multiple Adobe applications. A specific triumph for me was learning the value of layering.

03   Visual and Verbal Communication in Instructional Design: I took data from a spreadsheet and turned it into a visual chart on an infographic. Later in the course, I took the same data and turned it into a pie chart. In an effort to push myself, I cut a hole in the middle of the pie chart and then I turned it into a three-dimensional donut chart.

04   Corporate Training and Motivational Development: Learning how to use green screen technology and incorporate graphics into a video was very rewarding. I struggled early on but the results drastically improved with each version of my project.

05   Instructional Design and Evaluation: Reading about the evolution of educational technology provided me with valuable perspective. Knowing the history of my chosen profession will help me picture the future.

06   Digital Media and Learning Applications: During this class, I discovered that I enjoy coding. There are similarities between coding and Microsoft Excel formulas. Excel is an application that I am extremely familiar with. The successful completion of my coding project was a very fulfilling experience.

07   Music and Audio for Instructional Design: I lean heavily on the GarageBand skills that I learned in the course every day. They have influenced projects that I created in every subsequent course, I have used them with my professional projects, and I have accepted a position as the producer of an internet radio show.

08   Filmmaking Principles for Instructional Design: This class taught me the value of storyboarding. I created a storyboard for a video that helped me organize the work that needed to be done and maximized the time that I had to shoot my video.

09   Game Strategies and Motivation: I am a fan of ghost tours. This class provided me with an opportunity to combine my personal interest in ghost tours with my educational interest in educational technology. I created a game that uses the paranormal to teach learners about local history.

10   Learning Management Systems and Organization: I am a financial aid trainer. This class provided me with the opportunity to combine my professional background in financial aid with my educational interest in educational technology. I created a digital lesson about the Florida Bright Futures scholarship.

11   Media Asset Creation: Our final project taught me to think on my feet. Prior to this class, I worked one major project every month. This class required me to create three projects in three weeks.

12   Final Instructional Design and Technology Project: I used my interest in minimalism to create a series of project covers for my portfolio. These covers create a theme of cohesion that connects all of my projects.

[robcarson]

11.3.2 Mastery: Review

Last month, I created a lesson on the 2017-2018 Florida Bright Futures Scholarship using the Canvas Learning Management System. The intended audience for this lesson is new employees in a college financial aid department. Its purpose is to establish the unique criteria of eligibility and disbursement for the 2017-2018 Florida Bright Futures scholarship. Upon completion of the lesson, learners will be able to define the types of 2017-2018 Florida Bright Futures scholarships, identify the terms of 2017-2018 Florida Bright Futures scholarship eligibility, and explain when the 2017-2018 Florida Bright Futures scholarship will be disbursed.

Reflect: I recently celebrated my nine-year anniversary at Full Sail University where I am a trainer for the financial aid department. The 2017-2018 Florida Bright Futures Scholarship is a subject that I teach in my class. Several of the supplemental documents that I used in the lesson are documents that I currently use in the class that I teach. The inclusion of these preexisting documents provided me with additional time that I could dedicate to the creation of the learning management system. My prior experience with the subject matter instilled a significant amount of confidence that extended throughout the entire month.

Inquire: I would like to create additional learning management systems using different platforms to master the material. For this project, I used the Canvas platform. My classmates used Schoology and Edmodo. While I did review my classmate’s projects, my creative experience exists solely within the scope of the Canvas platform. In order for me to master the material, I would need to be able to gather experience with multiple platforms so that I can appraise the benefits of each firsthand.

Suggest: If I had more time, I would add background music to the video that I created for my project. The music would be included to establish the tone of the video. My preference would be for a song with a prominent synthesizer section. This song should emanate a technology theme that corresponds to the virtual classroom style of the learning management system.

Elevate: My professor liked my project so much that he said, “Your work makes me very happy you work at Full Sail.  I hope you show this video and LMS to your boss and use it in class.  This work is worthy of application and worthy of recognizing you for a job well done.” While I am unsure as to how I can incorporate the learning managment system into my regular class, there are times when I teach my course to financial aid administrators that work for other colleges. When I teach these classes to other schools, I teach remotely. The learning management systems that we learned about last month would be improve my ability to teach classes to people that are not physically present. I can assign a lesson using a learning management system to the class as homework. 

Video: https://youtu.be/7UrCGl6Cok0

Course: https://canvas.instructure.com/courses/1214888?invitation=RZju28CgtlWOB1sKDVx1b8h36IlquTT7G5U9o4SY

Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RNLRCSR

This is a screenshot from the video that I made for this project

This is a screenshot of the course

This is a screenshot of the survey that I created for the project

[robcarson]

10.4.1 Mastery: Reflection

Should instructional designers be required to be industry certified to practice in the profession? Why or why not?

Anyone can write and self-publish a book. However, not every book is considered high quality literature. This applies to the creation of instructional materials. According to Dempsey and Van Eck, “In the big picture, organizing information and procedures has become more associated with essential production and less with nice to have service” (Dempsey & Van Eck, 2012, p. 286). If production is essential then those that value education should set high standards for their instructional materials. Mandating certification should ensure that designers possess the skills to create high quality instructional materials for their clients.

Teachers are experienced and knowledgeable in the areas that they teach and the art of instruction. Creating instructional materials often requires a different skill set. According to Gérin-Lajoie, “Beyond the educational challenges influenced by traditional teaching methods used in university settings, it is also important to highlight the challenges related to technological, communication, and interpersonal relations that must be faced” (Gérin-Lajoie, 2015, p. 28). Being able to explain the significance of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird does not require knowledge of Adobe Illustrator. While some educators will have experience with various systems that Instructional Designers use, requiring certification will ensure that the instructional materials are being created by someone whose education was focused on the creation of instructional materials.

Explain why continuing education in instructional design and technology is important, and how you plan to continue to develop your technical skills to remain competitive in the field.

We do not teach algebra with an abacus because calculators are more efficient. Technology is being incorporated into the workforce at an increasing rate; therefore, exposing students to technology at an early age will prepare them for what they will see in the future. According to Hurn, “Information is exchanged and interpreted extremely quickly and in ways that were not imagined 10 years ago” (Hurn, 2012, p. 35). Asking someone to switch from an abacus to Excel formulas is time consuming and inefficient. By familiarizing students with technology, we will provide them with relevant knowledge that will aid their transition into the workforce. Instructional design and technology is important because it offers educators a means to engage students while preparing them for the future.

I plan to continue developing my technical skills by pushing myself to create educational materials with the most advanced technology available to me. If I define a comfort zone, then I will eventually default to what I already know and cease expanding my repertoire. My philosophy is that if I can dream it, I can find a way to make it. YouTube and Lynda.com are resources that I have used in the past to learn and I will continue to use these resources in the future.

Considering how quickly eLearning theories and practices have evolved, and in anticipating more changes in the future, how will you ensure that you as an instructional design professional will keep abreast of future changes?

Ensuring that I can keep abreast of future changes in the instructional design and technology industry is no simple task. According to Dempsey and Van Eck, “Developments in technology are constantly upping the ante. How do we expect our skills to stay current without continuous training?” (Dempsey & Van Eck, 2012, p. 286). The best way to remain up to date with technology advancements is through practice. Even though continuous training is not always available to me, I have ample opportunities at work to experiment with future changes in the instructional design and technology spectrum.

How fast does technology evolve? According to Church and Burke, “The best analogy today might be Moore’s Law from the world of semiconductors. It is the assertion that advancements in technology double every 18–24 months” (Church & Burke, 2017, p. 14). Within that time span, I will be able to ensure that I am abreast of changes primarily through social media. Instructional designers frequently post samples of their work through sites such as LinkedIn and SlideShare. I follow several industry leaders on social media and I read articles pertaining to advancements in instructional design and technology on these sites as well.

References

Church, A. H., & Burke, W. W. (2017). Four trends shaping the future of organizations and organization development. OD Practitioner, 49(3), 14-22. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.oclc.fullsail.edu:81/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=18&sid=a8175dca-1350-445c-87bd-4a025589da11%40sessionmgr120

Dempsey, J.V., & Van Eck, R. N. (2012). E-learning and instructional design. In R. A. Reiser, & J. V. Dempsey (Eds.), Trends and issues in instructional design and technology (3rd ed.) (pp. 281-289). Boston, MA: Pearson

Gérin-Lajoie, S. (2015). Being an instructional designer: A job requiring innovation and trust. Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, 41(4). doi:10.21432/t2hw44

Hurn, K. (2012). The impact of social software in product design higher education. Design and Technology Education, 17(2), 35-48. Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com.oclc.fullsail.edu:81/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=46&sid=54666620-31ee-45ea-8ab0-d87c4c6b5cb1%40sessionmgr4007

[robcarson]

9.3.4 Mastery: Reflection

Last month I took a course on Filmmaking Principles for Instructional Design. We learned how to create instructional videos from creating storyboards through final editing of the finished video. The video that I created teaches hobbyists how to start a window herb garden. After watching this video, the viewer will be able to identify the materials that are needed, duplicate the step-by-step instructions, and construct a window herb garden.

This is my reflection on Filmmaking Principles for Instructional Design.

Reflect: I began this project with a desire to highlight the star of the video which is the materials. All of the shots were designed to glorify the materials within the video. The slow-motion effect that I used with the potting soil and the seeds accomplished this vision. Gardens are stationary by nature; therefore, I wanted to add something special to enhance the moments of motion in the video. By adding the slow-motion effect, I was able to dramatize the pouring of potting soil and seeds by stretching their time on the screen. The element of the video that I feel did not work was the frying pan. Dr. Wyly mentioned that I should find a new pan because the one that I had looked used. I felt that the used look of the frying pan added a hint of realism to the video. In retrospect, I should have sacrificed realism for aesthetics and used a newer frying pan.

Inquire: I would like to learn more about the positioning and mobility of cameras in the filming process. Originally, I planned to incorporate several shots that zoomed in and out of the subject. As I began filming, I realized the difficulty with maintaining focus when the camera is zooming. There are several YouTube videos that I can watch to increase my knowledge of the subject.

Suggest: My sound effects did not create the atmosphere that I intended. If I had more time, I would begin by adding more sound effects to create an ambiance.  In her feedback, Dr. Wyly informed me that my sound effects were too loud. After adding additional sound effects, I would adjust the volumes levels to create a realistic feel.

Elevate: One element that I feel is missing from the video is me. All of the shots focus on the materials that I used to create the window herb garden. In the future, I will attempt to film a few seconds of me talking to the camera to bring a human element to the video. The end product could use a few seconds of me speaking as both an introduction and a conclusion to increase the video’s engagement with the audience.

This is the storyboard for the first scene

This is the storyboard for the fifth scene

How to Start a Window Herb Garden (Full Video)

[robcarson]

8.3.1 Mastery Reflection

Last month, I took a course on Visual and Verbal Communication in Instructional Design. We used Apple GarageBand to record, edit, and produce audio centric projects. Our first project was an audio version of a Grimm’s Fairy Tale. I chose Hansel & Gretel because I wanted to focus on the horror themes of the story. The story has child abandonment, the destruction of property, and cannibalism.  

Our second project was an advertisement for the Pioneer Village at Shingle Creek. This project required me to review a silent video about a collection of authentic structures intended to provide visitors with a glimpse of what life used to be like in early Florida history. I wrote narration for the video based on provided documents, selected music, and recorded engaging narration. The following is my self-reflection on the Visual and Verbal Communication in Instructional Design course.

Reflect: Working on the Grimm’s Fairy Tale project was a wonderful experience. One of my favorite writers, Neil Gaiman, wrote a version of Hansel and Gretel in 2014. This knowledge did influence my decision when I selected Hansel and Gretel as the story for my project. I wanted to create a scary version of the story through voice acting, sound effects, and music. The voices that I used turned out nicely. My personal favorite was the voice that I used for the mother. She only has a few lines but I chose to use my Helena from Orphan Black impression for her voice. According to my professor, my biggest issue was recording volume. The waves of the vocal tracks on GarageBand were very small resulting in my need to increase the volume to compensate. Increasing the volume raises the level of my voice but it also raises the level of unwanted background noise. In the future, I will move closer to the microphone and speak in a louder voice.

Inquire: I need to learn more about the EQ Controls and Settings on Apple GarageBand. Initially I felt that if I raised the middle ranges of my voice while dropping the highs and lows on the EQ Settings that I would be highlighting the best part. During a conversation with my professor, I discovered that cutting the highs and lows produces a tin quality which invalidates the high-quality microphone that I used. In the future, I will grab each individual setting and scroll through the ranges until I find the EQ Setting that best suits my project.

Suggest: If I had more time, I would have added more sound effects to the Pioneer Village project. The sound effects that I used on the Grimm project played a crucial role in setting the mood. I do not feel that the mood in my Pioneer Village was as clear as the mood in the Grimm project. My professor stated that he had a difficult time hearing the native American chant that I used in Pioneer Village. I was afraid that if I raised the volume for the music and sound effects that it would overpower the narration. In the future, I will play my project for an impartial audience for feedback on volume levels prior to submission.

Elevate:

My career in education will require me to provide lectures on various topics. The skills that I learned in the Visual and Verbal Communication in Instructional Design course will elevate the engagement level of those lectures resulting in a higher retention rate. Depending on the topic, I now know how to edit the narration to remove unwanted noise, add sound effects for emphasis, and incorporate relevant music to set the mood. As I continue to practice these skills, my expertise will increase through experience.

Apple GarageBand file for the Grimms Fairy Tale Project

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyLdpaUs6Fs

Title screen for Pioneer Village at Shingle Creek

https://youtu.be/orA-5SjhFHQ

[robcarson]

7.3.2 Mastery Reflection

Last month, I took a course on Digital Media and Learning Applications. This course introduced me to the world of coding. We used HTML, JavaScript, and Brackets to create an interactive quiz. The subject matter of my quiz was the planet GJ 436b. Ideally. students would take this quiz after watching the accompanying video which was created by NASA. The following is my self-reflection on Digital Media and Learning Applications.

Reflect: I began this course with no prior experience in coding. It did not take long for me to discover that I really enjoy using code to create projects.  My newfound interest energized my performance. I embraced each phase of the project enthusiastically.

Inquire: After graduation, I would like to research more information on coding. Last month’s assignment was introductory. We spent the first two weeks following step-by-step directions from a Lynda.com video. The second two weeks were dedicated to personalizing the work that we did during the first two weeks. I want to gain an understanding of the vocabulary beyond an introductory level. There are several books that are available through the library that can aid me with my research.

Suggest: If I had more time to work on last month’s project, I would change the responses that student receive indicating a correct or incorrect answer. Currently, correct answers are indicated with an image of the planet GJ 436b. Incorrect answers are indicated with a blue circle. I am happy with the planet but I want to change the blue dot. An updated version would use a gaseous cloud to indicate incorrect answers.

Elevate: In the future, I will enter into similar projects with the prior knowledge that I obtained through last month’s project. This experience will increase my speed of production providing me with more time to be creative. I want to see how animated I can make a project. After working on last month’s project, I know that I will seek out future opportunities to do similar projects in the future.

My instructor consistently praised my coding ability. His primary constructive feedback was, “Be sure to always proof before you post, looking for punctuation, grammatical and spelling errors.” My focus was on the coding which detracted from the questions within the quiz. In the future, I will spend extra time proofreading my work prior to submission.

This is the welcome screen. Students will be asked five questions to evaluate their knowledge of GJ 436b.

This is a multiple-choice question with four options to choose from. After an answer is selected, the quiz will indicate whether the answer was right or wrong. Additional information is provided with each question.

This is a multiple-choice question with five images presented as possible answers.

Upon completion of the quiz, it provides students with their overall answer. An option to brag about the results is available through email and Twitter.

This is a sample of the code that I used to create my project.

[robcarson]

6.3.1 Mastery Journal Reflection

This month, I will reflect on my experience in the Instructional Design and Evaluation course that I took last month.

Reflect: Last month, I was assigned a group project. Prior to this project, my interaction with my classmates was limited to occasional conversations via Facebook and weekly one hour GoToTraining sessions. As I began the project, I was vaguely familiar with my classmates. By the end of the project, I feel as though we bonded and our communication amongst ourselves has increased considerably as a result.

Inquire: My experience in presentation creation is limited to PowerPoint. I have created one presentation for my program using Keynote but that was not enough of an exposure to the product to consider myself knowledgeable. I would like to learn more about the features of Keynote so that I can improve my ability to create interactive presentations. As I create more Keynote presentations, I will naturally learn new things through trial and error. There are several videos on Lynda.com that I can watch that will speed up the experience process for me.

Suggest: I was the Project Sponsor, Subject Matter Expert, and Co-Writer for my team. If I had more time, I would like to have spent more time on the script and the text on the slides. They turned out nice, but I think that with more time, I could improve them significantly. Our goal was to create an interactive presentation for the fictitious Carson College. This presentation entailed reducing the number of initial FAFSA errors by 50% over the course of a year. I work in financial aid. With more time, I could have used some of my colleagues as a test audience to fine tune the script.

Elevate: My roles on last month’s project were text based. If I were to undertake a similar project in the future, I would like to assume a design based role. This would provide me with a well-rounded experience in this type of project having already worked on text. In an effort to expand my repertoire, I want to try and serve in every role that I can on design projects. Therefore, I want to try roles that I have not filled in prior projects.

[robcarson]

5.4.1 Week 4 Discussion: Mastery Journal Reflection

What did you learn from the reading assignment about the field of instructional design that you were not previously aware of?

I have been a corporate trainer at a college for several years. During that time, I have worked with various schools but it was always at the request of the college where I work. This opportunity provided me with a perspective of internal instructional design. Until this month, I had never put much thought into external instructional design. According to Tracey and Morrison, “Approximately 40 percent of the $134.39 billion training expenditure was spent on external designers resulting in a decrease in the number of instructional designers directly employed by the client organizations” (Tracey & Morrison, 2012, p. 178). This statistic provided me with a new perspective of my chosen profession. External instructional designers may be cost efficient partially because they work on a contract. However, I feel as though internal instructional designers are more familiar with their client’s needs. Therefore, this statistic does not account for the non-monetary value of internal instructional designers.

Over the course of the last few weeks, I have worked on a design project with people that are spread out across the country. This was a first for me. Until recently, I have worked with a design team that shares an office. My recent experience enlightened me to the challenges of virtual team work. According to Tracey and Morrison, “The challenges of today’s virtual team is working together across numerous time zones and on similar workdays for the various locations as instructional designers now find themselves working in extremely diverse cultures across the globe” (Tracey & Morrison, 2012, p. 180). Virtual teamwork requires an openness to scheduling your day around other people’s availability. This concept directly translates to the work industry because as a designer, you should be willing to adopt a schedule that compliments your client’s availability.

I am a fan of the simplicity of minimalism. My appreciation for the style influences my approach to projects. While minimalism is a popular concept, it does not appeal to everyone. According to Tracey and Morrison, “It is important that instructional designers and the organizations they work in identify their philosophical and theoretical beliefs will ultimately guide them” (Tracey & Morrison, 2012, p. 181). I have a vast amount of control over the end product of the lessons that I design. At this time, my philosophical and theoretical beliefs have not been an issue. If I were to attempt to branch out, I would need to be prepared to come across a client that does not see things the way that I do.

If creativity in instructional design refers to the use of special human talents and imagination in generating original ideas, how did you use your creativity to expand your work beyond the limitations imposed in this month’s design projects?

This month I went out of my way to provide support to my team. As the project sponsor, I wanted to use this opportunity to encourage and advise my team. I stepped in where I was needed and offered feedback at every phase of the project. My feedback was my primary vehicle for creativity. I pushed my limitations by describing the things that I would traditionally create.

I also created various posters about the theory and models of instructional design. These posters provided me with an opportunity to test my abilities by making each poster unique. My first set of posters were similar in design but the proceeding posters were as different from each other as I could make them. I am particularly proud of my final poster primarily because it began as a sketch and evolved into a delightful poster.

List at least 3 main takeaways from this course and how they may apply to your monthly milestone and long-term goals. How will you use what you have learned in this course to continue to learn and improve your work as an instructional designer?

1. This month provided me with the opportunity to collaborate with a geographically diverse group. Working with a group applies to my long-term goals by providing me with an opportunity to collaborate with my peers to improve my skills as a designer. As an instructional designer, this is a situation that I will likely see frequently throughout my career.

2. The number one goal that I assigned myself for this month when I was in the Mastery course, was, “I want to learn the fundamentals of design.” I successfully accomplished this goal through the creation of various posters with a theory and model theme. In the future, I will use the concepts that I learned as I created these posters to improve my ability to design exceptional instructional materials.

3. One of my favorite parts of this course was the opportunity to review and critique the work of my peers. We used a portion of our weekly GoToTraining sessions for this purpose. Participating in these peer reviews provided me with experience that I can bring to future peer reviews.

References

Tracey, M.W., & Morrison, G. R. (2012). Instructional design in business and industry. In R. A. Reiser, & J. V. Dempsey (Eds.), Trends and issues in instructional design and technology (3rd ed.) (pp. 178-186). Boston, MA: Pearson

[robcarson]

Corporate Training and Motivational Development

What does Kolovou discuss and/or demonstrate that you could have applied to improve your presentations during this course?

I am a mobile speaker. It takes a deep level of concentration and self-control to minimize my natural inclination to walk around the room when I talk. According to Kolovou (2014), “Professional speakers often refer to the speaker’s triangle, a movement space that allows them to walk and plant while making important points” (Smart use of space, 2:45). Because my video was framed in a manner to only show me from my elbows up, I could have placed a small rug on the floor without anyone noticing. The rug could serve as the physical embodiment of the speaker’s triangle. As long as I am conscious of my position on the rug, I could be confident that my body will not become a distraction.

Because I know that I like to move around when I speak, I imagined an invisible bubble what isolated my hand movements.  This allowed me to use my hands in a natural manner that would not intrude on my graphics. According to Kolovou (2014), “Just don't be like some speakers I have seen who constantly wave their hands in the air as if they're parking a plane on the tarmac” (Gestures that engage, 0:21). I do not feel like I over use my hand gestures; however, I can get overenthusiastic and moves my hands into an area that blocks the graphic without realizing what I have done until after the fact. When I recorded my video, I had a general idea of the final product, but I was not sure how my vision would look in reality. If I were to reshoot my video, my knowledge how my graphics are placed would inspire me to interact with them more through the use of my hands.

Peers have told me that I am at my best as a speaker when I improvise. I memorized specific story points in advance but I did not memorize all of the specifications of the cars. As an aid, I wrote what I needed for each car on a portable white board which I placed next to the camera. This resulted in occasional glances off camera which I am not proud of in my video. According to Kolovou (2014), “For you, as a speaker, eye contact is your most powerful non-verbal” (Strategic eye contact, 2:18). Now that I have more experience, I am confident enough to know that I can record the story sections and the specifications separately. My skills are good enough to splice the separate sections together seamlessly. This would drastically improve my video because I use a full screen graphic when I discuss the specifications; therefore, there is no reason for me to look off camera. I can just read a sheet of paper in my hand because you cannot see me. This would improve my eye contact which would improve my non-verbal communication.

My script is strong but there is always room for improvement. The median age of the people in the Seaside community is slightly older than me which implies that we are likely to be going through similar things in our lives. This inspired me to talk about my children and how my needs have changed as my kids moved out of the house. According to Kolovou (2014), “In order to follow logical appeal, I invite you to always connect the dots that thread from the opening back to the close” (Opening and closing strongly, 0:14). I mention my family several times in the beginning but I think that reminding my audience why these cars appeal to my needs as a family man at the end could strengthen my closing statement.

Referring to the readings from your books, what key factors would the graphics in your presentations address in communicating the data/information effectively?

I only have three minutes to convey my message to the Seaside community. In order for me to work within those parameters, I segmented the graphics to emphasize my points.  According to Peters (2014), “Instructional designers are well acquainted with the notion of segmenting, or chunking, the idea that learning content should be broken into manageable parts that the learner can process one at a time” (Strategies to promote visual learning, para. 8). When I talk about my children. I display images of my children. When I talk about my old van, I show the audience a picture of a van. When I talk about my children’s soccer practice, I put a soccer ball on the screen. This helps the audience visualize my points in an engaging manner.

There are 23 images in my 2:59 presentation. That averages out to one image for every eight seconds. The high use of imagery is intended to produce an energetic presentation. The story of my family is designed to create empathy. According to Clark and Mayer, “Since workforce learning topics often tend to be dry, adding interesting stories and visuals may appeal to the younger generation raised on high-end media” (Clark & Mayer, 2012, p. 316). My story alone is designed to connect me with people my age. I use my story as a family man in conjunction with strategic imagery to appeal to the younger generation. The end result is a presentation that can appeal to a mass audience.

When I began planning the layout of my video, I knew that I wanted a graphic that provides the specifications of the cars. The graphics that I created turned out so nice that I wanted to highlight them by using them as full screen images. This meant that I would have to use audio over the image to ensure that my message was clear. According to Clark and Mayer, “When pictures are explained by words in audio format, the information is divided between the audio and the visual channels of working memory and in that way optimizes the capacity limits of working memory” (Clark & Mayer, 2012, p. 317). The full screen looks great and the audio narration eases the cognitive load of my audience so that they can relax and envision themselves driving a nice new car.

List at least 3 main takeaways from this course and how they may apply to your long-term goals. How will you use what you have learned in this course in your work as an instructional designer?

When I began this project, I had no experience in any capacity with creating a green screen video. My lack of knowledge motivated me to slow down and focus on the individual tasks so that I can try to absorb all of the new information. In the end, I survived. Green screen videos are awesome. The experience that I gained this month through slow practice will stay with me forever. One aspect of my current position requires me to create training materials that veterans can use at their own leisure. Green screen videos are perfect for self-study. My ultimate goal is to become a college professor, and green screen videos will help me create engaging lessons for potential online study assignments.

I used Adobe Premiere to create my video. Over the last three weeks, I have recreated my entire video countless times when I needed to update something. The reasoning behind this was to gain additional experience with the product. As a result, my confidence with editing a video on Adobe Premiere is very high now that I have created several versions of the same video. Adobe Premiere is great for green screen but it has other uses as well. Once a year, my colleagues and I create a massive PowerPoint presentation that we provide to our entire department. I now have the skill level to where I can upload a recorded version of my presentation and toggle the visuals back and forth between the speaker and full screen images of the slides. I can also use this in the long term to turn lectures into engaging videos with intriguing visuals.

While this was my first time recording a green screen video, it was also my first time creating a video with lighting as a key factor. I have created several GoToTraining sessions for my department but lighting was never a consideration. I guess that it is one of those things that you do not think about until you see the difference that quality lighting makes. My professional goals current and future, will require the creation of countless video lessons. The lighting experience and knowledge that I gained this moth will improve all of my future projects.

References

Clark, R.C., & Mayer, R. E. (2012). Using rich media wisely. In R. A. Reiser, & J. V. Dempsey (Eds.), Trends and issues in instructional design and technology (3rd ed.) (pp. 309-320). Boston, MA: Pearson

Kolovou, T. (2014, May 12). Presentation Fundamentals[Lynda.com online course]. Retrieved from http://www.lynda.com/tutorial/151544?org=fullsail.edu

Peters, D. (2014). Interface design for learning: Design strategies for learning experiences. San Francisco, CA: New Riders. Retrieved from http://ce.safaribooksonline.com/book/web-design-and-development/9780133365481

[robcarson]

3.4.1 Week 4 Discussion

What projected events on your timeline did you achieve this month?

As a part of the first class that I took on my mastery journey, I assigned three goals for each of the classes in my program. This month I took a class on Visual and Verbal Communication. My goals for this class were: I want to learn how to create a narrative with images, I want to learn more about how people perceive color and the effects color has on human psychology, and I want to learn the benefits of one font versus a separate font regarding digital media versus print media. Through our discussions and projects, I feel as though I have accomplished each of the goals that I set for this month.

Earlier in the month we created an infographic which evolved into an interactive presentation as the month progressed. The infographic as an individual entity contains a narrative that is told through visual data elements. My personal favorite part of creating the infographic was the scalable wind turbines. Later in the course, we added a recorded audio narrative to the infographic. Clark and Mayer said, “When pictures are explained by words in an audio format, the information is divided between the audio and the visual channels of working memory” (Reiser & Dempsey, 2012, p. 317). This lesson taught me that by appealing to two senses, visual and auditory, we reduce the cognitive load from the visual portion of the brain.

I have not taken an art class since the 1980’s. As a result, my knowledge of color coming into this course was minimal at best. Learning about how people perceive color is a topic that I have been excited about ever since I decided to enroll in this program. In our book “Peters (2013) states, “For example, since our brains identify color as a function of red/green and blue/yellow differentials, red text on a green background requires use of the same pathway (traffic jam!) and is therefore difficult to see” (Strategies to Support Visual Perception, para. 1).” This is wonderful information that I can incorporate into the training materials that I create for my department immediately.

I create both physical and virtual training materials on a regular basis. The knowledge that certain fonts are better for one medium versus the other will dictate all my future font choices. “Peters (2013) states, “Consider using one of the growing number of typefaces designed specifically for screen reading like Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, or Azu” (Strategies to Reduce Overload, para. 26).” I am currently attempting to evolve my class into a green classroom. Therefore, if I want the majority of my material to be virtual, then I will need to use fonts that compliment a digital medium.

I did not anticipate working in Keynote this month. Until now, all the presentations that I have created have been through PowerPoint. Logically I know that at their core, the two systems are similar but emotionally I felt like I had never done this before. Just when I felt confident with creating PowerPoint presentations, I discover a whole new world in Keynote. That must be what it felt like when Aristotle finally started to convince people that the Earth was round. More than anything, my newness influenced my timeliness because I had to learn where everything was located. I really like how the pie chart in my presentation turned out. It started life as a bar on our infographic, I turned it into a pie chart for my first draft, and then I cut out the middle so that it could be a donut chart. The best part is that I made the final version 3-D. That took me an entire day to learn how to do that. If that was my high point, then my low would be learning GarageBand. Once again, this is a system that I have never used before. However; I am not going to let my unfamiliarity slow me down. I intend to play with GarageBand until I become an expert.

Going forward with this yearlong journey, what adjustments could you make to ensure your future success in achieving mastery?

During our week one reading, I discovered a quote that I have adopted as a mantra and I have passed it on to anyone that will listen. “Peters (2013) says that, “Antoine de Saint-Exupéry put it more elegantly when he said, “It seems that perfection is reached not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away”” (Why aesthetics matter, para. 2).” Images and text on instructional materials should exist to inform the learner. Unnecessary elements and overly wordy text can overwhelm the audience and limit their ability to retain information. I want to adjust my thinking and apply this perspective to the projects that I create during my mastery journey and beyond.

The design skills that I possessed prior to enrolling in this program were all self-taught. My job requires me to creating instructional materials so when I was hired, I Googled presentations and watched everything that I could find. Unfortunately, I teach a class on financial aid and the majority of presentations that I could find on that topic were prepared by federal employees and they are terrible. The presentations that I gravitated towards were all sales based; therefore, that is a style that I brought with me to the classroom. Clark and Mayer said, “The goals of learning unlike the goals of advertising or the goals of video games rely on effortful processing of information to build new knowledge skills” (Reiser & Dempsey, 2012, p. 318). I know that the goals of learning are a concept that I need to learn to be successful in my program.

When I look at the materials that I create, I see a nice aesthetic but I am not always confident that I am maximizing the instructional aspect of the material. Clark and Mayer said, “Seductive details in lessons are typically related to the general topic but are irrelevant to the main instructional goal” (Reiser & Dempsey, 2012, p. 317). As I progress through this program I am gradually shedding the bad habits that I created through self-teaching and replacing them with informed habits that I am obtaining from a formal education. Lynda courses have been a large part of my evolution ever since I began this program because they are focused on instruction as opposed to advertising. I am trying to watch them to learn the material as well as to learn about the style that the instructors use.

My major obstacle this month was writing in APA style. I am trying to take my time and proofread, but for some reason, I keep making mistakes. Earlier this week, I copied the APA cheat sheet that we were given into an excel spreadsheet so that I can separate things visually. My long-term objective is to become a college professor. Critiquing written work is a large part of that job; therefore, I am determined to master APA style so that I can help my students when they struggle.

References

Clark, R.C., & Mayer, R. E. (2012). Using rich media wisely. In R. A. Reiser, & J. V. Dempsey (Eds.), Trends and issues in instructional design and technology (3rd ed.) (pp. 309-320). Boston, MA: Pearson

Peters, D. (2013). Interface design for learning: Design strategies for learning experiences. San Francisco, CA: New Riders. Retrieved from http://ce.safaribooksonline.com/book/web-design-and- development/9780133365481​

[robcarson]

Visualizing my experience in the second month of my mastery journey

When I was in the seventh grade, I decided to learn how to play guitar. I checked out several books on guitars from my local library and I taught myself how to play a few songs. Time and experience gradually improved my ability to play but without formal training, I was limited in what I could teach myself. In order for me to expand my repertoire beyond basic chord progressions, I had to find an instructor to teach me how to play. This corresponds to where I am in my mastery journey.

Several years ago, I began my career as a Financial Aid Trainer. My bachelor’s degree is in Literature, which does not have a direct connection to Financial Aid. Everything that I have learned in my position has been through self-study and experience. I enjoy teaching my class but I am at a point in my experience where I need formal training to broaden my horizons. I have worked with Adobe products in the past as a part of my job, but the things that I learned this month opened doors to me that I did not even know existed.

References

Gibson Guitars Wallpapers | Music Wallpapers Gallery - PC ... (n.d.). Retrieved from http://feelgrafix.com/819488-gibson-guitars.html

[robcarson]

Reflecting on the second month of my mastery journey

Last month, I created three personal goals for each class that I take on my mastery journey. My goals for the Strategies for Learner Engagement class were to improve my ability to connect with my students, to learn how to create designs that will enhance my classes understanding of a subject, and to learn how to create a curriculum that will optimize the time that I have with the students that I teach. I made these goals based off my interpretation of the class description in our program syllabus. As I approach the end of this course, I feel like I have achieved all three of these goals.

I am currently building a presentation in PowerPoint for my department’s annual Federal Updates meeting in February. There will be roughly 250 attendees and we are discussing the doing one live session on campus and one virtual session through GoToMeeting. I want to balance the polarities of social learning by introducing each section with a question to assess the audience’s prior knowledge and spark conversations. Once we discuss the responses, I will move onto the content slides that will explain the reasoning behind the correct answer to the question. My intention is for the pre-information discussion to establish a connection and grasp everyone’s attention so that the audience will remain engaged through interaction as we progress through the content slides.

Over the last few weeks, I have taken all of the visual material that I utilize in my class in an attempt to scrutinize the cognitive load of each item. Recently, I created a flowchart that depicts out Audit teams processes in relation to the teams that they work with. The rough draft of this flowchart was overly wordy and difficult to look at. I created a cleaner version a few weeks ago but I was still not happy with the overabundance of text. After learning about hotspots this week, I decided to use Adobe Illustrator to take items that can be interpreted as commentary about the process and I created hotspots so that the commentary only appears when the user places a mouse over the hotspot. The hotspots simplified the overcomplicated chart and reduced the cognitive load, which will enhance my classes understanding of the Audit teams processes.

Pending the success of my Federal Updates presentation and my interactive flowchart, I intend to restructure the curriculum of the class that I teach to adopt more of the things that I have learned this month. My intention is the do this restructure in sections. This will enable me to focus on smaller manageable pieces similar to how we worked on our infographic in sections. I have already noticed a significant difference in my approach to the creation of materials and I cannot wait to see how much more I improve as I continue to progress through my master’s program.

Our introduction to Adobe Illustrator was a pleasantly unexpected treat this month. I have worked with Adobe products in the past, but this is the first time that I have used multiple systems for one project. I also learned a lot about layering techniques. This experience is already influencing the future of my class.

Last month I found a study groove that worked for me. The structure of this month’s course is similar but the slight differences threw my timing off slightly in the first week. In preparation for the future, I decided to open all of our assignments as soon as they become available and create due date reminders on my IPhone. I use reminders on my iPhone to set goals for my daily life and my education is a major part of my daily life. This should help me with my time management as I progress through the rest of this program.

[robcarson]

Inspirational Quote

“The world always seems brighter when you have just made something that was not there before.” Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite writers of all time. As I progress through my journey to Mastery, I want to post some quotes that will inspire me. As I select those quotes, I want to make sure that I include people that I genuinely admire.

Resources:

Neil Gaiman Quotes, Sayings – Motivational Thoughts... (2013). Retrieved from http://inspirationalquotespics.com/neil-gaiman-quotes/

[robcarson]

[robcarson]

Inspirational Quote

Resources:

Retrieved from http://mindsetdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Adversity.png

[robcarson]

Logo

A logo needs to represent who you are and what you do. I enjoy a minimalistic style of design; therefore, I chose to keep my logo simple. It is a ship inside of a circle next to my name. I designed this logo by myself with Adobe products. The ship represents the technology aspect of my Mastery. My favorite color is green so I wanted to incorporate a nice green in a way that would stand out. I picked the shade of brown that I used because I love coffee and it reminds me of a warm cup in the morning. The final product is something that I feel accurate reflects who I am.

[robcarson]

Personal Learning Network

I will be using Feedly, Papaly, and LinkedIn to stay up to date with trends within the Instructional Design & Technology field. 

Feedly: https://feedly.com/i/my

I will use Feedly to find articles related to my field.

Papaly: https://papaly.com/robcarson

I will use Papaly to bookmark blogs and websites related to my field.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-carson-6b0822132

I will use LinkedIn to network with professionals within my field.