Program  Synthesis  

University  of  New  Mexico  

Organizational  Learning    

and    

Instructional  Technology  

Fall  2013  

Claudia  M.  Lopez  

 

 

1  Program  Synthesis  

September  25,  2013    

Organizational  Learning  and  Instructional  Technology  

Program  Synthesis  

Introduction

When I first started the OLIT program I was not sure in what direction I was going or

what type of career I was wanting once finished. I was interested in this program because

I heard that there are many career possibilities available after completing the program. I

was also interested in this program because of my love of learning and technology. Now

that I am at the end of the program I finally know which direction I am heading. I have

decided that a career in Instructional Design is the way to go. The classes I have taken in

this program and my background with various technologies such as Flash, SharePoint,

and Videocasts/Podcasts has prepared me for a successful career where I can design

effective training videos and other important learning documents that are needed. I am

excited about completing this program and finding a business that can use the skills I

have learned over the last two years. In this paper I will focus on the skills that I have

taken from this program which include Instructional design, critical thinking and

technology.

The OLIT program has been a wonderful program to be a part of and I am grateful for

the opportunity. This program has provided me with valuable information throughout the

two years, which I will carry with me as I go in search of my ideal career. The resources

and readings were great tools that I have saved to look back on if I need to in the future.

All the faculty members that I have had during my time in the program have been

knowledgeable and experienced in the field that they taught. The instructors always re-

 

 

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explained theories or would put them in simpler terms to make them clearer for me. They

were happy to show examples of previous students works that met their expectations for

that particular assignment. This was very helpful for me as well as the rubrics that were

always provided. The hands on projects were also very helpful because that is the best

way for me to learn. One of the real world projects that has helped me includes writing a

grant. Learning to write a grant is a valuable skill to have because it is a form of funding

that many people can use for their causes. This skill is important to me because I can use

it in the future to write a grant to help start my videography business. This has been one

of the assignments that I really enjoyed and was proud to be a part of. Another helpful

benefit of being part of the OLIT program is the weekly emails featuring available jobs

related to OLIT. This is a great resource for many OLIT students, as they get ready to

search for their careers because of the variety of skills that are taught.

Focus Areas

What is nice about the OLIT program is that there are so many different routes that

can be taken with a Masters in OLIT. There are many different areas that one can focus

on based on their interests. That is one of the reasons that it took me a while to figure out

which direction to go with this degree. I have narrowed down some focus areas that are

essential to being successful in my Instructional Design career. These focus areas

include: Teaching the Adult learner, Instructional Design, Technology, and Positive

Psychology. I have decided on these focus areas because I enjoy sharing the knowledge

that I have learned with other adults. I also enjoy designing instruction and using video

and animations to get the message across. The Positive Psychology is important in an

 

 

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organization because keeping the employees happy will mean they save money by having

a low turnaround.

Teaching the Adult Learner

I feel that Teaching the Adult Learner was one of the most important classes I have

taken and will be an essential class for my career. Before taking this class I did not know

that there was a difference in learning between adults and younger learners. I have

learned previously through tutor trainings that there are different learning styles but I

never took into consideration the differences in learning in adults. Adults have different

attitudes towards learning as well as the motivation to learn so we have to approach

teaching at a level that is focused towards the adult learner. Taking the Adult Learner

class my first semester in the OLIT program has made me aware of the differences at

work at the Highway to Success (HTS). At the HTS we deal with students that are at the

developmental level, which includes students fresh out of High School to students that

have been out of school for a while.

I have noticed the difference in motivation and attitudes between the adult learners

and the just out of High School/GED students. Some of the younger ones in our program

think that they are still in High School and do not realize the importance of studying, or

getting help. The adult learners are usually the ones that come in to see the instructors

during office hours for help or they will come see a tutor on a frequent basis. However,

there are some adults that have to learn how to be a student again.

All the classes that I have taken in the OLIT program have re-enforced the techniques

needed to effectively teach adult learners. However, the classes that had the biggest

impact on me concerning adult learning were The Adult Learner and Cross Cultural

 

 

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Adult Learning, which were both taken my first semester in the OLIT program. Both of

these classes helped stress the importance of how to teach the adult learner. The Cross

Cultural class also covered various learning styles as well as how to communicate

effectively with adult learners from various cultures. I believe this is important especially

since we live in a state that has many different cultures. This class has taught me to take

into consideration that people from different cultures may perceive things in a different

way that I might. For example in my culture, when you greet someone, even if it is the

first time you hug them or even give them a kiss on the cheek or forehead in Japanese

culture that would be frowned upon. Being aware of the cultural differences is important

so as not to offend anyone.

In my desired profession as an Instructional Designer teaching the adult learner

will be very important as well as being able to communicate effectively. I will use what I

learned about the various learning styles to design an effective lesson plan or training for

my future organization. While working on the Highway to Success website during my

internship I kept in mind the different learning styles and the ways most adults learn best.

Since there are many adult learners in our program that are visual learners I have

included videos in the new student orientation page as well as interactive quizzes. A

scavenger hunt is included so that they can familiarize themselves with the campus and

the many resources that are available at the Valencia Campus.

Instructional Design

Instructional Design has been a major topic in many of the courses I have taken in the

OLIT program starting with the Instructional Design course that I took my first semester.

Being one of my first classes I was confused about the instructional design format, but

 

 

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with each class that used the ADDIE format reinforced my learning. I have found this

format very simple to follow and I will keep my Instructional Design textbook to

reference when I need to. ADDIE is an acronym for the five phases of the Instructional

Design process. They are as follows: Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation

and Evaluation.

During the Analysis phase the problem, need, goals, and objectives are defined. After

these are defined one then needs to consider the type of learning environment the student

will be in such as the classroom, office, or conference room. During this phase delivery

of instruction must also be considered. For example a Smart Board, or projector might be

needed for presentation. A timeline of how long the instruction will take and date is also

included in this phase. The next phase is the design process. This is where the storyboard

or rough drafts are done. The Development phase is where the creation of the learning

materials is done. The Implementation phase is where it all comes together and the lesson

is delivered. After the delivery is done the effectiveness of the materials needs to be

evaluated. The Evaluation phase of the ADDIE model is to get feedback on the

instructional design. The classes that reinforced this format included Instructional use of

Computer Simulations, Contemporary Instructional Technology, Instructional

Multimedia and Designing Knowledge Management Solutions.

During the process of my internship I followed the ADDIE model and it has helped

me to use my time wisely and keep organized. Starting with the Analysis phase we found

the need for a new website. The old website was not being promoted and also not very

user friendly. I gathered the existing knowledge, and parts of the website that were still

wanted and we came up with the goals and objectives for the new website. Included in

the Analysis stage is my internship proposal, which also follows this format. Next I

 

 

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started the design process which included two different sets of rough drafts, and training

to get started on the website.

The development was started by putting the website together following the design of

the rough drafts. This process took the most time because of the trainings and labs that I

went to when I needed help. The Implementation phase was implemented when we had

the website up and running online. I still continued working on some unfinished parts like

adding the instructors syllabi and office hours to the website for the Math and English

pages. The last step was to create an evaluation which consists of ten questions and added

it to the website as a link under quick links.

I know that the ADDIE model will be one of the most important instructional design

formats that I will use in my future career. Taking these classes that have focused on this

instructional design format has given me the perfect foundation to get started as an

Instructional Designer. The instructors were all very knowledgeable about the design

process and have guided me through each process step by step. They were always

available for questions and gave me great feedback that I will take with me.

Technology

Technology was one of my main focuses in the program. Because I enjoy working

with various technologies such as video and animations, as well as learning new

technologies, my electives have all been technology based. I have chosen this focus

because I currently hold a Bachelors degree in Media Arts and an Associates degree in

Information Technology. Being able to use various technologies, as an Instructional

Designer would be important for a successful training. Knowing different ways to present

material can make the instruction interesting for the visual learners as well. By making

 

 

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the instruction interactive and adding a flash quiz or a Prezi presentation can make the

training a little more enjoyable, and will most likely keep the attention of the audience.

All the technology courses in the OLIT program have been great experiences for me.

Each one taught me new technologies that I either was never aware of such as

SharePoint, or did not know how to use like Flash. These classes focused on theories of

learning as well as how to effectively use the technology in a training properly. I found

that these classes also focused on using the ADDIE model before actually getting

involved in the technology itself. One common factor that I will take from this program is

to think about the end-user, that is, the person that will be on the receiving end. With

them in mind I can use the ADDIE model to start working on the design one step at a

time. This is something that has taken me a lot of training to learn. I always wanted to

dive into the technology with out actually thinking about the end-user.

The technology classes that I have taken in the OLIT program include: Instructional

Use of Computer Simulations, Cultural & Global eLearning, Contemporary Instructional

Technology, Instructional Multimedia, and Designing Knowledge Management

Solutions. All of these classes have played an essential part in my internship as well as

preparing me for my chosen career in Instructional Design. I can use this information and

training to teach distant adult learners as well.

Instructional Use of Computer Simulations and Cultural & Global eLearning were

both classes that taught me to think about who the audience is, who I am creating the

instruction for. For the Simulation class, my audience was young teenagers and for the

eLearning class my audience was the instructors of a blind/deaf school in Sri Lanka. Both

of these assignments were tough but very valuable. It had me critically thinking about

 

 

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how to go about presenting the information to the audience it is intended for. In the

Simulation class, we did a lot of reading about different types and ways that Simulations

are used. By exploring and playing with various types of simulations I was able to figure

out how to effectively deliver the message. There were some that were not user friendly

like Second Life for example. Although this simulation can be used as an instructional

tool for long distance learners, it was hard to maneuver the animated character. The

readings and exploring the simulations helped me realize what works and what does not

work when it comes to designing an animation. The final outcome was a PowerPoint

representing the reason for the simulation, which was to bring awareness to teen

pregnancy to young teens, and then at the end we demonstrate how the simulation would

work. The important take away from this class was learning how to storyboard and plan

each step of my design. This was very helpful in planning the website during my

internship.

In the eLearning class we had to figure out how to help the instructors in a boarding

school for the deaf and blind in Sri Lanka. This school runs on minimal funds and

technology to help these students. From this project I learned the different types of

technologies that would help the instructors with teaching. This had our group critically

thinking on what can be used in a part of the country where they often had electricity

shortages. From this class I learned the different types of learning management systems

that can be used for teaching as well as distant learning for example Moodle, and Wiki

sites.

Instructional Multimedia, Designing Knowledge Management Solutions, and

Contemporary Instructional Technology were all classes that taught me how to use new

technologies that can help me in my future career. These three classes all used the

 

 

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instructional design format, keeping me organized and focused while working on my

projects. Although these classes had the instructional design format in common,

Designing Knowledge Management Solutions is geared towards sharing information

within a company using a knowledge management system such as Microsoft SharePoint.

The Instructional Multimedia class focused on theories of how people learn best from

multimedia. For example using animation with sound and words can help some people

retain the information easier than just animation and words. This class reinforced what I

learned from the Adult Learner and Instructional Design and added the theory of how to

best deliver a lesson for the intended audience. I learned how to use Flash to develop an

animation that teaches second grade instructors how to teach their students to add using

Base 10 blocks. This animation takes the instructor step by step through the process using

the blocks along with the written problem and also includes audio. After the lesson, there

is a short quiz to make sure they understood the information. What I learned from this

class, I will take with me to my future career. This class has taught me how to effectively

make a flash animation that can teach adults who are visual and hand on learners. During

my internship I used the skills learned from this class to design two flash quizzes for the

new student orientation page on the Highway to Success website.

In the Designing Knowledge Management Solutions class I learned how to use

Microsoft SharePoint. My group and I designed a SharePoint site for the CommGrads,

which is the Communication and Journalism’s graduate club. The SharePoint site is a

place where CommGrad members can post documents such as meeting notes and other

important documents to share with other members. There was also a new member area

included for those that were interested in joining the club. What I learned from this class

will help me in the future by being able to create a knowledge management system.

 

 

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Using the SharePoint site, I can teach an organization how to organize their files so they

can be shared with the appropriate staff or employees.

From Contemporary Instructional Technology I learned how to design an effective

instruction using simple technology sources such as using my iPad for video recording a

lecture that I used in my final presentation. I learned how to use Prezi, which is similar to

a PowerPoint but is animated and interactive. Again, using the ADDIE model I designed

a “Flipped Classroom” instruction with my partner. The “Flipped Classroom” a

classroom that has students watching lectures in the form of video casts, podcasts or other

videos online, for example Khan Academy. The classroom time is then used for hands on

assignments and group work. I have found this class very valuable for my future career as

an Instructional Designer. I will be able to design an interactive lesson that will hold the

learner’s attention and hopefully they will be able to retain the information that was

taught by using the class time for hands on activities. I feel that these classes have

strengthened my technology skills and prepared me for my future.

Positive Psychology

In the Positive Psychology class we looked into various organizations to see what

makes them successful. A successful company has a low turn over rate and treats their

employees well which in the long run saves them money. We took some online quizzes

like the Happiness Scale and Life Satisfaction scales to see if we were happy with our

current careers. I enjoyed the readings, discussions, and the exercises that we did in the

class. An exercise that had the biggest impact on me was to write about who has helped

me the most. This exercise had me thinking deeply and took me back to when I met my

Husband; it made me realize that he was the main reason why I am at this stage in my

 

 

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life. That stage is currently finishing my Masters degree and it would have not been

possible without the support of my husband. This class has also helped me improve

relationships at work by looking for the positive aspects in my environment, which has

made my job very rewarding. The Positive Psychology class has taught me to think

critically about my future career and will help me find a career that I will flourish in.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I am now prepared and excited to look for a career as an Instructional

Designer in an organization that has a positive environment. The OLIT program has done

a great job in helping me build my confidence. The theory and hands on trainings has

been essential in my understanding of the concepts needed. All of the classes have

interlaced and worked off each other, and has helped reinforce the skills needed to be

successful.