Throughout the course, I have had the opportunity to learn new terminology and technology through the activities, exploration, textbook readings, and discussions.
I particularly enjoyed reading about the differences between pedagogy and andragogy. Malcolm Knowles’ six principles rang true to me both as a learner and as a corporate trainer. In my daily efforts, I work with employees at multimedia companies to implement new software systems. I routinely encounter learners that fulfill Knowles description of adult learners precisely. They have a need to know that is deliberate. They are given homework that requires independent problem solving using their experience with the previous system. Many of the systems being replaced are 15 – 20 years old, outdated and plagued with problems. This promotes a readiness to learn. Given a specific date for conversion, there is an urgency to require the new skills. The learners are responsible for the much of the configuration and the decisions on how the new system is organized. This gives them a sense of ownership they did not possess with the previous system. This opportunity enhances the learners’ understanding of the new system. While this process was already in place prior to this semester, I found it interesting how well it naturally aligned with Knowles principles.
While challenging and often frustrating, I found the exploration of Moodle from the instructional designer’s view to be a great benefit. While I have been a student in the MET program for over a year, I had no idea how challenging Moodle can be. I have a new appreciation for all the effort put forth by the instructors who have managed to make Moodle user friendly for the learners. I struggled more with this portion of the course than any other activity. That surprised me because I am responsible for creating a variety of courses for our corporate LMS. While I did not assume that the process would be exactly the same, I did not foresee the how differently the systems functioned. This forced me to practice the problem based learning approach discussed in the Ko and Rossen text.
While the creation of multimedia tutorials was not a new task for me, I think the design of the module was a great opportunity for the learners to learn and share new skills. There is no way that any one student would have the time to explore all the new technologies that were presented by the entire class. This module gave the students the opportunity to collaborate, creating an in depth knowledge share of useful technology. The feedback and discussion posts not just for this activity but throughout the course have proven to be a great reinforcement to the material. According to social development theories, it would be impossible to learn even the most basic language skills, without social interaction, (Horton, 2008).
As I progress through the courses in the MET program, I continue to see the alignment of theory and practice. This was certainly true with this course. While completing the activities, it is clear the outcome will be beneficial. I will certainly adapt the Moodle course for use in our corporate LMS. More importantly is how the objectives are achieved. While reflecting on each of the modules, it is clear that these are theories which are practiced by the instructional designers in the MET program.
“Good design, when it’s done well, becomes invisible. It’s only when it’s done poorly that we notice it.”
– Jared Spool
Horton, S. L. (2008). Lev goes to college: Reflections on implementing Vygotsky’s ideas in higher education. International Journal of Learning, 15(4), 13–17.
Ko, S., & Rossen, S. (2010). Teaching online: A practical guide (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
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