Dr. Thiagi on Live Online Learning Activities

Dr. Thiagi visits UMBC

Dr. Thiagi

Several months back, the UMBC ISD program was lucky enough to have Dr. Thiagi (Sivasailam Thiagarajan) visit our campus to present during an ISD Now Forum.

Dr. Thiagi’s interactive presentation focused on Live Online Learning Activities.

Dr. Thiagi provided practical techniques for increasing and improving interactivity in the design of webinars, including structured sharing, interactive lectures, interactive stotytelling, instructional puzzles and jolts.

Enjoy this presentation by Dr. Thiagi on live online learning activities, in the video below.

Let us know what you think about Dr. Thiagi’s presentation.

Always in learning mode,
Your friends at ISD Now

Dr. Greg Williams, Program Director of UMBC’s ISD Program, Interviewed by EdTech Magazine

In a recent article, A New Seat in the C-Suite: Chief Digital Officers Find a Place on College Campuses, Amy Burroughs of EDTech Magazine, investigated the many challenges that colleges and universities are facing as a result of the digital era’s evolving landscape. She discusses the roles of Chief Digital Officers (CDO) and how they help organizations respond to the changing landscape.

EdTech Magazine asked Dr. Greg Williams, Program Director for UMBC’s ISD Graduate Programs, how UMBC is dealing with the challenges and opportunities of new technology. Because UMBC has relatively few online programs, there is no official online coordinator; instead, Williams fills that role by virtue of his expertise. Schools are spread across the spectrum, from informal advocates to CDOs, with many roles in between. “Often, individual professors drive online programs because of their personal interest, while the university maintains a neutral stance,” said Williams.

Read the entire article here.

Always in Learning Mode,
Your friends at ISD Now

Experiential Learning and The Role of Video Games

“All a video game is is a set of problems that you must solve in order to win,” James Gee said in the video below. 

Gee, who has been deemed a games and learning expert is a professor of literacy studies in the department of English at Arizona State University.

The Effects of Experiential Learning

As reported in a recent Mind/Shift story, Ten Surprising Truths about Video Games and Learning, Gee believes that important brain functions, such as rules, logic and calculating are no longer relevant to modern learning.  New theories reveal that human beings learn from experiences—that our brains can store every experience we’ve ever had, and that’s what informs our learning process.  Therefore, he says, learning is a result of well-designed experiences.

Earlier this year, he spoke at the Learning and Brain Conference. During the conference, he gave a presentation on 10 truths for video games.

Gee’s 10 Truths for Video Games in Learning

Video Games:

1. Feed the Learning Process
2. Obviate Testing
3. Build on Experience
4. Redefine Teachers as Learning Designers
5. Teach Language Through Experience
6. Entice Kids to Love Challenges
7. Motivate Learning
8. Teach Problem Solving
9. Encourage Risk-Taking
10. Provide Valid Learning Model for Schools

The Mind/Shift story provides more details on each of these truths.

Rethinking Learning

While video games provide a perfect model for experience-based learning, it can be difficult to re-imagine traditional learning to incorporate experiences.  While instructional designers continue to evolve to meet the needs of modern learners, is the traditional model of education many schools conform to getting in the way of positives shifts in learning? Imagine the things we could do if everyone was rethinking learning.

Whether you’re a school teacher or corporate instructional designer, what are you doing to rethink learning?

Always in Learning Mode,

Your Friends at ISDNow

 

5 Job Search Tips for ISD Professionals

Looking for some job search tips to help you land the ideal position?

Job searching is dizzying and can feel an awful lot like spinning in a circle and then taking that first wobbly step. With so many different ways to connect, it’s no wonder people feel flustered and confused as to how to best proceed. To be efficient, there are several job search tips that can help focus your game plan and help you avoid losing lots of valuable time.

We ran across an article written by Sanjay Sathe, founder and CEO of RiseSmart, that sums up some helpful job search tips and can help job seekers traverse the often unsettling terrain with more confidence and efficiency. To summarize his major points, he suggests to be specific, well-targeted, concise, interactive, and online.

Job Search Tip #1: Be Focused and Specific

When searching job postings, it’s easy to get lost. One way to stay on top of your search is to create a list of keywords that are specific to your area of ISD expertise and skill set. Scan postings using these keywords.

Job Search Tip #2: Use a Well-Targeted Resume

A well-written resume goes without saying, but yet, it is the one area on which people tend to fall short. A resume is a first impression. Misspell a word, forget to use punctuation, neglect to format consistently or list stuff irrelevant to the ISD position and it’s sure to hit the ‘not interested’ pile. To help make your resume stand out, ensure that it’s fully proofed and be sure to use industry and field keywords.

Job Search Tip #3: Draft a Personal Statement

Inevitably, you’re going to be asked the question, ‘so tell me a little about yourself.’ This  question warrants a thoughtful response, one that will catapult you to the top of the list, one that tells the interviewer(s) you are serious and you are the perfect candidate. Devise a concise paragraph statement to use whenever this question is asked. Have it include your strengths, unique skills, and assets you will bring to the team.

Job Search Tip #4: Become Social Media Savvy

Most every company has an online presence now. Be part of their conversation. Get involved. Read their posts. Become their fan. Follow them. Interact with them. This could very well be the front and center ticket you’ve been searching for.

Job Search Tip #5: Create an Online Portfolio

An easy and influential way to show off your ability to present information in a clear, concise, organized manner is through creating a personal website that houses everything professionally important about you. Include your resume, bio, portfolio items and contact information.

Always in learning mode,
Your friends at ISD Now

P.S. What other job search tips would you place in this list?

Scenario-Based eLearning: What it Is and Why it’s Important

Connie Malamed, blogger at the eLearning Coach, recently interviewed Ruth Colvin Clark, PhD, for a podcast that explored topics related to scenario-based e-learning.

Dr. Clark presenting during an ISD Now Forum event.

What is scenario-based learning?

In the podcast, Dr. Clark started off with providing a definition of what exactly a scenario is. While she said scenario-based learning has several names and definitions, she defined it as:

A pre-planned, guided inductive learning environment designed to accelerate expertise in which the learner assumes the role of an actor responding to a realistic assignment or challenge.

How can instructional designers improve scenraio-based e-learning?

During the discussion, Dr. Clark discussed the role of guidance in scenrio-based e-learning, saying that a common mistake designers make is to create scenarios that either lack guidance, or which provide too much guidance. She said one way to get started with scenario-based e-learning is to start with simple scenarios and go from there.

In the podcast, Dr. Clark shares examples and tips to help instructional designers start implementing scenario-based e-learning, or improve what they’re already doing with scenarios. Check out the full podcast below, and for a more in-depth view, read Dr. Clark’s book, Scenario-Based e-Learning.

Always in learning mode,
Your friends at ISD Now

Design Rules for e-learning

The design rules for e-learning can vary widely.

As e-learning professionals, we want to create environments where learners can thrive. That is the worthy goal. So, which rules do we follow to achieve higher learning outcomes?

Donald Clark wrote a blog post, Mayer & Clark – 10 brilliant design rules for e-learning, based on Richard Mayer and Ruth Clark’s research on media and media mix hypotheses in online learning. In this post he describes several key areas of design and their research findings. Below we’ve summarized some of the major points.

Summary of Design Rules for e-learning:

Eliminate Redundancy
It is not necessary to toss in every media mix known to mankind to bring e-learning environments to life. In fact, research shows it has the opposite effect. Too much media mix can lead to cognitive overload.

White Space is Key
Research shows that less is more. Allow for breathing room with information. To do this, be concise and thoughtful in how you lay out the content. Keep words to a minimum. Organize words using bullet points, subheads, bolded keywords and pithy paragraphs.

Audio and Animation
To help a student achieve learning, use audio along with your animation rather than text. Using text with animation can causes cognitive confusion and can impede learning.

Graphics and Text
When text is located away from its associated graphic, learning can be decreased. When the learner has to scan the screen to read text that sits apart from its graphic, their learning can be disrupted. The trick here is to keep the text close by the graphic that it is complimenting. When this is done, according to research, problem solving is increased.

Keep it Conversational
Using first-person and second-person language keeps things conversational. Keeping it in a dialogue format opens up the learning environment to one that is interactive.

Design Rules for e-learning in a nutshell

To be effective, e-learning environments need to keep a learner’s attention focused on the topic at hand, need to minimize distraction, and need to help increase cognitive connection. For a more in-depth analysis of the research conducted on this area, please visit Donald Clark’s blog.

Always in learning mode,
Your friends at ISD Now

P.S. Please share your thoughts. Which one of the design rules for e-learning do you agree with the most?

The Future of the ISD Industry – an interview with Dr. J. Marvin Cook

Dr. Greg Williams, Director of UMBC’s Instructional Systems Development (ISD) program recently had the opportunity to sit down with Dr. J. Marvin Cook, the program’s founder, for a video series. Dr. Cook, a noted author, professor, consultant and entrepreneur, discussed a range of topics, including the UMBC graduate program in Instructional Systems Development, ISD competencies, and the future of ISD as an industry. When talking about the future, he reminded viewers how important it is to never forget the needs of an organization. He also talked about how the industry has a bright future ahead.

Dr. J. Marvin Cook, UMBC’s ISD Graduate Program Founder

ISD Professionals Should Never Forget the Needs of the Organization
Regardless of the economic conditions, businesses still have the desire to improve performance. Instructional developers can help them achieve this. Now, more than ever, instructional designers must continue to focus on the need of the organization—not just using a particular medium (say, the the latest and greatest software). Often, when asked about the future of learning (or future of anything, really), it’s easy to jump to an obvious answer: technology. While technology has clearly changed how we learn, Dr. Cook reminds us that maintaining focus on needs is still critically important.

ISD – A Bright Look Ahead for Instructional Developers 

As the economy continues to pick up, companies will continue to generate jobs, Dr. Cook pointed out. As a result, new employees will need training, creating more opportunities for those in ISD roles.

The video below includes Dr. Cook’s thoughts on the future of ISD:

View the entire video series here.

Always in Learning Mode,
Your friends at ISD Now

5 Ways to Learn A New Skill

When we learn a new skill, we grow.

To grow, we have to be willing to stretch beyond what feels comfortable. Learning a new skill can intimidate many of us. Irrational fears can run around our minds and make us question if we have what it takes to push ourselves to the next level.

Getting stuck in this phase is easy. The problem with staying in this comfort zone too long is that we grow stagnant as the rest of the world develops around us. So how do we get unstuck and finally make that leap?

According to a recent article written by Amy Gallo, these are some important principles to follow to learn a new skill:

Ensure the new skill is attainable
To answer this truthfully, think about your current workload, your schedule, any outside demands and tally how much time you are willing to invest. Do you have the time required to learn a new skill? Can you commit to it wholeheartedly?

Find the method that compliments your best learning style
We all learn differently. Some prefer visual over auditory, while others learn best in a hands-on type of situation. Think back to previous times when you’ve learned new skills. Which were most effectively learned? In what type of environment did you learn it? Was it in a classroom, online, or in a one-on-one workshop? Find the system to learn a new skill that works best with your personality.

Learn from a trusted mentor
Find someone doing exactly what you want to be doing and model after him/her. Talk with this person. Ask open-ended questions that will get the conversation steering down a path that will enrich your learning experience. Shadow him. Many are willing to take others under their wing and teach them lessons that they may have worked years to learn.

Tackle one or two skills at a time
Many times we overwhelm ourselves by trying to tackle too much at once. It’s unrealistic to create too many challenging goals and expect to sustain the drive and motivation to achieve them all at once. Pick one or two actionable items, at most, and focus on them. Once you’ve mastered them, move on to the next set.

Take what you’ve learned and apply it by teaching it to others
When we learn a new skill, a great way to cement it in our brains is to put it into practice right away. A great technique to doing this is to teach someone else what you’ve learned. This action may open up new questions you have on the process and cause you to dig deeper to understand and learn it even more proficiently. It also offers you the ability to connect to action right away by illustrating the skillset to someone else.

Instructional designers can apply these tips to their personal learning goals, and keep them in mind when they’re helping others acquire new skills.

Most important THING to remember when you want to learn a new skill is to take action on it!

Always in learning mode,
Your friends at ISD Now

P.S. Let’s turn this over to you… Do you use any of the above tactics or have any additional ones when you learn a new skill?

How to Stop Procrastinating

As professionals, there is always something new to learn, always something to be doing, always something to be improving upon… We know this, but sometimes, we find ourselves in a comfort zone where we stick to what’s tried and true. We know this leads to complacency, to tired material, to apathetic feelings. Yet, we look at the alternative, which in this context is to thrive and shake it up, and we think “yeah, I should really take that class, I should really work on that, or I should really brush up on that skill.”

The first step to take to stop procrastinating is to eliminate the word “should.”

When we say “I should do xyz” what we’re really saying is “later I will do xyz.” And when later comes, we look back on our broken promise and admit we allowed procrastination to seep in and take over our important tasks.

Second step to take to stop procrastinating is to ask ourselves why we allow it to seep in? Are we bored? Are we tired? Are we lacking the time?

Many situations can keep us from growing as professionals. We can make a list of excuses and line them up for what seems like infinity. Do excuses really help us?

To stay fresh and fulfilled as professionals requires that we step outside the walls of comfort and reach for more. In other words, we have to stop procrastinating and take action on critical personal and professional development steps that will help us further succeed in our roles.

Andy Phillips shares his ideas on how to best break free from procrastination by breaking bad habits in his posting The Quickest Way to Improve.

He suggests writing a list of bad habits, placing them in a bowl, and picking one of them out once a month and not doing the habit. When mastered, he advises to choose another. To gain more insights on his method, check out his website – The Art of Small Improvements.

Always in Learning Mode,
Your friends at ISD Now

Have you experienced success when you’ve tried to stop procrastinating?

3 Job Searching Tips for Instructional Technologists from the eLearning Coach

We wanted to share some job searching tips from Connie Malamed, blogger at the eLearning Coach, and a close friend of ISD Now.

She recently shared her podcast on “Finding a Job in Instructional Technology,” with us. In the podcast, Connie interviews Joe Fournier, Director of Instructional Design and Technology, who has hired several individuals within the field.

Joe shares 3 helpful key job searching tips for finding a job in instructional technology:

• A Thirst for Learning: A good instructional designer often possesses a thirst for learning
• Portfolio Power: Joe encourages instructional designers provide portfolios (particularly in an online format).
• Bye-Bye Boilerplate: Hiring managers are looking to hire instructional designers who fit with the team and close any existing gaps. Outstanding interviewees can have a conversation with you, not regurgitate boilerplate talking points about themselves.

To hear the full podcast with job searching tips for instructional designers, click below.

Click here to listen to the podcast “Finding a Job in Instructional Technology” in a new window.

Subscribe to Connie’s podcasts in iTunes.

Always in Learning Mode,
Your friends at ISD Now
P.S. Are you looking for a job in instructional technology? Join the UMBC ISD Career and job list-serve!