Reflection #2 - Instructional Design

Hi again Donna,



My responses are below:


Part I - Developing and Implementing e-Learning Initiatives- Do you plan to implement the e-learning initiative you developed? Be honest. If yes, what are some specific challenges that you foresee in implementing the initiative? How do you plan to overcome them? If you do not plan on implementing your initiative, why not? 

What other thoughts and ideas do you have for developing future adult e-learning initiatives in the context of your teaching and learning environment and/or work setting?



I would like to implement my e-learning initiative during the internship/capstone of the Online Teaching and Learning Certificate, but I would have to make it 1 session instead of 4 to attract faculty members to come. My organization really has a hard time getting faculty to come to trainings, they don't even attend mandatory trainings for Blackboard basics! With f2f training we use food to lure them in, but with this online format I think that will be the incentive that they don't have to travel anywhere and can access the training from their home or office. 


Future e-learning initiatives will revolve around training and teaching adjunct faculty in my work setting. A possibility exists that I might be able to facilitate a 4 week online training for faculty about Blackboard and online teaching and learning techniques. I am excited for that! I started this program with the vision of joining our Instructional Resource Center (IRC) or something like it at another school and my current workplace has been more than willing to let me use what I've learned in my job or help out the IRC. 


In the future I hope to become a subject matter expert in something beyond teaching how to teach. Thoughts are still forming in my head about what that will be, but I'm envisioning spending a good portion of my career in online learning whether teaching or designing it. 


Part II- Use of Templates for Assignments- This part of your reflection is for me personally.  Each time I offer a course, I take notes throughout the experience about what works, what doesn't, and then I make revisions accordingly.  I would be curious to know specifically your thoughts about the use of templates to complete main assignments.  In our Week 4 Assessments discussion, we talked about offering choices for different formats of assessments, and the use of templates doesn't foster that.

Consider the main assignments in this course, and the use of the templates. Were they helpful, relevant, apppropriate?  Would you have preferred more freedom and flexibility?    Feel free to be as candid as you want! I am open to opinions and suggestions!



I appreciated the use of templates because I am not familiar with online learning. The templates gave me a framework and I let my creativity take over. If you had not provided the templates I would have been lost and it would have taken me twice as much time to complete the assignments. I'm a big believer in setting the groundwork right before letting students have total freedom and the templates allowed for that. You have given me much freedom and flexibility with this last assignment and I am most grateful for that! 


Thanks for a great course Donna! Hope to meet you in person one day!


Best,
Kelli