Regrouping on creative-side-of instructional-design agenda

I have purposely put IT 5130 aside for a couple of months, to allow for the necessary space and time for new ideas to bubble up and take shape. Although I think that the course worked for many people, it didn't work for all of the students. And, although I was able to attend to my creative-side-of-instructional-design agenda a bit, I was/am dissatisfied. I just don't think I did enough to promote the creative disposition learning objective. So, all of my thinking about changing the course has been around this learning objective (and trying to reduce the workload, and any sense of an activity being "busy work"). To this end, here are a few ideas I am playing with.

Course Title:

I would like to change the title of the course to something like "Creative Designs for Self-paced Instructional Materials" or "Aesthetics of Self-paced Instructional Materials Design" (could get rid of the "self-paced" part, although that really is part of the context)... I want the title to be a better description of the course, and to get people interested in the course content. And, to be clear about how this course is different from other courses (e.g., the eLearning certificate courses are focused on the design and delivery of instructor-facilitated eLearning opportunities).


Books:

I still like Duarte's slide:ology text, and want to continue to use it next time. But, I will not use Mayer's book again. I believe I can provide a handout that distills the principles shared in his Multimedia Learning book, and mix them with Medina's brain rules and Tufte's lessons. Instead, I want to use books that help us think about the product of our design process -- and the design process itself -- in a different way. For example --

• Scott McCloud's Making Comics. It is really a great book about storytelling, presented as a comic book. I really like the sections on writing with pictures and the power of words.
• Carol Vernallis' Experiencing Music Video. Not sure this is the one to go with, but the detailed analysis of three well-known videos really helps illustrate some "universal" design guidelines that translate to eLearning and instructional message design.
• Matthew Frederick's 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School. I really like this little book. (Related, I also like Hall Box's Think Like an Architect)
• Babak Ebrahimian's Sculpting Space in the Theater. This may be too far off track, but it has to do with how to make "real" what is written/storyboarded...using space, lighting, costumes, etc. I like the idea of working with all of these elements to create a unique and powerful whole.

I wouldn't require all of them...costs too much for students, and I want to be realistic about how much they can read and process. It may be fine for students to pick and choose -- everyone buys Duarte's text, and two others from the list based on their interests (I could make the first chapter of each text available to help them make the decision).


Activities/Projects:

I am thinking about scraping the existing projects and going with a set of "what if" assignments such as:

• What if instruction was like a music video
• What if instruction was like a movie poster
• What if instruction was like a comic book
• What if instruction was like a documentary
• What if instruction was like a radio show
  
• And so on (but not too many more...I'll group them and let students pick one from each list...but, no more than three).
  

I want to spend the first 5 weeks critiquing existing instructional messages (those I bring forward and those the students bring forward), and getting exposed to these other design perspectives. To this end, I am going to:

• Invite guest speakers from the film industry, architecture, game design, music industry, etc. We will use Adobe Connect to spend an hour with each guest. (Note: This means I will need to require participation in synchronous sessions...which is different than what I do in online courses. My thinking is to require 2 hours one evening a week for the first half of the semester. These synchronous sessions will be time for us to work together on critiques and work with guest speakers. Then, for the second half of the semester, I will have synchronous "office hours" where participation is voluntary, on a as-needed basis.)
  
  
• Conduct video interviews with a handful of creative professionals. I want to collect several stories (3-5 minutes in length, at the most), using the following questions (note: these are rough draft questions, and they may not speak to each person interviewed):
  
  • Where do you get your inspiration (insights) for your work?
    
  • When you decide to embark on a new project, what process do you go through from start to finish?
    
  • How do you know when a project is done?
    
  • What is the most important step in your design (creation) process, and why?
    
  • What one piece of advice would you give designers (regardless of domain) about the creative/design process?
    
  • How do you describe the difference between your creative/design process and the product of that process?
    
  • Are there guiding ideas that you’ve learned through experience – that you apply to new projects? If so, can you tell me about one – where it came from and how you find it useful?
    
  • There’s a visioning or imagining part of the creative process that’s really critical. What techniques do you have to stimulate your ability to see problems and solutions better? How do you open yourself up to possibilities?
    
  • Can you think of a case or example that illustrates a particularly satisfying breakthrough or solution to a creative/design problem?
  
  I then want students to deconstruct what they learn from these creative professionals, and determine how it applies to their work as instructional designers, eLearning specialists, and K-12 teachers.

Another thing I am thinking about is resurrecting a classic message design assignment: the ear. I have a couple of old ear illustrations used to help students learn the parts of the ear. One is a simple line drawing, the other is a complex line drawing. As a transition assignment between critiquing existing instructional messages and creating their own (one visual presentation, one audio presentation, one print piece...at least that is what I am thinking at the moment), my thought is to have them select a design perspective (e.g., instruction as comic book), and design a piece that students could use to learn the parts of the ear. (So, if a student decided to create a print-based comic book, then she or he would count this assignment for the print requirement and only have to create two more self-paced instructional pieces: a visual presentation and an audio presentation.)


Misc.:

A concern I still have is the value of this course for K-12 educators (not in the eLearning MA program). I can clearly see the relevance of a course like this for instructional designers and eLearning specialists, regardless of educational setting. But, if someone is a K-12 classroom teacher and intends to continue in that role, then this course may not be appropriate. Still thinking about this, especially in light of the fact that we (ILT program faculty) are thinking about making it required for all ILT students.

Multi-week projects...do students use the extra time well?

One of the design decisions I made early on was to try to reduce the number of things students had to turn in. I didn't want to have things due every week. Instead, I wanted to require just three significant projects (significant in terms of authenticity and relevance...projects that could have a life outside of the course), and give students adequate time to work on them. I wanted students to have 3-5 weeks to work on each project, and I worked hard to match the project requirements and scope to the number of weeks I assigned for each one. I wanted to make sure students had enough time to let their creativity percolate, and enough time to actually creatively accomplish what they wanted to. And, allowing for more time per project also recognizes that adult students have things that come up in their lives that require their immediate attention...and academics must be set aside temporarily. With multi-week projects, students can still get projects done even if they have to take some time away from the coursework. Or, if they are taking more than one course and have to juggle deadlines.

But, I'm not sure that all of the students used the available time well. I have a sense that there is still a fair amount of last-minute scrambling going on for some. Some people work better that way, which is fine. But, for those who don't, the work -- and the learning -- suffers. So, is there anything I can do differently next time to avoid this potential issue, sort of having smaller project deliverables throughout (and then I'm back to what I wanted to avoid in the first place...lots of due dates for students to track)?

The idea I have is to require that each student post one question about their project each week that I would then respond to. This would help us stay connected, and hopefully at least encourage students to think about their projects from the get-go. I could even be a bit more specific then "post a question" by guiding the type of questions they should be asking at different phases of the project. For example, at the beginning of the project, I could ask, "Who is the audience, and what are the learning objectives for this instructional message?" During the middle of the project I could ask, "What challenge are you facing at this point in the design of your instructional message?"

I am going to keep thinking about this issue, but am thinking now that this sort of guided prompting on my part could help students use the weeks available to them for each project in a more productive way.

2nd guest speaker great addition to course

Dr. Marty Tessmer was the 2nd guess speaker for the course. He spent close to two hours answering questions about creating online tutorials. During the previous 1-1/2 weeks, the students had read his book on the topic. The original plan was that they would provide Marty with formative evaluation data about the book before he published it. So, the students completed a "Final Post" discussion about the book, then each posted three questions for Marty in a discussion forum. He responded to all of their posted questions. Then, the experience culminated in the live (via Adobe Connect) session. Marty was able to collect some useful information regarding the direction of his book (e.g., needs to add two chapters and a section at the end of each chapter on formative evaluation). And, the students got to spend time with a well-known ID professional and author, discussing a topic of great interest (and related to the final Culminating Project). Plus, it was a change of pace at a typically low-energy point in the semester -- I think it served to reenergize folks for the final push. [Note: It was also helpful to have Marty so involved with them during a week that I was away at a conference.]

Even though the two guest speakers have been so successful, I decided to cancel the final guest speaker in order to give the students more time and space to focus on their final Culminating Project. Instead, I have offered to host Q&A sessions for the project if the students want and need them.

Reflecting on my processing of the Zoomerang results

I received some very useful feedback from the Zoomerang survey…I really appreciate when people take the time to share their thoughts and ideas. I haven’t posted to this blog for awhile as I have been focused on the course (grading the second Culiminating Project), and making appropriate adjustments to the course based on the feedback.

Only about ½ the group responded to the Zoomerang survey. Right or wrong, my positive spin on it is that those who did not respond are satisfied with the direction of the course. At least I can’t think of a time when I provided an opportunity to share feedback and those who were unhappy about a particular aspect of the course didn’t take advantage of the opportunity. [Note: It also has a lot to do with how you ask for feedback, the questions you use. I learned from Marty Tessmer – formative evaluation expert – that you have to ask questions in a way that invites a response and assumes that there is always something that can be improved. So, questions that ask, “What three things would you change and why?” indicates that there are at least three things that one should be able to suggest for improvement. The invitation, and structure of questions, can definitely change the response rate and the quality of the responses received.]

Of the responds I received, there were several positive comments, which is good. It is helpful to have reinforcement for what I am doing and what I have designed. Positive comments included things about my attentiveness, quality and quantity of feedback on projects, nature of projects, flexibility to resubmit projects for more points, and the Duarte and Reynolds readings.

I also received several constructively critical comments. Some of the issues shared I immediately addressed. For example, because of comments about the workload being too heavy, I eliminated a Hands-on/Minds-on project to make more space and time for folks working on the final Culminating Project. There were also comments about wishing there were more discussions, so I added a discussion as a way to help the group process Marty Tessmer’s book on designing online tutorials.

Some comments I could respond to now. For example, I received negative comments about the Mayer text. Although I couldn’t fix it for this term, I will find another way to expose students to Mayer’s principles without using his text next year.
Some of the critical comments presented challenges for me because:

• They were inconsistent (some folks liking a particular aspect, and others not)
  
• They were about aspects of the course to which I am committed from an educational perspective (in this case, I just haven’t made the case well enough, I am assuming)
  
• They are about structural issues with the eCollege shell that are out of my control, or – for me to design around – requires a fairly cluegy approach to the design
  
• They are more related to the individuals than the course. At least I think they are…

Let me say a bit more about that last one… Honestly, as an instructional designer, I point my finger at myself as much as possible. It gives me comfort to think that there are things I can do – or do differently – to improve the chances that students’ motivation to learn will be enhanced. But, sometimes, I receive a few comments to a survey like this one that feel more like an abdication of student responsibility than something I can directly address.

For example, a specific comment I received had to do with being consistently confused about due dates. Because it is so easy to lose track of due dates in an online course, I standardized on a single weekly due date – end of day on Sundays. There are three times during the course where there are differing due dates, and those are related to three sets of peer reviews due on Thursdays. The calendar of graded activities (in the Syllabus) and Weekly Agendas – both including information regarding due dates – has been available since the start of the course. My assumption was that people would rely on whatever method they use to track course due dates. For example, I mapped all the due dates to my daytimer so they would be included in my overall view of my week. I also printed out the syllabus and weekly agendas so I could check items off as we went (in fact, I designed the weekly agendas to function as a checklist).

Was my assumption faulty? Yes, or I wouldn’t have received the comments. Was my assumption unreasonable? No. This is a graduate level course, with students who are midway through their programs. Online courses require a proficient level of self-directedness…folks have to be able to manage time, resources, and energy for themselves. Is there something I could do to make things easier to track? I guess so, I’m just surprised I need to.

Where does this leave me? I’ve made some positive adjustments for the remainder of the semester, and have a list of things – like the Mayer text – to reconsider for next time. The feedback – as always – was very useful to my thinking. I always appreciate it when folks take the time to share their thoughts and ideas, even when it isn’t what I hoped or wanted to hear. If you ask for feedback, you have to be prepared for what you receive, and be willing to take appropriate actions based on what you receive. I think I accomplished this.

Wish I had a crystal ball -- Eliminating required discussion a mistake

So, I am now quite clear that eliminating required discussions of readings was a bad idea. As one student in the class described, discussions are a place to work out a comprehensive understanding of the readings in preparation for applying the readings to their projects.

If something is optional, which the discussions have been, very few folks choose to participate. Not because they don’t see the value…I think several students do find it valuable. However, there are many other things requiring their time and energy…it is easy to lose track of the optionals regardless of value.

My issue in rethinking the design now, however, is what else to get rid of from the course in order to make room for required discussions (not weekly, but around key readings in advance of Culminating Project due dates).

Maybe I need to make the Minds-on/Hands-on presentation assignment a little larger, eliminate the Presentation Prowess Culminating Project, adjust the final Culminating Project to incorporate the Presentation Prowess objectives (or simply refocus more in that area of development), and then add in required discussions. Alternatively, I could give up on my efforts to illustrate the relevancy of establishing an online presence via blogging…eliminate the blogging activity. So, I think I can create wiggle room in the course to allow for required discussions without messing up what I think is working.

I need a crystal ball.

First guest speaker

The first guest speaker will be tonight from 7-8pm. We are using Adobe Connect. I hope this one (and the other two I have planned) reenergize things. This is the time in the semester where there is often a dip in energy as folks sort of gear up for the final push. So, my hope is that some new voices and views will be the right mix to keep folks engaged and processing the course material as they prepare and complete the final project.

Checking-In Survey

I created a Checking-In Survey in Zoomerang to gather some anonymous data from the students about how things are going in the course. This is the text I provided as an introduction to the survey:

Hello, everyone! We are at the midpoint of the course. Although I've been receiving feedback from various individuals in the course since the start of the term, I want to formally collect feedback. As you know, I have been trying out different strategies this term -- such as limiting the number of required weekly activities, not requiring weekly discussion participation, not requiring collaborative projects, and so forth. At this point in the course, I think it is appropriate for you to have an anonymous opportunity to comment on the experience thus far. As always, I appreciate your thoughtful, professional feedback. Thank you.

The questions I asked are:

1. What aspects of the course have you found most helpful in enhancing and supporting your motivation to learn about instructional message design, and why?
   
2. What aspects of the course have you found least helpful in supporting and enhancing your motivation to learn about instructional message design, and why?
   
3. What three things would you change about the course, and why?
   
4. What topics and/or issues from the readings and videos are unclear and require further attention?
   
5. What additional comments would you like to share with me that will serve to enhance the course and your experience in the course?

I think it is important for students to have opportunities to provide feedback and share ideas in a variety of forums. I prefer students to own their feedback, but I recognize that anonymous feedback can also lead to quite fruitful comments that can be used to enhance the course and learning experience, and alert me to issues that require my immediate attention.

Students are still submitted their surveys, and once I have them all I am going to process them in this blog. Again, I want my process for thinking about this course and their experience in the course to be as open as possible. The students will, hopefully, learn about course design decision-making by “listening in” to how I work through competing ideas, perspectives, and the like.