Coursework

Welcome, this page contains the courses taken and my personal reflections…

Summer 2009

EDIT 526: Web Accessibility and Design

Description: Develops understanding of principles of universal web design. Students apply this understanding by designing and developing accessible web site using web authoring tools.

Reflection: This was an introductory course to web accessibility and design. Prior to this course, I did not have any exposure to web design and I did not know anything about accessibility elements. In this course, I learned how to design, format and make web pages accessible for all users. In addition, this course exposed me to 508 requirements governed by the federal government, coding, css styles and dreamweaver. As I begin to move forward down my new career path, I have a new found awareness regarding people with disabilities and the web. When designing web pages, designers should consider all people not just a specific group.

EDIT 705: Instructional Design

Description: Helps students analyze, apply, and evaluate principles of instructional design to develop education and training materials spanning a wide range of knowledge domains and instructional technologies. Focuses on variety of instructional design models, with emphasis on recent contributions from cognitive science and related fields.

Reflection: This was a refresher course for me. In my undergraduate studies, I had quite a bit of exposure to instructional design. Since I completed my core courses back in 2002, this course was instrumental in helping remember some of the principles that I had already learned. This course provided me and my team to walk through the entire cycle of instructional design. Subsequently, we were tasked as a group to create a design document with all of the trimmings. Working with others who have not had exposure to instructional design proved to be challenging. Nevertheless, learning took place and greater insights ensued. Great course!

EDIT 575: Authoring Tools – Captivate

Description: Introduces specific authoring tools through hands-on lab instruction, interaction with software interface, and construction of instructional sequences, importing video and audio clips, resource management, and animation.

Reflection: Loved this course! This course allowed me to be creative and provided me with the opportunity to use an elearning tool. When I enrolled in this course, I was pursuing the eLearning graduate certificate. Since I was already providing training and developing course content, taking captivate was the logical step for web-based training. I really enjoyed seeing other students’ work as well. This tool can be a critical element when designing web-based training.

Spring 2010

EDIT 575: Authoring Tools – Podcasting

Description: Introduces specific authoring tools through hands-on lab instruction, interaction with software interface, construction of instructional sequences, importing video and audio clips, resource management, and animation.

Reflection: Another great course! This course provided me with the opportunity to learn about RSS feeds, podcasting and be creative. I learned how to use content management systems, itunes U, and how much work it takes to develop a clear, concise and engaging podcast for your audience. In addition, I learned how to edit audio clips using audacity and how to publish a podcast. In order to be a successful podcaster you must ensure that you are using equipment that provide good sound clarity, break up podcast into short segments and practice, practice, practice! It was also fun listening to what others created as well.

EDIT 772: Web Conferencing/Virtual Meeting Tool

Description: Provides overview of web development tools. Using instructional design principles, students interact with variety of web publishing software programs to develop a project web site.

Reflection: During this course students learned how to use virtual meeting software. This course provided students with the opportunity to work collaboratively with others. Due to the fact that my class was so large, the instructor gave us the option to choose which software we wanted to use Adobe Connect or Illuminate. I really enjoyed this course as well. I liked learning about the various features in the programs and how it will allow people to meet remotely, which can be a cost savings to many organizations. I especially found this class to be interesting because it allowed me to compare across interfaces. I discovered that many of the meeting tools are similar and function the same.

EDIT 611: Innovations in Distance Learning

Description: Explores educational opportunities through electronic networks and telecommunications. Hands-on activities focus on planning, implementation, and evaluation. Students discuss emerging applications, and how new approaches to learning can be integrated into today’s classrooms.

Reflection: This course provided the students with opportunity to explore distance learning tools. From what I can recall we learned about the history of distance learning and how it has evolved to this present day. This course was a requirement for the eLearning graduate certificate. It provided students the opportunity to work collaboratively and to design a distance learning course that was present to the entire class via a web conferencing tool.

Summer 2010

EDIT 573: Project Management

Description: Teaches students the principles of project management as it is applied to instructional design. Explores project management tools used to manage, plan, and track large-scale multimedia and hypermedia projects.

Reflection: This course provided insight regarding basic project management processes. In this course we engaged in self-directed learning to use Microsoft Project as the tool to complete the team task. We also learned how to create a project plan design document and develop a project schedule using project. This was my least favorite class because it was offered in the summer and everything seemed so rushed. In addition each team member was afforded the opportunity to take lead (project manager) on various pieces on the assigned project.

Fall 2010

EDIT 590: Educational Research in Technology

Description: Focuses on developing skills, insights, and understanding basics to performing research with emphasis on interpretation, application, critique, and use of findings in educational settings. Students develop expertise in action research methodology, design, and implementation.

Reflection: Tough course…This course was offered totally online and did not allow very much time for you to process what you were learning from week to week as the course load was very heavy. Nevertheless, much learning occurred. This course was a research focused class. We were introduced to various methodologies, statistical tools, evaluation of research documents, the components of a research plan, the development of consumer reports and reviews of research proposals. In addition, we were required to obtain the CITI – Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative Certification for Basic Course that are required prior to conducting any research at Mason using human subjects. As a result of the heavy workload, I learned quite a bit about how to conduct educational research.

EDIT 730: Advanced Instructional Design

Description: Capstone course of three-course sequence on theory and practice of instructional design. Helps students apply ideas developed in prior courses to complete major instructional design project. Covers leading-edge ideas in evolution of instructional design.

Reflection: This course focused on the different pedagogical approaches and strategies for instruction. In this course, I learned about the epistemological model, learning theories, instructional strategies and the learning activities associated with them. This course afforded the students the opportunity to work collaboratively in a team project as well as discuss many topics and aprroaches related to constructivism.

EDIT 732: Analysis and Design of Technology-Based Learning Environments

Description: Enables design, implementation, and evaluation of technology-based education and training materials using advanced computer-based authoring tools.

Reflection: In this course the students were tasked with a project-based assignment. The students were tasked with solving a problem using mobile devices and the problem needed to be education related. Using instructional design principles, as part of a team I helped to create a performance analysis briefing, task/needs analysis, persona/user needs document, dessign prototype document, design submission, rationale and testing document. This was a grueling class as it included many components for task completion. This class revelaed that upfront work needs to be done before designers attempt to resolve their clients problem.

Spring 2011

EDIT 704: Instructional Technology Foundations and Theory

Description: Reviews practical and pedagogical issues related to design and development of technological instruction. Emphasizes investigating instructional design as a field and community of practice, and reviewing core learning theory constructs applicable to design of instructional technology.

Reflection: In this course, I learned about the various instructional stratef=gies and and learning theories as they related to instructional design. In this course, we learned about the the foundation and theory of instructional design and the theorist associated with the various theories. This course also made affordances regarding the when to use various learning strategies as well providing appropriate assignments to practice what was learned. In addition, we put theory into practice by creating instructor guides, reflecting on theories, researching instructional design appropriate topics and presenting findings to our peers.

EDIT 752: Design and Implementing Technology Based Learning Environments

Description: Students design and produce multimedia/hypermedia applications based on current theory and research in instructional design and cognitive science. Examines user needs, information models, structure, and media selection and uses to inform design and production of final project.

Reflection: This course was a continuation course from EDIT-732 Analysis and Design of Technology-Based Learning Environments. In this course my team continued and enhanced the product we were developing for Osbourn High School. My team was responsible for conducting usability testing for our product. Ourprototype –the use of iTouch to enhance the learning of geometry students featured a user-centered approach to development. We conducted to rounds of testing that included the participation of high school geometry students. During round 1 the students were afforded the opprtuntiy to provide feedback on the prototype presented. The prototype was enhanced to reflect the changes that our sample audience wanted to see. In round 2 moree feedback was elicited and a focus group session was conducted. As a results, the students were pleased with the enhancements which validated our initial research in EDIT -732. Thek course also equipped us with the opportunity to perform as project manager for the various components of the project.

EDIT 601: Instructional Design and Development Portfolio

Description: Enables students to create and publish electronic portfolio that demonstrates effective and meaningful integration and syntheses of instructional design and development concepts, principles, and competencies learned across program courses at mid-degree program point.

Reflection: This course afforded me the opportunity to reflect and highlight the work that I have completed thus far in the IDD program. As I experienced many technical difficulities attempting to highlight my experiences and learning during this course in an electronic format, the value of this course out-weighed the techical barriers. This course helped to stimulate what may have been forgotten and provided a place where the work that I have completed could be showcased.

Summer 2011

EDIT 701: Advanced Instructional Design Portfolio

Reflection: This course was the final course of the program and afforded me the opportunity to include final course work and reflection to my Instructional Design and Development portfolio.