Hello all...
I enrolled in the MET program to jumpstart a career change from editing/publication project management in the print publishing world to instructional design. Ed Tech 513 is my eighth class in the program. Prior to the MET program, I had very little experience with technology tools other than basic office applications, so I am most interested in improving my technical/design skills. This semester I would like to continue building my skills with the Adobe CS programs and learn about other design tools that are available (especially freebies!). Two areas I have had little to no experience with but would like to learn about are sound and video production and editing.
Thanks to my work in the MET program, I began a new job in October as an Instructional Designer/Writer for an e-learning production company called Web Courseworks (http://www.webcourseworks.com/). Typically our clients will supply us with the content to design professional training/continuing education e-courses for their adult learners. The textbook for this class seems especially applicable to my job, so I am looking forward to digging into that. The programmers on our staff handle the technical aspects of course design, so I don’t know if I will ever actually use the technical skills I am developing in the MET program. However, I do need to develop the concepts for interactive activities and then communicate my ideas to the programmers. Therefore, it is helpful for me to both understand what is technically possible with the tools that are available, and to know enough about features of the tools to be able to communicate with the programmers. For example, two technical issues that may have an impact on the design of an e-course I am developing include compliance with SCORM standards (for reporting the learners’ exam scores) and integration with the client’s LMS.
Hi Margaret, What a great job you have! Yes, the textbook should help you a great deal with many aspects of your job. I really love this textbook. I am a big fan of Mayer's work with multimedia principles. It is amazing how many in academia do not follow the principles. In another school I work for as an adjunct, the full-time faculty have encouraged us to make scrolling headlines for announcements. This may sound cool and interesting, but which of the multimedia principles does this violate? Comments anybody?
ReplyDeleteGreetings:
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the new job! How exciting for you. It's good to hear the investment in your college education is paying off. I love design work but I also love to teach. I’ve contemplated many times on switching careers to focus on instructional design. It would be incredibly tough for me to give up one and solely focus on the other. I guess I consider myself lucky as I do both in my current position. Anyways, welcome to class!
Cheers,
Travis
Hi Margaret!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the new job! That sounds like it will be a lot of fun. I did an internship in E-learning and helped the company write their design standards and principles. I loved the principles in this book and relied heavily on it. I look forward to reading the newer version and seeing what is changed. I think the book is great and really makes the principles easy to understand.