3. Communicate Knowledge

Competency 3: 
Communicate Knowledge

Communicating knowledge represents my ability to use communication skills to effectively share information in diverse learning environments and situations.

Narrative

Sub-competency 1: 
Communicates effectively in oral and written formats

In EDCI 67200 Advanced Practices in Learning Design, I further developed my written communication skills by analyzing the Lynn Dixon. Case analyses can difficult because of the complexity of understanding the many variables and constraints to consider in order to make effective recommendations. In the Lynn Dixon case, I demonstrated effective written communication skills by making recommendations that balanced the client’s request with the constraints of a limited budget. In my paper, I wrote how Hoffler and Leutner (2007) found “learning outcomes are improved by presenting the learner with verbal and pictorial information in a coordinated way” (p.723). I was able to use this information to support my recommendation that using still graphics and audio narration will meet the learning outcome the client desires while also remaining within the project budget.

My Reflective Journal Case Study Facilitation from EDCI 67200 demonstrates the effective use of oral and written communication skills in a group facilitation project. Group projects can be challenging to pull off in an online environment because team members often have different schedules, professional commitments, and in many cases, live in different time zones. Team members must learn to work together in a very short amount of time which requires compromise and organization. Most importantly, a team must communicate a diversity of ideas effectively so the project can move forward. My reflection details how our team facilitated the Jack Waterkamp case in a collaborative manner by using a combination of oral and written communication techniques enabled by the effective use of technology. For example, by using the Group Forum feature to create threads for individual assignments, each team member was able to contribute ideas and share feedback effectively.

EDCI 67200 Case Analysis- Lynn Dixon EDCI 67200 Case Facilitation- Waterkamp

Sub-competency 2: 
Effectively communicates content through the design and delivery of teaching/learning activities that integrate content and pedagogy

In EDCI 56900 Introduction to E-Learning, I designed a digital learning course on one of my favorite subjects: rocketry. In researching ideas, I visited the NASA website which contained a wealth of information about space science and rocketry. I decided to create a course on Exploration Mission-1 and NASA’s new Space Launch System that will carry astronauts back to the Moon and beyond. Researching and organizing the information to present in this course was both fun and highly educational. In choosing the content design for instruction and assessment, I incorporated Horton’s (2012) e-learning design model which included the following four activity types:

     1. Discovery (Absorb)- The first section in each module presents information such as videos, infographics, and NASA 
curated content.
     2. Application (Do)- The second part of each module provides an interactive learning activity to apply what was learned.
     3. Connection (Connect)- The third part of each module provides an opportunity to reflect on various learning activities for future reference and career path discovery.
     4. Learning Challenge (Assess)- The final element will challenge knowledge and provide critical thinking application of the module content to provide an assessment.

By including a diverse collection of multimedia content and interactive learning activities, I demonstrated my ability to integrate content and pedagogy to effectively communicate information in a fun and engaging way.

EDCI 56900 Final Project Report EDCI 56900 Digital Prototype

Sub-competency 3: 
Demonstrates the ability to adapt instruction and assessment techniques to the needs of diverse learners

In thinking about learner diversity, I go back to my e-learning course design from EDCI 569. I was able to adapt the learning design and assessments for different learners of varying ages and learning environments. The primary learner for this course participates in STEM outreach and education programs such as robotics. However, the content was selected to be educational and interesting to all participants by designing the content sections in small, bite-sized learning modules. Another design approach incorporated the use of mobile responsive technology supporting a diverse collection of device types such as laptop, desktop, iPad or mobile thus considering the needs of a diverse group of learners using different device types.

In selecting the technology and design for my course, I first considered my learners and how they prefer to learn. My students prefer short, micro-sized learning pieces enhanced with rich media and interactivity. In selecting the course authoring software, I decided to go with Articulate Rise because it offered a variety of different formats to use in order to create engagement and interactivity with the content.

EDCI 56900 Final Project Report

Competency Reflection

Communicating ideas in a world filled with distraction and noise can be challenging for instructional designers. By integrating content design with effective pedagogy such as multimedia learning theory, I am able to design and deliver effective training courses to my learners using clear and concise communication.

References

Driscoll, M. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

Ertmer, P. A., Quinn, J.A., & Glazewski, K.D. (2014). The id casebook: 4th edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Hoffler, T. N., & Leutner, D. (2007). Instructional animation versus static pictures: A meta-analysis. Learning and Instruction, 17, 722-738.

Horton, W. (2012). E-learning by design (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer, Wiley.
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