Distance Education Interview

On May 17, 2011, I interviewed Dr. Semrau who is a subject matter expert in Instructional Technology and a professor at California State University. In the interview, I asked specific questions to bring out an understanding of what makes distance education different from traditional education, how to organize distance education online, and how a professor practices distance education. Also, the future of distance education is discussed. For more information about Dr. Semrau, visit the following link: http://www.calstatela.edu/faculty/psemrau/

Enjoy the interview!

Looking Out...

My first encounters with instructional design and technology lead me to realize how significant the field of IDT is to the 21st century --- especially in the areas of education and T&D (training and development). The unique aspects of IDT are that you're required to be creative (as in exercise your brain) and a "solution scavenger." I do not have a background in the Fine Arts however, I can turn out some kind of results as long as the tools are within reach. I probably will not be dead on the target but I my whole point is that I am not afraid to try it out and continue until I succeed. This is how I feel about IDT. There is no limit put on your creativity or the solutions you uncover. Therefore, I would like to discover where I fit into the field of IDT. I understand that IDT is not all about putting fancy fonts on a page with a nice color scheme. IDT is so much more. In the video clip below, one of the founders of IDT talks about the overall purpose of the field.

VALID and RELIABLE Instructional Designs

IDT specialists make a deliberate effort to keep all components of a lesson related to learning objectives and goals. For example, visuals and audio are a reflection of the text just as the text is a reflection of what learners see and hear. IDT specialists hold themselves accountable for creating effective learning environments and practice exercises. They also gather feedback for the purposes of improving their instructional methods/products or adding to their knowledge base.

IDT specialists strive to create unique instructional designs to serve specific learning objectives. They even adjust their work and seek resources to get as close to evidence of a transfer of training as they can.

Caught Up in the System

As I was reading the class text book, I stumbled upon how instructional designers and technologist should be familiar with systems. IDT specialists put themselves at a greater advantage when they 1. acknowledge the existence of systems 2. have the ability to understand systems and 3. know how to create systems. Systems seem to be designed to establish organization, order, and procedures.

I took a moment to think about my involvement in systems and the types of systems that have an impact on my life. For example, I fall into a system when I do laundry. From my thinking, I realized that some systems work for me and some systems do not work for me. I have difficulty adjusting in certain systems. In those cases where I do not align myself with the system, I seek an alternative system that is more compatible.

HPI & IDT

Human Performance Improvement (HPI) comes up in the field of IDT. From my readings, I gathered that HPI and IDT are separate but connected --- kind of like the Earth and Moon. HPI is the worth created when a human accomplishment outweighs the cost. HPI is significant to the field of IDT because it does not focus primarily on instructional solutions; it goes outside of the box and draw upon non-instructional solutions. Not only that, HPI moves an organization toward the path of accountability, aligned values, clear objectives, and competence. HPI practices coupled with IDT can lead to training and development that puts everyone in the organization on the same page while being effective and low-cost.

The Sky is the Limit

Motivation is an important concept in the field of Instructional Design and Technology. It is one of those “small things” that can cause a detrimental glitch in the entire learning experience. I believe that most learners are capable of learning and completing basic tasks. I also believe that learners do not learn and complete basic tasks because they are not interested or have some type of comprehension barrier.

How do you motivate students? This is a good question because there is no “cookie cutter” solution. Whatever worked well at one time and space will not necessarily fit all future learning situations. One way of I would try to spark motivation is to get to know learners and the kinds of activities that grab their attention. If I achieve a spark, the next challenge is to be creative enough to keep the motivation from fading out.

To be honest, I think we all have motivation inside of us. Our experiences and encounters in life shape our motivation and make it unique for us. The way you spark one person’s motivation might or might not be effective on the next person or the person after that person. Who knows…

Links of A Chain

Through my readings, I discovered that instructional projects do not have to be a one-person activity. In fact, a team effort between instructional designers and subject matter experts can produce positive results. The key to achieving positive results is to build a productive team. In K-12 education settings, I can vision a teacher collaborating with an instructional designer. The teacher focuses on one aspect of instruction while the instructional designer focuses on another. In this vision, the teacher and instructional designer share a common goal, which is to educate through stimulation. Also, each one has a specific purpose and role in the school setting. I think this relationship is worthy because it can influence the quality of a learning experience. The teacher can challenge the instructional designer to create powerful instructional products and the instructional designer can challenge the teacher to use content in ways never thought of. For this vision to be implemented, an objective team-building expert (with a background in psychology) would probably need to be on hand.