WOL My Goals as a Learning Designer

 

 

A short-term goal that can be achieved by the end of the course.

 

My short-term goal for this course is to Develop an understanding of Canvas and the methods for developing course work using many different types of media for online learning.  All of these innovative technologies are new to me; I've never taken an online course at a university.  I've taken online courses for different vendor certifications, which are somewhat similar and perhaps some of the teachers in this class have had a hand in developing the theory behind these classes.  While most of it is good, I've seen some bad learning portals or online courses that are not effective or efficient.

I'd like to leave this course comfortable with the process of taking a course in this fashion and learn some of the ins and outs of how it operates; how to integrate the "media" with the instruction and how to help a student get engaged.  Even though it appears to be different ways of teaching online courses, I'm really keeping my eyes open to what appears to work best for teaching the technically oriented courses, i.e., I'd like to teach in Traffic Analysis at the Lower layers of networking technology; this would be the traffic communication between the computers that make the applications used for teaching work.  One goal is to focus on learning educational technologies that can help me throughout the program and allow me to complete my degree.  Without this knowledge I won't be successful.  I fully intend to rely heavily on the Instructor and Assistants of this course for help and guidance.

    A medium-term goal that can be achieved by the mid-point of the program

By the midterm of my progress, I'd like to be proficient in developing courses with enough comfort-ability learning and adopt new things. I should have completed these courses: Design & Development of Instruction, Learning Theories & Instructional Strategies, Foundations of Learning Design & Technologies, Evaluation of Learning Systems, and Introduction to Research and Evaluation in Education. By the time I get 15 hours or so under my belt I should have enough familiarity with the different methods of course presentation that I know how to answer questions like "…what would work best for presenting this topic" and know the different directions to be successful; perhaps not know how to do it yet but have an idea of how to proceed.  Wither that's a way to express an idea, or a method to create the media and start to have a firm grasp of the technology behind the methods.  This midpoint is key to my development as a future educator.  They are my foundational courses for developing training or teaching materials.  The remaining course work are courses in effective communication, trends, and issues.  These give me knowledge of the whole process and not in the details of development required for teaching.  I don't really have a good idea of who the key players are in this field other than from the readings we were given.  I perused through the bibliography's and trying to get a better idea of who further to research.  I also intend to rely heavily on my Beautiful Wife who is an Instructional Designer at the University of Northern Arizona.  As well as references that I hope to amass in the first 5 courses including Teachers, contacts, and Students.

     A long-term goal that can be achieved at the end of the program.

By the time I graduate from the Design and technologies program, I would like to be at the Expert level with Learning design and Technologies.  Be able to take an idea from concept all the way through teaching it to others.  Developing media that's meaningful and attractive

 My ultimate goal out of this program is to be engaged with a community college or smaller college and work with them to develop a program of study for Computer Networking and have a positive outcome for future engineers.  Possibly use case studies that have been presented to them to further that cause and have a knowledge that can be used inside of their degree to work through designs / implementations / troubleshooting of large enterprise customer and carrier networks.  Integrating new technologies as they emerge and not be nervous about trying and learning new things.  Education is more of a never-ending process.  There is always continual learning occurring.  It doesn't stop just because you have finished your degree

I've been involved in computer networks since the early 80s I've watched technology and learning change drastically in those years.  When I was in college there was no such thing as "Online" Learning. In high school I took a typing class on manual typewriters. We used punch cards for the programming the mainframe.  it's changed a lot and I've seen Technologies come and go. I helped develop parts of the Internet I also helped in the different standards development bodies with many of the technologies that are in use today by different organization.  Knowledge changes and I try to stay abreast in my field..  I'm hoping that through a Masters in Learning and Design Technologies Program that I can help the new generation of learners better understand the field of networking and telecommunications. I hope to bring some of that eagerness and wonderment of new ideas to the world through my students.

I hope to make contact with other like minded individuals in the pursuit of this en-devour.  Professors or experts in teaching that can help me to get my ideas and concepts in front of the students.