A Heightened Awareness of Accommodations At a recent Toastmasters officers meeting in a popular coffee house, the club secretary asked me to switch seats with him. While I didn’t have a problem switching, I was curious why he wanted me to move. He informed me that as our meeting’s notetaker—and left-handed person—he needed a space … Continue reading “An Overview of Universal Design for Learning”
While we planned to have content for you this week, we’ve spent most of our time preparing to present at IUPUC’s Symposium on Universal Design for Instruction and Learning. In our session, we’ll discuss “Why, What, & How: Using UDL in Course Materials to Enhance Learner Experience.” Don’t worry, we’ll share our research on the blog! … Continue reading “Symposium on Universal Design for Instruction and Learning”
When instructional designers or subject matter experts (SMEs) design a course, students’ mental health often unintentionally gets overlooked. Courses that overlook students’ mental health, even unintentionally, show a lack of empathy and understanding on our part.
Authentic engagement between students and instructors is immensely important in eLearning. That being said, both collaborative and social learning are the heart behind any virtual course. Not only that, but researchers at the University of Calgary Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning describe these modes of learning as an “opportunity for students and instructors to … Continue reading “Collaborative and Social Learning Tools for eLearning”
(While I try to speak without bias, I should note that I have a Western Mind model and come from the Euro-American cultural background. I welcome any comments to discuss these ideas in greater depth as I find this topic very fascinating and relevant to what we need to be discussing in this day and … Continue reading “A Melting Pot of Learning”
I love stories and believe in their power and ability to change people’s lives by calling them to action. Littlejohn, Foss, and Oetzel (2017) concur, asserting that “storytelling is a universal function, a natural human capacity that crosses time and culture; humans comprehend their actions and those of others in the form of stories” (p. … Continue reading “Why Storytelling Matters in Teaching and Instructional Design”
In May 2011, I graduated from high school. In June, before I started college, I walked into my first group interview. While I had never heard of eLearning or instructional design, I was still intrigued. Dave Goodrich, one of my high school science teachers, now worked at Spring Arbor University (SAU) as an instructional designer. He … Continue reading “eLearning Past, Present, and Future (2011-2021): A Conversation about Trends in eLearning, Instructional Design, and Online Learning”
Instructional design is often a career people fall into. When you scroll through comment sections online, you’ll see the same question from people interested in entering the field: Where do I learn instructional design skills? While you might find a graduate degree or certificate useful (especially if you plan to work in higher education), it’ll … Continue reading “Develop Your Instructional Design Skills”
When you’re developing an eLearning course, there is always an overload of “practical” stuff that you have to keep in mind. Development timelines, coordinating with subject matter experts, and making sure all the nuts and bolts are ready for the launch day of your course. In the midst of all the details, I like to … Continue reading “Three Things to Consider when Designing your next Learning Experience”
So, over the holiday break, in-between stuffing my face with food and watching holiday movies (yes, Die Hard counts), I took some time to catch up on my podcast backlog. Particularly, Limetown.
Model eLearning 