Author: modelelearning

Our team explores instructional design and eLearning trends. We develop student-centered blended and online courses at Spring Arbor University in Spring Arbor, MI.

The Essentials of Professional Development

The amount of technological change in the past 15 years is staggering. Even in Higher Education, we’re now required to continually learn on the job to stay relevant. While some organizations provide opportunities for professional development, some cannot keep up with the demand. Guest blogger Steve Graham shares how to take charge of your own professional growth.

As a coach, I often work with clients who are needy for knowledge. They desire to grow professionally and often feel stuck in their current work environment. It is no secret that when an organization values developing their people, the benefits for both the employee and organization are numerous. The benefits often include: lower turnover, increased engagement, and a smarter workforce. Professional development goes beyond cookie-cutter training programs. It involves a deeper commitment to learning.

Continue reading “The Essentials of Professional Development”

Blackboard and Broken Links: Behind the Scenes with a Student Worker

Our student workers truly enrich our work and days. It’s truly enjoyable for faculty and staff to watch students grow in the time they’re here. While the years at university sometimes seems to ebb and flow for students, it flies by for us. Today, senior Jordyn Moore reflects on her time working with the eLearning team.

As my fourth and final year at college draws to a close, I often find myself reflecting upon my time as a student worker in eLearning.

Continue reading “Blackboard and Broken Links: Behind the Scenes with a Student Worker”

Useful Feedback from a Student’s Perspective

In a literature class I took in high school, my class submitted all of our papers online for the ease of checking plagiarism and providing feedback. As Ann described in her post about audio and video feedback, my teacher not only left us written comments but audio feedback as well.

Five years later, I still remember how encouraging his audio clips were to me. They were constructive and uplifting.

What made this feedback so meaningful? Why has it stuck with me for so long? I think it’s a combination of a few different factors.

Continue reading “Useful Feedback from a Student’s Perspective”

Happy Holidays, from our eLearning Ecosystem to Yours!

Congratulations! You survived and got your final courses reviewed and published for 2018! Now’s the time for a well-earned break—at least that’s what we’ll be doing. Take some time to relax, and reflect on all the good you’ve done this year, and how you can improve in 2019. We can all be better.

Whatever your plans for the holidays, we hope you have a wonderful and relaxing time spent with family and friends, or just sitting by the fire reading a good novel. If you’re looking for some good choices, Jessica or Gary can probably toss some recommendations your way.

We’ll be back in January with our regularly scheduling programing—along with some fun new formats too!

Confessions of an eLearning Student Worker

We’ve often shared how our experiences before coming to instructional design influence our work. As an eLearning team in higher education, we have the opportunity to work with traditional college students.

Our student workers come from a variety of backgrounds, and while most will not go on to work in instructional design, the experiences they gain with us strengthen their workplace skills and resume. Our students find value working with our team, and they’re excited to add their voice to Model eLearning.

Celeste Fendt
Photo credit: Asacia Norris of Junie B. Photography

Today, we’ll hear from junior Celeste Fendt. Celeste is a professional writing major and Associate Editor for Spring Arbor University’s student newspaper, The Pulse, and she plans to work in advertising after she graduates.
Continue reading “Confessions of an eLearning Student Worker”

Rest from your Labors

Monday was Labor Day here in the States.

We were at a BBQ.

Classes start this week.

We ate too much BBQ and can’t find our keyboards.

Some of us were making spaghetti sauce.

OMG, CLASSES START THIS WEEK!

These are just a few of the many reasons why we’re taking this week off from giving you new content. We’ll return to our regular schedule next week.

HOLIDAY TIME!

It’s the 4th of July weekend here in America, so we’re on the beach. Or setting off fireworks. Or just “up north” (it’s a Michigan thing). We’ll be back to our regularly scheduled content next week.

We were gonna pretend that we had some relevant way to tie this into eLearning, but it turns out sometimes, you just need to chill.

beach-coast-65900

Motivating Learners: Speaking Relevance to Your eLearning Course

As a former broadcaster, Michelle loves to share insights using audio and video tools. We’re excited to announce her posts will now be available in dual formats—on YouTube as well as the blog.

As I read the recent Motivation in Education series authored by my eLearning colleague Ann Broda, I was reminded of Monroe’s Motivated Sequence, a common technique used in persuasive speaking. Continue reading “Motivating Learners: Speaking Relevance to Your eLearning Course”

From On Air to Online

When you were a kid, what were some of your favorite games and activities? Oftentimes, insight into a child’s future career can be gained by watching how they play.

One of my favorite “toys” as a kid was my family’s handy-dandy cassette recorder. Although now archaic, it was cutting edge in the 70s. My love for recording began at age three, as I unashamedly performed such songs as “Happy Birthday” and “Old Susanna.” As I got older, I started putting together my own radio shows, which I thought were genius works of comedy.

So, how did this childhood interest translate into a career? I became a professional broadcaster. Continue reading “From On Air to Online”

Form an Online Connection: Part 2

This post is the second in a series titled, Form an Online Connection. Part 1 was published March 9, 2017. 

In my last post, Form an Online Connection, Part 1, you read about using your voice to connect with students. This time, the focus is on using your eyes. In a face-to-face course, students have the benefit of being in the same room with the instructor. This makes it possible to observe body language, vocal tone, and facial expressions. Valuable connections are made as the professor looks into each student’s eyes and allows them to return the gaze. Continue reading “Form an Online Connection: Part 2”