Tag: Reflection

Meaningful Traditions: Reflecting on 2023 

Christmas traditions vary from family to family and person to person. But whether it’s decorating with lights to brighten the long winter nights, hanging stockings on the mantel, or placing a manger in a prominent location for all to see, these traditions seek to fill the season with significance and cheer.

Each December, our team enjoys the tradition to pause and reflect on the research and resources we share on the website. And we hope this tradition of reflection brings meaning to our Model eLearning community. With 2024 only a couple weeks away, it’s time to for the traditional review of the highlights of 2023.

Continue reading “Meaningful Traditions: Reflecting on 2023 “

Reimagining Higher Education: The Sequel

In summer 2020, I reflected on reimagining higher education in light of Smith and Felch’s (2016) book, Teaching and Christian Imagination. Today, I want to build on that blog post by reflecting on another book, Wendell Berry and Higher Education: Cultivating Virtues of Place (Baker & Bilbro, 2017). 

Continue reading “Reimagining Higher Education: The Sequel”

2018: Reflecting on a Year of Growth

We’ve reached the end of 2018—and what a year it’s been! From increasing the number of posts on the blog to presenting at conferences, it’s been a busy year for our team.

When we started Model eLearning, we decided to share content every other week. This year, we challenged ourselves to double that (yeah, we might have been a little crazy).

Your enthusiasm for the extra content lets us know we’re on the right track, though, so thank you for that! Over the year, we’ve met great people online and in person, and those conversations helped shape the topics and tone of Model eLearning. 

Let’s look at a few highlights from 2018.

Continue reading “2018: Reflecting on a Year of Growth”

Happy Thanksgiving!

Around Thanksgiving, it’s nice to pause in our busy schedules to consider what we’re thankful for.

Over the past year, our team had incredible opportunities to connect with others—on Model eLearning, Twitter, at conferences, and of course, on our own campus. Everyone we’ve talked to shares a drive to improve the learning experience for all learners. Whether you’ve followed from the beginning or just popped in to read a recent post, we’re thankful for what you bring to the conversation.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving—we hope you have great food, good conversations, and return ready to finish 2018. We’ll see you next week with new content.

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”

Two Big Things™ I Learned in my first year in Instructional Design

When I started in eLearning (just over a year ago now), I really had no idea what I was getting myself into. I came from a background in IT and creative writing, so while it’s theoretically a simple matter to apply some of those skills to ID work, finding the practical application of those skills in an entirely new arena was…challenging. Continue reading “Two Big Things™ I Learned in my first year in Instructional Design”

Stories From Around the eLearning Fire

We often picture our primitive ancestors gathering around a fire to share stories. Amongst the tribe members, the seasoned imparted experience to those with less experience. Survival depended on Continue reading “Stories From Around the eLearning Fire”

3 Things I Learned Working with Subject Matter Experts in my First Year as an ID

In my first year as an instructional designer (ID), I worked with college faculty to develop the courses they had taught face-to-face into online courses. I was eager to dive into my new role, create successful courses, and stick to a 3-month timeline for each project.

A few key lessons that I encountered in those early days continue to guide my work. Continue reading “3 Things I Learned Working with Subject Matter Experts in my First Year as an ID”

What I Wish I’d Known Before I Became an Instructional Designer

Like many in the world of eLearning and Instructional Design, I entered the field through a wandering path. Finally, I’d found a job that benefits from my “jack-of-all trades” skill set, Continue reading “What I Wish I’d Known Before I Became an Instructional Designer”

A Year’s End Review

When our team started Model eLearning in January, we wanted to explore and share the eLearning theories, trends, and tools that excite us. One of the top instructional design skills is Googler—so we wanted to contribute to that growing body of knowledge and help the eLearning community.

Over the past year, we’ve shared our team’s practical tips for instructional designers (ID), subject matter experts (SME), and instructors. Now—in a time-honored December blog tradition—let’s review some of our favorite posts of 2017. Continue reading “A Year’s End Review”