At the close of ED 795A you will be able to:
- Identify emergent trends and theories in instructional design (and, more limitedly, in evaluation).
- Analyze the role of education and training in organizations, especially your client's organization.
- Describe issues likely to arise between/among developers, SMEs, clients and colleagues; models for consulting relationships; and strategies for enhancing those relationships.
- Plan and conduct a small-scale study (needs assessment, product design/development, evaluation) to meet your client's needs.
- Communicate through oral and written briefings (as well as meeting minutes).
- Where appropriate, conduct procedural and cognitive task analyses.
- Work with productivity tools essential to field-work (word processing, spreadsheets, databases, web editors, online survey generators, etc.).
- Develop one or more data gathering instruments (survey, interview or focus group protocol, observation guide, rubric) and, if appropriate--train others to use it/them; determine a group or statistically appropriate sample from which to garner data; administer or implement the instrument(s); and analyze the information.
- Speculate on the implications of readings and lectures for instructional designers (performance consultants, evaluators) and the organizations in which they work, and apply this effort to actual ID cases as well as your client's challenges.
- Create an evaluaion plan or detailed lesson specifications, prototypes and instructional or informational strategies appropriate to your client.
- Describe current theories contributing to motivation, attitude change, decision-making, transfer and judgment enhancement.
- Describe how various and emergent perspectives and theories have been applied to your project and ID cases.
- Describe emergent career opportunities and constraints for instructional designers (performance consultants, evaluators), focusing particularly on the implications of performance technology and the Internet.
- Examine the hype and hope associated with e-learning.
- Assess your effectiveness as a communicator and external consultant with customers and colleagues and identify opportunities for personal and professional growth.
- Use professional resources (e.g., Love Library, the web, and local professional associations) to gather information and establish professional habits and relationships.
- Work independently to sharpen professional and communications skills.