Wednesday, May 29, 2013

The Iterative Nature of Design

One of the common problems I often see among new instructional designers is a desire to create "perfect" instruction fast. This is a problem because it ignores a vital truth about good instructional design (and likely good design in general). This truth is:
INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN 
IS ITERATIVE.

So, what do I mean by iterative? I mean that instructional design should be done in iterations, which Wikipedia describes in this manner:
Iteration means the act of repeating a process with the aim of approaching a desired goal, target or result. Each repetition of the process is also called an "iteration," and the results of one iteration are used as the starting point for the next iteration.
Novice Instructional Designers
A new instructional designer often:
  • Stresses about getting it "right"
  • Spends a huge amount of time in the design and planning phase
  • Spends a lot of time on details, creating ultra-intricate storyboards
  • Worries that they will be critiqued
 These stresses and worries usually result in "paralysis analysis" and render the new designer unable to move forward with their design.

Experienced Instructional Designers
In contrast, experienced instructional designers have a focus on creating and developing their materials. An experienced designer very often:
  • Focuses on creativity and creation, realizing that design tasks have many "right" answers
  • Spends adequate time in design, but does not linger in the design phase
  • Develops materials rapidly, knowing that they will soon review, correct, and revise their work in the next iteration
  • Actively seeks out critique from their peers and coworkers and implements that feedback to drastically improve the quality of their work
Again, this creation should never be expected to be perfect from the beginning; rather, it is shaped, revised, improved and refined through iteration. Below is an image of how one might visualize the iterative process of design. Each colored box represents the activity of the designer, and each arrow shows the flow from one activity to another.

Iterative Design and Development Process

 This image demonstrates the iterative nature of design. The designer (A) drafts the instructional materials. The designer then (B) performs some form of formative evaluation.This formative evaluation is often a simple self-evaluation, and the designer may draft, evaluate, and redraft the materials many times before having someone else review the materials, and those others might include peers, target learners, a client, and other stakeholders. Only after several iterations does the experience designer (C) produce or implement the instructional materials.

A Simple Example
As a simple example, I am writing this blog post knowing that the first draft will not be perfect - in fact, it will probably be kind of lame. But that is okay, because it is only the first iteration. Since writing that first draft, I have returned and revised the text, created the image, and discussed the concept with my brother (who is also an instructional designer). Hopefully through these iterations the materials will be much stronger than the first draft.

Iteration in All Phases
In this post, I have focused on using the iterative process in the development phase of instructional design. However, this process can (and should) be used in every phase of instruction. Whenever something is being created or developed (e.g. an analysis plan, a design plan, an evaluation plan), it should be developed iteratively with a focus on creating and improving. This helps avoid the dreaded "analysis paralysis" and enables the individual to move forward with confidence.


Your Feedback
To designers: what do you think? Does this reflect your beliefs about and experiences with design? Do you use the iterative process in your work? Do your iterations follow the same pattern as I describe here? I welcome your feedback and critique (and I will use it to revise the next iteration of this post!)

    Wednesday, May 15, 2013

    Sharing Academic Articles Online

    I've recently realized that making academic work available and visible is just as important as creating academic work. This is probably pretty obvious to most scholars and writers, but other than publishing in academic journals, I haven't focused a lot of effort on getting my academic work in front of other scholars and practitioners. Sure, having the article actually published in an appropriate peer-reviewed journal is vital, but there are many other things that can be done to get work out there.

    I recently made the effort to share pre-publication drafts of most of the academic articles that I have written and had published in academic journals. I want to disseminate my scholarly work as broadly as possible, and while I've shared some of these articles in the past on this blog, I thought it would be a good idea to share them in a more systematic, comprehensive way.

    So, here is how I now share my academic articles.
    1. My Professional Site.  I had already linked to a couple of my articles, but I updated the list and shared nearly all of the articles that have written or coauthored that have been published or accepted for publication. I used WordPress to create the site, and it was surprisingly easy to create the page and import the documents.
    2. Academia.edu. I created a profile and shared most of these same articles on that profile. The advantage to this (and similar sites) is that it allows you to tag your articles, which makes it a lot easier for people to find the article. In addition, others using the site follow those tags and follow one another, which facilitates sharing between affinity groups. The site is easy to set up and it is surprisingly easy to share new articles on the site.
    3. Twitter and LinkedIn. I have already shared many of my recent articles using these media, but I plan to also share the other articles. I'll also link back to the profile on academia.edu so that the articles get increased exposure. Again, very easy ways to share knowledge.
    4. This Blog. I have shared several of my papers here at this blog and use it as a way to share my current ideas and thoughts related to learning, instructional design, and success. I get a lot of traffic to this site, and one of my articles, Applying Merrill's First Principles of Instruction, has been viewed over 2000 times in the last year and a half. It has definitely been a good way to get my work out there. I use blogger for my blog, and it has worked really well.
    I think this will be a good start. And another benefit is that I now have specific online locations to share my new articles when they are published, which will make it easy to access and share them with other interested individuals. Any other ideas on how to share academic work?




    Monday, May 13, 2013

    New IDPT Graduates and a Teaching Award

    Here is a photo from graduation yesterday - the first cohort of graduates in the IDPT MS Degree at Franklin! I was glad to work with each of these excellent students.

    Me (Joel Gardner) with graduates Angie Newman, Sonya Overstreet, and Audrey McAfee

    (In my mind I imagine myself with more hair than this photo clearly highlights, but it seems to be slowly leaving me. Alas.)

    Robert L Bailey Award
    At this graduation, I was also awarded Franklin University's Robert L. Bailey Teaching Award for Winter 2013. My plaque reads, "In recognition of being selected by graduating students as the graduate faculty member who had the most significant influence on their educational experience." I was honored (and surprised) to receive the award and enjoyed speaking briefly at the graduation ceremony.

    Team "Ice Breaker" - Affirming Strengths

    I recently attended a day-long retreat with the my coworkers, members of the Department of Social and Natural Sciences at Franklin University. To begin the retreat, the facilitator did an "ice-breaker" activity that I thought was well-conceived and motivating. I'll describe the list below and share what happened for me in the activity.

    The Activity: Identifying Peer Strengths
    In this activity, each member of the group takes a turn receiving feedback from their peers for one minute. When it is your turn, all other members of the group share a strength or positive characteristic that they have noticed in the individual. This goes on for one minute, and the individual writes down all of the comments from their peers.

    This kind of activity is unique and important because it takes what is called an "appreciative" stance - it focuses on what is working, on the positive characteristics of an individual or group, their strengths. I have done similar activities before, and I very often come away from the activity feeling energized and affirmed.

    My Strengths
    According to my coworkers at Franklin, the following are my own strengths and positive characteristics. I'll write them out as I wrote them during the session. They might not be totally cohesive, but you will hopefully get a feel for the strength of the exercise:
    • Resilient
    • Funny, friendly
    • Positive
    • Creative, solution-finder
    • Persistent
    • Flexible
    • Adaptive to changing environment
    • Student-centered
    • Organized
    • Articulate
    • Forward-thinking
    • Warm/welcoming, friendly
    • Not antagonistic
    • Hard working
    • Thoughtful
    • Good whistler*
    My Thoughts on the Experience
    This was a good way to reaffirm some of the things that I might do well. It helped me see how I am perceived by my peers, somewhat, and helped me to recognize some of the things that I didn't realize I was good at.

    Of course, to move forward successfully, we must also address, manage and correct our weaknesses and problems. However, in my experience, by focusing most of my energy on the positive and on the things that I do well, I achieve a more positive identity and am able to move forward using what comes more naturally to me.

    I definitely recommend trying this activity out at a team meeting - it is a good way to help reset the focus of the organization, particularly when a spirit of negativity or criticism may be pervasive.

    * This comment was made by my coworker whose office is next to mine. I hope I am a good whistler, mainly because I do find myself whistling often during the day. Actually, I once had a college roommate who was angry because I would whistle in the morning as I prepared for classes while he was still asleep. If you are reading, former roommate, I apologize.

    Wednesday, May 8, 2013

    30-day Challenges

    I am a very goal-oriented person. I am always looking for something new to work toward, something to focus my energy on and achieve. This is one reason that I have worked hard to earn many higher education degrees. It is the same reason that I am constantly reading, writing, and moving.

    30-day Challenges

    I have come across a couple of blogs and videos lately that highlight the idea of doing 30-day challenges. For example, this video:


    Because I am slightly obsessed with learning, goal-setting, and pushing myself to do new things, I think I will try this out for the next few months to see what comes of it. I'll write about my experiences here. My plan is that when I commit to a challenge, I will work to complete the challenge during the challenge period, though I might not necessarily do a challenge every month.

    My First Challenge: Whole Foods, Plant-Based Diet - May 1 through May 31

    For my first 30-day challenge, which I already started beginning in May, I am going to eat a "Whole Foods, Plant-Based Diet." What does that mean? It means eating no animal products, including meat, fish, eggs, milk, or cheese. I am eating only plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, and grains. It has gone pretty well so far.

    Why am I doing this particular challenge? First, for personal health and well-being. I've been exposed to some research that indicates that animal-based proteins are directly related to obesity and many chronic diseases. In contrast, a vegetable-based diet appears to help one achieve a sense of well-being, weight loss, and a significant decrease in risk for cancer and other terrible diseases.

    Additionally, as a practicing Mormon, I already adhere to a fairly strict health code called the Word of Wisdom. Because of this code, I do not drink coffee, tea or alcohol, nor do I smoke or use recreational drugs. The Word of Wisdom also recommends eating meat "sparingly," which reinforces my desire to eat in this manner. I believe that spiritual benefits will also come as a result of this challenge. I plan to report on my progress and success at the end of May.

    Future Challenges
    Here are some of my ideas for future challenges.


    • Do 50 pushups a day for 30 days.
    • Send 30 real letters to friends and associates in 30 days (thank you cards, compliments, etc.)
    • study a totally new topic or skill I'd like to master for 30 days.
    • draw or paint a picture each day for 30 days.
    • read the entire New Testament or Book of Mormon in 30 days.
    • do an extra act of kindness for someone each day.
    • work out 6x a week for 30 days.
    • 30 days of 30 minutes of meditation, study, and prayer.
    • 30 days no complaining.
    • 30 days no television or movies.
    • read 6 new books in 30 days.
    • write a novel or book in 30 day. Apparently this is already a thing.

    Any other challenge suggestions? My goal is to do things that I believe will help me enjoy a more fulfilling life physically, mentally, or spiritually... We'll see how it goes!

    Monday, May 6, 2013

    The Office Zombie

    Updated May 16, 2016


    This is serious, reader - Beware of Office Zombies! In every organization across the United States and in some parts of Canada and New Zealand, offices are being infected by a wave of zombies. These are not the actual zombies that stumble and eat human brains - they are devious, sinister office zombies that zap the energy and life out of their coworkers' minds and hearts, causing havoc wherever they go.

    Come on, you know who I am talking about. Think of coworkers in your office that make everybody feel depressed, angry, and upset. These toxic coworkers literally steal your capacity to do your work with a positive attitude, infecting you with warped, debilitating negativity. I ought to know - I have been infected from time to time as an office zombie, and I have learned some important methods for healing myself and others of this highly infections state.
    File:Zombie dead live.png
    A 1950s Office Zombie, courtesy Wikipedia

    Actual Zombies
    To combat the office zombie, you need to consider what we know about their distant cousins: actual zombies. If you talk to a zombie expert, you will learn very quickly that there are many types of zombies: viral, radioactive, toxic, etc. But regardless of their type, actual zombies always follow a very specific pattern:
    1. Actual zombies are undead, and they don't necessarily realize that they are zombies and that they are infected
    2. They are lifeless and they suck life out of others
    3. They are infectious - coming in contact with an actual zombie can infect you.
    4. They eat brains, immediately stealing the mind of their prey.

    The Office Zombie
    Office zombies follow a pattern which is very similar to the actual zombie:
    1. undead - office zombies often don't realize that they have entered a negative, zombie-like state. This is particularly problematic because they often spew out their toxic, infectious ideas and attitudes to everyone they meet, not realizing that they are infecting others with their disease
    2. lifeless - office zombies very often go through the motions of their work, not realizing that they are giving little or no energy or life to their work. And in this state, they act as energy black holes, performing their work poorly and sucking life from others.
    3. infectious - office zombies often infect the people they interact with through their negative, toxic, viral attitudes.
    4. eat brains - office zombies don't eat actual brains, but they certainly poison the minds of the people they infect, rendering them powerless in their work.

    Dealing With Office Zombies
    So, how can we avoid being infected with the poisonous ways of the office zombie? Here is a set of strategies:
    • Avoid Office Zombies! Stay away from them at all costs, and if you must interact with an office zombie, do one of the following.
    • Distract the Office Zombie! If you must interact with an office zombie, keep them on the topics that you must discuss and keep them from entering the zombie state of negativity in your presence.
    • Heal the Office Zombie! The negative, twisted, self-defeating office zombie can sometimes be healed. However, an office zombie must want to be healed, and some office zombies do not. If your zombie friend cannot be healed, see the strategies above. Otherwise, here are strategies for helping an office zombie, to be used in sequence:
      1. Acknowledge - Acknowledge to the zombie that they are infected and that they need to be redirected.
      2. Redirect - Help the zombie view what they have been talking about from a more positive perspective. Instead of negative, defeatist thinking, focus on the positive aspects of work. Have the zombie generate their own set of reasons they like their work or situation.
      3. Affirm - Help the zombie realize that they are actually a positive human and not a zombie, and that you are confident that they can move forward with positive, healthy attitudes and actions. You may want to note past times that the zombie has acted and communicated as a positive human as evidence that he or she is not stuck as an office zombie and can be healed.
    What If You Are An Office Zombie?
    It is highly likely that you will be infected as an office zombie sometime in your career. When you are infected, you will likely find yourself spewing toxic negativity to the people around you. This is not a good thing since this negative, warped view can cause infect others and can inhibit your own potential and growth. If you are infected,
    • Use the Acknowledge - Redirect - Affirm strategy (described above) on yourself.
    • Flood your mind with positive ideas and motivation. This can be done by listening to motivational speakers, talking with positive coworkers, reading inspiring or sacred literature, or engaging in prayer or meditation.
    • Take a vacation! Get away from the toxic environment and allow yourself to release the poison that is infecting you.
    This is serious, my friends. office zombies are real, and you must be prepared to deal with them in healthy, positive ways.

    How do you identify and deal with an office zombie?