Interview on Task-centered Learning

My good friend and colleague Dr. Greg Francom and I were recently interviewed by Evolllution, a group that focuses on "Illuminating the Lifelong Learning Movement."

You can listen to, download, or read the interview here.

We discussed topics related to our recent article How Task-centered Learning Differs from Problem-based Learning: Epistemologies, Influences, Goals, and Prescriptions.

It is a little odd being interviewed in this manner because the customary communication methods of a scholar are writing and teaching. In writing, I can revise and edit and polish my work. In teaching, I am usually not recorded and am a little less worried about how I sound.

That being said, I feel like the interview went well, we covered important topics, and I was very grateful to have Dr. Francom there - he is a very thoughtful, insightful scholar and a good friend.

To Reach Career Goals, Be Deliberate

I thought I would share some ideas from a recent conversation I had one of my former (now graduated) students from the IDPT Program. We were discussing approaches for working toward career goals and career aspirations, and this student was seeking general advice on how to approach their own career goal setting. In this post, I'll give a summary of the ideas that I shared with this student. I should point out that there are clearly many other important pieces, including interviewing, applying, networking, but my focus here is on preparing and qualifying for the positions you desire.

I want to note that I have applied these strategies in my own career and have been very pleased with the success I have had. It has been a difficult process filled with a great deal of hard work and sacrifice, but I am now enjoying many of the blessings that come from that hard work, and I am excited to keep moving forward in my career.

How to Reach Your Goals: Be Deliberate
The most successful people in the world are successful on purpose. They are deliberate about where they want to go and work hard to get there. In instructional design, we use systematic processes like ADDIE to deliberately ensure that we are being systematic and thoughtful in our approach. You can use this same approach to design your career:

• Analysis - Look at several positions that are similar to your ideal job and analyze them to see what the job requirements are. Identify what education, credentials, knowledge and skills, and previous positions are required. Then compare the requirements with your own current capacities and credential so that you can identify your gaps- where you fall short in the requirements.
• Design/Develop – Plan out exactly how you can start working on filling the gaps so that you are qualified. Depending on the position you are working toward, you may need to work in different prerequisite positions before you are qualified to work in your ideal position. This means that you will need to map out a progression that makes sense and helps you build your qualifications. At the same time, be sure that you keep learning and growing and credentialing yourself. The more you can demonstrate that you have the required  knowledge and skills, the better.
• Formative Evaluation – talk with several professionals to get their feedback on your plan. Be sure to interview or follow others who have done what you want to do - they will be able to give you pointers on where you can go and what to do.
• Implement – Do it. Start moving down the path. Keep doing things that will prepare you. You should be sure to work hard so that you can be fully prepared and qualified to take the position you desire.
• Evaluation – Identify what is working and want isn’t. Keep trying new things and stick to the things that are working. 

The most important thing is to keep moving forward – we all get into that phase of life where it seems like things are not going the way we planned. But if you keep working and moving toward our goals and dreams, you will eventually arrive.

Remember, if you want to be successful, you will need to do it on purpose. Work toward your dreams in a purposeful, determined manner, and you will be surprised at the rapid transformation that comes into your life.

Related Post: Creating Results in Life

I hope this approach is helpful to you. I have used this process in my own career and have been thoroughly surprised at some of the things I have accomplished in a short period of time. Best of luck!

Article Review: The Creative Spirit of Design

Recently I have read several instructional design publications that I thought were particularly insightful and inspiring. I plan on reviewing several of these articles over the next several weeks to share my own thoughts and responses.

For my first review, I thought I would review an article written by Dr. Jason McDonald: The Creative Spirit of Design. I was very happy to come across and read this article - McDonald provides some language and fresh insights into design that have helped me reinvigorate my already strong love of instructional design.

My review is below. I should note here that this is certainly not a comprehensive review. I will highlight key parts of the article, and I strongly encourage you to read the full article.

Overview

In his article, McDonald identifies what he calls "the creative spirit of design." In defining this spirit, he quotes Hokanson, Miller, & Hooper (2008): "to truly design is to extend understanding, to create something new and innovative" (p. 37). McDonald shares what he believes to be the properties of this creative spirit by describing three characteristics that exemplify proactive design:

• Imagination. To define imagination, McDonald quotes Cross (2007): "design is the ability to imagine that-which-does-not-yet-exist, [and] to make it appear in concrete form as a new, purposeful addition to the real world" (p. 10). I found this to be an apt articulation of what designers do - we can see something before it exists.
• Creation-Oriented. Again, McDonald quotes Cross (2007): "designing is a process of pattern synthesis, rather than pattern recognition. The solution is not simply lying there among the data... it has to be actively constructed by the designer's own efforts" (p. 24). In design work, there is no "right answer," and a complex design problem can be solved in infinite ways.
• Inter-disciplinary. As we interact with other people, technologies, fields of thought, we actually develop new ways to solve problems. We expand out ability to solve problems and do new things. Collaboration with others can often create new opportunities and removes previous constraints.

Strengths

I found this article to be motivating and exciting - McDonald has articulated aspects of instructional design that often don't seem to be described or discussed in the field. In this section, I will quote what I thought were key points in the article and share my reaction.

A note on processes and methodologies

"Instructional design processes, methodologies, and techniques are intellectual tools, and should not solely define the field, nor limit designers' sense of possibility about their opportunities" (p. 53).

As a field, we often spend a lot of time focusing on the tools that we use (technologies, theories, and processes). This is important, because a good designer knows and utilizes these tools effectively. However, tools are not design. The are the instruments used to design and develop. As McDonald quotes later in the article (p. 57), "great designs come from great designers, not from great design processes" (Brooks, 2010, p. 231). Sometimes in the field of instructional design we focus too much on our tools, and perhaps this is because they are something concrete, something that we can point to, talk about and describe clearly. Unfortunately, this means that we might ignore teaching and studying what actually happens in a design situation.

Guiding Principles 

McDonald writes about what he calls "guiding principles." He defines these as ".... the philosophical orientation designers bring to their work, the statements of what they value and why those values are worth pursuing" (p. 53).

I have personally found this to be particularly important in my own design work. When I keep a focus on Why I Teach and Practice Instructional Design, I find that I am much more inspired and excited about creating excellent learning experiences for my students. Note that this doesn't necessarily mean that I am giving up the powerful theories and processes that I have acquired through study and experience over the years; rather, it enhances my ability to use these tools more creatively and effectively.

A Focus on Improvement

"The creative spirit of design expresses the possibility that with disciplined effort, designers can re-make any situation into something that more closely resembles the desired state"  (p. 54).

What a great way to articulate the designer's goal of improvement. With this goal in mind, we can overcome nearly any constraint that might impact our effective design. All designers battle issues like lack of time, resources, tools, or expertise, but with the appropriate mind-set, we can creatively move toward the ideal. I have written in the past that there is no perfection in instructional design, and this quote articulates the truth that in an imperfect world, we designers should do our best to move toward the ideal.

Design Formulas and Routines

"One reason design formulas and routines are inadequate is because design so often addresses the untried, the unproven, and the unknown" (p. 56).

McDonald notes in his article that very often an instructional designer will attempt to apply an instructional design process or a model or theory of instruction to their work in a formulaic manner. He notes that approaching a design without considering all of the variables and constraints in the design situation will likely fall short of the design need and potential. I agree with McDonald, although I would be quick to assert that having a deep knowledge of a variety of processes, theories, and models of instructional design actually enables the creative designer, giving him or her the power to creatively apply them to unique situations in unique ways.

A Personal Reaction

When reading this article, I get the sense that McDonald is "giving me permission" to be more creative and animated in my instructional design work. It can be easy to become formulaic in design work - simply following the steps, checking the boxes, or following the processes prescribed by other individuals. However, with the Creative Spirit, a designer can use their own capacities proactively to create a positive influence on the student's experience.

What I Believe McDonald Builds on But Does Not State
 

McDonald's ideas build upon a few characteristics and skills that he does not necessarily articulate in this article. I believe that without a foundation of these characteristics and capacities, an instructional designer will never be able to fulfill his or her potential and achieve design excellence. I plan to write more about these characteristics in the future, but I will summarize these characteristics below:

• Belief in Self-will. At the foundation of McDonald's writing is a foundational belief that people have what might be called free agency, self-will, or the power to choose their own actions. To be effective, a designer must believe in their own power to act. Without this belief, the designer allows their perceived constraints to control their work and limit their design.
• Proactive. McDonald assumes that instructional designers have developed the ability to be proactive, that they take responsibility and ownership for their situations and work. Proactive designers approach design tasks by taking full responsibility for what they do and therefore work toward the ideal described by McDonald. Without this approach, designers are again controlled by their environment and can tend to shift the "blame" to others when things do not go according to plan.
• A Positive Attitude. McDonald also assumes that instructional designers must have a positive attitude in their work. Good instructional designers must believe that improvement is possible and that they can facilitate that improvement. I have personally seen good instructional designers deteriorate into ineffective box-checkers as a result of their own negativity, and I have found that maintaining a positive attitude is a key element of creativity.
• Awareness of Locus of Control. Creative instructional designers must know what they can influence or change and what they cannot so that they can focus their energy appropriately. I have interacted with some designers who spend a lot of time and energy complaining about things they cannot control instead of working effectively with the tools and resources they have.
• Communication and Collaboration Skills. Being able to work effectively with people empowers an instructional designer to achieve instructional design excellence. But if a designer does not have the required communication and collaboration skills, that individual will not be able to work effectively with others. I have personally watched talented, bright designers fall short of their potential because of a deficiency of "people skills."

In fact, it is likely that many brilliant designers never achieve their potential because they go through their careers without acquiring or maintaining these characteristics. Conversely, even the designer of mediocre intellectual capacity can achieve amazing results through the careful acquisition and application of these beliefs, attitudes, and approaches to design work.

Final Thoughts

In a field that continues to evolve, instructional designers must become increasingly aware of what they do and how they can do it better. I believe that the creative spirit of design as described by McDonald is absolutely critical to the success of an instructional designer. I highly recommend this article and thank Dr. McDonald for his writing.

References

Brooks Jr., E. P. (2010). The design of design: Essays from a computer scientist. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.

Cross, N. (2007). Designerly ways of knowing. London: Birkhauser Basel.

McDonald, J. (2011). The creative spirit of design. TechTrends, 55(5) 53-57.

Tell, Show, Do, Apply: The Anatomy of Good Instruction

This article was originally posted at elearningindustry.com. 

There are a lot of opinions about how to design quality instruction. New technologies, theories, and processes are continually created and touted as the next greatest thing for instructional designers. And while these new technologies can be powerful, there are a few key instructional strategies that must be implemented to maximize learning effectiveness. 

 These principles have consistently been shown to increase learning and engagement, but often instructional designers become enamored by the new technologies and fail to implement these strategies effectively. In this post, we will describe these strategies and show how you can use them effectively in your design.

 We can categorize all instructional activities into two basic categories:

1. Stuff that the Instruction or Instructor does, and
2. Stuff that the Learner does. Within these categories there are four basic strategies for creating excellent instruction: tell, show, do, and apply.

The Four Basic Strategies for Creating Excellent Instruction

1. Tell
   The first component of good instruction is the Tell strategy. This is the strategy used to provide the learner with key information related to their learning. Facts, concepts, rules, and procedures can all be conveyed using the Tell strategy. For example, if you were designing instruction to teach customer service representatives how to offer a new product to their existing customers, you would tell them the specific steps they would go through to offer the product and even show a visual outline of the steps.
2. Show
   The second component of good instruction is the Show strategy. This is the strategy used to demonstrate examples of what you want to teach. In the customer service example, you would show a variety of real examples of an agent offering the product to the learner. You would probably show "non-examples" as well- examples of what not to do when offering the products. These examples will help the learner see how the information you told them is applied.
3. Do
   After providing a variety of examples, you should provide your learners with the opportunity to Do what you have taught them. In the customer service example, the learners take several calls with actual customers and offer them the product. Trainers and managers listen in on these calls and provide the learners with feedback and guidance. It is important that learners be given plenty of feedback as they apply what they have learned so that they can improve their skills and abilities. As in this example, the is application of the new knowledge should replicate the real-world environment as much as possible to make the learning experience authentic and engaging.
4. Apply
   The final component is Apply. In this step, learners plan out how they will apply their knowledge in their own environments. In the customer service example, the learners plan out their own personalized scripts for specific situations and set goals for offering and selling products to their clients.

These basic strategies align with several known theories of instruction. For example, they support Merrill's First Principles of Instruction, a well-known theory of instruction that is based on extensive research. Gagne's 9 Events of Instruction also align well with these strategies.

The next time you design a piece of instruction, ask yourself how well you are using these strategies. If you will conscientiously apply them, you will find increased student learning and instructional design effectiveness.