Certification+in+Online+Instruction


 * Competency Analysis Report **

**__ Design __**

I would rate my level of design competency as highly skilled on the rating scale. In fact, out of the three competencies, this is the one I feel most confident about, partly due to my background as a teacher. I feel competent in selecting appropriate models when creating a learning module. I often following the ADDIE model and Dick Carey model when creating a module, both of which are systematic approaches to designing and developing instructional modules. I can analyze the target audience to determine their needs, as well as the needs of the organization supplying the learning module (portfolio: Analysis section: learner analysis). This leads to creating appropriate learning objectives and addressing the performance gap that created the need for the online instruction. In addition to systematically identifying the learner’s needs and determining the performance gap, I am competent in conducting the necessary analyses required to design an appropriate learning module. For instance, in addition to determining the performance gap, it is necessary to conduct a cause analysis and determine the skills, knowledge and attitudes that must be obtained to adequately perform the desired terminal goal. My skill in these areas can be viewed in the analysis portion of my IS portfolio, in particular the Training Needs Assessment assignment.

Next it is beneficial to create a Design report. This includes an instructional strategy and objectives that the learner must achieve. This is all based on a breakdown of the skills they need to be able to accomplish and matching appropriate objectives to these skills. In addition, it gives a guideline for developing appropriate practice and assessment questions to insure that an audience fully comprehends the information of the module and has adequately achieved the terminal goal of the module. Within the Design, Development and Technology integration menu of my IS Portfolio there are multiple examples with annotations of lessons that I designed and developed in groups and individually. They include: · A training lessonto be conducted in person for a large group of teachers · An online wine tasting course · A PowerPoint photograph course on aperture setting and shutter speed that could be published using Articulate or Captive for online usage · An online course using Blackboard · A print module for the usages of Jing I believe that these lesson examples adequately display my ability to design and develop courses individually and within a team setting. Although, I feel capable of designing and developing courses on my own, I prefer to work in a collaborative setting where I can bounce design ideas off a colleague.

Since I have been an educator for 15 years, I did have a background in instructional design and development. However, after taking my first class I realized how “laissez-faire” I had gotten with the design and development of my lessons; in part the design and development of my classes became second nature so I did not adequately focus on the details of the process. Although I did not focus on design and development of mathematical learning modules during my tenure at FSU, my experiences in the IS program have improved my instructional design for my current classes. In addition it has encouraged me to delve into adult training and education. I enjoyed the process of creating lessons and working collaboratively with my classmates to create well designed and developed learning material that could be used in several forms of distance learning. I never thought I would want to leave the elementary/high school arena, but I have learned so much and enjoyed the challenges of creating instructional material outside of mathematics that I am interested in exploring other options.

**__ Media and Technology __** This area, I would say, is my weakest competency area out of the three. I will rate myself as slightly above moderately skilled but not highly skilled at planning and selecting media to produce distance learning instructional material. A large reason that I feel I cannot say highly skilled is my lack of experience with different computer programs and resources for producing online material. I feel skilled and accomplished in using visual media in a face to face setting such as video and PowerPoint presentations. I had experience in one of my classes using Blackboard and using Articulate to publish a course created in PowerPoint to the internet. However, I would have liked to have more experience with other modes where online instruction could be created, such as Moodle, Dreamweaver, Adobe flash, etc. I also am still self teaching some basic online knowledge such as saving word documents in html so they load faster on the internet, or how to embed instead of linking objects to a page. I know that may all seem basic but it was knowledge I did not have going into this program and would have appreciated a more formal introduction to it.

I feel very competent in producing instructional materials in print. Throughout my program of study I have increased my knowledge of Microsoft word and how to paste images, spreadsheets, graphs and charts into existing word documents. I have successfully searched for program add-ons to excel to create charts such as a Gant Chart to explain the course of action and timeline for projects. In fact, I used and shared many of the tools I have learned at FSU about enhancing a print module with my supervisor while completing my internship. We were completing the schools self study for their National Association of Independent Schools/Southern Area College and Schools (NAIS/SACS) accreditation process. In the Design, Development and Technology Integration section of my IS portfolio the Jing Print module is an excellent example of instructional materials in print.

Although I did not create an online course using teleconferencing, I did research the uses of teleconferencing in the work and classroom setting as well as use it in many of my classes. Skype became an integral part of completing collaborative assignments and some of my professors used teleconferencing to introduce material and gain feedback from us. One of my class-mates even showed me how you could use Skype to show someone else your screen for teaching purposes. My research article can be located in the communication section of my IS portfolio.

In addition to creating instructional materials varying media, I feel that I can adequately choose the appropriate media for different learning situations and objectives that are to be met. For instance the instructions on how to use Jing are in print so that the learner may use the computer while they are working their way through the lesson. Implementing that lesson in an online format would not make sense because the learners could not have their Jing program open and practice while they work through the module. It would lead to less effecting training and would not give the learner something to refer back to when they are using the program. Likewise, it was more appropriate for the Wine Tasting lesson or the Photography lesson to be on the computer. It allowed the lessons to be more interactive and attention grabbing. Lastly, the course on Blackboard was equally appropriate since it was for online learners and gave them the opportunity to become familiar with the media in which the rest of their classes would be taken. All of these lessons can be viewed in the Design, Development and Technology Integration section of my IS portfolio.

Although I feel that I could learn more and be more competent in my knowledge about media and technology I feel comfortable with my abilities. I was introduced to a few main modes to create instructional materials through the courses I took, but learned most of my skills from my class-mates that had more technological jobs and by asking the IT people at my school. It would have been nice to have some more formal training and practice in this area.

**__ Communication __** I believe that I have fairly well developed communication skills and work well with others. Thus I would rate myself as highly skilled. As a teacher, it is imperative that I clearly communicate my goals and objectives to my students on a daily basis. As a mathematics person, writing has not been my forte. Writing papers for my course in the IS program has strengthened my writing skills considerable. In the communications section of my IS portfolio are research papers that I have written over the past 4 years. In fact, Dr. Blick, my Human Resource Professor, felt that my paper on stress and the workplace was so well written that it would be publishable once polished a bit more.

In addition I feel that the lessons I designed are clear, concise and to the point. This is an imperative skill to have when designing distance learning material since there is no face to face interaction most times, unless by video. A specific example of my communications skills within a lesson would be the use of the see-saw diagram when teaching the relationship between aperture setting and shutter speed towards the end of my photography course created in EME 5603:

There are many more examples of my communication skills within instructional materials in the Design and Development section of my IS portfolio. In addition to being able to communicate through instructional material and within professional writing, I feel it is imperative to be able to communicate and get my ideas across to colleagues and team members when working on a project. I have really enjoyed working on the group projects during my program of study and have communicated well with my group members. All of my group projects have been successful and everyone has felt they were an integral part of the process. To further examine how my groups have worked together you can look at the Final Report on the ELM in the communications section of the IS portfolio. In reflecting on my communications skills throughout my 4 years at FSU, I feel that I have presented myself and my instructional material in an effective way. Although, I feel that I have always verbally communicated well, I feel that my written communication has become more concise and meaningful. I am sure that this area, as all three areas, is one that I will continue to strive for improvement.

Overall I am happy with my competency in all three areas: design, media & technology, and communication. Although, I did not rate myself as highly skilled for media and technology I began the program as minimally skilled, so I feel I made significant progress. I do believe that just as we need to revisit the instructional material we have designed and make improvements we need to do the same with ourselves overtime, so these competencies are something that I should continually revisit and work on improving.