1) I found numerous examples of distributed learning, all of which have to do with education, training, knowledge based training, or a combination of two or more of these.
The Advanced Distributed Learning Institute was created in an effort to make training in the Department of Defense more standard, modern, accessible, effective, and cost efficient. It provides numerous comment and delivery types.
The US Army Distributed Learning System combines hardware, software, telecommunications resources, and training facilities to creat a cohesive, high quality, mobile training option for US troops.
The Institute for Distance and Distributed Learning at Virginia Tech provides a platform for faculty development, as well as undergraduate and graduate level coursework, certification programs, non-credit classes in an online or distance ed format.
The Center for Distributed Learning is part of the California State University's Chancellor's Office. This DLS actually supports the development of other distributed learning systems by supporting faculty, staff, and institutions by identifying and addressing learning based problems, hosting meetings, offering workshops, etc.
The National STEM Education Distributed Learning program provides a network of online learning environments in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. These communities provide content and learning tools to academic, nonacademic, and corporate entities.
2) When I think of classes I've taken that had low reusability, I think mostly of my undergrad classes. Some classes, like English and government had a low reusability, but in many ways I expected that. I was surprised, however, when I found the same thing to be true in classes within my major. Since I have always been an education major, I had many instructors who knew a great deal about education, but I also had some who had been out of a K-12 classroom for a very long time, and had not kept abreast of current trends and issues in the K-12 sector. These tended to be the classes with the least reusability, because we spent MANY HOURS working on projects and unit studies that we were never able to use, mostly because they weren't aligned with TEKS or current curriculum trends. If I were to resign those classes, I would keep the same content, but include more technology and make sure everything was aligned with state standards. Electronic portfolios, projects, lessons, etc, give students a way to save items for tweaking and reusing and allow new graduates to connect with potential employees in a modern way. I think these types of changes would have made a few of my education classes more useful in the long term.
3) Instructional use of rich media is on the rise. Our students, and the ones coming up behind them, truly are digital natives. They are accustomed to video, graphics, touch technology, etc. This means that teachers have to be very creative, innovative, and tech savvy to really reach many of these young students. I found the following water cycle video on YouTube, and I must say that I was a bit surprised. It's only a minute and 20 seconds long, but since it is produced by NASA, I had higher expectations. In this case, I think the surface features such as bright colors, somewhat 3D graphics, the sound of water, and background music were actually the highlights of the video. Although the video includes arrows to show the direction the water molecule travels, there are no words, either in print or audio format, to clarify the concept. So, unfortunately, the video is not nearly as effective or useful as it could be.
4) When I think of nanotechnology, my mind immediately goes to my iPhone. From my small phone, I can make calls, check and reply to email, find a restaurant and get directions to it when I'm traveling, check and update my personal and business calendars, make and project multimedia presentations, make bank transactions, set an alarm, or entertain my two year old nephew with age appropriate games and videos. To me, this represents some of the most functional aspects of nanotechnology, especially since this can all be done from a device that fits in my front pocket.
Nanotechnology is also being explored as a possible alternative in the treatment of cancer patients. Recent research showed that "nanobots" have successfully delivered chemotherapy directly to cancer cells in mice, leaving the surrounding healthy cells undamaged, while effectively destroying the cancer cells.
5) When it comes to the future of instructional design and technology, I am in full support of the broad and inclusive road, because it allows and encourages human imagination and ingenuity to flourish. Many of our biggest advancements have come as a direct result of determined visionaries who dared to "think outside the box." A straight and narrow approach confined to a set of specified goals would stifle creative minds like Thomas Edison, George Washington Carver, Steve Jobs, and many others who refused to stay on the straight and narrow, but went forward with a fervency that changed the world forever.
1) I searched the Chronicle of Higher Education and found the following three positions that were of interest to me:
Assistant Professor, Communication-Design-Interactive Media, Tenure-Track, Texas State University-San Marcos
Major duties:
- Teach courses in communication design
- Instructional responsibilities for interactive media encompass Web design, mobile/social media, mobile application development, mobile editorial design, digital signage and environmental media, and user experience (UX) design, with additional focus on conceptual strategies, brand identity and marketing as they pertain to interactive media.
- Participate in the development of the Communication Design program
- Investigate and author external grant requests.
Requirements:
- M.F.A. in Communication Design, Graphic Design, Interaction Design, or Visual Communication Design awarded by August 2012
- Strong conceptual and design-based principles applied to communication design as they pertain to interactive design and communication
- Excellent verbal and writing communication skills Knowledge of and experience with computer-mediated technologies and core software applications relevant to the communication design discipline (e.g., Macintosh OS, Adobe Creative Suite) Demonstrated competence in design utilizing current and emerging interactive technologies
Although I found this position to be very interesting, I know that I am not even close to having the skills that it requires.
Major Duties:
- Design and develop ISTE professional development curriculum with instructional designers,
subject matter experts, vendors, faculty, and/or academic leaders.
- Manage Professional Development Partners and Subject Matter Experts
- Plan, design, and develop professional development course curriculum aligned with NETS in online
and offline formats.
- Map 3rd party course topics, objectives, and assignments into program designs to demonstrate that
NETS standards are met.
- Maintain project oversight for development and maintenance of course materials and records.
- Administrate ISTE’s learning management system (LMS), housing online and project-based
professional development offerings.
- Review and assess ISTE’s courses and professional development programs to ensure compliance
with intended objectives and stakeholder requirements.
-Manage contract agreements for ISTE’s subject matter experts and related vendors.
- Develop and maintain a learning objects repository for use in new professional development online
and face to face offerings.
- Update and revise existing courses and programs.
- Manage the implementation of curriculum design projects to meet quality standards, timeline, and
budget.
Requirements:
- Master's degree in Education (MA/ M Ed) or equivalent.
- Minimum of three (3) years successful teaching experience.
- Minimum of 2 years of K-12 curriculum development and/or course design experience preferably
in higher education.
- Knowledge or relevant experience in the field of education technology.
- Knowledge in a variety of educational technologies including learning management systems
(Moodle skills desired), curriculum databases, electronic instructional design tools, web-based
applications, graphic design, and multimedia educational products such as screen-based simulation
and other multimedia based formats.
- Demonstrate ability to develop quality professional development and education consulting services,
using current techniques and procedures.
- Demonstrate ability to manage databases, develop formal written reports, and deliver this
information in a formal presentation.
- Knowledge and expertise in online learning, instructional systems, and learning management
platforms
Although I would obviously need some initial training, I do believe I have most of the skills required for this position, and I think I would enjoy it.
Director of Instructional Design and Development, University of Wisconsin Major Duties:
- Manage the instructional designers and support staff
- Mentor senior instructional designers, instructional designers, instructional design associates, and
developers
- Set goals and provide regular feedback about performance to individuals on the team.
- Work with the leaders of other CEOEL business units (e.g. Media, IT, Programs) to ensure smooth
process
- Build strong, collaborative relationships with constituents. Make routine trips to campuses to
develop and solidify faculty relationships.
- Share new knowledge inside and outside the organization.
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in instructional or education design/technology or related field
- 5+ years related instructional design experience or relevant terminal degree with three years related
instructional design experience.
- 3+ years of formal management (5 or more individuals direct reporting) experience in an
instructional design, e-learning, or related setting.
- Excellent communication skills.
- Knowledge of learning theories, instructional design theories, instruction systems.
- Understanding and application of sound pedagogy and andragogy instructional design practices.
- Demonstrated leadership in working within teams to analyze and improve instructional design.
I do not have the knowledge or experience base for this position, but I think I could work my way up to it if I started as an Instructional Designer.
2) I took a self assessment on mynextmove.org/explore/ip, and found that I am perfectly suited to teach. I also have strong leanings towards service and giving advice. I like to have definite rules and a strong leader, but I also appreciate some degree of creativity and and flexibility in rules. I like to find answers and interesting facts, but I am not at all suited for "realistic" jobs that include manual labor or working with your hands, working outside, or working in any of the craftsmen trades.
3) I visited two professional organization sites and two professional publication sites and found the following information:
Professional Organizations:
American Educational Research Association (AERA)
Mission: To advance knowledge about education, encourage scholarly inquiry related to education, and promote the use of research to improve education and serve the public good.
Cost of Membership:
Regular members: $150 per year
Graduate Students: $40 per year
Publications:
American Educational Research Journal
Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis
Educational Researcher
Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics
Review of Educational Research
Review of Research in Education
Conferences:
Annual Meetings- 6 day conference
Professional Development:
AERA-AIR Fellows Program
AERA-ETS Fellowship Program in Measurement and Education Research
Minority Dissertation Fellowship Program in Education Research
AERA Undergraduate Student Education Research Training Workshop
Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT)
Mission: "...to promote technological literacy for all by supporting the teaching of technology and engineering and promoting the professionalism of those engaged in these pursuits. ITEEA strengthens the profession through leadership, professional development, membership services, publications, and classroom activities."
Cost of Membership:
Corporate Membership: $400 per year
Regular Membership: $125 per year
Student Membership: $75 per year
Publications:
Technology and Engineering Teacher
Children's Technology and Engineering
Journal of Technology Education
Conferences:
Annual 3 day conference
Professional Development:
Professional/social networking sites
Engineering by Design
STEM Center for Teaching and Learning
Professional Publications:
The American Educational Research Journal is a peer-reviewed journal published by the American Educational Research Association. This journal, available online, reports on and analyses studies in all levels of education. Submissions must be 20-50 page APA formatted original manuscripts that are not being published elsewhere. Authors must assign copyright to AERA and submit a title page, abstract, and article online.
Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education is an online, peer-reviewed journal that is available at no charge, thanks to US Department of Education grant. This journal addresses current issues and trends in educational technology and teacher prep. Original submissions of 2-50 pages are expected to be properly formatted and submitted separately from any charts, graphs, or original photos.
All of these resources will be of value to me as a professional and as a doctoral student because they will help me stay abreast of current issues and trends in education and educational technology. I was aware of the American Educational Research Journal, but I was not familiar with the other three resources.
4) If I were responsible for identifying the domains, competences, and performance statements for a performance technologist, I would utilize tables 27.6 and 27.7 in our text, primarily because these have been tried and found to be effective. Although I might someday feel comfortable developing some of my own domains, competences, and performance standards, I don't feel comfortable doing that until I have considerable experience and valid research to base them upon.
Domains (Table 27.7):
Standard 1: Design
Standard 2: Development
Standard 3: Utilization
Standard 4: Management
Standard 5: Evaluation
Competencies (Table 27.6):
1. Focus on results and help clients focus on results.
2. Look at situations systematically.
3. Add value to the work and the work process.
4. Collaborate with clients and experts.
5. Be systematic in assessment.
6. Be systematic in solution design, development, implementation, and evaluation.
