My Goals as a Learning Design and Technologies Professional

 
Understanding human learning has always propelled me to reach my goals. Learning about learning has gotten me to where I am today. I currently work in higher education as a strategic planner and coordinator of high impact practices. I develop plans for integrating highly impactful educational experiences into curricula. In past roles, I created faculty development courses and resources to support use of research-based practices in teaching and learning. What brought me to the learning design and technologies graduate certificate program at ASU was a desire to learn more about the technology used to create engaging learning experiences in fields outside of higher education. I also wanted to gain hands-on experience with some of these eLearning technologies since my prior studies and work have not provided that opportunity. 

In my first LDT course, I refreshed my knowledge of learning theory and confirmed that I focus on constructivism and learner-centered principles (Ertmer & Newby, 2018) in my learning designs. I also learned that the learning design and technologies field is constantly evolving and learning designers need to keep up with the changes to stay relevant. I have come to realize that learning designers are expected to have expertise in media creation, video editing, eLearning technology usage, writing, communication, and data analysis, to name a few of the many skills of professionals in this field (Wagner, 2011). The good news is, the ever-changing nature of the field and the need to be knowledgeable about a variety of tools and methods perfectly aligns with the type of professional I want to be. 

With that said, I have three specific goals for myself in the short term, medium term, and long term: 

  1. Short term (by the end of this course): Experiment with designing a learning experience using an eLearning technology. 
  2. Medium term (by the midpoint of the program): Identify areas of the learning design field that I can see myself working in using knowledge gained in the first three LDT courses. 
  3. Long term (by the end of the program): Revise my resume with eLearning technologies and learning design skills that align with learning design job descriptions. Use this updated resume to apply for jobs in the LDT field. 

Short term goal: Experiment with designing and learning experience using an eLearning technology. 

The group project in LDT 502 will help me achieve this goal by providing hands-on experience developing instructional modules in Google Sites. This goal is important to me because I have not had much experience with developing eLearning modules and I will need experience to acquire a position in the learning design and technologies field at the end of the program. As Reiser (2001) notes, instructional media has a long history in the LDT field and expertise in instructional media is essential to success as a professional. I feel more confident at work when I am prepared and can speak to my experience with tools and techniques relevant to the field. I am looking forward to gaining this confidence through authentic experience in this course. I intend to make progress toward this goal by working with my group to develop a creative and engaging eLearning module throughout the course. I hope to play an active role in the development of the modules in Google Sites. When it comes to people who might be able to help me achieve this goal, my AI mentor suggested Michael Allen, author of “Michael Allen’s Guide to e-Learning.” His practical approaches to designing engaging e-Learning experiences and techniques such as “Content, Instruction, Practice” will be helpful as I work towards designing effective eLearning modules in Google Sites. 

Medium term: Identify areas of the learning design field that I can see myself working in using knowledge gained in the first three LDT courses. 

After practicing creating a learning experience with an eLearning tool, I plan to identify areas of the learning design and technologies field that I can see myself building a career in. This is an ideal goal for the midpoint of the program because I should know enough about LDT and possible career opportunities to make some decisions based on my interests. If I want to successfully land a job after completing the certificate, it is important to plan ahead and select a few job types to apply for. I can make progress toward this goal by taking notes about specific skills required for LDT professionals while in the first three courses of the program. Also, keeping an eye on job postings and signing up for job alerts in the field could be helpful. Attending LinkedIn webinars led by recruiters or hiring managers could help me identify potential companies that hire LDT professionals. I plan to follow some leaders in the LDT field on LinkedIn to help me achieve this goal. 

Long term: Revise my resume with eLearning technologies and learning design skills that align with learning design job descriptions. Use this updated resume to apply for jobs in the LDT field. 

My long-term goal is to revise my resume and use it to apply for jobs in the LDT field. Revising my resume is important because, until recently, I have applied for higher education positions using an academic CV. To make the shift out of higher education, I will need to create a resume that highlights my skills in the context of industry. My medium-term goal will help me make progress towards this long-term goal since it requires me to keep current on job postings in the LDT field. I also plan to attend workshops on revising resumes for use in non-academic job applications so that I have an idea of how to reframe my knowledge and newly gained skills. Career Services at ASU might be able to help me achieve this goal through resume and cover letter review sessions, guidance on connecting with ASU alumni on LinkedIn, and even using AI for career development (Arizona State University, n.d.). 

I have dreams of combining my knowledge of learning theory and learning science with skills from the LDT program to achieve a job in the learning design and technologies field. I believe working in this field will leverage my strengths and give me room to grow, while ultimately helping others learn to their full potential. The goals outlined in this blog post are some of the steps I’ll take to achieve those dreams. 

*Ideas and concepts explored in this blog were brainstormed in collaboration with OpenAI’s GPT-4. 

References 

Arizona State University (n.d.). Career services. Educational Outreach and Student Services. https://career.asu.edu/ 

Ertmer, P. A. & Newby, T. (2018). Behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism: Comparing critical features from an instructional design perspective. In R. E. West (Ed.), Foundations of learning and instructional design technology. EdTech Books. https://edtechbooks.org/lidtfoundations/behaviorism_cognitivism_constructivism.

Reiser, R. A. (2001a). A history of instructional design and technology: Part I: A history of instructional media. Educational Technology Research and Development, 49(1), 53–64. 

Wagner, E. (2011). Essay: In search of the secret handshakes of ID. The Journal of Applied Instructional Design, 1(1), 33–37.

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