Competency 3: Communicate Knowledge
In these artifacts, I
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Communicate effectively in oral and written formats
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Effectively communicate content through the design and delivery of teaching/learning activities that integrate content and pedagogy
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Demonstrate the ability to adapt instruction and assessment techniques to the needs of diverse learners
Communicates effectively in oral and written formats
I developed this competency in this presentation I completed for one my case study's small scale design experiences. This design experience focused on developing storyboards for a web-based role-playing simulation that was intended to help college students express empathy for elderly people. Two stakeholders in the case had conflicting views about the simulation's instructional framework, so the main challenge of the assignment was designing the simulation site in a way that balanced both perspectives.
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I designed storyboards for the landing page of the site as well as various pages that appear during the simulation (e.g. background/context, scenes, and reflection). To effectively communicate my design decisions, I ensured that each storyboard included a design legend, where I identified core features, explained their functions, and provided a design rationale. Additionally, I included introductory slides that summarized the context and explicitly described how my storyboards address both stakeholders' needs.
This assignment provided an opportunity for me to practice communicating design decisions via text and visuals. Because storyboards are often a key component of instructional design projects, strengthening the ability to explain proposed designs in a structured, intuitive way will be a valuable skill in the future.
Effectively communicates content through the design/delivery of teaching and learning activities that integrate content and pedagogy
This competency is demonstrated in my eLearning module about the importance of creating strong passwords. This module was created in Articulate Storyline and was designed for adult workers who performed frequent computer-based tasks. The module covered various aspects of passwords, including common password security threats, characteristics of weak/strong passwords, and recommended guidelines when creating passwords.
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​The storyboard served as a blueprint for effectively communicating content by aligning instructional strategies with learning objectives. It detailed how content would be presented on each screen, how learning activities would emphasize the content's main takeaways, and how the module would be sequenced to support comprehension and retention. The storyboard also demonstrates how I integrated the ARCS Model of Motivation by establishing relevance to workers' lives, building confidence through scaffolded activities, and reinforcing satisfaction by enabling workers to immediately apply what they've learned.
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Using the storyboard as guidance, I was able to develop an eLearning module that effectively communicates content through purposeful design and interactive learning activities. Formative evaluation conducted with classmates indicated that the content was well-organized and the learning activities provided meaningful engagement that reinforced the key concepts. This project was an excellent opportunity to demonstrate my ability to communicate content through the design/delivery of learning activities that integrate content and pedagogy.
Demonstrates the ability to adapt instruction and assessment techniques to the needs of diverse learners
I developed this competency as I worked on this project, where I designed a lesson that teaches the basics of creating user interfaces in Unreal Engine. The lesson is designed for an undergraduate introductory game development course and demonstrates how to create widgets and how widgets can be updated to display new information to the player. The Dick and Carey model served as the instructional design framework that guided lesson structure, instructional strategies, and assessment design.
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​Conducting learner analysis for this project revealed important differences between learners' proficiency with Unreal Engine and attitudes toward content. Conversations with individuals from the target audience indicated a preference for learning by doing instead of passively listening to lectures. These conversations also indicated the value of live demonstrations within Unreal Engine, as they help students visualize how high-level concepts can be applied. In response, I adapted instructional strategies to include guided demonstrations and opportunities for students to actively replicate the instructor's actions on their own laptops. This aligns with students' preferences while supporting those that are not yet fully comfortable with Unreal Engine.
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Formative evaluation with a former CGT teaching assistant and CGT alumni highlighted areas where the lesson could be adapted to better meet learners' needs and industry standards. Feedback indicated that the original interface code was inefficient and not industry-standard. Based on this feedback, I revised my lesson to introduce more efficient interface code that meets industry standards. ​Overall, this project demonstrated how I adapted my lesson based on learner analysis and formative feedback. Doing so ensured that the activities and assessment support diverse learners and better prepare students for future success.