Competency 1: Synthesize Knowledge

In these artifacts, I

Demonstrate the ability to read and understand educational literature related to Educational Technology
Demonstrate the ability to describe fundamental theories of human learning
Apply knowledge of human learning, diversity, and effective pedagogy to solve problems

Demonstrates the ability to read and understand educational literature related to Educational Technology

I developed this competency as completed this literature review, where I researched scaffolding's effectiveness to facilitate digital game-based learning in educational video games. Not only did I summarize findings from four studies that implemented various scaffolding approaches in educational video games, but I also made connections between each study's findings while also highlighting notable differences. This topic was interesting to me because it combined aspects of my bachelor's degree (game design) with aspects of instructional design from the LDT program.

Writing this literature review required me to understand the context of the four studies, which was critical because the way each study implemented scaffolding had some some similarities but also significant differences. For example, two studies used scaffolds external to the game while the other two studies used scaffolds built into their respective games. Along with understanding the context, this paper also involved synthesizing each study's findings and forming a cohesive narrative that supports the conclusion I reached at the end.

This paper helped me establish a personal process for reading and analyzing academic literature. Because instructional design emphasizes decisions grounded in research and theory, the process and skills I developed will help guide how I analyze research and justify design choices in the future.

Demonstrates the ability to describe fundamental theories of human learning

This competency is demonstrated in this paper that describes and applies six major learning theories, including Behaviorism, Constructivism, and Gagné's Nine Events of Learning. In this paper, I defined each theory with my own words, highlighted ideal environments where each theory could flourish, and outlined a learning activity that applies each theory. The learning activity I outlined involves creating widgets (user interfaces) in Unreal Engine, which I chose because I frequently designed/developed user interfaces in projects for my game design undergraduate program. It should be noted that the premise of the activity stays the same across all theories, but the instructional methods/strategies used are catered to each theory to clearly demonstrate differences/similarities. Overall, this paper required me to describe each theory, identify each theory's strengths, and apply each theory's principles to my learning activity.

This paper was an excellent opportunity to learn about the prominent learning theories, compare them with each other, and demonstrate how they could be applied. I believe that possessing knowledge about these theories, and knowing when/how to apply them, will serve as a practical framework that will enable me to create learning experiences that meet the needs of diverse learners.

Applies knowledge of human learning, diversity, and effective pedagogy to the solution of problems

I developed this competency as I created this design document for my eLearning module about the importance of using strong passwords. This module was intended to be delivered to adult workers who perform frequent computer-based tasks. It was expected that workers would likely be required to complete this module, meaning that many of them would likely not be motivated/interested in the module's content. To address this, I used ARCS Model of Motivation to inform my design decisions. ARCS was particularly appealing due to its emphasis in using attention strategies to pique interest, demonstrating relevance to daily life, and creating activities that increase confidence in abilities.

To support diverse learners, I implemented text, graphics, animations, and a video into the learning content and ensured that it was chunked appropriately. Additionally, I designed three distinct interactive activities (password threat scenarios, password drag-and-drop, and strong password construction) that enable workers to apply what they've learned.

The process of creating this design document demonstrated the importance of designing adult learning experiences in a way that immediately capture attention, clearly establish personal relevance, and continuously builds confidence throughout the experience. These insights will be especially valuable in future situations where learners may lack intrinsic motivation to engage with the content.