MAET Annotated Transcript

A required course in the MAET program, CEP800 introduced me to the history of learning theory. Prior to this course, I had no exposure to these theories or how they developed. Key theories discussed were behaviorism (Watson, Skinner), schema theory (Bartlett, Piaget), observational learning (Bandura), contructivism (Piaget) and constructionism (Vygotsky). It was also my first introduction to issues of inequity in the classroom; an example was highlighted with the psychological phenomenon of stereotype threat. This course was impactful in its demonstration of the effectiveness of metacognition, demonstrated both as a pre- and post-learning experience with the assignment Personal Theory of Learning (see below for more details). 

Memorable reading assignment: How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school, Bransford, J. L., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (2000). I referenced chapter 2, How Experts Differ From Novices, as well as others from this book, in several essays throughout my MAET career; this chapter is especially useful in my professional context as it describes the challenge of teaching introductory information from an expert perspective. 

Favorite project: Personal Theory of Learning. This assignment was especially formative to me as both an introduction to the rigor of the program and also acted as a metacognitive artifact, helping me identify my own presuppositions about what constitutes learning (at the beginning of the course) and synthesizing what I had learned about the field of learning theory (in my final draft, at the end of the course).

CEP810 explored how learning is impacted, both positively and negatively, by technology. The course discusses the phenomenon of learning transfer and how technology can both promote and inhibit transfer. This course also introduced me to TPACK, a theory describing how the intersection of Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge impact teaching and learning. The importance of a professional learning network (PLN) was brought up and I worked toward expanding mine. Finally, the course investigated 21st century learning and what assumptions are made about how learning should look in the digital age. On a personal level, this course fostered the value of critically considering the value of technology in education, and not just assuming that new technologies will benefit learners. 

Favorite project: 21st Century Learning discussion (blog post and video). This project provided me an opportunity to reflect and creatively express my perspectives on how technology can both promote and inhibit learning in the classroom. 

CEP812 works through the process of identifying and investigating a Wicked Problem within the field of education - a problem that does not have an easy solution. The course walks students through techniques to define a problem, brainstorm approaches to the problem, elicit ideas to approach the problem, and finally to provide a proposed, if partial, solution to the problem. The unit on survey development was especially impactful as it highlighted the significance of a well-formed survey in aggregating information. This course also helped me develop a closer relationship with my professional community, as many of my ideas for approaching learning experience development as an instructional designer formed out of my work on the Wicked Problem Project.

Favorite project: Wicked Problem Project - Not only was I incredibly proud of the sheer amount of work I put into this website, it also demonstrates a synthesis of all elements of exploring and proposing a solution to a wicked problem. Many aspects of this project inform how I currently approach my professional context. 

This course explores the significance of social constructivism and how we learn by building together. It highlighted how that learning is enhanced by the tools we use. It also explored the significance of learning together, where building artifacts with other learners helps to expand the learning that occurs. This course was impactful to me professionally and personally in three main ways. First, it helped me to explore several different free technologies that I have since used in developing learning experiences for my college (see my Tools & Resources page for more info on some of these free options). Second, I became much more familiar with the importance of proper attribution and licensing of work (and the vast libraries of creative commons resources). Third, I was introduced to the concept of Universal Design for Learning, which demonstrated for me the importance of developing learning experiences with the success of all learners - and their varying needs - in mind. 

Memorable reading assignment: The Universal Design for Learning Guidelines website by Cast.org. This website highlights different considerations that should be to help facilitate learning for persons with varying needs and perspectives. I continue to use it as a resource and reference it when discussing the importance of multimodal representation in teaching, especially online. 

Favorite project: Summer of Learning video and reflective blog post. As this course explored the value of social constructionism to the learning process, I observed my kids learning from each other and their friends over the summer. Every time I see this artifact I enjoy viewing and reflecting on it.

In this course, our instructors helped us to focus a critical lens on the use of assessment in education. We were asked to reflect on assessment as a technology, and to consider how different assessment types enhance or diminish learning. We specifically considered standardized testing and the assumptions it makes of the learner, and how this can disadvantage learners, both as individuals and as populations - sometimes intentionally. This course also introduced to me the significance of the formative assessment, in how the value obtained from that assessment type is often more significant than that of summative. 

Memorable reading: The Role of Assessment in a Learning Culture by Lorrie A. Shepard. This article highlighted the importance of including students in the learning process. It directly informs my philosophy of teaching, both when creating professional development resources and when collaborating with instructors on learning activities. 

Favorite assignment: Metagaming Assessment Project. This project was expansive, containing many elements, and I am proud of every piece, especially as a representation of my learning across the course. I was especially pleased with the creativity it afforded me in building new assessment methods, and I also found the creation of an annotated bibliography a very effective technique for summarizing readings. 

In CEP820, we explored how online learning has developed, its affordances and constraints. We were asked to define what should be core to the student learning experience, and then consider what must be asked of the online classroom in order to meet that experience. We explored the promises technology often offers, how those promises can fall short, and how to apply the philosophy of TPACK to determine whether a technology will actually help the learning experience. We highlighted the importance of an instructors "presence" in a course, and how to humanize the online learning experience. Finally, the course discusses the importance of considering student abilities and how online learning can be designed to meet a variety of learning needs.  

Memorable reading: How do online course design features influence student performance? by Shanna Smith Jaggars and Di Xu (2016). This is another paper that I reference regularly, both for MAET writing assignments and in my professional context. In the study, the authors find that of many design elements of online learning that they reviewed, the only that has any significant impact on student outcomes is the student's sense that the instructor is present with them in the course and wants them to succeed.  

Favorite project: Warm, Wise Feedback job aid and video introduction. My professional context would likely be considered "hybrid," but the vast majority of the student learning experience is online. I have noted that for classes in our college where faculty make themselves highly visible, student outcomes and satisfaction tend to be greater.  This aligns with the article linked above. To foster this, I created a humanizing tool based on the Warm, Wise Feedback model, which was intended to help instructors provide timely and actionable feedback to students, thereby helping students identify areas for growth and provide a enhancing a sense of instructor presence. 

In this required course, students are provided with core knowledge to understand and participate in social science research, both from a quantitative and qualitative perspective. Technical terms related to research are defined and students are asked to apply them by developing hypothetical research studies. Students are also asked to delve into the creation of surveys and interview protocols, exploring the importance of asking the right questions and developing a question flow that helps the interviewee provide the most complete responses. On completion of the course I felt prepared to participate competently in study design, and I feel more able to critically review research articles. 

Favorite project: Interview Protocol. I enjoyed this project because it highlighted for me the significance of how questions are worded (making sure that they are open-ended and provide the respondent with opportunity to give a complete answer) and ordered in a logical way (both in presenting easier questions toward the beginning and moving to more difficult questions toward the end, and also helping the respondent to understand the rationale behind questions). 

The focus of CEP817 was to investigate and highlight how the Stanford design thinking process can be applied for solving problems in an educational context. The course worked through the five phases of design thinking: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test. Students were asked to identify a problem in their professional context and then work through each of the five phases with that problem in mind. This provided hands-on experience working through the phases and helped us to identify the importance of considering each phase when developing a solution to a problem. As an instructional designer, this course has helped me consider possible tools to use when developing solutions to learning problems. 

Favorite Project: Test your Prototype (interview protocol). This project provided me an opportunity to synthesize an aspect of CEP822, developing an interview protocol, with CEP817, where I had to test a prototype solution to a problem. The result was a thorough examination of my prototype and several concrete suggestions for iteration on the prototype. 

CEP815 began with a central assumption - that we all have the potential to be leaders in our professional contexts, no matter our formal role. As the course progressed we looked at several aspects of what that leadership looks like. We considered characteristics we might need to expand and develop in order to more effectively lead. We looked at the importance of quality communication, especially as it relates to difficult conversations. And we looked at why it is important for leaders to cast a vision of the future for their organization, and how that vision can effectively drive change. 

Memorable reading: Two stand out: The Harvard Business Review article Seven Transformations of Leadership and a summary of the Managing Complex Change model. The former was impactful for me as it helped me to identify strengths I had, and also to identify ways I could further develop in how I interact with my colleagues and the enterprise at large. The latter was significant as it helped me to organize my thinking around framing proposals for change in our college. 

Favorite project: Personal Master's in Educational Leadership. The timing of this project as I was finishing up my second to last course in the MAET program was poignant, as I had yet to answer the question for myself of "what's next?" This project gave me an opportunity to identify areas I would like to develop in further, and also helped me to explore resources I could use to get started.

CEP807 is a required course and serves as the capstone for the MAET program. The bulk of this course is the creation of a website that highlights graduate candidate's work in the MAET program. Students are also asked to write a series of essays, describing their goals going into the program, what their goals are for the future once they complete the program, and a reflection on lessons learned from the program. Students have opportunities to review the sites of past graduates and provide feedback to one another in their task of developing a final polished website. The final website is intended for use as a way to develop future professional exposure.

Favorite project: This website! I am very proud of the work I have done on this site, and I am excited to share it as a representation of my professional strengths. Even more, I have enjoyed returning to past projects and course readings, providing me a highly anticipated opportunity to reflect on what I have learned in this program and what it has prepared me for in the future.