The WebQuest demonstrates my mastery of PLO 1 by showing how to create an instructional website for a major school project that is geared towards high school seniors looking to enter the workforce. This learning product is designed to increase learner engagement and motivation by creating a project that is self-guided, yet creates opportunities for students to interact with people in their community to learn more about their desired career path through the requirements of the assignment and through the peer review process. PLO 1 mastery is also demonstrated by the integration of technology into the learning product, as it is a webpage rather than a written assignment description. The tool also breaks the assignment down into task, process, evaluation, and conclusion segments. The product supports teachers with a teacher's page. In my future librarianship practice, I will design products similar to the WebQuest page as course assignments to assess learners.

WebQuest page

This was the instructional design project completed for EDTECH 503, in which I completed a genealogy course to be presented to public library patrons (and others who might be interested. The course would teach genealogical skills to Japanese Americans of the sansei (third) generation. This course made use of survey data collected on the learners to design specially tailored units of instruction.

The course set out clear objectives for instruction. The course also analyzed learning and performance contexts. The course included documentation including surveys (and solicitation fliers), course content, and assignments. This course demonstrates mastery of PLO 1 by demonstrating how to create an instructional design plan with documentation of survey results to support performance benchmarks and shows how to create an environment where learning takes place efficiently (over 3 days of instruction). In my future career, I would like to blend both classroom learning and active, in-community learning activities in my professional library practice, and writing a comprehensive plan to make learning happen is essential.

Instructional Design Project

In EDTECH 512, I wrote a needs assessment (termed a front-end analysis) describing an instructional problem, and how instruction would help. The front end analysis provided a brief description of the organization providing the learning, and described various learner characteristics of course attendees. A course goal was identified, along with 3 learning objectives at the course and module levels.

This analysis supports PLO 1 by trying to understand learner needs to maximize motivation, engagement, efficacy and efficiency in the final learning product. This needs assessment resembles future needs assessments I hope to complete when I teach graduate-level courses in information literacy for graduate students.

Front End Analysis

In the second part of the EDTECH 512 project, I completed a course map exploring what topics would be covered in each of the course modules, how learning would be assessed, how students would be motivated to learn about APA citation, what social interaction would mediate the course, and what content/media would be included in an instructional plan. This course map supports PLO 1 by developing an instructional plan that will maximize student engagement and motivation through both social and media interaction. Developing even more targeted module level objectives will assist me in my professional practice by ensuring that learning materials and assessments are established in learning products.

EDTECH 512 Course Map and Instructional Planning

To meet accessibility needs for all learners, I had to make decisions about typography and color schemes for the proposed course. I then justified why I chose the fonts and color schemes I did. These were then incorporated into a course prototype which was provided in a screenshot. This prototype demonstrates mastery of PLO 1 because making considerations of accessibility for students with disabilities will help learners have greater motivation in the course, and supports their engagement with the course.

In my professional practice, I will make decisions about color schemes and typography that will impact course site development and improve accessibility.

EDTECH 512 Course Prototype

This is the fully completed 5-module online course I completed for EDTECH 512, the course includes documentation such as course assignments and formative and post-course surveys. This course demonstrates competency in PLO 1 by showing how to increase learner motivation and engagement through active teaching of skills in interactive assessments and engaging learner material.

This shows my ability to design fully-online courses in various digital formats and resembles courses I will teach to graduate-level library science students.

EDTECH 512 Course