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Teaching Philosophy
My teaching philosophy is grounded in the belief that education must engage the intellectual, emotional, and motivational dimensions of learners. I aim to design inclusive learning experiences that foster curiosity, critical thinking, and personal growth. I value a constructivist approach, where learners build on prior knowledge through active engagement and real-world application. I integrate technology, such as immersive virtual reality, to create meaningful, situated learning environments. My role is to facilitate, inspire, and support learners in becoming autonomous thinkers. To learn more about my teaching philosophy, click here: Teaching Philosophy
Introduction
This course dossier documents my learning journey and design thinking throughout the "Instructional Design Essentials" course. The dossier is a pre-reflective portfolio focused on a course I plan to teach in the future. It brings together theoretical insights, instructional strategies, and reflective practices developed across seven modules. The course aims to equip educators and designers with foundational knowledge, practical tools, and reflective frameworks essential for effective teaching.
Course Description and Rationale
Course Title: Instructional Design Essentials
Delivery Mode: Online asynchronous with optional synchronous sessions
Target Audience: Graduate students and early-career instructional designers
Rationale: This course responds to the growing demand for evidence-based instructional design. It equips learners with foundational theories and practical strategies to create engaging and inclusive learning environments.
Learning Outcomes
Using Bloom's and Fink's Taxonomies, I developed the following learning outcomes:
1. Define and compare foundational learning theories.
2. Apply backward design to instructional planning.
3. Create assessments aligned with learning goals.
4. Design learner-centered activities using appropriate technology.
5. Facilitate inclusive and engaging discussions.
6. Reflect on and revise teaching strategies based on feedback.
David Awoyemi Activity 3.3a Backward Design.pdfBackward Design Plan
Learning Goal: Learners will be able to apply backward design to create an instructional plan.
Assessment: Students will submit a design document that outlines learning outcomes, aligned assessments, and instructional activities.
Learning Activities:
• Annotated readings on instructional taxonomies
• Case-based design workshop
• Peer review of design documents
Learning Process
I developed a visual diagram that illustrates how behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism interconnect in supporting student learning. This diagram served as a conceptual anchor for learners, helping them visualize how instructional strategies align with theory.
Logical Structure Lecture Graphic
The Logical Structure Lecture Graphic, originally developed for my guest lecture on March 25, 2025, proved to be a valuable tool in organizing and delivering content for this course. Although designed for a live session, it effectively translates to asynchronous learning by clearly outlining key points, transitions, and examples in a visually structured format. Anchored in Mayer’s multimedia learning principles, the graphic supported cognitive processing by reducing extraneous load and guiding learner attention. Its clarity and coherence made complex ideas more accessible, and I plan to continue refining and using it as a core instructional aid in future iterations of this course.
David_Logical_Lecture_Strcuture.docxDavid Awoyemi-Bookends-Overlays-and-Interleaves-Map.pdfBookends, Overlays, and Interleaves Map
The map provided a layout for embedding active learning moments in a module on distance learning technologies. It included opening questions (bookends), multimedia insertions (overlays), and spaced reviews (interleaves), enhancing retention and engagement.
Discussion Protocol
I created a discussion protocol titled "Strange or Unusual but True Technologies" to foster curiosity and dialogue. The protocol included structured prompts, ground rules for inclusive participation, and reflection activities, promoting critical thinking and respectful interaction.
David Discussion Protocol.docxDavid_Pros_Cons_Assessment_Analysis.docxAssessment Plan
I conducted a Pros and Cons Assessment Analysis for an online course evaluation. I examined formative, summative, and alternative assessments, weighing their advantages and limitations. The key insight was the importance of providing learners with multiple assessment options and aligning assessments tightly with outcomes.
Ongoing Reflections
The reflections below highlight how this course helped me acquire new teaching strategies and sharpen my instructional design skills. Although I entered the course with some teaching experience, the structured activities and peer feedback expanded my pedagogical thinking and practical toolkit. These insights not only deepened my understanding but also directly inform how I intend to teach Instructional Design Essentials in the future. Each module's learning has been carefully considered and embedded into the course's structure, delivery, and learner experience:
Module 1: Gained deeper awareness of how intellectual, emotional, and motivational elements intersect in effective teaching. This will shape how I introduce learners to the affective dimensions of design and lead them in developing their own teaching philosophies.
Module 2: Transitioned from a primarily behaviorist mindset to an expanded perspective that integrates cognitivist, constructivist, and humanist approaches. I will encourage students to explore multiple perspectives and challenge their assumptions through visualizations and peer discussions.
Module 3: Developed competency in backward design and course alignment using Bloom’s and Fink’s taxonomies. This method will anchor the course structure and assignments, modeling the design logic students will be expected to apply.
Module 4: Strengthened my understanding of the distinctions between grading and assessment, and how diverse assessment types can support varied learner needs. I plan to give students opportunities to evaluate and design assessments that reflect these insights.
Module 5: Enhanced my lecture design skills through structured planning and visual logic, using multimedia learning principles to improve clarity. These strategies will be visible in course videos and templates.
Module 6: Learned to design structured discussion protocols that promote inclusivity and meaningful engagement. I will implement weekly discussions using protocols that model this structure.
Module 7: Applied practical strategies—like bookends, overlays, and interleaves—to structure learning in ways that improve engagement and retention. These techniques will guide my module layout and student activity sequence.
Conclusion
This dossier captures my journey in designing a pedagogically sound and engaging course. Moving forward, I plan to pilot this course, collect student feedback, and iteratively improve its components. The materials in this dossier will serve as a foundation for future course development and instructional design endeavors.
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