OPWL 551 – Post 3

Recently I went to an interview and they asked how I would know what I had created was engaging and would bring the learner in.  I was caught off guard, being a classroom teacher within a special education classroom I felt that I was a professional at being engaging, I often got kids engaged in learning whom no one else could!  However, during this week reading about scenario-based learning really opened my eyes to truly engaging content.

Scenario-based learning really pushed the idea of problem-based learning (PBL) to a whole new level.  As I reflected on the week, what I had learned and this blog post I realized that my relationship with students assisted in my ability to get them engaged.  However, in instructional design where we are building for a specific performance issue or task, I wasn’t there with my product to encourage, entice, or transfer my excitement.  The work I create has to be able to stand alone on its own, to pull the learner in wherever they are.  

During this same series of interviews, I also produced a very linear work sample, looking back with the knowledge I have now I could see that small tweaks would have helped make it even more dynamic and engaging.  With my presentation I could have added a more clear trigger event, I truly missed the mark here, while I “got into the mind of an employee” and chunked the information I should have started with a more immersive experience such as waking up and getting ready for work.  While the rest of my presentation was from this perspective, I think adding this trigger event would have pushed my presentation to the next level!  

Additionally, I am finding that there is SO MUCH more to instructional design and e-learning than I have ever imagined.  As I dig further I am finding more that I align with and I am finding more areas to grow in.  While I absolutely know what I would say to that interview question now, it was a tangible growth experience that makes me excited to continue to dive into the ID world.