EDID 6506: Issues, Trends, Innovations and Research in Instructional Design, Instructional Technology and Distance Education

This course is about preparing learners for a future world of change. It seeks to expose learners to trends and innovations in the field in order to inspire ideas and consequently, modernise the body of knowledge. Learners’ research skills will be enhanced as new and current opportunities are explored. Moreover, learners will be afforded opportunities to assess the reliability and effectiveness of trends and innovations and use models such as Gartner’s Hype Cycle Model to make predictions and identify weaknesses and strengths. As a course participant, I felt empowered as the course allowed opportunities for learner-led discussions. In small groups, we facilitated and engaged other course participants in discussions of technology-related themes and topics. Discussions usually allowed participants to share glimpses into their contexts, particularly their countries and communities. I still have vivid images of the significance of the digital divide in Jamaica and its impact on students during the COVID-19 pandemic because of those peer discussions.

The most rewarding takeaways that I received from this course are skills to analyse, critique and evaluate that help me not to blindly accept knowledge. This is exemplified by my initial thoughts and assumptions entering the course and my re-evaluation of those thoughts by the end of the course. The course commenced with a review of the history of instructional design and the role of instructional technology. At this point, I would say that I assumed that because emerging trends were popular, widely accepted and in some instances, had influential individuals advocating them, that they would be beneficial and impactful globally, take for example Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). By the end of the course however, I had acquired knowledge, skills and strategies to objectively assess, look at trends from more than one perspective, especially through learners and teachers’ lenses and to use my own experiences to evaluate and make inferences.

Select the artefact that follows for my evaluation of a MOOCs effectiveness which considers the course’s design, philosophical underpinnings, teaching strategies, learning theories and assessments among others.

EDID 6501

EDID 6501

Learning Theory and Instructional Design

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EDID 6502

EDID 6502

Analysing Human Performance

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EDID 6503

EDID 6503

Instructional Design Theories, Models and Strategies

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EDID 6504

EDID 6504

Programme Evaluation and Course Assessment Methods

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EDID 6505

EDID 6505

Systems Approach to Designing Instructional Materials

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EDID 6506

EDID 6506

Issues, Trends, Innovations and Research in Instructional Design, Instructional Technology and Distance Education

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EDID 6507

EDID 6507

Needs Assessment for Learning and Performance

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EDID 6508

EDID 6508

Developing Instructional Media

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EDID 6509

EDID 6509

Designing Learning and Performance Solutions

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EDID 6510

EDID 6510

Learning and Knowledge Management Systems

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EDID 6511

EDID 6511

Facilitating and Managing Learning

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EDID 6512

EDID 6512

Design Project

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