As educators or instructional designers our first priority should always be the student. The goal plans and the objectives built within our plans and designs must be timely and informative in order for student success. We have to provide our students with a reliable instructional model to work from.  

992890_199436356879065_2012296289_n (1)In this technological age, education is evolving, and learning to manage a classroom from a distance is becoming the norm for professional educators.  Technological pathways are being developed and incorporated into formal classroom settings to help bridge the gap that exists between traditional students and the digital age student.  In the current technology-pervasive environments, the classroom of the future will have to consider the prior training, environment, and personal knowledge preferences of learners.

Today’s learner takes for granted and anticipates that technology will be incorporated effortlessly into their work life and play.   A traditional student is significantly different from a student who may have grown up in a technological environment, or a student who was born (digital) having technology as an integral part of their entire life.  Students from all the different environments process and assimilate information differently.   As educators and designers,  we all have to build in best practices to help students stay motivated and engaged in active learning; technology is one of the sources providing us with a catalyst.

The speed and volume at which students can now access information through digital media is enormous: and the informational cap doesn’t appear to be diminishing anytime soon.  This massive amount of informational data has to have some mechanism in place to help students assimilate, organize, and store the information at their disposal.      “Education is a future – facing activity” ~Facer & Sandford

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 simple, intermediate and advanced 

 

Seasonal Recreational Guide Course

Advanced: Training seasonal recreational guides is a costly venture that many small companies neglect to provide due to lack of funding, or unpreparedness; in these situations, turnover is often high.   Customer service is also vital, as well as having a good working knowledge of the rules and regulations governing land use, and permits. 

Instructional Technology

Advanced Design: Along with colleague Jamie Powell, we developed this collaborative research analysis. As more of the digital generation starts to enter into higher education, they present a whole new dilemma for the traditional educator at both the colleges and university levels.  Not every higher education instructors will have the same level of expertise when dealing with technology

Robot Prototype Online Game for Youth

Simple Design: Along with colleague Melanie Gordon, we developed this robot game prototype following the Utah Core Standards. Using Flash programming to develop a robot prototype online game for youth, learning math and shapes.  A computerized game that could be played on the cell phone.  

Usability Study

Intermediate: Once you have your website is complete, before you go live you should do a comprehensive usability study.  Attached here is a usability study I did on a website.  There are some challenges to designers who not only have to add content that is information and current, but they must also make sure that the website is functional for the overall user experience

Health 101

Simple design:  A semester-based course exploring the effects of carbohydrates (sugar) on the human body, as well as other health-related topics.   Health Wise 101 is a six-week course.  Students must have access to Canvas to participate in the quizzes and assignments. An addendum site called Sugar the Journey is also part of the course