Instructional Design Project Reflection

     Now that we have reached the end of this course, I have a lot to reflect upon. Especially when it comes to my work and the amount of time management I had to do between this and my career in teaching, this was a major challenge. However, the most reflective piece of work I had, was my group's instructional model. This project was not only a cumulative challenge but also had our group really think about what our "learners" needed to get out of our model. I believe this model is not only valuable as a practice, but a targeted lesson for myself as a growing educator. 

    In terms of the work we did, I would like to start with the positives. I believe that we were able to effectively communicate what our learning target was. We wanted to begin with a clear objective as should all learning modules contain. For example, we state "We’ve divided this course into three modules that’ll guide you on how to upload footage into DaVinci Resolve, properly format it using video editing techniques, and export and embed your final product into Canvas for students to engage with. Upon its completion, you’ll be equipped with the essential skills to create a video introduction independently". With that goal in mind, we focused on many aspects of our instruction to address the needs of the learner. In my own instruction, I have improved greatly with my own focus on learning objectives, I believe this project represents that development in my own career as well. Before, I would think too broadly and try to cover too much in one lesson, now I focus on what I want my students to get out of my lesson, or the main point at the very least. The rest of the instruction is helpful, but what is the end goal that they need to have so they can be successful in the next lesson. With that knowledge, the group and I know what our learners need to know so that they can be successful in their own lessons, so we need to be clear on what our objective is. I also believe our organization was very clear and easy to read. The people accessing these lessons can easily follow the flow of the lesson, and if they make a mistake they know where to look. If there is an unexpected outcome, the learner knows exactly where to check for mistakes. This is helpful for anyone, as you need to be thorough for a program as complex as DaVinci Resolve. 

    Now, even though I believe we were effective in our instruction, there are a few things I would have liked to be more proficient with. The largest aspect of improvement I believe is our visual cues, as they could have been much more interactive for learners to showcase the exact outcome that they need to see to measure success. This was more basic for several reasons, the first is mainly because I did not have prior knowledge of how to make interactive media or gifs of my own. If I did, I would have put in the extra effort to create the proper media to bring our work from good to great. I try with my own students to give them interactive tasks to keep them engaged, and I believe that is essential not just for 6th graders, but every learner in any setting. Personalized videos, gifs, simulated mock-ups, etc. are all helpful and help the learner with little risk. I also feel like a few portions of the module could have benefitted with alternative routes and showcasing what to do if an error occurred. Since DaVinci Resolve is a complex program, a lot can go wrong, so I feel like accounting for that variability is essential when teaching a program of this kind of depth. Let's say the video does not render, we should have a piece of instruction that explains what the issue could be and how to fix it. We explain the process well, but how do we get over issues that may not be down to our own instruction? By accounting for issues that have a possibility to happen. Either way, I believe we did our very best with the time that we had within our own professional careers and personal time, but if this was a real model I would have put a ton of focus on these aspects to make it an excellent module. 

In conclusion, this project was a culminating experience that allowed me to apply everything I’ve learned in this course. It challenged me to think critically about the needs of learners, while also improving my own understanding of instruction. This project also highlighted my growth as an educator. When I first started this course, I had limited experience in the classroom, and I was just beginning my teaching career. Now, I feel much more confident in my ability to design lessons that meet the needs of many different learners. The project influenced ideas that I will carry into my teaching: the importance of clear learning objectives, structured instruction, and anticipating the challenges learners might face. This course, in combination with the ideas I have gained from other teachers at my school, has given me a deeper understanding of how to design lessons that are both engaging and effective. As I continue my career in education and pursue a master's, I am confident that the skills I developed through this project will be helpful. This course has equipped me with the tools to create effective learning experiences, and I look forward to applying these lessons in both my classroom and future learning experiences.