Course Capstone Video

Section 7: New Direction in Instructional Design and Technology

This section of the textbook addresses new directions and emerging technologies for IDT. For your final post, reflect on how you might apply each of the following in your current or future position in the IDT field:

• distributed or e-learning environments

As our text points out, the definitions of “e-learning” and the parameters by which we categorize types of e-learning are continually changing with the pace of technology. For this reason, I think it is best not to try to state specifically which kind of e-learning I hope to use in the future, but to rather focus on my goal. In my role as a school librarian, I hope to help other educators utilize e-learning resources to bring order to their lessons and foster authentic learning in their students. I would like to always keep sight of the fact that technology is not meant to replace instruction or be the instruction, but to bring order to what we do in class.

• reusable design or learning objects

As a school librarian in the future and as a teacher now, it is important for me to always be growing my “repository” of learning objects. In my current position, this is do for me to an extent in the form of our online curriculum planner. We have access to slideshows, short video clips and visual aids that are simple and reusable and relate to our subject. My goal in a school librarianship would be to grow a repository of learning objects for school wide us. Additionally, it would be a great opportunity to help individual teachers expand their own collections and make good decisions about what types of learning objects to include in their lesson planning.

• rich media

The compilation of a learning object “repository” would necessarily involve some of the planning addressed in Chapter 32. Having a diverse selection of learning objects or media would not be useful to instructors if those objects were not also curated with an eye toward learner-centered instructional design. I think in the school business we often fall victim to the problem of technology-centered lesson design. We are so excited to use new tech that we don’t stop to think if it truly encourages real learning. This can lead to the “paradox of technology” described in the text. We throw all kinds of wonderful rich media at our students now. More than ever in the past. But eventually, access to tech outstrips the students’ abilities to effectively synthesize the material presented.  To avoid this issue, I feel that one of my roles as a librarian would be to help teachers utilize school technology and resources in a way that addresses instructional modes and different media types, while also paying close attention to the methods of instruction being used.

•  emerging instructional technologies, such as artificial intelligence, cybernetics, Web 2.0, virtual worlds, electronic games, etc.

As the role of school librarian continues to morph, I hope to keep on top of helping my students and colleagues make the most of emerging technologies. In particular, Web 2.0 technology is one area where I could see so many opportunities for educational growth. The kids we teach now come to us already Web 2.0 “literate.” They use Facebook, Instagram and Vine as a normal part of their social interactions. I think using these as a foot in the door on the educational front is a wise move. It is likely that these types of technologies will continue to evolve and we will have to adjust our use of them in education accordingly. In addition to Web 2.0 platforms, virtual realities or electronic games can always be helpful if used in the right way. In the future I hope to help teachers provide their students with access to emerging technologies that are not only fun and relevant to them, but are also learner-centered and truly useful in cultivating an environment where real learning happens.