SEQUENCE GOALS

For the challenge “identify and sequence instructional goals,” I am submitting my design document from EDCI 572. The training module I designed helps managers of creative teams give effective feedback that fosters creativity. Throughout this document, I demonstrate my ability to use data to help identify and sequence instructional goals logically and effectively.

It is important for learning designers to create a roadmap that optimizes the learning experience. To do that, they must consider how all the objectives build the foundation needed to reach the instructional goal. EDCI 572 enabled us to practice this skill using the Dick and Carey model of Instructional Design, where we had to deliberately piece through each objective and analyze how each aligns specifically with our instructional goal. On page three of the design document, I used a flow map to brainstorm and rearrange the concepts needed to achieve the instructional goal most effectively. Later in the design process, as seen on pages nine through ten, I outlined learning objectives that elaborated upon these steps to show the exact skills learners would practice during this training. Through a detailed learner analysis, I gained a better understanding of how to write effective learning objectives for my specific target audience. Using this survey, I found they preferred small group discussions and hands-on activities for learning, which guided my approach to many of the activities I selected. 

This design document was my first experience writing such a detailed breakdown of a learning experience. Even though I had spent over a decade as a classroom teacher, none of my previous lesson plans could compare to this experience, even though I had years of experience writing learning objectives. The Dick and Carey model is meticulous and helped reveal how easy it can be to design arbitrarily without careful alignment between learning objectives and the instructional goal. The process was sometimes tedious, but it could have improved many previous lesson plans that fell short of what I hoped to accomplish.

This design document proves that I am able to use relevant data to effectively identify and sequence learning objectives to achieve instructional goals. During this experience, I learned how crucial it is to conduct an in-depth front-end analysis in order to design intentionally for learning outcomes. In the future, I look forward to using a more concise version of this design process to be more time-efficient and practical for a professional context. For example, while designing my upcoming eLearning module for EDCI 569, I will use an abbreviated version of the design document to create my learning experience.