An artifact that demonstrates my competency in the ability to apply technologies to the solution is my an eLearning module about reading and writing workshop that I created in Adobe Captive and other technologies, such as YouTube, iMovie, and Audacity that I created for EDCI 56900 Introduction to eLearning.
Competency Artifact
This narrative explains how my artifact (my eLearning Module) demonstrates the following three characteristics of applying technologies to the solution.
Characteristic 1: Plans and designs effective learning environments and experiences supported by technology
The goal of the module I created was to help establish standard practices within the reading and writing workshop model. Considering the varied experiences of the learners, an online module for the initial training was the most appropriate learning environment to meet the learners’ needs. The choice to make the delivery method eLearning was met well by the learners for the following reasons:
- Gave learners the explicit knowledge they needed to understand better terms and methods used during planning sessions among colleagues and when consultants delivered workshops.
- It allowed learners to fill in gaps where they needed it because it did not have a linear completion approach.
- Flexible time was given to complete during working hours
- Self-paced
- The module was user-friendly and intuitive
- The module directed them to reputable sites to learn more about areas of further interest.
- The activities build on each other well with a balance and varieties of Absorb, Do, and connect Activities (Horton, 2012).
Characteristic 2: Applies technology to facilitate a variety of practical assessment and evaluation strategies
The assessments incorporated in the module target levels of thinking and application skills for each concept and gradually progress in complexity. The reviewers identified one of the strengths of my project the evaluation because the assessment was varied, well timed, and didn’t have to hold on to too much information before a knowledge check. This was the result of having a knowledge check after each sub-objective. The knowledge checks consisted of drag and drops, multiple-choice answers, true and false, and a variety of open responses.
Characteristic 3: Demonstrates understanding of social, ethical, legal, and human issues surrounding the use of technology and applies it in practice.
The majority of the issues I encountered when creating the module pertained to this characteristic. A social issue I encountered making this project was that it wasn’t social being an asynchronous learning module. I tried to make more social by including a learning coach who will review the scores and lesson plans and get back to the user after they completed the module. However, the module itself is not at all social. A human issue I struggled with was with the assessment aspect a struggle was providing authentic opportunities for assessment that would achieve higher order thinking and evaluate the application, despite being done in a module versus actual performance. The legal aspect I found challenging was knowing which already created professional resources I could direct my learner to and incorporate into my module. I would have cited these, but it was difficult in understanding if I could embed already made videos, etc. in my module, so I ended up making originals. An ethical issue that I encountered about this characteristic was that I had to be careful to make my YouTube video unlisted and ensure that the students’ names are not said anywhere within the video for privacy purposes. This was fine given the module was designed specifically for the teachers at the school these students go; however, I cannot use the module outside the organization.
Another ethical issue I faced was doing my best to make my module as accessible as I knew how which taught me to be well aware of the intended audience using your technology.
Moving forward, I want to have a better grasp of the current technologies and what they have to offer. I’ve understood through experiences developing learning I want to work with a developer. However, I often find myself thinking of a design for learning but not knowing how it would be possible given special software or knowing which software would reach my learning objectives.
Reference
Horton, W. K. (2012). E-learning by design. San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer.
Allison Brinkerhoff 