Further Reflections

Now that I work there...

• writing objectives, creating learning documents--very related to jobs there
• asking the right questions
• subject matter experts that can convey their knowlege

Self-analysis & Critique

             True to the purpose of transcribing the video of my class session, it was this process that showed me flaws in my facilitation. I spoke with far too many “uhs” and “ums,” and I noticed that I sometimes stuttered or repeated myself as I struggled to formulate a concise way to convey my thoughts. I know that I am a very reflective person, so I am not completely surprised by this habit. However, I think additional run-throughs of the presentation (and more sleep the night before) would help to ease this tendency. Aside from this, I assume that my excessive hand gestures may have been distracting to students, and I should have stopped lecturing more often to ask for questions. On the bright side, the first step to correcting a problem is acknowledging its existence.

My knowledge of learning theory and instruction benefited the most from teaching the topic to others; this is the basis of experiential learning. It reminds me of Edgar Dale’s Cone of Experience, which incorporates aspects of learning theories and instructional design. He argued that reading, hearing, or seeing new information produces much lower retention rates than “direct purposeful experiences” (Garrett, 1997, p. 131). The opportunity to put my theoretical knowledge into practice, especially since this theoretical knowledge dealt directly with the task at hand (the facilitation of learning), was perhaps the most valuable experience I’ve had in this program. This would not have been possible without the foundation of learning from coursework and engaging instructors.

AHRD Ethics

After review of the “Standards on Ethics and Integrity” published by the Academy of Human Resource Development (2000), my main concern is based on the description of expectations of competence for a role or task. At first, I did not know if I was qualified for the job. Because my superiors believed in my ability, I worked hard to quickly increase my knowledge base of learning theory and instructional design. I knew that I wanted to avoid being “put on the spot” with a question that I could not confidently answer.

In regards to the standards put forth by the Academy of HRD, I realize that I may not have sufficiently evaluated my learners, at least in relation to any particular session. However, evaluation occurred throughout the course with grading of assignments, and I would consider the summative evaluation of final projects to be fairly reliable and valid. A pre-test would have been a good idea, although I questioned students about their experience with this topic during the first class meeting. Another point worth mentioning is my failure to discuss the limitations of confidentiality, or the future use of information shared in class sessions, until Jessica brought it up one day in mid-class. As this was my first experience working with a major corporation like Merck, I did not realize that so much information would be considered “sensitive” and protected.

Student Outcomes

All four of my students presented excellent final projects. These showed a grasp of the material that was sufficient to apply learning theory at workplace, which was the overall objective identified in the goal analysis. In addition, my response to formative feedback presented an opportunity to incorporate more interesting and relevant information to the students—instructional theory and strategies. Students’ use of these in the final presentation showed me that they absorbed much of this material.

I was pleased that all the students had warmed up to me by the end of our course; they expressed gratitude and even some affection for our time together. In addition, I feel that I did at least a satisfactory job in this role, because I heard only good things from all involved stakeholders. I was also invited to teach this course in the future, which is an opportunity I plan to pursue.

Student Projects & Assignments

Instructional PowerPoint & Presentation: (worth 160 points total; 100 for the PowerPoint and 60 for presentation of the project).
Instructional PowerPoint: For this assignment, students will be able to demonstrate their knowledge and application of learning theories by creating an instructional presentation using Microsoft PowerPoint. The student will present this project to the instructor during the final class, December 11th, from 3-5pm. Exceptional projects may be presented to the Merck Senior Leadership Team at a later date (tentatively scheduled for the afternoon of December 12th).
I will be flexible with the direction you would like to take this project; I would like it to be the most useful and applicable for you as possible while still satisfying the general objectives of the assignment. Below I have outlined some possible options. Please discuss with me your chosen topic and rough plan, and feel free to suggest other options if you think you have an idea that would suit.
You are to apply learning and instructional theory, as well as aligned instructional strategies, to:

1.      One specific training problem at Merck. This could be explanatory, in which you describe appropriate application of learning and instructional principles, or it could be the prototype of a lesson you could actually deliver in a Merck training session.This option requires a greater depth of understanding into a single problem, the relevant theories, and the appropriate instructional solution.

2.      Multiple Merck training scenarios. This would be explanatory, in which you describe (or demonstrate in your presentation) various examples of how you might use learning and instructional theory, as well as specific strategies, as applied to multiple case studies at Merck.This option requires a greater breadth of knowledge into instructional theory and strategies that could be applied to multiple workplace scenarios.

Regardless of the option you choose, your presentation should include: 1) learning objectives, 2) a definition of their selected learning and instructional theory,, 3) examples and explanations of the theory, 4) ways in which the theory could be applied at Merck 5) and a way to evaluate learner performance after a training session (i.e description of of an activity requiring demonstration of the knowledge or skill, a quiz, etc.). Students should use at least two sources other than the text to provide support for their chosen methods. In addition to content, the presentation will be assessed on its use of instructional design principles (i.e. Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, and Proximity) and relevant multimedia (i.e. YouTube videos, graphs, images). The goal of this assignment is for students to create an engaging and informative presentation that stimulates learning and application of theory to HRD practice at Merck.
Presentation of Instrcutional PowerPoint: You will present your PowerPoint project to the Instructor and your peers during our final class meeting. Since effective application of learning theories and reliance upon their principles while teaching is valuable to your roles at Merck, you will be expected to clearly present the content of your project in a way that is meaningful and effective in facilitating adult learning. Application of learning theories to your chosen topic is one was to assess the learning you have gained during this course, but it is equally important to demonstrate your competence in putting these principles into practice in the workplace.

The most important aspect of this project is that you are successful in satisfying the criteria outlined in the assignment rubric. I would estimate that your presentations should last between 15-30 minutes. The amount of time you spend presenting the project is also dependent on how much detail you deem relevant to share in order to demonstrate your application of learning and instructional theory.

Grading

Mid-Course Evaluation

·         I assessed student reactions to general aspects of the course—my teaching style, the content—and they said that they preferred face-to-face meetings and more instructional strategies, and you can see me addressing those concerns in this facilitation