IDT 7095 15/5: Week Feb 8

Tasks:



Reflection:

IDT 7095 15/5: Week Feb 1

Tasks:



Reflection:

Getting Started

Team Tasks:

This week my tasks were more informal than related to my eventual role on our team. We are still getting started. I contributed my availability to the spreadsheet developed by our project manager (Aaron). I created our Google+ Community so our team has a place to document discussions and Hangouts. I contributed to the forming of our team name: BYTS Design. BYTS are the initials of our last names and also happens to sound like "bites" and since we are doing a project for Terminix, "bites" seemed appropriate. I also developed several prototypes of a logo for our team. After team discussion in the Google+ Community and tweaks of elements locations and font selection, the following logo was finalized.

We still haven't held our first meeting but will be doing so prior to Saturday's deadline. 

Reflection:

The course is one I find very interesting and I am pleased with the team assignment. I think we have a good mixture of strengths on the team. I was happy to have received my choice of role, Lead eLearning Developer. I hope to find out early on the requirements by Terminix for the format of the final product. I feel confident in my abilities regarding the various possibilities (HTML, WordPress, Captivate, Articulate) but if they have a custom system, I want to get in there and start getting familiar with it. I know that while I will be able to do some work early on in the process (template design, color selection, fonts, etc), the meat of what I do can't be done until the instructional content is developed. I am hoping that I will have a chance to push my abilities in the areas of interactivity and visual design.

Getting a solid start as a team was our goal and I think we have met that goal. We have clear roles but have all demonstrated a willingness and ability to lend a helping hand and work together.

Following our initial team Hangout, I will have a clearer insight into the details of our project. I look forward to hearing what our project manager has learned from our client.

IDT 7095: Developing Interactive Learning Environments II

A new semester is underway and one of the three full-semester classes I am taking is IDT 7095 (Developing Interactive Learning Environments II). The class website, available for viewing by anyone, is located at http://idt7095s2016.weebly.com.

This blog will be used for posting some of my assignments for the class including reflections on the project.

I am excited to be working with a talented team and am looking forward to the creative work we will be doing.

Team Name: (not yet finalized)

Team Roles: While we all contribute in all areas, these are our primary roles. You can read more about the various responsibilities of each role here.

• Project Manager: Aaron Jon Spann
• Lead Instructional Designer: James Albert Barnes Jr.
• Lead eLearning Developer: Wanda Terral
• Lead Evaluator: Billie Johnson Young
• Lead Team Site Manager: Aaron Jon Spann

I requested the role of Lead eLearning Developer but have also offered extra assistance to Aaron in regards to the team website, especially since he is taking on dual roles. I definitely feel like my strengths are in these two areas so I am confident I can contribute to the team's successful completion of our instructional design project for Terminix.

What is our project? Well, here is what we know so far.

Project Title: E-Learning Development and Alignment for Customer Care Centers

Project Proposal:

ServiceMaster is focused on increasing the development of new and current associates. As we move towards supporting our continued growth and development, we are also focused on aligning our training materials and delivery to support the next level of learning.

In order to achieve our objectives, we are focused on redirecting all of our instructor-led training (ILT) to a more interactive, associate driven training experience. The new training experience will include a mobile platform for eLearning, simulation, gamification, micro-learning and performance support. In order to achieve this goal, additional support is necessary to migrate/develop/move our current training material to a mobile environment. The top priority will be development of eLearning(s) based on the existing ILTs. A critical component with any training project involves subject matter expert (SME) interaction to understand the impact of the learning and the environment of the training. This project will allow the student worker SME interaction at both corporate and branch-levels. Student workers will focus on supporting the creative and innovative learning environment and translating that goal to the learning materials using a variety of deliverables, e.g., video, HTML5, animation, etc. Moreover, student workers will experience working in a corporate atmosphere while interacting with senior leaders to branch leaders to individual contributors.

Additionally, new materials are needed to support new training initiatives within the customer centers. We are aligned to supporting the identification and retrieval of the information needed to create the necessary training. Further support is necessary to create the eLearning and learning guides to support the training teams.

As Lead eLearning Developer my responsibilities are as follows:

The lead eLearning developer will lead the development of the eLearning product.  This includes the prototypes, graphic designs, and interface designs.  The lead developer must work closely with the lead instructional designer to ensure that all content, media, and assessments are of high quality and aligned to the curriculum map. The eLearning developer must work closely with the lead content developer and the lead evaluator to ensure the quality of the eLearning product. 

As I assist the Lead Site Manager, I will also be able to help him document the progress of the team, the project management, and the development of the eLearning product as well as design and develop the team site in Google Sites (We have also been given the option to use Weebly or WordPress).

Expect more posts on this topic over this semester.



Location of our team members (click to see larger version):

Final Draft of My Literature Review for IDT 8092

NOTE: Originally, I had posted the paper here but have decided to take it off the blog and from the Google Drive. However, I have left a list of the references section in case it can be of assistance to others. 

Thanks!

Open Badges for Self-Directed Teacher Professional Development: A Review of Literature

Wanda Terral

Dr. Carmen Weaver

IDT 8092, Summer 2015

The University of Memphis

============================================

References

Abramovich, S., Schunn, C., & Higashi, R. M. (2013). Are badges useful in education?: It depends upon the type of badge and expertise of learner. Educational Technology Research and Development, 61, 217-232.

Ahn, J., Pellicone, A., & Butler, B. S. (2014). Open badges for education: What are the implications at the intersection of open systems and badging?. Research in Learning Technology, 22(2014). doi:10.3402/rlt.v22.23563

Antin, J., & Churchill, E. F. (2011). Badges in social media: A social psychological perspective. Paper presented at the CHI 2011 Gamification Workshop Proceedings (Vancouver, BC, Canada, 2011).

Avalos, B. (2011). Teacher professional development in teaching and teacher education over ten years. Teaching and Teacher Education, 27(1), 10-20. doi:10.1016/j.tate.2010.08.007

Blazer, C. (2010). Teacher burnout. Information Capsule. 1003. Research Services, Miami-Dade County Public Schools. 1450 NE Second Avenue, Miami, FL 33132.

Borko, H. (2004). Professional development and teacher learning: Mapping the terrain. Educational Researcher, 33(8), 3-15. doi:10.2307/3699979

Brockett, R. G., & Hiemstra, R. (1991). Self-direction in adult learning: Perspectives on theory, research, and practice. New York: Routledge.

Brophy, J. E. (2004). Motivating students to learn (2nd ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Buckingham, J. (2014). Open digital badges for the uninitiated. The Electronic Journal for English as a Second Language, 18(1), 1-11.

Candy, P. C. (1991). Self-direction for lifelong learning: A comprehensive guide to theory and practice. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Cazan, A. M., & Schiopca, B. A. (2014). Self-directed learning, personality traits and academic achievement. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 127(0), 640-644. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.03.327

Confessore, S. J., & Cops, W. J. (1998). Self-directed learning and the learning organization: Examining the connection between the individual and the learning environment. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 9(4), 365-375.

Dabbagh, N., & Kitsantas, A. (2012). Personal learning environments, social media, and self­regulated learning: A natural formula for connecting formal and informal learning. Social Media in Higher Education, 15(​1), 3­8. doi:10.1016/j.iheduc.2011.06.002

Daily, J. A., & Landis, B. J. (2014). The journey to becoming an adult learner: From dependent to self-directed learning. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 64(19), 2066-2068. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2014.09.023

Davis, K., & Singh, S. (2015). Digital badges in afterschool learning: Documenting the perspectives and experiences of students and educators. Computers & Education, 88, 72-83. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2015.04.011

Deci, E.L. (1971). Effects of externally mediated rewards on intrinsic motivation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 18(1), 105­115. Retrieved from http://www.quilageo.com/wp­content/uploads/2013/07/fn103.Deci_.pdf 


Dede, C., Ketelhut, D., Whitehouse, P., Breit, L., & McCloskey, E. (2009). A research agenda for online teacher professional development. Journal of Teacher Education, 60(1), 8-19. doi:10.1177/0022487108327554

Dengerink, J., Lunenberg, M., & Kools, Q. (2015). What and how teacher educators prefer to learn. Journal of Education for Teaching: International Research and Pedagogy, 41(1), 78-96.

Entwistle, N.J. (1981). Styles of learning and teaching. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Fanfarelli, J., Vie, S., & McDaniel, R. (2015). Understanding digital badges through feedback, reward, and narrative: A multidisciplinary approach to building better badges in social environments. Communication Design Quarterly, 56.

Finkelstein, J., Knight, E., & Manning, S. (2013). The potential and value of using digital badges for adult learners. American Institute for Research. Retrieved from http://lincs.ed.gov/publications/pdf/AIR_Digital_Badge_Report_508.pdf 

Gamrat, C., Zimmerman, H. T., Dudek, J., & Peck, K. (2014). Personalized workplace learning: An exploratory study on digital badging within a teacher professional development program. British Journal of Educational Technology, 45(6), 1136­1148. doi:10.1111/bjet.12200 


Gibson, D., Ostashewski, N., Flintoff, K., Grant, S., & Knight, E. (2013). Digital badges in education. Education and Information Technologies, 20(2), 403-410.

Grant, S. (2014). Badges: Show what you know. Young Adult Library Services, 12(2), 28-32.

Halavais, A. M. C. (2011). A genealogy of badges: Inherited meaning and monstrous moral hybrids. Information, Communication & Society, 15(3), 354–373. doi:10.1080/1369118X.2011.641992

Hickey, D. T., Itow, R., Schenke, K., Tran, C., Otto, N., & Chow, C. (2014). Badges design principles documentation project: January interim report. Indiana University. Retrieved from http://dpdproject.info/files/2014/05/DPD-interim-report-v4-january.pdf

 Hickey, D. T., & Willis III, J. E. (2015). Research designs for studying individual and collaborative learning with digital badges. Paper presented at the Open Badges in Education (OBIE 2015), Poughkeepsie, New York, USA.

Hiemstra, R. (1994). Self­directed learning. The sourcebook for self­directed learning, 9­20. 


Higashi, R., Abramovich, S., Shoop, R., & Schunn, C. (2012). The roles of badges in the computer science student network. Paper presented at the Games, Learning, & Society Conference, June 2012, Madison, WI.

Hiltz, V. (2015). S​elf­directed learning: An approach to teacher technology professional development.​ Paper presented at the Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2015, Las Vegas, NV, United States. Retrieved from http://www.editlib.org/p/150446.

Itow, R. C., & Hickey, D. T. (2014). Considering the implications of assessment design for learning in digital badge systems. Paper presented at the 2014 annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association. Retrieved 6/7/2015, from the AERA Online Paper Repository.

Janzow, P. (2014). Connecting learning to jobs through digital badges. Catalyst (21519390), 42(2), 9­11. 


Jones, W. M., & Dexter, S. (2014). How teachers learn: The roles of formal, informal, and independent learning. Educational Technology Research and Development, 62(3), 367­384.

Khaddage, F., Baker, R., & Knezek, G. (2012). If not now! When? A mobile badge reward system for K-12 teachers. Paper presented at the Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2012, Austin, TX.

Kim, M., Jung, E., Altuwaijri, A., Wang, Y., & Bonk, C. (2014). Analyzing the human learning and development potential of websites available for informal learning. International Journal of Self-Directed Learning, 11(1).

Knowles, M. S. (1975). Self-directed learning: A guide for learners and teachers. New York: Association Press.

Knowles, M. S. (1980). The modern practice of adult education: Andragogy versus pedagogy. New York: Association Press.

Merriam, S. B. (2001). Andragogy and self-directed learning: Pillars of adult learning theory. New Directions for Adult & Continuing Education, 89(Spring 2001), 3-13. doi:10.1002/ace.3

McIlvenny, L. (2015). Open Badges - glorified award stickers or valuable learning credentials. ACCESS, 29(1), 30-40.

Mushayikwa, E., & Lubben, F. (2009). Self-directed professional development – Hope for teachers working in deprived environments? Teaching and Teacher Education, 25(3), 375-382. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2008.12.003

Nakata, Y. (2014). Self­regulation: Why is it important for promoting learner autonomy in the school context?. Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal, 5(​4), 342­356.

Neubauer, B. J., Hug, R. W., Hamon, K. W., & Stewart, S. K. (2011). Using personal learning networks to leverage communities of practice in public affairs education. Journal of Public Affairs Education, 17(1), 9-25.

No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Public Law 107-110. 107th Congress (2001). Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/107-110.pdf

O'Byrne, W. I., Schenke, K., Willis III, J. E., & Hickey, D. T. (2015). Digital badges: Recognizing, assessing, and motivating learners in and out of school contexts. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 58(6), 451-454. doi:10.1002/jaal.381

Riconscente, M. M., Kamarainen, A., & Honey, M. (2013). STEM badges: Current terrain and the road ahead. New York: New York Hall of Science. Retrieved from New York Hall of Science website: https://badgesnysci.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/nsf_stembadges_final_report.pdf

Siminică, M., & Traistaru, A. (2013). Self-directed learning in economic education. International Journal of Education and Research, 1, 12.

Song, D., & Lee, J. (2014). Has web 2.0 revitalized informal learning? The relationship between web 2.0 and informal learning. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 30(6), 511-533.

U.S. Department of Education. (2009). Race to the top program executive summary (Rep.). Washington, DC: US Department of Education. Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/executive-summary.pdf

Zellner, A. (2015). 21st century rewards: A case study of Khan Academy and digital badges from an educational psychology perspective. Paper presented at the Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2015, Las Vegas, NV, United States. http://www.editlib.org/p/150260

Zichermann, G., & Cunningham, C. (2011). Game mechanics: Designing for engagement (part II) Gamification by design: Implementing game mechanics in web and mobile apps (pp. 55-59). Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly Media.

Done

What a journey this month has been! I can say that my literature review (at least for the purposes of IDT 8092) is done. It is far from perfect and is likely to undergo massive dissection and modification over the next year but that is to be expected. In a short five weeks I have read probably well over 100 academic journal articles about self-directed learning, open badges, adult learning, and teacher professional development. I most certainly have a clearer understanding of the existing body of literature on my topics but know that I have a long way to go before I can call myself an expert. I have gained more experience in writing in an academic voice but also have a long way to go before I would ever consider submitting anything for publication. I feel I have turned a bit of a corner when it comes to APA style. With my final draft, I only felt the need to consult the guide a couple of times. However, it will remain by my side until my defense is completed.

My favorite part of this past week was getting a chance to meet face to face with Dr. Weaver. We discussed my review and what needed to be accomplished for the final draft but, more than that, we discussed the degree program as a whole and my past year in it. I have a great advisor in Dr. Mims but I have known Dr. Weaver for much longer (we used to teach at Millington Central High School together) and I had forgotten how much I missed just bouncing ideas off of her. This class was a nightmare, yes, but she was by our side the entire time, cheering us on, keeping us on track, and even giving us a few good laughs along the way.

I do hope that, in the future, this course is not again squeezed into five weeks. Even seven weeks would have been better but a full semester would have been incredible. It was nearly impossible to reach the point of synthesis in my writing without having had the time to synthesize in my own mind everything I read. Of course, who is to say that I would have done any better in a longer class.

I do suggest, for those of you first year doc students who may be reading this (or those of you considering enter the doc program at UM), start reading and annotating now! Seriously. Even if you only have a cursory idea of possible areas of research, read everything you can get your hands on but especially peer reviewed journal articles. And, most importantly, start annotating. Even if it is just taking notes and summarizing. It will get you started and will help you tremendously later on.

It is hard to wrap my mind around the fact that, this time next summer, my cohort will be basically done with all of our coursework and we will be preparing for our comprehensive exams. Then the focus will be on the all important dissertation. Between now and then, I will continue to read and read and read although with a renewed focus and fervor.

I will continue blogging here as I continue my doctoral journey so, until next time...

Learned v. Learning

I really do like learning new things, especially things that I am interested in learning about. Knowing something new that I can put to use and share with others gives me a sense of purpose. I am also a supporter of the concept of learning through failure. Many times I have been working on a block of code or practicing a section of music and felt like I was hitting my head on a brick wall but I persisted and eventually made my way over the hump to some semblance of success.

This week I was definitely reminded of how painful learning can be. Have I learned this week? I have indeed. The process of peer reviewing was extremely helpful and I am wishing that we had done more of that prior to this point even if it had been with anonymous drafts from previous years. I think comparing a peer review we completed to one done by a professor with significantly more expertise in this area would be a valuable educational experience. We did a peer review in a previous course of the program but that was before really understanding what a literature review entailed. I'm not sure if that could be worked in to future instances of this course (probably not if it is kept as a four-week course) but I thought I would throw that idea into the mix.

I try to remember that while learning can (and probably should) be painful, the end result is worth it even if the final product is imperfect and incomplete. I shared one of my favorite videos in our Google+ community this week. I have seen it shared at many conferences but it never spoke to me like it did this past week. 

Austin's Butterfly:

My literature review has evolved from a collection of disparate thoughts to a sketch of an outline to a more developed outline supported by an incomplete annotated bibliography to being supported by a more complete annotated bibliography to an actual first draft (very, very rough and very, very incomplete) to a second draft (still rough and incomplete but with a little more clarity in structure) to the third draft in which I am currently swimming. I have gone from that initial drawing of a butterfly to one that at least resembles an actual butterfly. It's still not pretty. It's certainly not anywhere near ready for inclusion in a dissertation but it has begun and is likely to continue to evolve until I submit the dissertation for review. 
To any future UM IDT students, all I can say keep trying. It will be painful. There is no way around it. Avoid any procrastination. Start reading academic research about topics of interest NOW, even if you aren't in the program yet. You may even want to start keep some notes for a future annotated bibliography. Starting now will give you the freedom to absorb and digest the concepts and give you time to let the ideas marinate in your mind. Synthesis is so much easier and far less painful when it is allowed to proceed at natural pace rather than forcing it into a short course timetable. 
Off I go to continue writing. I am comforted by knowing by this time next week, the next draft will be completed and turned in and this course over. However, the journey continues as will this blog. I intend to continue to use this to document my journey through the program.