As my first blog is all about others blogging, I have found a wealth of information that previously I did not know existed. There are educators, corporate trainers and others who have experience in Training and Instructional Design with most times well thought out opinions based on their experience. The information is thought provoking and applicable to a new instructional designer as well as, I would think, a seasoned instructional designer who is looking to keep their mind open to continue to fine tune their craft and take of advantage of the latest technology and ideas. The biggest advantage of blogs is that people have the opportunity to ‘hear’ and be ‘heard’. It is similar to getting into a room with other like minded or like interested people and bantering while tossing around ideas to improve intellect and increase skills. After reviewing quite a number of blogs, the three blogs that I believe will help me continue to hone my instructional design knowledge and skills.
The first is The Learning Circuits Blog the ASTD’s blog spot. What drew me in was there Big Question from 2008, “Instructional Design – if- when- and how much?” I found the responses to a basic question very interesting. The responses and further insights of the original blog author wound through many things and one of the more thought provoking strings is the asserted question which I've summarized in my own words here--what makes someone more of a master at an art than the average person who seeks to create? We all can create, some creations are just simply better. Determining what is considered better is up for interpretation until there are well-defined elements that are proven to be better for what ever reason. For instance, everyone who is physically able can paint a wall. However, the Painting and Decorating Contractors of America (PDCA) defines a well painted surface as follows: “a well painted surface is defined as uniform in appearance, color, texture, hiding and sheen. It is also free of foreign material, lumps, skins, runs, sags, holidays, misses, or insufficient coverage. It is also a surface free of drips, spatters, spills or overspray caused by the Painting and Decorating Contractor’s workforce”. With this very clear definition, anyone could determine the quality level of a painted surface. The big questions and the various responses can be used to stimulate thought and provoke research such as the painting example as I continue on in my courses and career.
The second blog is Experience E-learning which looks at Instructional Design more from an educator’s perspective versus a corporate perspective at a grassroots level. Both perspectives are applicable when designing learning and each perspective can provide the other new insights. I find that I would use this blog to gain a better understanding of what are the expectations of an instructional designer or connect to a community of educators with good ideas about things like student motivation.
The third blog is Rapid E-Learning which is more corporate oriented with slick appeal as well as good information. This blog is centered on getting someone up and running in designing online learning that is appealing to the eye. I find that I can use this blog for quick hits on things like PowerPoint tips, fonts and other creative ideas to increase the appeal factor.
I consider blogging to be the every day’s person’s forum for expressing opinion, sharing experiences and knowledge. As a learning tool, I believe it could be very helpful as long as the use of the information contained within is taken with a grain of salt and further researched and verified. Blog’s are for the most part, opinions, some based on experience, others based on intuition. For the information to be applicable in a research project, it is my opinion that additional research should be done to verify or disprove the content of a blog. Still, all in all, blogging is intellectually stimulating and is a great source for ‘hearing’ and being ‘heard’.
The first is The Learning Circuits Blog the ASTD’s blog spot. What drew me in was there Big Question from 2008, “Instructional Design – if- when- and how much?” I found the responses to a basic question very interesting. The responses and further insights of the original blog author wound through many things and one of the more thought provoking strings is the asserted question which I've summarized in my own words here--what makes someone more of a master at an art than the average person who seeks to create? We all can create, some creations are just simply better. Determining what is considered better is up for interpretation until there are well-defined elements that are proven to be better for what ever reason. For instance, everyone who is physically able can paint a wall. However, the Painting and Decorating Contractors of America (PDCA) defines a well painted surface as follows: “a well painted surface is defined as uniform in appearance, color, texture, hiding and sheen. It is also free of foreign material, lumps, skins, runs, sags, holidays, misses, or insufficient coverage. It is also a surface free of drips, spatters, spills or overspray caused by the Painting and Decorating Contractor’s workforce”. With this very clear definition, anyone could determine the quality level of a painted surface. The big questions and the various responses can be used to stimulate thought and provoke research such as the painting example as I continue on in my courses and career.
The second blog is Experience E-learning which looks at Instructional Design more from an educator’s perspective versus a corporate perspective at a grassroots level. Both perspectives are applicable when designing learning and each perspective can provide the other new insights. I find that I would use this blog to gain a better understanding of what are the expectations of an instructional designer or connect to a community of educators with good ideas about things like student motivation.
The third blog is Rapid E-Learning which is more corporate oriented with slick appeal as well as good information. This blog is centered on getting someone up and running in designing online learning that is appealing to the eye. I find that I can use this blog for quick hits on things like PowerPoint tips, fonts and other creative ideas to increase the appeal factor.
I consider blogging to be the every day’s person’s forum for expressing opinion, sharing experiences and knowledge. As a learning tool, I believe it could be very helpful as long as the use of the information contained within is taken with a grain of salt and further researched and verified. Blog’s are for the most part, opinions, some based on experience, others based on intuition. For the information to be applicable in a research project, it is my opinion that additional research should be done to verify or disprove the content of a blog. Still, all in all, blogging is intellectually stimulating and is a great source for ‘hearing’ and being ‘heard’.
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