Week 2 Blog...

This week's learning focused on the different design models that are at the disposal of the designer. My focus was on the Instructional Design for Online Learning (IDOL) which is a framework of 24 "dimensions" of pedagogy that the course creator should consider when designing. These dimensions encourage the designer to consider different aspects of the online learning experience, such as the role of the instructor as a facilitator or as a tech support, or of the amount of interactivity a course has.  In the IDOL paper that Siragusa wrote in 2005, he said that these dimensions were subject to change as technology change, but the ideal of raising these dimensions to consider when creating a course should develop a stronger course.

My classmates studied other interesting models as well, including the ARCS model and action mapping. I think these models both are very useful and effective because they emphasize the learner and their activity in the process. As a new instructional designer, these models are important for me to remember when I am developing something, to frame what I am trying to do and hopefully prevent me from getting too focused on the nuts and bolts of design and forgetting what the point of the e-learning/training even is.