MLIS Student at USF

honest, organized, loyal, decisive, idealist. Pronouns: she/her

[lwalbolt]

Multimedia for the Web: ePortfolio

For my preparing instructional media course, I plan to take two projects I created and add them to my ePortfolio. All USF School of Information Master’s in Library and Information Science students must create an ePortfolio as the culmination assessment of their work prior to graduation. First, I plan to include my Audio Project – my “Arts In Your Library” podcast, Episode 1 – because it demonstrates my knowledge and skills in adapting appropriate information technology for information services (Goal II.c.: Systems and Services). Creating a podcast tapped into my creative side because I had free reign to tailor my podcast to anything involving the library that I wanted. I believe that the library can be a collaborator with the arts community since there is much overlap between the types of materials available at a library and the vibrant arts scene in Tampa Bay. Using technology in podcast form allowed me to build a bridge between the two.

I also plan to include both parts of my Publishing Project – my One Book One Pinellas Poster and Family Programming Guide – because they show my ability to effectively communicate with library patrons using different formats (Goal I.b.: Leadership and Innovation). The poster was designed using Adobe Spark with the intention of being printed and posted in libraries and community centers throughout the county. The Family Programming Guide was created using a Word template to be disseminated electronically to the community. By producing two different projects around a central theme, I effectively demonstrated that I can design project materials in an easily understandable manner.

[lwalbolt]

Creating the Second Episode of My Podcast - Arts In Your Library

For my Module 5 Assignment, which could pretty much be on any topic involving instructional media, I chose to create the second episode of my Arts In Your Library podcast - Going Deeper Through the Looking Glass: Your Pinellas Library as a Gateway to the American Studio Glass Movement in St. Petersburg. Going in a different direction than theatre arts, this time I wanted to join forces with the library and arts in Pinellas county using one of the museums included in the Museum Pass. The Museum Pass is amazing because it allows library patrons to visit 8 local museums for free using their library cards.

How does it work? You go to the circulation desk at your participating branch location. Bring your library card (or if you forget, your driver’s license will work). They will give you a receipt good for a specific museum for 1 visit during the next 7 days. Take that receipt to the museum and enjoy! Note – this pass does not include parking or special exhibits; just the main collection.

I selected the Imagine Museum, which is focused on American studio glass artworks since the 1960s because I have never visited there and have zero prior knowledge of studio glass, except for seeing a few Chihuly pieces over the years. I wanted a challenge for the second episode since writing and talking about Broadway was in my wheelhouse (Episode 1 of my Podcast). Writing and discussing studio glass, however, was much more difficult.

As I state in my podcast episode, I began with a general search of the Imagine Museum’s website and other web searches, including Wikipedia, to learn more about studio glass art and how contemporary the American movement was in the grand history of glass. Armed with a basic understanding, I searched keywords in the PPLC’s database, which did not provide a ton of resources. The small number I found appeared relevant, but without the library system being open (thanks, corona!) I could not double check to verify.

The low number of resources challenged me to rethink about how to order and create my podcast. Originally, I planned to talk about the Imagine Museum first and then discuss how the library can supplement what the museum offered. But I flipped that around and noted that sometimes libraries partner with community organizations like museums when their own collections are lacking and they want patrons to enjoy the arts in their community. Once I changed my way of thinking about the subject matter the writing became easy. Recording the podcast was easy because I had the same setup as I did the first time around.

I enjoyed creating this episode of my podcast, maybe not as much as my first episode, but that is okay (Broadway holds a special place in my soul so it is impossible to compare most things to that). I could see myself continuing this podcast as a librarian, but while I’m in school it would be difficult to keep up with it in a timely manner given everything else I need to accomplish right now. Maybe that is the exact reason I should continue to do it. We’ll have to see.

I’m excited to visit the Imagine Museum, using the Seminole library’s Museum Pass or on its $5 art night once the COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted and it is safe to go out in the community again. Pictures of the studio glass look amazing, and I know it will be even better in person.

[lwalbolt]

Creating Not a Vodcast, but a Streaming Video

Hey guys! First of all, I don’t like the term – vodcast. Clearly, podcasts have entered the mainstream for listeners everywhere, but vodcasts have not because my group of people had not heard of it when I brought it up. I think podcasts work because people can listen to them at work or in their car and they don’t have to be constrained to a screen when so much of our lives are laser-focused on screen time. When I think about a video podcast, I immediately think of YouTube videos. Unlike the VHS tapes of the past, these videos are instantly available to be viewed on repeat without being kind and rewinding. Since I have determined that “vodcast” is not a word people use, I am henceforth removing its title from my streaming video.

To come up with a subject for my video, I browsed the Pinellas Public Library Cooperative’s (PPLC) website for information that was new to me, or at the very least things community members may not know the library does. I compiled a list of 5 items ranging from online content to music options to museum passes. I chose Pinellas because I live here. The short list created itself and was not difficult to make.

Since life has taken a turn for the unknown with COVID-19 bearing down on this country, life has gotten unpredictable in every way. I recorded my video to complete the assignment, but am not exactly happy how it turned out. I had a plan to make it more fun with creative transitions between each of the five items, but it ended up being completely factual. Given the fact that I have to now teach my 2 kids on top of all my other responsibilities, a basic video commercial talking about 5 things your library has that you may not know about completed the assignment in an acceptable way. The other half of this assignment – my podcast – turned out awesome so I think that more than makes up for this part.

[lwalbolt]

Creating My First Podcast - “Arts In Your Library”

For my Module 3 assignment I had to create a podcast and a vodcast. Originally, my podcast idea involved looking into the psychological aspects of child development to determine whether Broadway shows are age appropriate for children. Before I even got started on that I realized I would be swimming upstream in terms of research so I altered my topic to one much more manageable – Beyond Disney Musicals: A Family Guide to Broadway in Tampa Bay and at Your Library.

Once I settled on my topic I began searching for websites or blogs that already include this kind of information. I follow several theatre websites so I had a good idea of which ones would be helpful and accurate. I found Broadway World and Playbill to be the most helpful. They had lists of currently running shows in New York and age guidelines. I also located a couple of newspaper articles that had good quotes about child development and kids’ abilities to comprehend more complicated issues. Next, I reviewed the list of shows touring at the Straz Center in Tampa to serve as a baseline for parents. I know other, smaller productions will be happening in Tampa Bay next year, but did not have time to locate all of them. Once I had that list, I went through each show and checked to see if Broadway World or Playbill had age guidelines, and if not, whether anyone online had reviewed the show.

To tie it in with the library, I utilized the Pinellas Public Library Cooperative website and its catalog to discern what types of materials the 14-member libraries carry. Nothing earth-shattering was found here, but the PPLC has a good collection of cast recordings, movies, and a variety of books.

Writing the script for my podcast was the easiest part for me, once I figured out how to begin the whole thing. I listened to a few podcast intros to get a feel for it, and based my introduction on them. I stated the name of my podcast and episode number, plus the title of the specific podcast, welcomed my listeners and identified myself. Since it was my first podcast, I described my interests in theatre and in libraries, and then got into the meat of it.

I did a good job of finding my voice in the podcast script, and feel like it translates well to the actual podcast. I utilized my life experiences as a parent, fanatical theatre-goer, and advocate for all things library throughout the script. I think it really demonstrates my interests as well as strengths in creating audio media.

My husband is a musician so he offered to create some intro/outro music for my podcast and I think it fits with the specific episode as well as my podcast program, if I were to continue making more podcasts. It sounds like an orchestra warming up before a show, and it flows right into the podcast.

Recording the podcast was easy since I have a microphone already set up and connected via Wi-Fi to my iPad. It provided excellent sound quality, which was also able to be edited to cut out extraneous noises and enrich the sound of my voice. I found that I really liked all aspects of creating my almost 9-minute podcast – researching the topic, writing the script, and performing/reading what I wrote. I especially liked not being filmed; I definitely feel more comfortable talking without my image being shown. I may actually continue my podcast beyond this class assignment because I feel passionate about the Arts and Libraries and want to help others know more about them, specifically in the Tampa Bay Area. So please stay tuned to possibly more Arts In Your Library podcasts. 

[lwalbolt]

Thing 1 – One Book One Pinellas Family Programming Guide

Before I began work on either Thing 1 or Thing 2, I did background research on what a One Book program would look possibly look like. I reviewed several libraries’ programs, but really focused my research on two – Sarasota County and the Free Library of Philadelphia. I chose Sarasota because it is geographically proximate to Pinellas and Philadelphia because it is in its 18th year of program and they had tons of materials available to view.

I drafted a general statement about the One Book concept and a few notes that would be special if one was created in Pinellas using The Hate U Give as its book selection. The following language is some of the information I created, but ultimately did not use:

For its inaugural season, the Pinellas County Library Cooperative will be kicking off its One Book One Pinellas program on January 26, 2021, with Author Angie Thomas speaking about her book The Hate U Give at three special events at St. Petersburg’s Main Library, Clearwater’s Main Library, and Clearwater’s Countryside Branch.

The official reading period begins October 2020, with free programs and events starting in January. The Hate U Give follows 16-year-old Starr Carter as she splits time between two worlds: her wealthy preparatory school and her poor, Black neighborhood in the city. She witnesses the shooting of a childhood best friend by a police officer, which causes her worlds to collide with school friends feeling and acting in various ways about the shooting and her family and neighborhood reacting in other ways. Issues associated with shootings of this nature are realistically and honestly portrayed with heart, including racism, protests, and violence.

This acclaimed novel has several honors, including the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, Coretta Scott King Award (Author), Edgar Allen Poe Award Nominee (Mystery Writers of America), Michael L. Printz Honor Book, National Book Award Longlist, William C. Morris Award and is a #1 New York Times Bestseller.

“With smooth but powerful prose delivered in Starr’s natural, emphatic voice, finely nuanced characters, and intricate and realistic relationship dynamics, this novel will have readers rooting for Starr and opening their hearts to her friends and family. This story is necessary. This story is important.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

ALA BOOKLIST (starred review) states that The Hate U Give is “An inarguably important book that demands the widest possible readership.” Let’s add to the growing number of people who have read this book and join the conversation.

The Christian Science Monitor states, “If The Hate U Give makes you uncomfortable, that’s because it should.” As individuals part of a greater society, we have to be willing to make choices that are inconvenient and uncomfortable for ourselves to make the world a better place.

This drafting helped me get a feel for my rationale in choosing the book and the type of programming I would design based on it. I knew I did not want to design a general flyer, however. Instead, I focused my creativity on what programming would look like for families with kids younger than eighth grade, which is the suggested minimum reading level. I carefully selected two books that pair well with The Hate U Give - Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness by Anastasia Higginbotham for older elementary and middle school readers and The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Rafael López for younger elementary readers. I think both books allow for a beginning understanding of themes of racism and making space for people who are like you and different from you.

Once I selected those two books, creating programming categories became easy. I decided on six to showcase in a family guide: community dinners, museum visits, neighborhood walking tours, storytimes, workshops, and movies. I picked a range of events from large community collaborative gatherings to smaller, branch library activities. My ideas were generated using Philadelphia’s programming as a starting point and then recognizing Pinellas’ strengths and incorporating them into my project.

After planning, I decided to create my guide using Microsoft Word’s Brochure Template. I kept the same colors for text and background as my poster so patrons would know these were part of the same program series. On page 1, I introduced One Book, provided its accompanying website address (fictional), and drafted a couple of introductory paragraphs for its Family Programs and Event Guide. This involved a general description of all three books in the program, pictures of their book covers, and intended audiences for the books.

I broke down the six programming categories into two groups for ease of use – featured family events and community family events. If this was a real program, I would have hyperlinked the events to their respective libraries and likely included date and location information for each event. For the workshop activities, I tried to think about what kids would like to do that was grounded in The Hate U Give; I especially liked Philadelphia’s Community Flag Making Workshop idea so I adopted it. I searched for family movies with authentic portrayals of racism and included some those titles.

Because of my interest in creating a program such as this, finding pertinent information to use and writing about it was not difficult. Locating pictures allowed by being in the public domain or using a creative commons license was hard. The generic pictures for community dinner, storytimes, workshops, and movies were found via Flickr’s creative commons search. The museum events and neighborhood walking tour pictures were from the Florida Holocaust Museum and St. Petersburg promotional materials. If they were to be used in library materials all six photos would need to be attributed to their photographers and the professional ones would need to be officially vetted. The use of the book covers in the Guide would require pre-authorization by the publishers, authors, and illustrators, which the PPLC would obtain before creating a program such as this. I would also think that the PPLC would hire a professional photographer to take pictures or they would have their own cache of photographs to use in a countywide program.

This was the first project for this course that I truly enjoyed designing and creating. I think that when libraries partner with community organizations they allow their patrons to process difficult themes like racism on a deeper level which in turn allows them (us) to better understand their (our) neighbors. This building connections form of accompaniment is something I would like to bring to my job once I am employed as a librarian.

[lwalbolt]

My Thing 2 Assignment - Create a print piece for use in a library using desktop publishing software. 

[lwalbolt]

Thing 2 – One Book One Pinellas Poster

I made a thing. Starting with the second part of the assignment because it seemed more general than the first, I used Adobe Spark to create a poster showcasing my hypothetical One Book One Pinellas kickoff event for The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. Since the Pinellas County Library Cooperative (PPLC) does not currently participate in any such event I felt free to create as I saw fit.

I knew I wanted my poster to contain basic information while being attention-getting. I used cover art from the book, erasing all award stickers attached to the cover so I would have space to write textual information. I would not normally use copyrighted cover art to do a project; however, if this were a real event the publisher, author, and illustrator would have already signed off on its use as formally requested by the library cooperative.

Next, I copied the PPLC logo (again, it is probably trademarked but they would be free to use it in their materials if this were an actual event so I used it) to add it to the draft. Utilizing the Free Library of Philadelphia’s website and its One Book information, I decided to include three informational sections. First, I wrote the name of the program and year in all capital bold text and moved the box to the bottom of the page. I used black and grey lettering since those colors were already in the book cover’s art. I wanted to include red somewhere in the text to match her hair ribbon, but could not find a place where I liked it well enough to add it. If this were a major program for all the libraries in Pinellas, I would assume that a professional would design a logo to use for its One Book program year after year, but since I am most certainly not a graphic designer I did my best.

The other two parts of information included an entirely fictional website address, which I inserted under the logo, and the program and event kickoff date. I tried pretty much every textual template to find one I liked for the kickoff information, and still am unsatisfied with how it turned out because it looks blocky and weird to me. I wanted the box around it since the sign on the cover is also a rectangle, but it still does not look exactly right. It contains the necessary information in a semi-interesting manner, however, so I am letting it be as it currently stands. I left enough white space so it won’t seem crowded to the eye. Overall, I think the poster looks good, although not professional, and I wish Pinellas would try a program like this to unite the community.

[lwalbolt]

General Desktop Publishing Notes Before My Assignment Creation

So I’m tabling Module 3 and skipping ahead to Module 4 because it is due earlier in March and I don’t want to be rushed with the assignments. The task for Module 4 is to create a series of electronic and print materials using desktop publishing software. On its face, that doesn’t seem terribly difficult but based on prior experience I know it will take me longer to accomplish than it should according to me.

My idea is to create an online flyer and a print poster announcing various aspects of a fictional (to my area) program – “One Book, One Community” – because Pinellas County currently does not have a program like this. I have lived in other parts of the country that participate in this kind of program, and it was awesome knowing that so many of my neighbors were all reading the same book and participating in activities supporting it. This was especially evident when I lived in Philadelphia and saw commuters reading Persepolisby Marjane Satrapi on the trains and buses; it creates a stronger community when people engage in life and books together.

I really want to skip ahead and pick a book and jump into designing my materials, but know that preparation at the beginning will lead to a better product at the end so I began by perusing the websites recommended by my professor for helpful hints. “How to Design an Awesome Flyer (Even if You’re Not a Designer)” by Joshua Johnson walked me through step by step through the process. First, I need to plan my project; I’m off to a great start because I knew I shouldn’t begin work without planning! I will work on collecting my pertinent information and then dive into Steps 1 through 5 ((1) find and combine images; (2) fill in the bottom; (3) add a headline; (4) who, where, and when; and (5) add the paragraphs) as described in the article. I’ll share more about the practicalities involved in applying these 5 steps in my next post. I also know to keep in mind text alignment and style, and the use of bold but appealing colors. All of this can extend to creating a print poster for the second part of this assignment.

I am now off to research book selection as well as how other libraries have handled promoting their “One Book, One Community” programs to get ideas for how I would like my assignments to look.

[lwalbolt]

Module 2 - Presentation Software Assignment

I began work on my presentation assignment by creating my instructional design plan. This allowed me to focus on what the problem and anticipated outcome would be for my PowerPoint presentation. The problem stated that the public library’s homemade marble run design-competition program needed general instructional guidance before families create their marble runs. The outcome predicted that after viewing the PowerPoint presentation, patrons will gain understanding and creative ideas to design, construct, and use a homemade marble run. It allowed me to think about who would be watching the presentation (family patrons and teen volunteers) as well as the stakeholders (library staff, family patrons, and teen volunteers) and how they would access it. It also forced me to think about assessment to discern whether the presentation was an effective method of introducing the topic of homemade marble runs (even though I did not have to create assessments). After creating an instructional design plan for a previous assignment, this portion was easy and allowed me to work quickly.

Next, I began outlining my notes that I gathered from my own knowledge of marble runs and general internet searches. My kids are obsessed with building marble runs from sets; we own two different kinds so this served as the catalyst for creating my presentation. I wanted to introduce the concept of homemade marble runs in competition form using pictures and video, and figured PowerPoint could be an effective way to transmit this information. I used keyword searching in Google and located two helpful articles that guided me through my outline. One was a guest post on The Show Me Librarianblog (https://showmelibrarian.blogspot.com/2013/04/guest-post-marble-run-mania-steam.html) called “Marble-Run Mania, a STEAM Program, by Miss Melanie,” and it described how the design and building process went for a marble-run event. The other article, “Amazing Marble Run Mazes” found in the School Library Journal(https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=amazing-marble-run-mazes-programming-cookbook) also laid out a step by step process of how to create and hold a marble run program. Although I did not create a program, these articles gave me ideas for information to include in my introductory presentation.

Further, I located the creative commons tab on Flickr and searched for “marble runs” and “homemade marble runs” pictures to include in my presentation. This became time consuming because not all the pictures included marbles or mazes and I had to pick and choose which ones I thought would be most helpful. I also searched YouTube for a couple of short demonstrative videos of what homemade marble runs could look like.

Doing research comes easy to me; I feel like I am good at choosing keywords that lead to productive searches, which allows me to understand the materials I am working with on a project. The time-consuming portion (i.e. stressful) of this assignment occurred with actually creating my PowerPoint presentation. Originally, I planned to use Apple Keynote but since I had never before used the platform it quickly became overwhelming and I decided to do a tutorial to learn more about it at a later date. I switched to PowerPoint and had much more success, although I have only used the program a handful of times. As an attorney, I never had to create PowerPoint presentations when I led meetings; I just used my notes.

When I started to feel overwhelmed I reminded myself to keep it simple. I did not have to create the best PowerPoint presentation in existence; I only had to make one that provided instruction in an interesting manner. I feel like I succeed in both categories. I introduced the concept of marble runs for people who may not be aware about them and then segued into how they differ from homemade marble runs. I shared two videos that demonstrated how they can work, and included lots of photograph examples. I described the items available for the teams’ builds, gave the parameters of the competition, explained the awards ceremony, and told the teams who they could ask for assistance (the teen volunteers). The complete content of the presentation made it easy for the teens to give the presentation by simply clicking through the PowerPoint.

I had a couple of troubleshooting moments with the more technical aspects of PowerPoint. First, since the YouTube videos were being streamed directly from the internet they occasionally had to be refreshed in order to work. This could panic a teen who was responsible for giving the presentation so I included a link that would pop out of the PowerPoint to YouTube directly to share the video. The other issue occurred with recording my voice and inserting the Audio onto each slide. The record feature did not work on my laptop despite multiple tries so I used my iPhone’s voice memo app to record and then save the files in my cloud drive. Then, I inserted the audio into each slide and made sure it worked. The slides that had the YouTube videos would not allow me to move the audio box, but when viewing in presentation mode it allowed me to play the audio anyway so I took their lack of visibility as a non-issue and moved on. These technical problems took much longer than a professional doing a PowerPoint presentation, but it was a good learning experience that will improve each time I use the software.

[lwalbolt]

Design Tips for Working with Microsoft PowerPoint or Apple Keynote by a Non-Expert

Having only minimally worked with PowerPoint (and never Keynote) to date, the best tip I have seen is to keep it simple. First, I should create an outline of what I am trying to accomplish in my presentation and then create a slide for each point. If I try to start with bulleted points and then get more general, I could lose sight of what I am attempting to communicate with students. This sounds simple in theory, but in reality it feels overwhelming to start from such a broad place.

After reading about chunking information in a logical and progressive manner for greater gains in eLearning, I know I need to keep concepts together. The Learning Coach provides 4 steps to chunk information and improve memory:

1.    Start at the highest level. How will modules/lessons be ordered? Separate large chunks of content and begin there.

2.    Divide modules into lessons and topics using smaller chunks of information.

3.    Create chunks at the PowerPoint/Keynote slide level so each slide provides information regarding one concept. What will my one concept be?

4.    Finally, think about working memory (the brain can best retain 4 items of information at any one time) during the whole process. Streamline and get rid of anything extra.

These steps reinforce my first paragraph of thoughts and require me to think about the big picture first before grouping ideas together to form a presentation.

Further, cutesy clip art is not my preference. Is it really what students want as a learning tool or is it just a distraction from the learning to keep students looking at a screen for extended periods of time? To me, it seems to be the latter and I do not want to engage in that kind of learning. I guess I need to do research to see if anyone has studied this and discerned it has helped learning outcomes, but I do not actually want to.

Clean, streamlined slides are my preference, even if the audience is children and teenagers. I think using a color palette of strong solids can emphasize knowledge better than a poorly done clip art design. I plan to try Piknik to get a feel for what colors work well together. I also plan to look at Flickr’s creative commons images to find high-quality pictures to use in my slides. I think I have a very basic plan for my Presentation Media Software assignment, and now have to outline my content before creating my presentation.

[lwalbolt]

Module 1 Assignment - Intro to Instructional Design

I found Part A of this assignment to be straightforward. Pick an article, read it, and summarize my impressions. I selected Zhang’s 2006 article, “Effectively Incorporating Instructional Media into Web-Based Information Literacy,” because it appealed to my interest in academic libraries and instruction. I commented on the article’s timeliness; much has changed in the instructional world in the fourteen years since its publication. However, I still found pertinent and helpful information like incorporating technology into multiple aspects of a course while at the same time using that technology to encourage deeper thinking. The article further stated that collaboration was key to reinforcing learning.

Being part of a strictly online graduate program, this article helped me understand why my professors stress the need for collaboration more than I feel comfortable with. Learning outcomes are more thoroughly embedded when working through assignments with others, and as librarians we will frequently be on teams to provide services to our communities. Reflecting back on courses I have previously taken, I can see how they could have incorporated technology in a more accessible way so I could have learned the coursework in a more engaging manner. If I am ever an instructor I will keep these ideas in mind when designing the syllabus and assignments.

I had difficulty creating an instructional problem in Part B because I am not a teacher. I am a parent, and I have been a summer camp counselor as well as a teaching assistant, but I never had to create lesson plans or the like so I did not know where to begin. It was hard to be in that place because I can usually generate a roadmap for a project even if I do not understand all aspects of it. After some reflection, however, I remembered a SPC librarian’s comments about the disconnect between the library and students and her idea to work with first year composition courses to teach research skills. She had problems with teacher and administration buy-in so did not actually obtain the outcome I discerned, but the idea allowed me to play with how I could create an instructional design to incorporate into these classes. I think I made a good start, but still have miles to go before I am confident creating an instructional plan.

[lwalbolt]

Similarities (and a Couple of Differences) in Learning Design and Development

Since the four models (ADDIE, ARCS, Kemp, and Dick and Carey) were on separate parts of this website – http://www.instructionaldesign.org/models/- I first retyped the pertinent information below for easy comparison.

The ADDIE model consists of five steps, each with an outcome that leads into the next step: (1) analysis, (2) design, (3) development, (4) implementation, and (5) evaluation.

The ARCS model focuses on the motivational aspects of a learning environment and consists of two parts: (1) the set of 4 components of motivation – arousing interest, creating relevance, developing an expectancy of success, and producing satisfaction through intrinsic/extrinsic rewards and (2) the process of creating motivational elements for intended learners.

The Kemp Design model contains nine steps:

1.    Identify instructional problems, and specify design goals for an instructional problem (most important step – what is the problem?)

2.    Examine learner characteristics (second important step b/c it provides limits to a design) to receive attention during planning

3.    Identify subject content, and analyze task components related to stated goals and purposes

4.    State instructional objectives for the learner

5.    Sequence content within each instructional unit for logical learning

6.    Design instructional strategies so each learner can master the objectives

7.    Plan the instructional message and delivery

8.    Develop evaluation instruments to assess objectives

9.    Select resources to support instruction and learning activities

The Dick and Carey model has five steps: (1) identify instructional goals; (2) conduct instructional analysis + identify entry behaviors and learner characteristics; (3) write performance objectives, develop criterion referenced tests, develop instructional strategy, develop and select instructional material; (4) develop and conduct informative evaluation + develop and conduct summative evaluation; and (5) revise instruction.

Upon review of the four models, it appears that all provide for an analysis-type phase clarifying the background for an instructional design problem. It generates a roadmap for how the researchers noticed the problem and why they chose to create instructional methods to address it. Further, the problem is clearly defined with goals and objectives to address the population being examined in their learning environment. Proper identification of these main points will lead to a better overall design. The models also allow for development of measurable elements to target learning behaviors, although they delineate this in various ways. A couple of differences include no evaluation step in the ARCS model, which seems like a mistake because how will an instructor know whether the learner is understanding the materials, and no revision step in the ADDIE or Kemp models, which is problematic because if new learning content is noted but not included during the design or development stages, then the instructional design process will be incomplete.

This synthesis was helpful to my understanding of the instructional design process because I have never heard of these models and have little experience in creating instructional work. Based on my cursory review, I think each model has merit in a specific context. I am not sure exactly which one I think generally works best. I really like how the ADDIE and Kemp models begin with stating the problem then launching into an analysis of it, but I also like how the Dick and Carey model concludes with a separate revision step which allows for continuous examination of the instructional design problem.