Develops a personal vision of inclusive educational practice
Describes the relationship between Educational Technology and the broader field of Education
Critically evaluates theory and practice
Narrative
The Tina Sears case study examined in EDCI 672 provides an example of my ability to think critically and reflectively. EDCI 672 provided an opportunity for students to look more deeply at the experience of Instructional Design professionals through the examination of case studies. Each case study delved into a situation encountered by one Instructional Designer in dealing with stakeholders, subject matter experts and colleagues as they completed a project. Our job was to examine their actions, identify the key ID issues at play in the case and examine the Instructional Designer's performance looking for tasks well-done as well as alternatives to the choices they made.
Develops a personal vision of inclusive educational practice
Tina Sears and her implementation of a laptop program in a small town school district provided an opportunity to explore the issues related to computers in the classroom and their effect or lack of effect on student performance. Part of the challenge for Tina in this case is looking at her smaller issue of evaluating a classroom laptop program in the larger context of research in the field of technology usage in the classroom and educational evaluation techniques. Instructional Design is a field that demands practitioners look at problems from many angles. This case study demonstrates my ability to bring together many threads to tie together a cohesive solution.
Describes the relationship between Educational Technology and the broader field of Education
The connection between educational technology to standardized testing, an issue in the broader field of education, is critical to understanding this case. The section of the paper entitled The Problem with Standardized Test Scores identifies some of the research findings related to technology in the classroom and test scores (Lincoln, 2016, p. 4). This information is applied in the discussion of potential solutions faced by Dr. Colm, the consultant brought in to help after Tina's evaluation methods and results fail to impress the test score obsessed donor of the laptops. My first solution, entitled Option 1: Bringing Up Mr. Cook, suggested that Dr. Colm, "could explain some of the research regarding computer usage in the classroom and small impact that computers have on standardized tests. She also could direct his attention to the research showing significant gains in computer literacy skills. (Lincoln, 2016, p. 5).
Critically evaluates theory and practice
During this case study, I also spent some time analyzing the initial evaluation program Tina Sears established to determine the results of using laptops in the classroom for her school district. The section of the paper entitled Description of Design Challenges, outlines Tina's evaluation efforts in terms of Kirkpatrick's (2006) four levels and compares these evaluation efforts to Mr. Cook's expectations (Lincoln, 2016, p. 3). This discussion demonstrates an ability to apply theory to a practical situation and evaluate the relative success of its application.
References
Kirkpatrick, D. & Kirkpatrick, J. (2006). Evaluating Training Programs: The Four Levels (3rd Edition). San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.