Blog posts

Blog Posts

  • Descriptive Audio
    Listening to descriptive audio while listening to TV shows has improved how I write image alt text for educational resources. Descriptive audio has taught me that it’s not necessary to detail every part of a visual. Instead, it’s more impactful to focus on elements that support the narrative. Often, alt text can become too literal, which may lead to cognitive overload. By concentrating on relevant details, the descriptions help learners grasp the essential aspects of an image.
  • ChatGPT and Interviewing Learner Personas
    Do you think ChatGPT is a useful tool during the analysis phase of instructional design? How would you use it? #chatgpt #ai #edtech #instructionaldesign
  • Playing with ChatGPT
    I asked ChatGPT to write me a blog post about teaching instructional design. It clearly writes blog posts that are intended to be advertisement type material. Here is the post that it wrote: The Importance of Teaching Instructional Design: Preparing Students for a Career in E-Learning and Educational Technology Instructional design… Read more: Playing with ChatGPT
  • Integrating WordPress, H5P, and xAPI
    Edited to update the JavaScript code to account for both authenticated and unauthenticated browsers. This post explains how I integrated my H5P eLearning modules hosted on WordPress with xAPI and the Veracity Learning Record Store (LRS). Before integrating, you will need the following: Create a new page or post in WordPress.… Read more: Integrating WordPress, H5P, and xAPI
  • A Lecturer who doesn’t lecture!
    This is an update and report of a blogpost I wrote in September 2019 called I don’t Lecture – I use VoiceThread. I’m a Lecturer – that is my official title, and yet I don’t lecture. The closest thing I do to a lecture is create VoiceThread slides that provide an… Read more: A Lecturer who doesn’t lecture!
  • MYFest – What I’m doing this summer #myfest22
    I have been craving a reason to reconnect with my friends in the Open Education / Critical Theory space, so when Maha Bali suggested that we create our own kind of emergent professional development – something that is online but not all at once, and that feeds you intellectually and emotionally… Read more: MYFest – What I’m doing this summer #myfest22
  • No time for analysis? Ask questions
    The conversation goes like this: Manager: I need you to build training for this Instructional Designer: I need to do an analysis in order to build efficient and effective training Manager: There is no time, we need it now Manager: I need you to build training for this Instructional Designer: I need to do an analysis in order to build efficient and effective training Manager : There is no time, we need it now
  • Looking at Learning Through Different Lenses
    This post is based upon a couple of blog posts I wrote about Learning Theories on my original blog. What is funny about this, is that until I searched my blog, I had not realized that I had the same ah-ha moment back in 2007 and then again in 2011! This… Read more: Looking at Learning Through Different Lenses
  • Learning to love peer reviews
    When I started teaching instructional design, I hesitated adding peer reviews into my course. However, when I did add them, my students often commented about how they were one of the most valuable parts of the course – both the act of giving a review and receiving one. My scientific brain… Read more: Learning to love peer reviews
  • How do you describe instructional design?
    One of the questions I asked in season 1 is, how do you describe what you do? I’ve collected the responses from season 1 and the first episode of season 2. The way I’ve described what instructional design to neighbors is that it’s really working with a subject matter expert or… Read more: How do you describe instructional design?
  • I dream of a world where …
    Lately I’ve been working on vision and mission statements for Treehouse Village Ecohousing, which as got me thinking about what my vision and mission would be for Demystifying Instructional Design. I’m drawing from the book Many Voices One Song: Shared power with Sociocracy by Ted Rau and Jerry Koch-Gonzalez. In the… Read more: I dream of a world where …
  • Process for producing my podcast
    Over the first eight episodes of my podcast, I’ve made my editing process more efficient – however, I know there are still some things that can be done to improve it. I would love some suggestions on ways in which to make this process more efficient. The tools I used in… Read more: Process for producing my podcast
  • Web programming for instructional designers
    One of the bits of advice regarding creating instructional design portfolios is to describe the problem you are trying to solve, your solution, but also your thought process in coming up with that solution. Stay tuned for Episode 7 of Demystifying Instructional Design where Arthur Harrington talks a little bit about… Read more: Web programming for instructional designers
  • Five tips for online instruction efficiency
    I’ve been teaching online for quite some time now – well before Covid. I teach a course on how to teach and design online courses. In the realm of online learning, a lot of research and practice is focused on how to create a better student experience. Very little is written… Read more: Five tips for online instruction efficiency
  • Preparing online teams for success
    I’ve been asked to talk a little more about how I help prepare teams for success in my online courses. Fortunately, I’m not the only one writing about this. A recent article in Inside Higher Ed by Zahir Latheef (January 13, 2021) Avoiding the Groans, Sighs, and Eye Rolls provides some tips on… Read more: Preparing online teams for success
  • What can online group work learn from sociocracy?
    I’ve been taking a course on Sociocracy – Sociocracy Empowered Learning Circles by Sociocracy For All – Sociocracy is an interesting way of governing an organization. It is sometimes also called Dynamic Governance. Why would I be taking a course on sociocracy? I recently joined an organization that uses sociocracy as… Read more: What can online group work learn from sociocracy?
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