Discussion Question

Discussion Question 1:
This module introduces instructional models which may be unfamiliar to you. Have you
had any experience with these approaches in the classroom or in another setting? Explain
your experiences, and discuss how understanding and being able to apply models and
methods of instructional delivery which facilitate effective teaching and learning will help
you in your current and/or future career.

I first heard about a Flipped Classroom model from a friend who was teaching a struggling high
school math class.  He started recording himself teaching all of the lessons and then making them
available for his students online.  He found that students, who are often glued to technology
anyway, were very receptive to the online instruction.  With all instruction online, the time they
spent in the classroom could be used for individualized instruction or coaching with the topic
instead of a lecture.  It is an intriguing model, but I never thought that I could pull it off with my
group of students.  Then the pandemic hit.
When our school closed in March we were all scrambling for a way to deliver instruction for the
last two months of school and make the instruction personalized enough to meet the needs of a
group of students forced into an unexpected situation.  I thought back to my friend’s Flipped
Classroom and started recording all of my lessons and then posting them on Edpuzzle, a platform
that allows you to post questions along with videos in order to gauge student understanding.
Without the availability of in-person learning, I had to use a combination of formats to monitor
how students grasped the concept.  For my group of students, the results were mixed.  Some
students embraced the video lesson format, even rewatching the videos to go over parts they
didn’t understand, while other students skipped the videos and worked only on the practice
activities after each lesson, with only some success.  Studies have shown that a student’s learning
style is significantly related to how they participate in online activities (Cheng & Chau, 2016).  I
think that my online lessons saw mixed results because they didn’t take into account all types of
learners.  Moving forward into a new year, where we will be starting remote and then
transitioning into a hybrid model, I am planning on using a blended model again but with more
of a focus on providing opportunities for all types of learners.  ( Per)
2.
I have had experience with microlearning. Microlearning is the idea of delivering content to
students in sections (Hoffman, 2015). This is a strategy that I tried as a math teacher with a
struggling group of 8 th graders. The class was mostly boys and they could not focus on an entire
lesson. My instructional coach and I decided to break the lesson into 10-minute increments. I
would put a timer on the board and teach a specific concept for 4 minutes then give the students
6 minutes to solve the 2-3 similar problems. I had students connect each concept as we
progressed. This method worked for this specific group. We made some minor adjustments to the
method. We created stations that the students would rotate through. I put the students in groups
and had one computer at each table. I pre-recorded videos of how to solve problems and had
students rotate to the next table every 10 minutes. This method was more successful because the
students were able to get up and move around.

I believe my desire to see these students succeed and my willingness to be flexible were key in
having success with those students. In our current climate, flexibility is key to being successful.
In March educators were scrambling to figure out how to reach students. Some students
responded well, and others did not. The students who did not respond were the ones who needed
the support the most. The school I worked at had minimal expectations. We were to make slides
teaching a concept and give students 10 to 15 minutes of classwork to do. The school was
divided: highly gifted and talented students and traditional students. The highly gifted and
talented students had 100% attendance. The traditional track students had 30% attendance. I did
live lessons and recorded the lessons. Many of our traditional tract students had younger siblings
or cousins that they had to help. My thought was that they would be able to view the lessons later
in the day. Some of the traditional tract students did watch the lesson and do the work. I was the
only one in the school who did this. Though I did not reach all my students, I did the best I know
at the time to reach them. Over the summer I did some research and online classes to help me be
better prepared for the upcoming school year. I think I want to try the flipped classroom. I want
the time I spend with my students to count. ( Jamila)
3.
I left the classroom mid 2010 to stay home with my first child. I always knew I’d go back one
day, however, I never could have guessed just how much the world of education would have
changed in 10 years. There have been times during this master’s program that I have felt as
though I never took an education course previously. The innovations and shifts in mindset are
quite inspiring.
I do not have any experience with these “new to me” pedagogies, but I do feel that I have a lot to
bring to the table with my experience as a mom watching my children learn to learn from day
one. As educators, we spend as much time, and in some cases more, with our student’s as their
own parents/guardians do on a daily basis. The importance of being able to learn about student’s
interests, learning styles, etc., quickly helps us to personalize their learning, increasing their
ability to transfer understanding. I was intrigued by this completely new idea of blended
learning, more specifically implementing a flipped classroom, early on this program and have
chosen to focus on this method with most of my work. Additionally, I believe the principles of
Universal Design for Learning (CAST, 2018) drove my desire to explore the ideology of a
flipped classroom in more depth.
When I head back into the classroom next year, whatever that may look like (thanks COVID), I
will be teaching students who have likely already grown to thrive in a blended learning
environment over the years. Even if I am their first formal experience with blended learning,
they likely have a high level of familiarity with the method. In addition to enjoying reading
books, making art, playing outside, etc., young children, typically know how to easily use an
educational better than their own parents do! The ability for learners to get information that
interests them, on their own time, and in a format they prefer, is absolutely amazing. This is such
a huge benefit for teachers when tackling personalized learning can seem overwhelming at times.
Methods like blended learning, a flipped classroom, etc., help encourage more inductive
instruction, which we know truly helps learners reach mastery of content. ( Katherina)

Discussion Question 2
In this module, you learned that it is important for adults to know why they are learning
something and how it can apply to their lives. You also explored the meaning of
instructional design and explored some readings on ID ( Instructional Design). What are
your ideas for making learning in the workplace relevant to adult learners and how do you
see instructional design fitting into the context of your work?
1.
Having participated in workplace learning during my career I have experienced many training
sessions intended to deliver informative and industry specific content. My most memorable
training sessions provided structured, applicable instruction. Various examples include emotional
intelligence, public speaking and workplace professionalism. Many of these training sessions
were purposeful even though the material was not devoted to one industry. Feeney (2014)
promotes learning opportunities beyond one working group as well as continuous learning
incorporated into workplace practices with active participation found to improve overall learning
quality. My own experience substantiates these findings. I have enjoyed learning in group
settings, such as the entire group of learners divided into small groups while often rotating
stations. I have found rotating through groups provides fresh perspectives while allowing
learners to tap into the entire pool of learners in a more intimate setting. Workplace learning
outside one industry has always piqued my interest based on the opportunity to learn something
new and potential skills transferable to human interaction beyond the office.
Thompson-Sellers and Calandra (2012) discovered instructional designers from five different
work environments felt more prepared delivering content to students after completing a formal
instructional preparation process such as the ADDIE instructional design model. My industry
should align with ADDIE instructional design based on the methodical process of insurance. My
own experience with different insurance companies revealed a relatively consistent process
within the industry. Insurance companies will consult with their company actuary or product
development team as their first step. This process provides critical analysis in terms of viability.
If the analysis is favorable, companies move to design, develop and implement. Like
instructional design, insurance companies follow systematic procedures with the first step
impacting the entire process. ( Brett)