New Blog Post Featured on E-Learning Industry Site

E-Learning Industry Site

I thought I would share that I was recently featured on the up and coming e-learning site E-Learning Industry. They published a short article that I wrote for them entitled Tell, Show, Do, Apply: The Anatomy of Good Instruction.

Macro, Micro, and Finishing Principles of Instruction

I have been thinking about the principles I use when designing instruction. I believe that there are three major categories that can and should be used to create effective, efficient, engaging instruction. These are:

1. Macro Principles - these are the principles that frame the structure and sequencing of the instruction. I typically use Merrill's First Principles of Instruction as my macro principles when designing courses or elearning.
2. Micro Principles - these are the principles that enhance the effectiveness and delivery of the macro principles. They can include principles of message design or multimedia principles and ultimately make the macro principles more effective. 
3. Finishing Principles - these are the principles that make the learning experience smoother and more enjoyable. For example, they might include visual design and usability design. These principles make for a more pleasing learning experience.

House Analogy
I might compare these principles to the construction of a house. (This analogy probably doesn't hold up perfectly, but hopefully it illustrates the point). The Macro Principles are the structure of the house - they provide the foundation and the framework and ensure that the house is built in a way that will function effectively. The Micro Principles make the house functional and include those features that make the home inhabitable. The Finishing Principles make the home pleasing to live in.

	Macro principles	Micro principles	Finishing Principles
Instructional Design	First Principles of Instruction	Message design Multimedia principles	Visual design Usability design
House Analogy	Foundation, framework,	Plumbing, wiring, walls, doors, windows	Finish work, paint, decoration

The interesting thing is that a good instructional designer often has each of these kinds of principles in mind simultaneously throughout the design process. The macro principles might be the first thing that are made explicit, but for an effective product to be realized, the designer sees the whole picture, the complete house, from the beginning.

What do you think? Does this approach match how you design instruction? Or do you use a different strategy?

Boston, Chapstick, and the Power of Creativity

Creativity is, I believe, one of the most powerful forces in our society today. It can be used to do so many things - to make money, to invent new things, and solve problems. The other week I had a great experience with creativity as I was visiting my brother J Clark Gardner and his lovely wife Lindsay, in Boston, MA. Clark and I generally goofed around, played video games, created a music video, and enjoyed the sites in Boston and the surrounding areas. But as we walked around in the bitter New England cold, I began to develop some extremely uncomfortable chapped lips. It was surprising how my lip pain really distracted from having a great time.

But one thing that I didn't realize was that a few weeks earlier, Lindsay had been experimenting with creating her own chapstick, and after a day of freezing my lips off, she simply gave me one of her creations. The cool, moist salve instantly eased my discomfort and eased my pain and made the weekend visit that much more enjoyable.

Just like Lindsay's creativity relieved my own level of pain and discomfort, I believe that our creativity can be used to bring comfort and good to the people around us. Lindsay made that chapstick because she loves to create, and isn't this how we should use our own powers of creativity? To provide good to the people around us? To provide comfort? To relieve pain so that life can be lived more fully?

To Reach Your Goals, Avoid Distractions

If you don't decide what to do with your life, someone else will decide for you. 

Whether we know it or not, we all have goals, in life. Goals give us direction, focus, and something to work for in life, but so often we seem to get distracted from reaching these goals. Distractions are ever-present in our society - the constant flow of information, entertainment, and the influence of others can overwhelm our ability to think clearly and move forward toward our goals. I have observed that many people simply do not reach their full potential, and this is often due to distraction.

Previous Post: How to Set and Reach Career Goals

Ask Three Simple Questions:
To overcome distractions, I have found that asking the following questions are extremely helpful. These questions are designed to help you clarify your goals and help you move forward toward what you really want.

1. What is my goal? What do I really want out of this meeting, this day, this conversation, this life? The goal here is to help you keep a focus on what you really want to achieve.
2. Is what I am doing now helping me reach my goal? Think of how your current thoughts and actions are contributing or distracting from your goal.
3. If not, what can I do right now that will help me reach my goal? Focus yourself on activities that will help you reach your goals.

Obvious Distractions
Here is a set of obvious distractions that might be keeping you from your goals:

• Mindless facebook time or internet surfing
• Purposeless television-watching
• Frivolous chatting or gossiping with coworkers

These kinds of activities are important and can relieve stress, but if used excessively, they can totally distract from your own purposes and goals, and in time you may lose your ability to succeed at what you really desire.

Less Obvious Distractions
The previous examples are pretty obvious, but here are some examples that you might not have considered before. These examples are more internally oriented in nature and are not as easy to monitor, but they are definitely distractions.

• Worrying about what other people think of you
• Worrying that someone might say no (or yes!) to your requests
• Allowing personality conflicts or issues to distract you from the goal

I have noticed that people (myself included) often allow their pride and their insecurity to get in the way of their goals. I have seen rooms filled with very well-educated people become emotionally charged that nothing is accomplished and the goal remains unfulfilled.

So, try out the three questions above and see if they help you keep your focus on your goals.

Strategic Planning

Strategic Planning
Right now at Franklin University we are undergoing a revision of the university's strategic plan. The strategic plan was initiated five years ago when our current president, Dr. David Decker, took leadership of the university. The university's goal is to match the needs of students and employers and provide meaningful education to as many people as possible.This goal is expressed in the university's mission, which is described here.

I was asked to serve as part of the steering committee for the revision of the strategic vision, and I am also co-chair of one of the sub-committees that is researching and writing a small section of the plan. Franklin's mission as a non-profit organization is something I can stand behind, and I have enjoyed being a part of the strategic planning process.

What is Strategic Planning?
Since I am fairly new to this concept, I thought I would write a little about what strategic planning is. Strategic planning is an organization's process for creating its strategy. It usually includes plans for implementing this strategy, including plans for allocating resources to achieve its goals. Strategic planning is a process in which the following are typically identified:

• The organization's current state
• The desired state of the organization, including specific goals and objectives
• A proposed path for reaching the desired state, including allocation of resources, sequence of activities, and milestones
• Description of opportunities and barriers, strengths and weaknesses, and internal and external threats to the plan

Strategic Planning and Human Performance Technology
This process is very similar to the 2012 HPT Model, which is a process model for improving human performance. The basic phases are very similar, though the HPT Model tends to focus on causes of poor performance and the creation of a solution that addresses these causes.

Strategic Planning and Goal Setting
The Strategic Planning process is also very similar to the process used for goal setting. However, goal setting is usually used by an individual, and strategic planning is typically used by and organization. 

Strategic Planning at the IDPT Program
As I have gone through this experience in assisting with the strategic planning initiative, I have realized that I can use the same process to create a strategic plan for the IDPT Program at Franklin University. I have done this in part, but a more comprehensive strategic plan could really help me to create a program that more fully serves the needs of its students and the organizations that hire its graduates. I hope to create some time for developing this strategic plan beginning sometime in the beginning of Summer 2013.