Tiffany Finkle

               When thinking about my digital learning experience it is all with myself as the learner. I have completed all of my undergraduate and graduate course work as a digital learner. This format just works better for me than a traditional learning environment. I tend to lose focus quickly in the classroom if it isn’t paced well. Digital learning provides me with the opportunity to work at my pace and to organize my schedule so that I can complete tasks at my optimal time. I have had both good and bad experiences with digital learning, my worst by far was a statistics class that was required for my undergraduate degree. This was primarily because there wasn’t a lot of support or even direction within the module. Making it very difficult to grasp the concepts that we were supposed to be learning. While I passed the class, I feel like I didn’t gain anything from it. Most of my time was spent searching how to input the formulas correctl...

  A Personal Perspective on Applying Learning Theory Introduction This post will review some of the learning theories and instructional strategies that were gone over in EDP 540- Learning Theories and Instructional Strategies course. One of the key factors that we learned is that learning is a continuous process. As we move through life we are learning through our experiences and cultural practices as we interact with the world around us weather it is professionally or personally. Another important piece of information is that each learning theory offers a unique look into how people retain and recall information and how they stay motivated and engaged during learning experiences  (Oyarzun & Conklin, 2021). Module 1: Behaviorism and Gamification For module one we were asked to create a learning module that applied the concept of gamification while utilizing the behaviorism learning theories principles. For this module I chose to design a training that allowed learners to c...

This instructional mock-up was my first attempt at creating instructional materials for learners over the age of five. It came with some interesting learning curves but was a fun first attempt at the process. Overall, it was nice having the templates and a set goal in place from the start. Being my first time taking on a project of this nature, having those materials allowed me to gain a better understanding of what was being asked. The target learners for this instructional mock-up were the faculty members of a fictional university. Giving the assumption that they already had some of the necessary skills that would be required for the modules. This allowed myself and my team members to focus on key parts of the instruction while briefly touching on areas that it was assumed learners were already knowledgeable in. Making it simpler to ensure that the materials aligned with the needs of the university and the learners themselves. The instructional mock-up that my team created broke the ...

       My purpose for entering the Instructional Design and Technology program has always been to shift my career focus from inside a preschool classroom to a training and development role. While I love my current career and the rewarding experiences I have had with my littles, I am ready for a slightly different path. There are a multitude of reasons for this and I am so excited to see where I end up. I am also wanting to shift into a remote or hybrid position rather than a regular nine to five role. My career goals have shifted to work cooperatively with my personal goals. I am confident that as I make this transition I will be able to remain fulfilled on the path I am taking.     When looking at where I want to be in say five years there are a lot of short and long term goals that I will need to accomplish before I make my dream happen. Ideally I would like to continue working within the early childhood realm and my dream job would be with an organizatio...

    When thinking about my personal definition of Instructional Design I had questions. There are so many different fields that pop up when you use a search engine such as LinkedIn, that don’t necessarily have instructional designer in the posting. After reviewing job postings and class materials I eventually came up with Instructional Design being the field of designing, developing and translating learning materials to a variety of audiences using digital tools. Technology has become a central role in Instructional Design as many learning materials are developed and delivered using digital tools. Instructional Designers develop materials by aligning with standards and using digital tools such as video, audio, or graphic design to deliver materials that maximize active learning  (ISTE, 2024 ). Critical key words in my definition are developing, designing, and translating. These are key words in what I feel Instruction Designers do. For me developing is exactly what the wo...