Reflection on Chapter 8: Is an Instructional Design Degree Right for Me?
Each blog post in this series (#WIWIK) will take a moment to reflect on the questions at the end of each chapter.
Feel free to join the conversation by responding in the comments with your answers to the discussion questions (with plain text or a link to your post).
Here is the reflection question for the eighth chapter:
Think back to a recent course you enjoyed. What was it about that class that you want to find in another course?
I'm getting close to the end of my graduate studies for Instructional Design and Technology and recently finished my favorite course in the program, Design of Instructional Media.
The content was great, we learned about universal design and accessibility, design tools, video production, interactive media, and Mayer's Principles of Multimedia Learning. However, what set the course apart was the professor, Dr. Barbara Yalof. In addition to clearly having a firm understanding of the course material and the industry, she is very engaged in the class discussion boards, provides specific feedback on assignment submissions, and has even held a few Zoom meetings for students to ask her questions and have conversations with each other.
A few of the courses I've taken in this program have had professors that were largely ghosts, appearing only to provide canned comments and grades at the last moment they're allowed to do so while adhering to university policy. Having a professor who genuinely cares and is exceeding expectations has created a sense of community in the course that has made it even more special.
References
Hobson, L. (2021). What I Wish I Knew Before Becoming an Instructional Designer. Independently published.