Lynda Abbott-
WHAT I LEARNED
I think that one of the most important things I learned while working on this project was that the principles of instructional systems design really work. It was a bit intimidating, at first, to think of trying to design instruction for medical personnel, far more knowledgeable about the subject matter than we were. However, when we finally understood that instruction for medical personnel is just like instruction for K-12 students -- at least as far as the design of the instruction goes. Although the context and the content may be more complex, the principles of good instructional design still hold true -- and, in our project, got us through the somewhat scary early planning stages.
Lynda Abbott, Kristin Scott, and Laurie Williams worked on this project as part of a course requirement for Advanced Instructional Systems Design at the University of Texas.
The following are their reflections on the project:
Kristin Scott-
REFLECTIONS
As I reflect on my experience in working on the Death Certificate CME the first thing that comes to my mind is how flexibility is KEY to the design process. I discovered that I tended to want cling to the design process that I had become accustomed to in my work.
It was difficult, at first, for me to see how things were going to come together and how the process was laid out. Part of this difficulty probably stemmed from the fact that I had never designed for the web and could not really participate in publishing our material on the web site. But as we progressed, things started falling into place and I could see the material beginning to become a cohesive instructional program. It was a very enlightening experience to be able to work with teammates who possess so much talent, knowledge, and creativity when it comes to ISD and web design.
I am now more eager than ever to learn how to design and produce instruction on the web. I am also more aware of how dynamic the ID process is and how designers must be able to adjust their design process to meet the constraints of the project, while still maintaining the integrity of the systematic approach.
Laurie Williams-
LOOKING BACK
When we started this project, I had originally thought that I would prefer to do a project on my own, as several other members of the class had done. Reflecting back on this, I think one of the most profitable experiences of this project has been to be working with a team like we have! Instructional designers, SMEšs, etc. The chance to work together with the folks at TDH has been wonderful! Getting a chance to put ISD to work in a real setting was phenomenal! I was really impressed with how well the three of us working on the instructional design worked together.
What seemed like such a daunting task at first, the mountain of legal issues to wade through, was truly a wonderful experience, coming together a lot more quickly than we had thought possible. It was a great experience to see that the things Išve learned about curriculum design in education could be put into place in a setting outside the K-12 arena. The people we have worked with have been incredible helpful and thoughtful. I would really recommend this experience to future students intent on going out on their own--the chance to work on a real-world problem, especially one of this magnitude, and with such a superb team of folks as the ones at TDH, made the whole project thoroughly rewarding.