Personal Development Plan

Personal Development Plan

In order to properly prepare for my professional growth and the general future in in my field of choice I have carefully analyzed the things that I have done, currently do and will eventually have to do in order to progress within my organization. The following items that I have determined are the most important are as follows:

Goal Setting

Goal setting may be one of the most under estimated components of professional development. There are those that do not see the value in creating a concrete goal sheet in order to visualize professional goals and the road map necessary to achieve those goals. In creating this goal progression map I will be able to not only set a definitive path towards my professional goals, but determine a strategic plan that includes variables such as time constraints, cost and check points, so as not to end up on a path with an indefinite time limit.

Job Rotation

At my place of employment, people are relegated to performing the same duties repeatedly, until someone either moves on or fails to perform a given task to satisfaction. For example, professional development sessions are facilitated by a handful of people that are rotated at random; other employees rarely receive the opportunity to facilitate or present to the staff. I propose to upper management that a staff wide survey should be administered in order to determine who is interested in facilitation opportunities, so that a proper rotation schedule can be created. This will give willing staff members, such as myself, the opportunity to present to the staff as well as facilitate professional learning sessions.
Formal Education

My company does not offer formal education programs nor do they offer tuition reimbursement, be it partial or full. Employees are constantly encouraged, sometime pressured to earn higher education degrees and certificates, while offering little in the way of incentive beyond a modest pay increase. I propose to management that professional learning opportunities be provided through the use of grant funding. Our company hires professional grant writers in order to secure funding for activities and needs that fall outside of the yearly budget, but none of the funding is used to invest in employees. There are multiple field certification courses that can be completed in in a relatively short time for a small amount of funding.

Outside Development

I have always been the type of person that does not wait for my employer to invest in my future. I completed a second M.S. program in October of 2013 and I am a week away from completing a post graduate certification I my field. Upon completion of this certificate I will be enrolling in an Adobe Captivate boot camp course in April, followed by an Articulate Storyline course in July. These two courses will provide the physical course offering experience that was sorely lacking from my M.S. ID program. Once I have completed those I will enroll in online Adobe Cloud courses in order to hone my skills in graphic arts, video editing and sound design; the skillset portfolio that I am building will lead to quicker progression in the field of instructional design. In 2015 I will begin courses for my Master Trainer certification, which will lead directly into earning my ASTD CPLP certification.

High-Tech Training Digital Collaboration

The advances in digital collaboration over the past decade has literally changed the landscape of training and development. Just a few short years ago digital collaboration had another name: email. People would read email and speak on the phone in order to make communication more effective. The advances in business communication, and as a result collaboration, have opened new doors into how employee training and assessment are performed. Employees can share content, hold discussions and communicate with facilitators remotely (Noe, 2013) through means such as electronic chat rooms, message boards, VOIP (http://www.voipreview.org/?s=GAD&gclid=CPzEvri1yLwCFaLm7Aodf0QAgA) and video; programs such as Google Docs (http://www.google.com/drive/apps.html), Dropbox and Skydrive enable the immediate sharing of documents, some even allowing for real time editing amongst multiple users. Digital collaboration will not replace face-to-face collaboration, but it will make collaboration between individuals in different locations easier, more cost efficient and time efficient.

Smartphones 

Smartphones have made workplace communication, training and development truly mobile. As smartphones are now as powerful as desktop computers, businesses have the ability to train employees

synchronously or asynchronously virtually anywhere. Some may argue that laptops have already filled this need, but smartphones have multiple advantages. While portable, most laptops are still cumbersome when not sitting stationary at a desk; also people always have their smartphones with them and accessible. Not only can training materials be downloaded on smartphones, but trainees can communicate through video or voice with each other or facilitators remotely. As far as the future of smartphone use for training, I believe that smartphones will take on more of a supplemental role. The IBM study that was provided in our readings this week illustrated that smartphone users do not want copious amounts of training content on their mobile phone, but do want information and support (Ahmad & Orton, 2010). I believe companies will continue to develop more effective ways of incorporating smartphones as a training accessory as opposed to a center piece.

Asynchronous Communication 

Walden University is an excellent example of how asynchronous communication can be used in training. Digital communication gives businesses the means to not only share documents, video and audio instantaneously, but also the means to store these items for subsequent access by others. One of the shortcomings of corporate training is that it generally requires employees to stop working, which affects productivity. As companies continue to upgrade their technology they will be able to provide employee trainings that are able to be accessed remotely, adding the convenience of 24 hour access and self-pacing.

Virtual Reality 

Virtual reality has been a fixation of Hollywood for many years. Even the video game company Nintendo attempted to create a virtual reality headset 20 years ago; it ended up causing headaches and seizures and was promptly abandoned. If perfected, virtual reality would be an invaluable training tool, in that employees could be placed in hyper realistic scenarios that replicate real world situations without putting people, data or equipment in harm’s way. Image a police raid simulation where no equipment or ammo is used; this is not only safe but cost effective. I believe that once virtual reality simulators become mass market, they will be employed in many training modules used by companies. Fortunately, significant strides in the manipulation of virtual environments, ironically enough, thanks to video game developers. A small development company has created the Oculus Rift (http://www.oculusvr.com/) which is a VR headset that also has a walking station, which together provide realistic virtual world where one can interact with objects as they would in the real world.

Social Media

The rise of social media as an educational platform has been slow and faces a lot of resistance. Many companies fear that using social media as a learning tool will have a negative effect on employee productivity; this is most likely due the stigma that comes with the word “social” within the workplace. Fortunately there are some intelligent people that realized how social media could be used to enhanced workplace development by presenting learning in a familiar package. Some companies have gone as far as to create their own proprietary social network just for their workplace. The focus of social media in the workplace is on communication, community, creativity, convergence and collaboration (Friedman & Friedman, 2013). I believe that social media will lead to a more light-hearted approach to workplace training in which employees are encouraged to communicate more frequently and have more fun while doing it. Social media will be used to bridge gaps between management and employees, making training less formal while used to build workplace relationships.  

References
Ahmad, N., & Orton, P. (2010). Smartphones make IBM smarter, but not as expected. Training and Development, 64(1), 46–50. Retrieved from the Academic Search Complete database

Friedman, L. & Friedman, H. (2013). Using Social Media Technologies to Enhance Online Learning. Journal of Educators Online, v10 n1 Jan 2013, 22 pp. Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=b5db5da3-bcbb-4f4d-ac78-47868bbad58a%40sessionmgr4005&vid=9&hid=4101

Noe, R. A. (2013). Employee training and development (6th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill

Planning for a Needs Assessment: Nokia Handset Division

The company that I have chosen to plan a needs assessment for is Nokia (handset division). Two years ago, Nokia entered into a semi-exclusive licensing agreement with Microsoft to use their Windows Phone 8 software for their smartphones. Microsoft is now on the verge of acquiring the handset division, despite its struggle to gain significant market share (particularly in North America). In preparing to perform a needs assessment on Nokia (Phone Division), I would address the following: Stakeholders: Since entering its semi-exclusive Windows Phone 8 licensing deal with Microsoft, Nokia has failed to make a significant dent in smart phone market share. I would use surveys to address Nokia customers, customers of rivals and potential customers as well in order to determine overall sentiment towards Nokia phones, attempting to ascertain both perceived strengths and weaknesses of company handsets. I would also attempt to meet with the CEO’s, marketing leads and sales leads for both companies.

Questions: Consumers- Questioning would focus on reasons for purchasing or not purchasing Nokia products, customer satisfaction oriented questions and subjective improvement-based queries Executives- Questioning would focus on goals (past, present and future); I would ask about marketing strategies for mobile projects, including partnerships and budget. I would also need to know about tactics that have been effective and both ineffective in order to tweak and adjust strategic plans. Documents/Records: Here I would need to analyze financial records including sales, costs for marketing, R&D, labor, training/development and partnerships. I would also need to see any other marketing feedback data that the company has gathered in order to disaggregate and analyze the data. Also, I would want to see the breakdown in sales between various phone models in order to determine consumer preference. Methods: The methods to be employed in this analysis would include, but not be limited to Questionnaires, interviews, focus groups and archival historical data I believe that Nokia would benefit greatly from a needs assessment. The company has spent an enormous amount of capital pushing, what by most accounts, is a more than competent and desirable product; for one reason or another, critical success is not translating into sales success. Does the problem reside with the marketing department? Retail partners? As previously stated, Nokia handsets receive great critical reviews, so the problem seemingly is not the issue. A needs analysis can determine whether or not the sales gap is due to human performance or poor system design.

90 Second Training Elevator Pitch Training is both important and necessary for any successful business, which includes this one. As our economy transforms into a truly global economy, effective training and development is the only way to prepare your employees to function and navigate this new world efficiently, much less to excel. Research also shows that by engaging employees meaningfully through high quality training and development, employees feel more involved and valued, reducing turnover and increasing productivity. Training has also proven to be an effective method for dealing with change in the workplace; helping employees adapt to new ideas, rules and technology at work. Perhaps, most importantly, training is an integral part of an organization’s business strategy; any organization that has developed a set of goal’s policies and actions that utilize the three types of capital (physical, human and monetary) must recognize that training directly affects an employee’s ability to perform optimally, which in turn influences the company’s ability to maximize its ultimate goal, profitability. Any company that hopes to be successful in this world cannot afford to not train its employees and to not provide a proper development program. That is why I am here asking you to hire our company to create a proper training program to strategically align with your company’s business model. Elevator Pitch Audio Direct Audio Link

Collaborative Online Interactions: The Ups & Downs

Collaborative online interactions and activities are an integral part of distance/online learning? This week’s learning resources highlight the advantages and disadvantages of effective collaborative interaction; also highlighted are the many obstacles and stumbling blocks that were/are threats to developing effective online collaborative interaction.
Using the information provided by this week’s learning resources (as well as one additional outside resource) discuss the following:

• What attributes constitute an effective online collaborative interaction?
• What are some of the early missteps associated with the formative period of collaborative online interactions?
• What are some of the current trends influencing the development of collaborative online interactions?

By Friday
Please post to the discussion blog a summary of your thoughts and reactions to the above questions. Be sure to site your resources in order to validate your responses.
Discussion Link Rubric https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B0S2WnzX9LQqQVFRa0NBakpqLWM/edit?usp=sharing

Plagiarism is an aspect of education that has always been a variable to be accounted for and, depending on what the future brings, it may always be. As a classroom teacher, I am all too familiar with plagiarism and the role that it plays in the academic journey of many students. As an inspiring instructional designer and college instructor, it is even more important that I learn the most effective ways of combatting plagiarism, while also helping student’s that choose to do so, understand the damage that they are actually doing to themselves.

In post -secondary educational settings, you have the advantage of the majority, if not all, work being submitted in a digital format of some kind; this allows for the use of highly efficient plagiarism detection software suites. Two of the more reliable programs available are:

*EVE (Essay Verification Engine)- Located at http://www.canexus.com/, EVE is touted as a faster and more efficient program for identifying plagiarism within digital documents; it requires a one-time fee of $29.99 for an unlimited use license

*Turnitin.com- This site not only offers best in class functionality, but it also provides feedback on submitted work and the opportunity for peer review; it published works database covers millions of documents and sources

Plagiarism detection software assists in catching plagiarism after it has taken place, but a more effective method, some would argue, is to take preventative measures. When designing both formative and summative assessments, instructors should make sure to create a tool that challenges the student in a way that they not only demonstrate their subject matter knowledge, but demonstrate it in a way that is individualized and personal. Instructors should also take care not to constantly recycle the same exact assessments over and over again, which may lead to “hand-me-down” assignments. Taking the time to thoughtfully plan out and create assessments using tactics such as these can go a long way to discourage plagiarism.

If I should ever find myself in the role of an online instructor I would have to create and refine a strategic plan to discourage, detect and deal with plagiarism amongst my student’s. I believe that being a “visible” and accessible instructor will help curb the incidences of plagiarism that I will encounter. As an instructor I would make sure to monitor and interact with students in discussion boards and forums in order to build a rapport with my students. People are less likely to betray someone that they trust and respect. I will also make sure to be very accessible; people may cheat when they do not fully understand the material that they are covering and being available to assist with comprehension prior to assessment may help to curb plagiarism. Additionally, online professors should make sure to properly review expectations regarding original work, plagiarism and cheating; make sure to provide educational resources to assist students with work and to make sure that every student is aware of the consequences of plagiarizing the work of others.

Impact of Technology & Multimedia

What impact does technology and multimedia have on online learning environments?

Technology and multimedia enhance the educational experience by creating interactive learning environments and providing experiences that increase learner engagement. With Web 2.0 tools such as Skype or ooVoo allows for learners to build an online learning community and communicate remotely as effectively as if they were in the same location. With the advent of Course Management Systems, instructors can create virtual classrooms that rival and in some circumstances, surpass the efficiency of face-to-face environments.

What are the most important considerations an online instructor should make before implementing technology?

When planning and/or implementing a plan for an online course instructors must consider any factors prior to implementing/incorporating technological aids. I feel that first and foremost learner access must be considered. High-speed internet access is often taken for granted and presumed by most to be widely available everywhere, but that is definitely not the case. There are thousands of rural areas that do not have broadband options, which leaves dial-up internet access as the sole means of accessing online content. Anyone in this situation would be hindered in an online environment, particularly when it comes to data heavy activities such as VOD, video chats and file downloads/upload. Instructors must also be cognizant of the age and technological experience level of each individual learner. While not always true, a lot of older learners tend to be less technologically savvy and may not be comfortable with an abundance of tech tools thrown at them at once. Even a young learner that may not have a lot of exposure to technology can quickly become lost in a high tech online environment. Instructors must also take care to ensure that technology is being used as an enhancement and a catalyst for learning and not just being mandated because it is available an d accessible.

What implications do usability and accessibility of technology tools have for online teaching?

Mobile technology has changed and improved the landscape of online learning tremendously. In 2006 I was enrolled in an M.S. program and I took a few of my courses online. While I was able to look at the course outline and weekly objectives on my smart phone, I could not interact with the site, interact with anyone or anything on it and I definitely could not download or stream multimedia files. Today online learners can download and stream multimedia content, submit documents, chat, video conference and collaborate on assignments using a tablet or a smart phone; learners can go anywhere in the world at the drop of a dime without the worry of being home in front of a PC or tethered to a bulky laptop. I can foresee an online learning future where portable devices are curriculum requirements for most online courses.

What technology tools are most appealing to you for online teaching as you move forward in your career in instructional design?

There are three technology tools that I find interesting and would like to utilize in the future:

·         Aggregators- Prior to the week 6 course resources I had never heard of an aggregator; I am a fan of any tool that makes collecting/monitoring student related information easier and more efficient

·         ooVoo- This (free) video communication application has become a great tool for group collaboration, allowing up to ten people to conference via video; although not as popular as Skype, I believe it is a more intuitive and feature-rich alternative that can have a great impact on online class communication

Wikis- A wiki provides a virtual space for online classmates to not only collaborate, but analyze and critique each other’s’ work; these wiki’s can also be used subsequently by student’s that enroll in a given course at a later date

Preparing An Online Environment

What is the significance of knowing the technology available to you?

When setting up an online environment for a distance learning course it is extremely important to both be aware of and know how to utilize the technology that is available to you. While it is not necessary to master all of the tools that are available to you right away (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010), you should focus on and familiarize yourself with the essential tools of the CMS/LMS that is being utilized, as well as those that are required for course completion. Knowing the technology also puts you in a position to assist students with the basic technological tasks required by the course, as well as giving you the opportunity to gather information resources to share. Having at least a working knowledge of available tools also opens up the opportunity to dialogue with students that may have valuable information that they can provide.

Why is it essential to communicate clear expectations to learners?

In an asynchronous online environment, where teacher and students are often separated by many miles and time zones clear and concise communication is of the utmost importance. Speaking from personal experience, I can say that when expectations are not clearly communicated, it can be a costly and time consuming endeavor. Those participating on online courses are often adults with busy home lives (Conrad & Donaldson, 2011) which makes time a precious commodity. If a student does not have a clear understanding of the course expectations or expectations for a particular assignment, it will inevitably lead to the student having to go back and edit work that has been done, or worse, lose valuable points on an assignment, affecting their course grade. 

Clearly communicating to students also opens up lines of dialogue between the instructor and the students. Even expectations that are expressed clearly will garner questions from students. This provides the instructor with a chance to engage, familiarize themselves with and challenge students in unscripted and random ways. This helps to build a rapport, comfort and respect between both parties which will improve over all communication for the duration of the course.

What additional considerations should the instructor take into account when setting up an online learning experience?

An instructor should take into account the differences that each student brings to the table (Laureatte, 2013); both to learn more about the their students, as well as to be aware of sensitivities that students may possess based on things such as religion, cultural beliefs or personal life experiences. A student that does not feel comfortable in an online environment is more inclined to drop the course, which is not a desired. Also, knowing and respecting your students background allows you to engage them on a personal level, leading to a higher comfort level and hopefully a more engaged and active student.

Instructors should also take care to:

·     *Properly establish an active and robust online presence because students relate a strong teacher presence   course effectiveness (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010)

·        * Prepare a syllabus particular to the online course, not simply copy a syllabus from a face-to-face course

·         *Provide an engaging and fun ice breaker

·         *Perform a quality check for the course site and tools required for the course

Please feel free to leave comments and questions below J

References

Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. (2010). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and practical pedagogical tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass

 Conrad, R., & Donaldson, J. A. (2011). Engaging the online learner: Activities and resources for creative instruction (Updated ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass

Laureate Education, Inc. (2013). Launching the Online Learning Experience [Video webcast]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_2818946_1%26url%3D

Building An Online Learning Community

Online learning communities provide an arena where both the student and the facilitator have equal access and relevance in discussions and activities; it also provides an atmosphere where peers can interact with one another on a level that is usually not possible in a face-to-face setting, simultaneously providing added comfort openly communicating with others that are facing the same obstacles.

Some of the essential elements of online community building

People

*Method- The way people interact, communicate & connect with each other

*Social presence: establishing online identity)

Purpose- Why these people are brought together (the class)

Process- The way that the course is delivered

When attempting to build a productive online community, one must make sure that the rules of engagement (Frequency, expectations, rules & regulations) are reasonable and appropriate for each particular audience, lest you risk alienating parts of your community and even driving people away. You also want to make sure that there shared responsibility between all parties (students and facilitators) in maintaining and improving communications and learning within the community. 

In order to sustain an online learning community it is important to design a good orientation, reach out to drifters, peer support, community comfort, account for life outside the course, start technologically simple and build, provide ice breakers and relationship-building activities.

All of the aforementioned factors related to community building serve to strengthen the online instruction portion of a course. No matter how well constructed a course is, having an active community that feel comfortable communicating with and assisting others goes a long way in creating a strong and healthy online learning environment. While the source video for this post did not provide an abundance of new information, it did introduce the concept of proper course introductions. Aside from proper over all course design, I am now aware of the importance of not front-loading online courses with too much information or too many tasks; this may intimidate and ultimately led to the departure of participants that are not as prepared for the online environment as others are.

The Case of the Creepy Scope

As I do not have any professional project management experience, I must draw upon my personal life for an example of scope creep affecting a project. When my wife and I were looking for a house in Atlanta (via FL) one of my non-negotiable items was a finished basement. Once we found and purchased our house, I began remodeling the basement. My wife and I created a budget together based on the items and functionality that I desired out of my man cave. As I began installing equipment and arranging furniture, I kept “envisioning” improvements that I could make as I went along. This resulted in me making frequent trips to Home Depot and multiple purchases on Amazon.com. In addition, I returned furniture and attempted to custom build a theater platform.

This became a point of contention between my wife and I; I spent much more than we had agreed upon when we created our project budget and I was spending far too much time in the basement, which was not fair to my wife. As the manager of the project, it would have been beneficial for all involved if I had performed more research during the planning phase of the project; this would have prevented me from finding the next best item that caused me to repeatedly change my mind about the direction of my basement project.