Reflection

To be honest this class seemed very much like walking into a cornfield. I looked for

paths and attempted to chart a course where I thought I would end up. In the end, while unclear

as I “walked” I learned some things and emerged with a deeper understanding about strategies

and assessing for Instructional Design.

This purpose of this Reflection paper is to showcase from the beginning to end of what

was learned from Instructional Strategies and Assessment methods. However, only a brief piece

of Terminal Objective # 1 and the accompanying enabling objective are exhibited. During this

class an analytical approach; to understand: designing learning, absorb activities, do activities,

connect activities and assessing, was at the forefront, all the while framed around the Universal

Design for Learning methodology [I eventually learned].

Just when you think you have learned it all, you learn, there is more to learn. It is fair to

say, nobody will ever really know it all. There is far too much to learn and in recent times, many

new ways to learn. Within the last few decades’ technology has become quite ubiquitous,

whereupon e-learning has become a norm from traditional in classroom meetings. Moreover,
people are not required to be at the same place and

time so as to be “in” class. Good instructional design

in paramount. Design necessitates; selecting,

organizing and stipulating the learning experience so

somebody learns something. In the beginning, a

Designer must hone in on what the fundamental goal

is. Next, the Designer must have an understanding of the learners’ needs and abilities. Knowing

these attributes of the learner, the Designer can recognize better what to teach based on

objectives. Once, the objectives are in place the Designer can devise suitable activities

associated to absorbing, doing and connecting, for fulfillment of the envisioned instruction.

Out of nowhere, like emerging from a cornfield the Universal Design popped in as an

assignment and I was intrigued about what this model was. I had never been introduced to this

Universal Design model. This model is a universal platform to help promote learning for a varied

group of learners. Characteristics incorporated into instructional design based on the Universal

Design will have many positive outcomes for the learners.

Universal design comprises of three areas of concentration associated to learning

networks in the brain. The first network is the multiple means of representation to support

diverse recognition. Here learners learn what is to be instructed and hopefully absorb the

material from an array of strategies. The second network is the multiple means of expression

whereupon how to do something is formulated. The third network is the multiple means

engagement at which affective stimuli connect why something is to be done.

 Above is my first Terminal Objective and an enabling objective. In the absorb category I

selected to present a presentation of an “informational film.” The informational film I was

planning on creating was going to be some still images on a PowerPoint presentation where the

learner would just see a few slides and get the idea of what was meant to be conveyed from the

film. When I thought about the Universal Design method, it dawned on me that adding my voice

in the presentation of the informational film [e.g. PowerPoint], the learners could hear my

emphasis as where to go and what to look for and to keep in mind of some aspects of walking

around in an unknown area. Knowing to add my voice for the intended instruction will help those

who are more inclined to listen than watch the instruction. Next, in the do category I focused in

on task simulation. Here I figured showing where the learner was supposed to end up was all

that was needed. However, as the Universal design mentions, integrating steps, to get

somewhere, like going through many doors, down multiple hallways and passing through many

secured gates highlights all that will be seen along the way, thus helping to present the whole

picture, in steps. Then came, the connect activity. While easier to let the learners only talk about

ways to get to where they needed to go in small groups, giving them the opportunity to talk

amongst themselves in larger groups and in quieter or more noisy environments, encourage the

diversity of learning.

In closing, the Universal Design for Learning, with the three main areas of network

learning [e.g. Recognition, Strategic and Affective] learners are able to understand the provided
instructional material, actually do the task for the instruction and reason why the instruction was

even presented, if consideration of learners and their varied attributes and varied possibilities

within the model are fully explored. If not, a cookie-cutter template of instruction could arise and

some or many of the learners will have not received any or partially betterment. Furthermore,

inconsideration of all potential learners and there learning attributes and not aligned with the

Universal Design, a Designer would surely alienate some of the learners.