My Goals As A Learning Designer
I entered the Learning Design and Technology program because I have always enjoyed training coworkers and interns as well as creating and assessing employee-facing and customer-facing training courses in various positions that I have held. I also enjoy working with technology to improve and streamline tasks at work. I am not afraid to try out new technologies, even if I don’t completely understand how they work, and coworkers often ask me to assist them with technology-related questions because they know that, even if I don’t know the answer, I will find a way to get it. It is my hope that the knowledge and skills necessary for a career in Learning Design and Technology will be a good marriage of my current interests and abilities and that I will thrive in the field.
My long-term goal in the Learning Design and Technology program is to pivot into a role in the learning design and technology field. I plan to incorporate my knowledge and skills from previous careers in social work and data analysis and my newfound knowledge of learning design and technology into a skillset that will be valuable to employers as well as an enjoyable long-term career. Transitioning into a role in the learning design and technology field is important to me because I enjoy helping others grow and learn and believe that I have the organizational and people skills to thrive in said environment. I intend to make progress towards this goal by revamping my resume so that it includes experience related to learning design and technology, educational accomplishments, and my Working Out Loud blog (to demonstrate progress and initiative). With a newly updated resume and hands-on practice experience related to the field, I will feel confident to apply for positions of which I am interested and qualified. Individuals who can assist me in moving towards success in this goal are the Learning Design and Technology instructors who can provide practice and feedback throughout the courses. In addition, Arizona State University provides assistance with resume review and career guidance, which is another valuable support system. This goal will also be supported by my medium and short-term goals.
My medium-term goal in the Learning Design and Technology program is to identify which types of positions in the learning design and technology field are most in line with my knowledge, skill sets, and interests. I hope to deeply explore the processes of learning design as well as survey a large number of technologies so that I can identify which areas of learning design and technology are best suited for my skill sets and strengths. It is also necessary to identify in which areas I would not be as strong. In this way, I can determine which types of positions would best fit my strengths and interests and which types of positions might not be a good fit or would need additional preparation. This is important to me because I enjoy and derive personal satisfaction from positions that incorporate my skillsets and interests while providing a challenge to learn and grow but are not completely out of my wheelhouse. I also want to be a valuable resource for my employer. I intend to make progress towards this goal by investing time in thoroughly reviewing the resources provided throughout the courses as well as researching supplemental resources as I find areas that interest me. Individuals who can assist me and contribute to my success in reaching my goals are fellow students who I can converse with regarding their experience in the field, as many of the students in the program are already in the field. I can learn from their experience with the implementation of processes and technologies, employer expectations, and priorities/amount of time dedicated to various tasks in a given position.
My short-term goal in the Learning Design and Technology program, and specifically the LDT 502: Design and Development of Instruction course, is to gain an in-depth understanding of the process of designing and developing instruction through hands-on practice. As I do not have a background in teaching nor have I been employed in the instructional design field, I have only a cursory understanding of instructional design processes from my first course in the learning design and technology program. I am fully aware that I have many gaps in my knowledge and that I “don't know what I don't know.” By the end of the course, I hope to have a solid understanding of and practice with the processes and feel confident that I have a solid foundation for designing and developing instruction. This is important to me because I want my learning of the field to be scaffolded and have a relatively organized structure so that my knowledge is constructed in a way that can be built upon and applied easily in the future. I have previously had experiences in which I had to begin working on completing a task and then learn how to do it. Despite the fact that I can now successfully complete the tasks, I often have an uneasy feeling that I missed a step or didn’t complete a portion correctly because my task-related knowledge was built in a disjointed method. I hope to build my knowledge of learning design and technology in an organized manner so that it can be easily referred back to and implemented. I intend to make progress towards this goal by thoroughly reviewing the materials provided throughout this course, asking questions, and engaging with teammates so I can learn from their experience and expertise. Individuals who can contribute to my success in these areas are instructors, who can provide their wisdom and knowledge regarding the instructional design process, and teammates, who can give examples and insights into their current work in the field.
I am looking forward to working on these goals throughout the program with the support of the instructors, my peers, and the resources provided through Arizona State University.
