Becoming a Learning Designer

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

I have been creating learning content for the past few years, in one form or another for various audiences. In doing this, I have learnt several lessons, which I've always wanted to document in writing. However, I never got to it because I doubted my capability to make strong connections between theories and experiences. When I took up T127, I was excited about the possibility of creating my first portfolio and setting it up in a way that would allow me to present to a wider audience. I remember spending hours thinking about my first reflective post - the title, the structure, the tone, the concepts - I wanted to make it perfect.

Looking back at my journal entries from the last 3 months, I am surprised by the posts I've written, mainly because of the way I've structured them and the various angles in which I've approached the topic. Each post was an attempt to write about a course concept from T127 by making connections to my experience as a student, teacher, or learning designer, concepts from other courses, conversations that I've had with my peers, or just thoughts that would pop up as we discussed a topic in class. It may not be perfect, but I believe that it is a testament to my ability to create content that is rooted in both experiences and theories.

This course was the perfect balance of theory and application and was well-scaffolded. There were multiple aspects of the course which resulted in a holistic learning experience, where each aspect was vital and connected to the others. In the infographic below, I have tried to outline my experience taking this class, and the various ways in which each aspect of the course supported my learning.

In the beginning, after the discovery module, I outlined several skills that I expected to develop through this course. Now that I revisit my portfolio posts, I can see clear evidence of the skills that I have built through this learning experience. As I end my final reflection, I have nothing but gratitude for Professor Bill, Mary, Haejung, and all of my peers for the enriching learning experience that I've had.