Author: vdill

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A virtual progression? Why not?

Hello again, IDL SIG members!

We would like to try a new activity and need your support and enthusiasm to participate.

If you have ever been to an STC Summit, our annual conference, you know that there are several sessions called ‘progressions’ where several presenters each do a short talk on a theme-related topic (such as instructional design), sitting at a table surrounded by attendees. After 20-25 minutes, a bell goes off and attendees change tables (progress) to another table where that presenter then repeats his or her presentation. Usually there are three iterations of each presentation, so attendees learn about three different topics in the session.

Because we are a virtual community, we are going to try out a virtual progression. The way we think it will work is: we will have 2-4 presenters who present simultaneously in different Adobe Connect sessions. These would be half hour presentations, with a 15-minute bio break where attendees would log out of the first Connect room that they were in, and log back in to the second Connect room they want to attend. Presenters would stay in the same room and give their presentation again. We would record each session and for the price of attending, attendees (and presenters) would get all recordings to listen later to the ones not attended “live.”

The whole event would be over with within an hour and a half.

We haven’t set pricing for attendees, given that this is first time we’ve tried this. We will likely pay a small honorarium to our presenters. These needn’t be heavy duty presentations – in only a half hour, it would likely be 20-25 minutes of presentation and 5-10 minutes for live questions. Presenters would not be alone: a SIG leader who is familiar with how Adobe Connect works will be in the room to help with fielding questions, etc. (plus we’d likely have a rehearsal so presenters feel completely comfortable with the program and can concentrate on their presentation.)

SIG Members:  would you volunteer to present at this first-ever, ground-breaking event? It would be wonderful if the topic were related to instructional design and learning, but if you had a great idea for another topic we might be able to fit that in! If you are willing to present, does the thought of doing it on December 5 scare you?  It would be nice to get this done before the holiday season really gears up and distracts everyone from work and professional development. (And we would like to use the event for bonus points on the Community Achievement Award application, so it must be done in 2015.)

Because this is our first attempt, we may not invite anyone from outside the SIG… we’ll try out the logistics internally first and then do it again (same or different presentations) in the Spring of 2016. It’s another reason to say YES! to presenting, because you’d be among friends! No judgement, just support!

And those who cannot volunteer to present, does this sound like an attractive event to attend?

Robert and Mellissa really can’t wait to see/hear/read your responses.  Fire away!

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Co-Manager nominations open

Hello IDL SIG members
This is the first of several announcements coming your way as we prepare to apply for a Community Achievement Award for our SIG activities in 2015. Your current managers, Mellissa Ruryk (me) and Robert Hershenow, have been a little slow in cranking up the engine on this process (our bad). So there will be a flurry of activity before the end of the year and your help will be most appreciated!

One process we are behind on is finding replacements for ourselves. Robert’s and my term goes until the end of 2016 so we are really calling for nominations for Assistant co-managers. Incumbents would have a very soft entry to the position by understudying us for all of 2016 before stepping into the role proper in 2017.

Please think about whether you could serve the Society and the IDL SIG in this manner, and enjoy the professional growth that comes with holding this office. It would be most helpful if you had prior leadership experience at the chapter level or in another organization. It is a definite asset if you are a jack of all trades, have a can-do attitude, enjoy interacting with people (at least some of the time), can motivate others and know how to have a real, soul-clearing belly laugh once in a while. All the better if you’re laughing at yourself!

There is (or will be, by the end of this month) a complete co-manager’s manual that will explain all the inner workings of the community, including an annual calendar to keep you organized, motivated and productive throughout the Society’s year. Our SIG has a healthy reserve and plenty of great traditions to follow to ensure our continued good health, with lots of room to create new ways of doing things that fulfill our mission: To help STC members identify and develop knowledge and practical skills for designing, developing, and implementing technical instruction in electronic and traditional classroom settings. The SIG strives to promote sound design practices and provide information and education about instructional theory and research.

Watch for another notice soon with the nomination and election process timing.
Best regards,
Mellissa and Robert

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2014-2015 IDL Scholarships Awards Announced

IDL SIG’s 2014-2015 Scholarship Winners

The IDL SIG awards scholarships each year to assist students who are pursuing a graduate degree  in a field related to Instructional Design. Students applying for this scholarship are expected to be able to demonstrate their focus on topics related to Instructional Design through their academic studies, current jobs, and graduate or special projects.

The Scholarship Committee recently evaluated several applicants’ academic records and potential for contributing to the Instructional Design profession, and selected two deserving winners:

  • Elizabeth J. Allen, who is enrolled in a Master’s degree in the Instructional Design program of the Learning Technologies Department at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA.
  • Kyung Kim, who is pursuing a PhD in the Learning, Design, and Technology program in the Learning and Performance Systems Department of Pennsylvania State University.

Elizabeth’s background is in business and higher education. Her passion is to understand adult cognition and how modern technological tools can support deep learning. As Program Director of Literacy NJ, Gloucester County, Elizabeth uses instructional design to study and enhance our adult literacy student curricula and digital tools in an effort to address the workforce development and literacy needs of the region.

Kyung’s background has covered being a high school teacher, an educational technology journalist, and an instructional designer in Korea. He also worked as a researcher at the Global Teacher’s Institution. In America, he was the recipient of the Outstanding Graduate Student Research Award from the Northwestern State University. His goal is to make education possible, available, and better for all learners through the design of effective learning environments and technology.

Congratulations to both winners, and thank you to the other applicants for your efforts. All of the submissions were fascinating to read and judging was challenging.

Watch for an article by each winner in an upcoming issue of IDeaL, the IDL-SIG award-winning newsletter.

Also, please bookmark this page, watch for announcements, and return here early in 2016 when the 2016 scholarship competition will re-open. Application forms and other documentation requirements will be posted then. In the meantime, please read our Scholarship FAQs.

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How to add the IDL SIG to your existing STC membership

STC members can add the IDL SIG (and any other chapters and SIGs) to their membership at any time by following these steps.

  1. Go to http://stc.org and log in using your STC member user name and password.
  2. From the My STC menu, choose Communication Preferences.
  3. Click the My Communities tab.
  4. Click the Add Communities heading.
  5. In the SIGs column, select Instructional Design & Learning.
  6. Click Continue.
  7. Click Continue again to bypass the Printed Publications page (you can always add printed publications later.)

    The next page you see shows your contact information. You can update any information as needed. In the lower right corner, in the Add-Ons section, the IDL SIG should be listed with your payment amount.

  8. Click Checkout.
  9. In the Payment Details section at the lower right, enter your credit card information.
  10. Click Submit Order.

Many thanks to Lori Meyer for compiling this information for us!

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