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My Goals As A Learning Designer

As I start my second session of courses in the Learning Design and Technology program, I have been reflecting on my journey thus far. I have been thinking about my reasons behind completing this program, my motivations, and what I hope to gain from this experience. After thinking about my reasons for becoming a learning designer, it was driven by my passion for education, my experience with technology being impactful for my previous students, and my own experiences as a learner. As I go forward in this program, I have created three goals that are comprised of short-, medium-, and long-term goals and aspirations so that I can grow personally in the program.

Short-Term Goal: Digital Media Skills

Over the past few months, I have been doing a lot of research in my free time about the kinds of digital media that learning designers are expected to understand to make content that is helpful to learners. I have noticed that a lot of jobs require learning designers to be experienced in things like Articulate Storyline, Vyond, Adobe Creative Suite, etc. I believe that being able to create engaging content can only improve the learning experience. My goal is to experiment with different software so that I can start creating learning resources that are more engaging and enhance the learning experience.

This goal is important to me because it is something that I am already passionate about and want to strengthen my skillset. I already love making digital resources, but I would love to be able to take my current skills up a notch so that I can create more engaging and appealing content for the learner.

To achieve this goal, I plan to set aside at least one hour each week to experiment with or train myself on these tools. Next, I will utilize online tutorials and the LinkedIn learning library to train myself on the software. I will then download the software, experiment with it, and ask for feedback from my peers and mentors to enhance my skill set.

Medium-Term Goal: Become an Expert on Various Instructional Design Models and Theories 

At the midpoint of the program, I would like to gain a better understanding of various instructional design models and theories. My goal one day is to be an instructional designer, and I think being able to understand a wide variety of theories and different ways to go about instructional design would be very helpful as I look forward to my career as an instructional designer. I believe that this could help me understand how to approach instructional design. I would like to learn more about the application of the ADDIE model and be able to apply it to different projects. I also want to explore and understand the SAM model and understand the differences between the SAM and ADDIE models. I would also like to do more research on different instructional design theories to have a broader understanding of instructional design.

This goal is important to me because it allows me to become a more well-rounded learner and designer and allows me to better understand the learner with methods to help me in my design process to make all my learning experiences learner-centered, which will only help me in the future to make an inclusive and unforgettable learning experience. 

To achieve this goal, I plan to utilize my coursework to use and understand these models. I also plan to spend some time each week reading books and articles about different learning design theories and methods. Additionally, I know some of my peers have more experience using these models, so I would love to gain advice and feedback from my peers to enhance my understanding. 

Long-Term Goal: Design Inclusive Learning Experiences

At the end of the program, I would like to understand how to develop creative, inclusive learning experiences that are learner-centered for all learners. One thing that has stood out to me in this program thus far is the emphasis on making things learner-centered for the learner. I think if you can create things that have each learner in mind, that is what will make you a successful learning designer. My goal is to understand and create learning experiences that are adaptable and inclusive of all learners.

This goal is one of the most important for me because of my own experience. Growing up with learning challenges, I understand firsthand what it is like not to have a positive learning experience tailored to me. Growing up this way made learning very difficult for me and challenging, and I honestly hated learning anything because I always thought I couldn't understand. My goal as a learning designer is to create adaptable learning experiences that meet the needs of all students so that they can be excited to learn and not feel like they can't learn or don't understand the material.

To attain this goal, I would need training on how to make things assessable for learners and training on assessment guidelines. I will use the classes in my program to gain the experience and expertise needed to achieve this goal. I will also utilize collaboration with my peers and teachers on how to better make an assessable and inclusive learning experience. 

Partnerships

To achieve all the goals in this program, I understand that partnerships with my peers, mentors, and teachers will be key to my success in attaining these goals.

Short-Term Goal: I will seek support from my peers during class projects and assignments and ask for feedback.

Medium-Term Goal: I will seek partnerships and feedback from my teachers and other instructional designers who have a deeper understanding of instructional design models and theories and ask for feedback and experience.

Long-Term Goal: Knowing that training and expertise are very important when it comes to assessment practices, I will seek support from my teachers and other instructional designers on their experience with creating assessments and diverse learning experiences and how to understand the assessment guidelines and take classes and training if required. 

Conclusion:

To be successful at completing these goals through my time in my Learning Design and Technologies program, I will seek mentorship, advice, and training as ways to achieve my goals of enhancing my skills in digital media, instructional design models and theories, and accessibility practices. By using these methods, I will reach my goal of becoming a successful instructional designer by the end of the program.

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