Sub-Badge 4: Select or modify existing instructional materials

Challenge 1: Identify and select existing materials that support the content analyses proposed technologies, delivery methods, and instructional strategies 

Criteria for successful completion of this challenge: Evidence of selecting existing and creating instructional materials (lectures, readings, textbooks, multimedia components, Open Educational Resources, simulations, and other resources) based on instructional strategies, delivery methods and/or content.  Reflection must address: The connection between your content analysis and the instructional materials you selected – what experiences did you have to help make these decisions.

Example: Learning Design Activities (EDCI 575), The Evaluation Plan (EDCI 577), Individual Game Design Document (EDCI 556), Solutions & Change Management (EDCI 528), Technology Integrated Project (EDCI 564), Final Project (EDCI 569 if taken in Spring 2021 or later), other artifacts demonstrating selection of instructional materials based on instructional strategies (design, performance, workplace, educational, other). 

Reflection

I submit an artifact, the resources area from an LMS course, “2-1 AC Theory VILT,” I designed and currently instruct at the Electrical Training Institute. This artifact demonstrates my ability to select existing training materials to meet instructional goals. An instructional designer can often find existing educational materials to use in new training situations. One of the primary goals of my day one lecture for this ten-day course is to explain the components and systems that generate and distribute electricity across North America.

I began creating this course in the Spring of 2023. The synchronous instructor-led virtual training (VILT) format is new to our organization and seeks to solve a space problem we are experiencing due to our unprecedented enrollment levels. During the front-end analysis, I discovered that many topics I will cover are dynamic, moving objects in real life. Since my main presentation is relatively static, consisting primarily of images and text, I began seeking out options to add animations and video content. I subscribe to the YouTube channel Practical Engineering and discovered one of their videos closely aligned with the learning objectives of my presentation. I verified that linking to the video was permissible under copyright laws so long as I gave proper attributions. This existing content not only reduced my design cost by not requiring time in the schedule to produce my own animations but also provided a second, complementary perspective to this exciting topic from a recognized expert in the area of electrical engineering.

I have used other resources in the past to complement my design process. One primary repository of existing materials is searching for content published under a Creative Commons license. I also occasionally use materials on the open educational resources (OER) platform. I am confident in my ability to use a front-end analysis with clearly stated performance goals and instructional strategies as a guiding document to then search for relevant, impactful, existing content.

I am excited to learn about new repositories of reusable, open-license content. I want to investigate further how I could create a library of assets that is indexed and easily searchable for my employer. We administer five separate programs with significant overlap in technical material, so I believe a single point to access assets would help streamline the design process and eliminate silos of information.

Artifact -- LMS Resource

Challenge 2: Integrate existing instructional materials into the design 

Criteria for successful completion of this challenge: Evidence of finding pre-existing instructional materials (lectures, readings, textbooks, multimedia components, Open Educational Resources, simulations, and other resources) and adding them into a design choice(s) or instructional plan to increase the learning value of the overall design. Reflection must address: How adding instructional materials into a design choice or instructional plan increased the value of the overall design (remember to discuss the permission aspects of the preexisting documents – did you obtain permission, copyright, reuse rights, etc.); how you selected the material; why the selected material is appropriate in your design; and/or discussing any evaluation criteria for selection of the materials. 

Example: Proposal of adding instructional materials into a design, supplementing learning activities by including instructional materials, Digital Job Aid (EDCI 566, EDCI 568), Learning Design Activities (EDCI 575), Instructional Website Tech Integration (EDCI 560), Technology Integrated Project (EDCI 564), Final Project (EDCI 569 if taken in Spring 2021 or later), performance, workplace or educational reflection, review, or feedback of a project focusing on adding instructional materials.

Reflection

I submit an artifact, an instructional video, that I scripted, produced, and edited for a training course I am actively developing. This artifact demonstrates my ability to integrate existing training materials into the design of a new project. The materials I integrated into my design are technical data tables that I sourced from the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) that displays technical information that applies to electrical system conductors. This video is one in a series that systematically walks the learner through assessing the electrical l installation characteristics and selecting the appropriate electrical conductor type to ensure safe, efficient operation.

I am developing this video course for members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers #481 in Central Indiana. I currently teach an in-person synchronous course on this same subject. Over the last few years, many members have expressed an interest in the course but have yet to attend physically. This was the impetus for creating an asynchronous online course. The design blends short, segmented video lectures 3-5 minutes long with knowledge checks and practice problem sets. Since this course requires learners to perform calculations based on material characteristics, I determined that I must provide data tables for the learners to access. I initially considered creating my own, but this proved inefficient and would have taken significant time to collate and republish existing data tables. Therefore, I decided to integrate the industry standard tables from the NFPA. Under the Fair Use Doctrine on copyright law, I can print small portions of the NFPA resources for non-commercial use by our educational nonprofit, a registered 501(C)(3).

I see real value in finding existing resources from across my industry to integrate into our curriculum. In the past, I have worked with vendors who provide white papers and material specification sheets for educational purposes. I am confident in my ability to locate new sources of existing materials and demonstrate the value in vendors allowing me to use the material for non-commercial, educational purposes.

When I consider room for growth in this area, I will undoubtedly discover new channels of information in the future. I am cognizant of the need for my training materials to be transferable to real-world applications, and I can think of no better training materials to seek out those that currently exist and are being used in the industry today.

Artifact -- Instructional Video