Wiki fever

For some of us a wiki is a term and technology that has been in existence for a while now and for others the term is new. However, most have heard of the popular Wikipedia, well wiki is the technology behind this dynamic encyclopedia.

So what is a wiki?

In a nutshell it’s an internet based tool that enables easy content collaboration. For a super nice and easy to understand video explanation please view Wikis in Plain English from the Common Craft.

Why the fever?
Now that we understand what a wiki is, I can continue to spread my fever. For my internship, one of the projects that we are undertaking is a wiki and I am leading the project. Several of the interns were not familiar with the term wiki before or the value that it can provide so I am trying to be wiki champion.....let's see how that goes.

Where I Caught it!
I was introduced to the concept of a wiki about two years ago, when the university I worked with started using it as a documentation tool for the learning management system (LMS)...I saw how it was very useful as a collaboration tool.Then I used PBwiki for a class last semester and I found it very user friendly and effective, in fact it does not require any syntax for linking pages, you can just select existing page names from a drop down menu. It has been listed among the top tools for 2008.

SharePoint: Unfamiliar Territory
For my internship project we are using another platform, SharePoint, which I have no clue about......makes this project even more interesting. We are in the process of experimenting with it, but it seems like some of the basic wiki navigations that we are use to are not present.

• What has your wiki experience been?
• What are some of the best practices?
• Have you used SharePoint wiki?
  

Please Share!!

Conquering the dumb feeling!!

I am presently doing a Co-operative education program and I have been assigned to work with the team that provides training and eLearning development. Great opportunity to learn what occurs in the real world….not only skill set but culture. I have working experience but in academia, not corporate.

When I came another Co-op was here already, he is a Computer Science major and has done a wonderful job of designing and developing the team’s website…..which I am expected to maintain. I only had a basic understanding of HTML, so training was provided by this awesome Co-op and he did a very good job.

So what’s up with the title of this post……? So he’s leaving (his term has ended…back to school time) and everyone is emphasizing make sure you know what to do when he leaves…..so being the Instructional Designer that I am….I arranged a meeting with him about 2 weeks ago and brainstormed with him all the possible types of things on the website that may need editing and how to go about doing them….he provided me with this information….this approach was good as things came up during the process where he had to provide me with links and references, and also get access to files etc.

Based on the emphasis on the fact that I need to know what to do…..I am scared that something may come up and I don’t know how to fix it. Attending a class on HTML does not really make you identify and trouble shoot problems easily, this comes with experience…..which I don’t have. So I am feeling dumb and afraid of what will happen when he leaves.

The same fear and anxiety that I am experiencing happens to a lot of learners, fear that after learning the material they may not be able to apply effectively; fear of not being able to learn……how do we deal with this? So I was discouraged and I went into my shell and crawled back out with the following:

• I will continue to read up on HTML and actually try to create my own site (I actually did one at school, but using Dreamweaver’s Design view…..I see where coding can help improve it)
• I will not be afraid of not knowing as it is human and I have made a concerted effort to acquire as much as I can.
• I will not attempt to be as great as this awesome Co-op in the capacity that he has performed as our skill sets are different. What I can do is use my skill set to make a valuable contribution in the capacity that I can.
• I will not be afraid to venture in a situation where learning new knowledge/skills is integral and in the process I may feel dumb……who cares everybody had to learn at some point.

( Ok …..I am working on the last part…..it’s hard…..I hate feeling dumb).

• Am I the only one who has felt like this?
• Am I being too sensitive?
• What else can I add to my “Crawl out of shell insight” list?

Please share!!

What is Instructional Design?

I have had a lot of ‘what?’ reactions when people ask me what’s my major and I respond Instructional Design & Learning Technologies. Well it’s becoming more popular but the name I guess has not formed its way among the popular/familiar career fields. Nevertheless, the response usually gives me an opportunity to explain what the field is all about; however they still ask the follow up, “So what can you do with that after you are finished…teach?” Well Tom has come to the rescue with a very simple but effective blog entry “What Everybody Ought to Know about Instructional Design”

• What responses do you get when you tell people Instructional Design is your major or profession?
• What are the views of the masses about the value of instructional design?

Wearing more than one hats

I have just completed a self paced course on managing instructional development. This course combined the concepts and principles of Instructional Design with Project Management. The course was self paced, not my preferred style of learning, but it was convenient and enough resources were provided for us to cope. The structure of the course captured Cathy Moore’s idea of allowing learners to ‘wing it.’

The course assessment was based on case scenarios of real projects. While doing the readings I felt lost and sometimes a bit overwhelmed, however after the course was completed I felt confident that if given the tasks to do in a real working environment I would not be as clueless as I was before.

The course brought home to me that Instructional Designers need to have project management skills as well. It is reflective of how the working world has evolved, it is unacceptable to be one dimensional and job descriptions are less defined. One has to be able to wear more than 1 hats….that’s just the fact.

What are the essential competencies of a good instructional designer?

Are there competency models out there for instructional designers?

What do they look like?

Please share some!

Not a 'techie' : An Instructional Designer's Dilemma

Seeing that I have made, my new resolution today to record my knowledge findings and revive my blog.....yeah!, I am excited.....guess why? Because I am doing this because I want to.

I am doing my internship in a corporate environment, IT department and more and more I see the advantage of an instructional designer who has a technical background as well.

Once I thought it was ok to just have an awareness of the technology trends in education and maybe even learn how to use some of the tools, but now I feel the need to be technical.

I guess you are wondering, what exactly do I mean by technical? Having a computer/technology related background. I guess I am feeling pressured because I am in an IT department. Well if you sense that I am confused, that's because I am. On second thought I think I am fine as some people here did not know what a wiki is and I would consider them to be more technical than me. So even though I don't have a clue about setting up databases, programming languages, I am knowledgeable about the tools that are available for teaching and learning and the value they can add.

I have concluded now, my mind is clear!The instructional designer just needs to be aware of the various technologies available, how they may be used to enhance learning and possibly how to use the tools....leave the rest to the programmers etc.