Working Out Loud: Instructional Design Project Reflection

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Victoria L. Price

 

Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University
LDT 502: Design and Development of Instruction

Professor Abdullah Skyali

October 10, 2024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            Throughout this semester, we have focused on developing the instructional design project, “Implementing DaVinci Resolve for the faculty of the University of Skaro.” The primary goal of this project was to address a recurring issue in online courses at the university: the lack of instructor presence, which previous research has shown to be strongly linked to student engagement and performance. Faculty and student feedback indicated that when instructors actively engage with their students in online courses that student satisfaction and outcomes improve significantly. To address these findings, our task was to provide faculty members at the University of Skaro with the necessary skills to create a personalized instruction video, edit it using DaVinci Resolve software, and effectively upload it to YouTube, and then to Canvas for seamless integration into their courses. By equipping faculty with these tools, the project aimed to enhance a sense of connection between instructors and students, ultimately improving the overall learning experience. This essay will evaluate how well the instructional design aligns with the needs of faculty learners, assess whether the instruction met the project’s outlined goals, and identify any key areas for improvement that could further advance the effectiveness of the project.

            The target audience for this project includes faculty members such as professors, instructors and lecturers of varying ages, ranging from 25 to 70 years old. Most faculty members should have basic level technology proficiency and all faculty members are expected to be able to navigate Canvas with ease. However, we made the assumption that the majority of faculty members would not have experience with editing videos, therefore we tailored our project instructional to accommodate beginners. To guide faculty through the process of creating and integrating videos, we incorporated a variety of resources, including DaVinci Resolve training videos, sample exemplar videos, interactive tutorials, step-by-step guides, and example images. Additionally, we provided personal assistance through a Slack channel, IT support via email, a Help Desk and a Padlet forum for faculty to share their experiences, questions and even their videos for peer feedback. As a third mode of support, we also offered three Live Q&A sessions, each focused on different topics. By providing multiple forms of learning resources, allowing for a self-paced learning environment, and offering a variety of support options, we aligned the instructional materials with the diverse needs of faculty members, ensuring that regardless of their proficiency level, they had the tools and guidance they needed to successfully upload their video to YouTube and embed it in Canvas.

            The instructional design project successfully aligned with the goals of the design case by addressing student key concerns regarding lack of faculty presence in online courses. Thus, the main objective of the project was to use videos to enhance instructor presence, which has been shown to positively impact student engagement and success. It is known that when faculty members incorporate videos into their courses it creates a stronger connection with students, leading to improved performance overall in online courses. The project focused on equipping faculty with the necessary skills to leverage video as a tool to foster a stronger instructor presence, ideally, right from the start of the course. Additionally, the instructional materials were designed to be accessible to all faculty, regardless of their prior video editing experience, if any. The format allowed beginners to master the basics of creating and integrating content using DaVinci Resolve. By achieving these goals, the instructional design should be able to produce personalized content that resonates with students on a deeper level. Overall, the instructional design effectively met the project’s objectives and goals of improving instructor presence and engagement in online courses.

            Reflecting on the project overall, I believe we could have done a better job supporting faculty members with an advanced level of proficiency in video editing. The instruction primarily focused on the basics of using DaVinci Resolve to accommodate those with little to no experience. However, offering advanced modules for experienced faculty or those eager to explore more complex features would have been a valuable addition to these learners. This additional training would have allowed experienced learners to push the boundaries of their content and create videos with a higher production quality. Some instructors may have wanted to experiment with advanced techniques such as green screens or motion graphics. By providing this level of instruction, we could have empowered faculty to create even more engaging, professional-quality content, ultimately elevating student engagement, satisfaction and comprehension. Lastly, providing differentiated instruction would have also made the project more inclusive, ensuring that all faculty members, regardless of their starting skill level, could benefit from the trainings and apply them effectively within their course content.

            In conclusion, the instructional design for implementing DaVinci Resolve at the University of Skaro was largely successful in achieving the goals outlined in the Design Case and addressing the needs of faculty. The project provided resources that catered to varying levels of technical proficiency, while opportunities for personalized supports and feedback would aid faculty in developing the necessary skills to foster a stronger instructor presence and increase student engagement in online courses. Although the instruction met the core objectives, offering more advanced materials for any experienced faculty members would have further expanded the scope and impact of the project. Overall, this initiative not only laid a solid foundation for faculty to improve their use of video in course design and output, but it also provided me with valuable insights and experience in the realm of curriculum development and design, highlights areas for continuous growth and improvement.