LDT 506 Self-Assessment & Reflection

 Rating Myself

I would place myself at a 4 on the evaluator self-assessment. By the end of the learning design and technologies program, I would like to move toward a 5. I have learned so much as a student in the program, but I would feel insincere if I placed myself any higher than a 4 at this time. This process reminds me of when I was studying to become a teacher. Just like our program, I had assigned readings and completed weekly assignments. However, I will need more field experience to deem myself an expert evaluator. King, Stevahn, Ghere, and Minnema (2001) describe four different types of evaluators. In some ways, I feel like an accidental evaluator. My journey into our graduate program was unexpected and exciting, almost accidental. I was looking for a new opportunity away from the classroom. I found a position at ASU and applied for our program shortly thereafter. Being a mere two semesters away from graduating, I now classify myself as a new evaluator.

Strengths:

• Designing Personalized Learning

I feel most confident in my ability to design personalized learning. Much like how I aspired to teach high school English, I am able to design an experience that is accessible and engaging for all learners, regardless of background or perceived ability. One of my main takeaways from our 506 course is the importance of creating experiences for learners, rather than just a proverbial box they can check or certificate they can print.

• Collaborating with Others

Success in our course required working with others. I’ve had the good fortune of working with peers who represent a wide range of professional and academic backgrounds. I would imagine that this is a pretty accurate replica of what it’s like to work in the field.

• Foundational LDT Knowledge

This is the area I’ve experienced the most growth in. Although I entered ASU’s LDT program with six years of classroom experience, this career field felt very unfamiliar and a tad scary. Admittedly, when I signed up for the program, I thought there would be more connections applicable to the work of a secondary educator. I’m grateful for the professors that I’ve had. They’ve designed our courses in a way where we have readings and engage in discussions that supply us with the foundational knowledge of the learning design field that I knew I was lacking. 

Areas for Growth:

• Field Experience

Our evaluation proposal assignment is the first hands-on LDT project I’ve had that felt like a major task I would be given in the field. The work stretched my critical thinking in new ways, requiring me to unlock a certain level of persistence and grit that I wasn’t sure I had. 

• Transitioning from Classroom Setting to LDT Evaluation

As I alluded to earlier, I’ve really had to find myself. I wasn’t sure if this was the program for me. Through our 506 course, I’ve been able to add new skills that I can put on a resume and speak about in a future job interview. Not only do I have experience working with secondary learners, but I now have the experience of helping create a budget, analyze data, and learn new evaluation tools such as histograms. Did I mention I learned about peep jousting as well?

Self-Assessment Competencies

As King, Stevahn, Ghere, and Minnema (2001) note, most fields recognized as professions have typically developed competencies for practice. These fields include teaching, healthcare, and much more. As aspiring learning evaluators, it’s imperative that we consider our own competencies-based framework to model our practice after. These are the competencies from our exit self-assessment that surprised me as being most necessary:

1.8. I am able to identify how evaluation practice can promote social justice and the public good.

Note: I didn’t consider how social justice might factor into our work. Due to how data-based evaluations can become, I’m surprised yet comforted to know that we haven’t lost the importance of the human element embedded within our work.

2.4. I am able to determine and justify appropriate methods to answer evaluation questions, e.g., quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods.

Note: This instantly made me think of our course. As the data representative for the evaluation team I served on, I am starting to feel more comfortable overseeing data and presenting findings in a variety of formats.

3.6. I am able to facilitate a shared understanding of the program and its evaluation with stakeholders.

Note: I didn’t consider how essential knowing our stakeholders is to the evaluation process. We want to understand their needs and include them in our process as much as possible.

4.2. I am able to address aspects of culture in planning and managing evaluations.

Note: A bit similar to 1.8, I didn’t think the word ‘culture’ would appear in evaluation methods. One of my favorite topics discussed in our course was culture. When learning is involved, I think it’s imperative to consider the diverse pool of learners we are serving.

My Plan Moving Forward

Join a Professional Organization

• I’m not very well-versed in the professional organizations catered toward LDT professionals. Based on my experience in the journalism and education worlds, I know how valuable these organizations can be. Admittedly, I haven’t felt very connected to classmates thus far in the program. Although our online modality is incredibly accessible, I think I may have compromised the ability to build relationships with my peers. It’s just really difficult to foster meaningful ones online. Joining a professional organization could be the solution I’m hoping for.

Locate a Good Book

• As I’m typing this, I can see a stack of books that have been on my to-read list for many months. I’m partial to non-fiction, but I want to locate books related to LDT. We’ve been exposed to many articles about the field itself. I’ve learned new vocabulary and have a stronger idea for the history of the field. Seriously, who knew online learning has been around for decades? I think I would benefit most from an autobiography of sorts written by a learning designer. I’d like to learn more about the experiences of professionals and any advice they’d be willing to give, especially if they have teaching backgrounds. 

Reference

Stevahn, L. S., King, J., Ghere, G., & Minnema, J. (n.d.).

Establishing_Essential_Competencies.pdf. Google Docs. Retrieved May 2, 2023, from

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ODVy1A0Ntxy09wwv8yjO1P-tNnuQW7KB/view