Data Based Decision Making
Artifact
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Reflection
Course: EDTEC 795A-Solo effort
Purpose: This site was developed as a repository for writing information.
Situation:
The Writer's In Control company works with school districts throughout the Southeastern United States. They provide a writing program for teachers to use in their classrooms. Until now, they did not have a website established and were spending a considerable amount of time emailing documents to their clients. Consequently, I created this website to house writing support documents and also to give the company a method of distributing and accessing documents from any location.
What problem(s) or opportunities arose as you were developing this artifact? Writer's In Control needed a way to archive their documents , and teachers needed to be able to access those documents any time and place. While this website allows an outlet for Writer’s in Control to promote their writing program, it also puts their documents "out there" and unprotected. This project gave me the opportunity to learn about Moodle software. I was drawn to Moodle because it was Open Source software that could also be used for educational purposes. Moodle also allows for secure access to allow for protection of copyrighted material.
I also encountered some scheduling conflicts with my client. Two family emergencies caused my client to cancel two of the initial face-to-face training sessions. As a result, I redesigned my training in order to adapt to the situation.
What did you learn from engaging that problem or opportunity, and how do you hope to apply in the future the experience you gained? The main thing I discovered is that the World Wide Web is not a safe place to store copyrighted information. After the initial release of the website, I realized that I needed to provide a more secure database. Accordingly, I quickly established a Moodle site for the company to use as a repository.
During my client experience in EDTEC 795A, I was introduced to the idea of blended learning. Shortly thereafter, unforeseen consequences arose in my project, which required me to use the Bookend Blend training model. My client was not able to attend the first two scheduled face-to-face (FTF) training sessions. In order to keep the training on schedule, I devised and offered her ways to retrieve the information from her home. I used informational web links, a video podcast and a job aid to introduce the content. We later enriched this material with our FTF training sessions. Finally, I left her with the use of the website for an additional six months so she could refer back to the information at any time.
What does this work demonstrate about you and your capabilities? Although gathering data up front is important, realizing the project will encounter some changes is probable. I demonstrated the ability to adapt and cope with unforeseen consequences in a project, and redesign the instruction in a way that does not impact the overall schedule and completion date.
What did completing this work teach you about yourself within the field of educational technology? I learned the power of data gathering instruments and inferring their results. I then used the performance analysis guidelines in First Things Fast by Allison Rossett to assess training needs. I also adapted to changing conditions by implementing Blended Learning strategies to overcome changing conditions. I created a learning management system as a repository for information. I implemented sound project management skills to complete the project within the timeline and on budget as stated by the contract .
