Reflection

My Inspiration

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​The inspiration for my project came from my two young adult children. I wanted them to understand how they could potentially end up paying more over time as a result of the financial decisions they were making today. When trying to talk about it, I found the information became confusing and overwhelming. I also remember how I had to navigate this subject at their age, often piecing information together on my own.

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My Initial Research

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My initial research indicated that Gen Z (individuals ages 18-23) and Millenials (individuals ages 24-39) have credit scores considered good, or average. These mediocre scores offer room for improvement. Understanding and employing simple strategies can have far-reaching positive effects on an individual’s financial well-being. While my tutorial is focused on these individuals, I saw parents and educators as a secondary audience that could also benefit from the information to provide support.

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With Gen Z and Millenials in mind, I chose to do a self-paced online tutorial. These individuals often prefer online education over traditional classroom experiences. They are web-savvy and rely heavily on technology. A majority in these groups are motivated to learn, financially conscious and prefer sensible and realistic educational approaches over theoretical ones. An online tutorial also lends itself to being available anywhere and anytime that is convenient to the learner; the ability to update information reflecting feedback or new facts; and is a cost-effective way of distributing information.

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Sequenced and Focused Objectives

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When developing objectives, attention was given to sequence them appropriately using Bloom’s Level of Taxonomy. Objectives are listed beginning with the “remembering” level and then progress to the “understanding” level.

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The previous course defined objectives using the method outlined by Robert Mager’s book Preparing Instructional Objectives. This includes three clear and concise components - performance, conditions and criterion (p.4). During this course, Will Thalheimer pushed my thinking about objectives in a different direction. Thalheimer states Mager’s objectives were designed for use by learning professionals, not learners themselves. Thalheimer encourages using more salient words, instead of more explicit action verbs, to better connect with the learner. He also points out there are other ways to focus a learner without always using focusing objectives. These include telling a learner something is important in the context of the presentation; repeating an element to signify its importance; making learning tasks relevant to the learner’s life or work; simplifying topics to make them easier to understand; and using design elements such as color, offsetting text and different font styles to indicate importance. Varying the methods used will result in a learner’s increased attention when a focusing objective is used (Thalheimer, 2015).

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I’ve incorporated a realistic and relevant scenario, which is also used as a Connect activity (see below), that aligns with Thalheimer’s research. The scenario explains how an individual can pay more over the life of a mortgage with just a 100-point credit difference compared to a friend. I plan to continue utilizing Thalheimer’s points as I develop the tutorial, including using more salient words in focusing objectives to better connect with the learner and replacing more explicit action verbs with more general verbs such as “understand.”

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Learning and Motivational Theories

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In thinking about how to present the learner with information and given the complexity of the topic, I will be focusing on using essential information to minimize cognitive load. I used this approach in the development of objectives and in my outline of a sample presentation (Absorb activity). The slides, with voice over narration, will chunk information making it easier for individuals to assimilate the information. According to a recent study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, Learning, Memory, and Cognition, chunking helps reduce working memory load. This results in fewer sets or chunks of information to remember rather than focusing on all the individual items (“Chunking,” 2020). The slides will also introduce one element at a time, such as text or a graphic, to help keep the learner focused and not overwhelm him or her with too much information at once.

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The tutorial will continue to be designed with John Keller’s ARCS Model of Motivational Design. These components include information presented in small steps; ensuring new information builds upon the previous step; and designing content that is just difficult enough. Together, these elements will increase learner confidence and motivate the learner to continue progressing through the tutorial.

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Assessing Learner Progress

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In developing my sample assessment, I used best practices outlined by William Horton in his book E-Learning by Design. This included using a standard question format that identified what question number an individual was answering; using a lead-in when appropriate; using simplified language free of ambiguous words; using standard punctuation and spelling to minimize potential misunderstandings; providing instructions on how many answers apply; and offering formative feedback. When referencing feedback, Horton (2011) explains, “Tests can teach too. Feedback on test questions can correct misunderstandings and augment knowledge.” (p. 263). I also included a variety of test questions including multiple choice questions, true false questions, and pick one questions. Horton (2011) points out, “Such purposeful variety makes tests more robust. The results do not depend on learners’ verbal skills or ability to answer one kind of question.” (p. 263).

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Absorb - Do - Connect

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I continued the design process by developing Absorb-Do-Connect activities. ‘Absorb’ activities present the learner with pure information, such as slides, an interview, and a story, as outlined in the Alignment Chart.  While this may sound like a passive activity, Horton (2011) explains the learner is still mentally active. (p. 67). ‘Do’ activities encourage an individual to practice, analyze and interact with the new information. My ‘Do’ activities include a quiz show game, an interactive graphic and pick one questions from a scenario. The primary purpose in designing these was to help the learner apply new knowledge.

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The final activity designed was the ‘Connect’ activity. Rather than adding new knowledge, Horton (2011) explains this type of activity ties together new information with existing knowledge (p. 163). It also provides the reader context as to how this new knowledge can be applied to a real-world scenario, an important learning component for my target audience.

 

I chose to illustrate the difference two individuals would pay over the life of their mortgages with credit scores that were 100 points apart. This may not seem like a big difference to a young adult. However, it shows the person with the 100-point deficit stands to pay over $25,000 more, a significant amount. This practical application reinforces what the individual has learned thus far while emphasizing the importance of knowing one’s credit score and its long-term potential financial impact.

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Universal Design for Learning UDL

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Having no previous knowledge about UDL, understanding where it originated and its framework of principles was one of the most interesting topics in this course. Each learner is unique and has a different path to success. The website Postsecondary Education and Universal Design for Learning defines one of the benefits of UDL as, “Rather than teaching to the elusive average learner and singling out those who fall in the margins, courses can be designed from the start to reach all learners” (The Florida Consortium on Postsecondary Education & Intellectual Disabilities [FC], 2012). It also points out that by including UDL principles, learners will be more empowered to master the content (FC, 2012).

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As the instructional content is developed for this tutorial, a variety of these principles will be used. These include closed captioning; information presented in an alternate language such as Spanish; guided notes; a glossary of credit and financial terms; use of varied media; and a web assistant to help answer basic questions and direct learners to appropriate sections.

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In Closing ...

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Instructional design is an iterative process. My intent is to begin with a well-researched plan that emphasizes alignment while incorporating best practices related to objectives, instructional methods and assessments. I plan to continue evaluating learner feedback and the results produced in the activities and assessment categories. Continued revisions and improvements will help learners more easily master the content and enhance their ability to apply new knowledge to real world situations – all while building motivation and confidence.

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