Lessons Learned by Jeanine Lee

Concordia University’s Department of Education recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of the programs in Educational Technology. Here are lessons learned from Day 1 of the EdTech@50 conference held June 29, 2019, in the John Molson’s School of Business building.

Patti Shank and evidence-based learning

The first thing I learned on entering the Educational Technology Program – first as a Diploma then as a Master’s student – is that I know nothing … of learning, of education, of instruction and training, and of educational technology in general. A year and a half later, as I work through my internship and towards finally earning my Master’s degree, I have learned a LOT about all of the above. However, as I sat in on Patti Shank’s keynote address at EdTech@50, I thought, “Oh, my! I still have so much MORE to learn.”

Shank is a world-renowned author, facilitator and designer who specializes in evidence-based workplace learning. Her keynote focused on science and research-based training. Incredibly learning myths still abound – on decreased attention spans, digital natives, and learning styles. It is easier to rely on conventional wisdom, than to question it. Shank reminded us that it’s not only necessary to practice life-long learning, but also to maintain research-based learning and training, especially as an Instructional Designer or EdTech specialist. When I eventually graduate with a Master’s in Educational Technology, I will enter the world of instructional design and training endowed with skills and knowledge to help corporations and organizations with learning. My employers will trust I will have all these EdTech skills and knowledge. So, even though it may be popular, I can’t endorse AI-based training or agree with giving students tablets in highschool if there is no evidence proving any of it enhances learning. Since it’s easier for someone to believe in “conventional wisdom” it could be a bit of a fight! Lessons learned from keynote speaker Patti Shank:

  • Keep questioning all the claims and follow the research!
  • Guide learners more, the less they know about a subject. Don’t give all learners all the control of their learning all the time. This is about scaffolding learning and paying attention to prior knowledge.
  • Desirable difficulties: Make learning something a little difficult for learners. Effort is needed so you can learn, remember and then apply. It’s about building expertise and mastery, and not about just transferring knowledge.

Sharing EdTech knowledge and skills

I learned the spirit of EdTech includes presenting and defending skills and knowledge in learning. Two Graduate students in particular – Abir Itani and Erika Sullivan – demonstrated this presenting their posters. Itani presented on addressing poor learner engagement in MOOCs used AI methods, and Sullivan presented on designing apps for youth empowerment – two aspects of instruction and learning that could be applied today. Lesson learned at the Poster Sessions:

  • Talk or write about what you are doing. Don’t keep your learning inside the classroom or in your office. This will engage other professionals in the field and take the conversation out into the public sphere where it deserves to be. Learning should be shared.

Design Thinking in Learning

I have heard of Design Thinking – a human-centered process for creative problem solving. It was used most famously in designing the Eames Chair. Kristina Schneider of Accenture Design Thinking Academy held a workshop on how we can use this approach in learning. She introduced us to the “Double Diamond” model which parallels the ADDIE model we use in Instructional Design. The “Double Diamond” model goes like this: Discover the problem (Analysis, in ADDIE), Describe the issue in question (Analysis), Develop possible solutions, or Idea + Create / “Ideate” as Schneider calls it (Design & Development), and Deliver working solutions in a Prototype, or “Validate” (Implementation & Evaluation).

Lessons learned in the Design Thinking workshop:

  • Design models sometimes look very similar because creative processes often require some essentials: “what is the problem” and “who this problem impacts,” being two of the main ones.
  • Using crowd-sourcing to keep project on point. While this may seem true to the human-centric core of Design Thinking, I am wary of crowd-sourcing every project, as this method may lead to a design-by-committee solution.

Perspectives from the field

Michelle Savard and Wendy Appelbaum of Concordia University brought their extensive expertise in corporate training to a lively panel discussion. Lessons learned:

  • Delivering courses sometimes means having to first address users’ motivations and frustrations, since having unhappy learners does not encourage proper learning. A training facilitator is sometimes ideally positioned to help a company through some training issues, like unhappy learners. And even if it’s often not in the facilitator’s mandate to do this, simple human compassion and common sense should prevail.  The extra time and effort will pay off in the end.
  • “Models , methodology, theory – rely on what you have learned and put it into practice on the job. Put that process to work!” said Wendy Appelbaum.