Reflecting on my learning design goals - 3 semesters into graduate school (LDT 501)

    I am currently beginning my third semester in graduate school, and as this semester starts up, I have been reflecting on my goals and personal brand. The graduate program I am in can be a mouthful so hang with me here- “Master of Education: Learning Design Technology and Digital Audience Strategies”.  I am grateful to be getting a stellar graduate education from the Arizona State University Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College and Walter Cronkite School of Journalism. I was initially very scared to pursue my master’s degree; however, professors and teaching assistants throughout each course have been so kind and pushed me to dive deeper into my personal brand and goals for the future. The courses and assignments thus far have really ignited my creativity and allowed me to visualize the professional avenue that is best suited for my interest's post-graduation as I enter the learning design and digital audience strategy field. 

    Initially, the learning design area was fascinating because it was a largely back-end position assisting with supporting the learning development of a variety of audiences dependent on the career in which one chooses to pursue. My work experience as an SLPA (speech language pathology assistant), allowed me to find a passion for teaching in a setting that is, well, not necessarily a classroom, and learning design does just that. I really enjoyed working with clients across different age groups when I had this role. The pieces of the SLPA position that I found rewarding were incorporated into learning design along with aspects that satisfy my creative itch. I will be able to merge my love for teaching a variety of audiences in a digestible way with the art of creation and my own personal learning journey. Participating in Learning Design Technology (LDT) courses has opened my eyes to just how broad the field is and led me to think back to instances in which I was of benefit from learning designers. The first thoughts that came to mind were within an educational setting. Although educating the learners of tomorrow in a classroom is an especially important area of learning design, it is my goal to work within unique and different avenues of the field. This got me to thinking, “where have I been on the receiving end of learning design materials in spaces that may be unexpected?”. The areas that came to mind aligned with my lifelong interests straight away.

    As consumers of content, we are constantly learning about the things we have a desire to know more about. Oftentimes, these are our personal interests and passions. I have always been a lover of fashion, beauty, and museums. Upon deeply considering my enthusiasm for each of the categories listed, I thought about all of the times I was exposed to learning design material pushed out from organizations that I admired or products I used every day- Smithsonian, National Geographic, MoMA, Vogue, Sephora, Allure, The MET (the list goes on and on). To add, my lifelong admiration for museums had me considering what roles learning designers play in my active absorption of the information I learned during my visits (feel free to review my blog post pertaining to that learning design interest here). I came to understand that learning and visual designers are at the forefront of every museum concept, providing context for the exhibit you are exploring and making it a memorable, immersive experience. This too applies to the way we consume and learn about fashion or beauty. It is my goal to work in a learning design setting as described above. 

    A huge influence in my learning design journey was my visitation to the MoMA and American Natural History Museum roughly one year ago. The learning designers for these locations created such simple, impactful, educational, and exciting material for visitors. This trip inspired me to have a part in something so powerful that can touch so many lifelong learners across a variety of backgrounds. One thing I found very exciting about the design in the museums I visited is the intersection of technology and learning. I hope to make an impact in this field by working in a position within my area of interest that combines cutting edge technologies, accessibility, applications via visitor phones (etc.), to create interactive and engaging storytelling moments. 

    Contributing to the broader network in this industry as a new learning designer requires me to first, listen and observe influential people and corporations within the industry. It is my hope that through these observations I can become a contributor to the learning design technology community and create a meaningful impact on lifelong learners attending museums or exploring an interest in fashion or beauty. I think a strong place to begin in my journey as a learning designer would be to strengthen my skill set.  What I believe makes me stand out in this field aside from my creativity and love for storytelling is my experience as a virtual learner in my undergraduate and graduate courses. I would be remiss if I did not mention my experience as a speech language pathology assistant as something that would highlight my ability to create designs to meet diverse learners and create inclusive educational experiences. Skills across instructional design models (i.e. ADDIE, SAM) will be essential for my contributions to the industry and within my future workplace. It would also be important to leverage learning design technologies such as LMS (learning management systems) like Canvas, for example. Other platforms that would set me up for success on my pathway to be a meaningful contributor to the field includes utilizing an assortment of software such as Articulate Storyline, Adobe Captivate, Camtasia and even AI. In fact, throughout the course I am in right now, we have been assigned a personal mentor via AI (ChatGPT). This innovative learning experience will be fun and new. I look forward to sharing more about it as the course goes on. So far, the AI mentor has been very helpful in guiding me as a mentee with what might be useful to sharpen skills on. For now, I am certain that I may have already made small but meaningful strides toward this goal by my blog posts and will continue to share along the journey.