Week 6 Reflection

From our last readings, we can argue that there are many similarities between the business sector, the P-12 system and the higher education system when it comes to the use of intructional design and technology. One of the similarity is that most of the organizations in these diffrent sectors try to use news technologies in order to improve the performance of their employees. In the for profit sector for example, managers and team leaders expect that by using new technologies they will improve the productivity of their team members. In the P12 schools, admnistrators believe that introducing technology in the school can help teh teachers to improve the content and the form of their teaching. In higher education the new technologie are used in order to facilitate the elearning courses that many universities and colleages offer to their students. Therefore, all these organizations agree on the fact that the introduction of instructional development and technology can have a very positive impact not only on their different activities but also on their overall performance.

The second similarity comes from the fact that introducing a new technology requires a team work. The collaboration between the different stakeholders of the project is a key element of his sucess. For example, we have seen that trying to introduce new technologies in the schools system without the approval of the teachers can be a disaster in term of result even they are unwilling to use or to learn the new technologies which have implemented. Based on this example, I think that before deciding to implement any new project related to new technologies, it is extremely important to involve the different actors in a way that they will participate in a positive way to his implementation.

In addition to that , I would also like to point it out here that partcipation is very important when implementing instructional design and technology. The different examples in the readings tell us that the designers should not be the experts in charge of everything. They need to listen and to communicate with the people they work with. It is only by doing so that they will be able to design and implement the best systems for their clients. Indeed, each actor has his domain of expertise and by discussing and sharing with actors with different expertises, the designers will obtain the information they need.

To summarize , i will say that instructional designers no matter the types of sectors they are working in, needs to develop good communication and listening skills. They need to be able to understand what are the needs of the people their work with, and to explain to the same people what they are going to implement in order to help them slove their problems. The best instructional designers is not the one who knows each and everything but rather the one who knows what is the problem of the organization he/she is working with and try to come up with the differents actors of the organization a solution adapted to their problem.

In chapter 26, Reiser gives us many lessons that can be applied in the educational technology field but also in any another field. In fact , I am convinced that anyone who is looking or plan to apply for a job can take advantage of most of these lesons.

The first lesson which I really found interesting is Lesson 9: Dont be discouraged if you dont get the first job you apply for. This lesson in my opinion is a golden rule in any human activity. Nothing can be achieve easily or in the first try. I think it is very important to be perseverant where looking for a position. We have plently of succesful people who have tried very hard and many times before achieving their rules. This is true in the educational field but in any thing in life in general. What we might see as a failure can be an opportunity in the future. We can always learn from of previous mistakes and failures to improve ourselves. Giving up is just not an option, we should always try to move foreward.

My second favorite lesson is Lesson7: Acquire some Management skills:

I think this a very good advice. From my personal experience, I learned that no matter what your position is , you will always need to ahve some kind of mangerial skills in your work. As long as you are dealing with human beings we will have to know how to communicate, encourage, motivate, supervise people. This is a very important skill that many ignore but which can make a big difference in teh work place. This is especially true when it comes to promotion and career advancement. It is generally the ones who have the most developed managerial skills that are given the biggest opportunities to move up in the hierarchy.

Finally, I think Lesson 15: When preapring for a job interview , find out as much as you can about your potential employers.

I think the exampple of the author himself is enough to argue that it is very important to do your homework before going to a job interview. The more you know about your future employer the most chances you have to convince him to hire you. Having enough information about the employer can also give to him the impressio that you are really motivated for the job and will not spend a long on training. I think , it is defintely a plus to know and to show to your future employer that you know about his activities.