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USMx: LDT400x Instructional Design Course Evaluation & Capstone Project

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LDT400x Instructional Design and Technology: Instructional Design Course Evaluation and Capstone Project

Course Syllabus

March 21, 2023, to May 15, 2023

About the course

In the final course of the MicroMasters program, you will create a MicroLesson to demonstrate your knowledge of Instructional Design principles. Before diving into the Capstone Project, let's take a moment to reflect on your journey through the program so far. In LDT100x, you learned about instructional design standards based on learning theory. Then, in LDT200x, you were introduced to various instructional design models and their unique approaches to achieving learning outcomes. The LDT300x course explored the design, development, and integration of digital media using new tools and technology. Now, this final course builds upon all of these areas and emphasizes the importance of measurable data in determining the effectiveness and impact of learning.

COURSE Facilitators

Instructor: Catherine Hanssens-Passeri | LinkedIn


Cathy has over 17 years of experience teaching, designing, and developing in-class, hybrid and online courses in higher education settings. She also has many years of experience teaching, designing, and developing courses in the corporate world. She earned her Bachelors in Digital Media, and Web Technology from the University of Maryland University College and her Master's in Instructional Systems Development from the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Cathy can be reached at Catherine.hanssens-passeri@faculty.umgc.edu. 

 

Teaching Assistant: Darcy Goshorn | LinkedIn


Darcy Goshorn is the Senior Manager / VP of Digital Learning Design & Development at Citibank. His mission is to help people see, feel & change. He’s worked in learning design & technology for 18 years, including both teaching & faculty development roles across domestic & international K-12, community college & university institutions. More recently, Darcy has focused on instructional design in corporate spaces that include hospitality, cyber security, and now leads a team evolving global financial training using AI-powered adaptive learning. Darcy earned a M.S. in Classroom Technology from Wilkes University and a B.A. in English with Secondary Certification from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. Contact him at darcy.goshorn@umgc.edu 


prerequisites

LDT 400x is the final course in a four-course sequence. The program content and course projects are sequential, allowing the learner to build on subsequent work. Completing the previous courses (100x, 200x, and 300x) is essential to be successful in the coursework. The final Capstone (400x) builds on the first three courses in the program, and it is highly recommended that you complete these three prerequisites before enrolling in this final course. All course materials are presented in English.

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of this course,  learners will be able to: 

·         Define Learning Analytics

·         Explain Kirkpatrick’s Assessment Model

·         Apply an evaluation model to assess and improve course design

·         Design and publish an online course as a capstone project

·         Reflect on the instructional design cycle

·         Explain your philosophy of design

COURSE SCHEDULE

The course will open on March 21, 2023, and runs for 8 weeks. Each week, new content will be released. Weekly knowledge checks and discussions will be released along with course content. The course ends on May 15, 2023. You will have until that day (23:59 PM UTC) to submit your published MicroLesson. The verification upgrade deadline is approximately four weeks after the course begins - April 17, 2023.

Important note about time zones & due dates: edX learners are located around the globe, necessitating the need to select one time zone for due dates. The chosen time zone for courses in the Learning Design and Technology program is UTC - Coordinated Universal Time. Use the Worldtimebuddy website to help you compare your time zone to UTC time. 

Students should plan to spend between 10-12 hours each week to fully complete each of the following weekly modules.

Week 1 | Design Document and Learning Management System (LMS) Choice (March 21, 2023)

  • In this first module, you will declare your LMS for your capstone delivery. 

Week 2 | Course Goal and Kirkpatrick Evaluation Level 1 (March 28, 2023)

  • This week we will explore levels 1 and 2 of the Kirkpatrick Model and craft a course exit survey. 

Week 3 | Course Outcomes and Kirkpatrick Evaluation Level 2 (April 4, 2023)

  • This module will focus on course outcomes and proper alignment of them to your course experiences

Week 4 | Developing Assessments (April 11, 2023)

  • This week we develop an assignment that will be used in your course and align objectives to it

Week 5 | Rubrics (April 18, 2023)

  • This week, you will take the assignment from last week and develop a rubric that will be used to evaluate learner submissions 

Week 6 | Apply LDT100x Principles (April 25, 2023)

  • The final three modules of this course will focus on the preparation of your MicroMaster’s capstone project. Each module will recall specific instructional design principles you covered in the first three courses of this certificate program. We’ll begin the capstone development with the foundation of all instructional design principles; learning theory.

Week 7 | Apply LDT200x Principles (May 2, 2023)

  • This week’s focus will be on instructional design models. Instructional design models build off the learning theory and design the framework of your capstone project is built around. The focus of this part of your capstone should be on two areas:
    • The theoretical principles that have contributed to the field of Instructional Design (ID), and
    • How those principles can be applied within practical settings of select professional settings.

Week 8 | Apply LDT300x Principles & MicroLesson Submission (May 9, 2023)

  • This final module will review educational technology concepts from the 300x course as you make the final preparation for your capstone project and develop the assets needed to execute the learning you have designed.

Grading Policy

Each week, new content will be released. You will be able to view all material and take any knowledge checks at any time after the content is released. In order to be awarded a certificate, you will need to have completed all learning activities by 23:59 PM UTC on Monday, May 15, 2023, when the course closes.

Certification

If you have not selected the course certification option, the verification upgrade deadline is approximately four weeks after the course begins – April 17, 2023. Verified students must meet the 80% cut-off to earn a certificate. Grades are calculated as explained below.

Overall grade

Grades for verified learners will be based on: Weekly Peer Review activities (35%), Knowledge Checks (15%), and the Published MicroLesson (50%).

·      Weekly Activities (35%)
You will design and develop projects during the course to demonstrate an understanding of course content. Many of the projects are developed weekly, allowing for feedback and updates to improve content acquisition. Monitoring of these activities will be available through peer review activities. These are graded components and are worth 35% of your grade.

·       Knowledge Checks/Review (15%)

Knowledge Checks have been developed to reinforce your understanding of content throughout the program.  Each week, you will find questions that review the content from LDT100x, LDT200x, and LDT300x. These are graded components and are worth 15% of your grade.

·         Published MicroLesson (50%)
The MicroLesson for this course combines all the concepts you have explored in the program.  For the MicroLesson, you will be required to apply information and concepts covered in the Instructional Design and Technology program.  Please see the Published MicroLesson overview for a complete breakdown of the assignment requirements.  Completion of the Published MicroLesson is required for all candidates enrolled in the MicroMasters certificate program. This is a graded component and worth 50% of your grade.



·         Discussions
Some of the weekly modules have discussion questions or discussion postings associated with the weekly activity. Discussion responses will not be graded, but active participation in discussions provides us with an incredible resource of viewpoints, and we want to take full advantage of this diversity in our discussions. Course facilitators will not reply to every discussion post, but will monitor the discussions, highlighting important posts and clarifying concepts as needed. The course facilitators will be following the same schedule for the due dates of discussions as follows:

·         If there is a discussion post for the week, your initial posting should be completed by 23:59 PM UTC on the Wednesday of the week.  

·         Follow-up discussions and postings, if required, should be completed by 23:59 PM UTC on the Sunday of the week.  

Please consider the following when you post:

Discussion Guidelines

·         Active participation is critical.  We are all learning together, and you will get out of the discussions what you put into them.

·         Assume the best intentions of your classmates.  If in doubt, please contact your course facilitator or course instructor about specific concerns.

·         Posts should be written in your own words. If you include a quote or reference when possible, provide a citation (book, URL, etc).

·         Before posting, search the Discussion for similar questions or comments.

·         Use evidence instead of personal attacks when you respond to a post with which you disagree.  You can choose to support good posts and ideas if you click on the green plus button to upvote a post.

Discussion Logistics

·         Please limit your posts/responses to a maximum of 400 words (by request of edX).

·         A blue star on a post means a member of the course staff has endorsed it.

·         If you see an inappropriate post, flag it instead of adding your own commentary.

If you are new to APA guidelines, Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) has a wonderful overview of how to use APA guidelines to cite resources: http://owl.english.purdue.edu.  Attribute: The Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL).

Certificates

For those working to obtain a MicroMasters certificate, you must complete all activities and discussions for the 8 weeks of the course and all required colleague follow postings. Additionally, you will need to design, develop, and publish your signature assignment and post it to the course by the end of Week 8. 

Online students who have upgraded to verified and achieved a passing grade in Instructional Design and Technology: Course Evaluation and Capstone Project will earn a Verified Certificate. These verified certificates indicate that you have successfully completed the course but will include a specific grade. Many students add their certificates to resumes, CVs, or LinkedIn profiles to demonstrate mastery of a given subject area to potential employers. Certificates are issued by edX under the name UMGC and are delivered through your dashboard on edX.org.

The Verified Certificate costs $299 to administer and requires you to complete the ID Verification process. That means that you must verify your identity with a webcam and a government-issued photo ID. Click Upgrade to Verified under the course name on your edX dashboard to complete this process.

If you are interested in earning a UMGC MicroMasters Credential in Instructional Design and Technology, you must successfully pass and receive a Verified Certificate in each of the 4 courses in the Instructional Design and Technology Micromasters program:

    • LDT100x Instructional Design and Technology: Learning Theories
    • LDT200x Instructional Design Models
    • LDT300x Instructional Design: Digital Media, New Tools, and Technology
    • LDT400x Instructional Design: Course Evaluation and Capstone Project

We urge you to consider the Verified Certificate option. You have limited time to become a Verified Certificate student. See the edX FAQ for more details on certificates.

Instructional Design and Technology: Course Evaluation and Capstone Project is part of the UMGC Instructional Design and Technology MicroMasters program. The UMGC Instructional Design and Technology MicroMasters Program is a graduate-level series of courses designed to provide you with the in-depth knowledge and skills needed to be an instructional designer. This four-course online sequence is equivalent to two courses worth of work from UMGC's Learning Design and Technology program for a total cost of $1196.

By earning the MicroMasters credential, you will develop the knowledge and skills identified in the "what you'll learn" bullets on the program landing page and within each course. Build on your MicroMasters Credential by applying to the Learning Design and Technology program at UMGC. 

take your credential to the next level

Learners who successfully earn the MicroMasters Credential are eligible to apply to UMGC's Learning Design and Technology program for graduate-level credential options. The MicroMasters Credential will count for 12 credits in the Learning Design and Technology program only: the Learning Design and Digital Pedagogy course (6 Credits, LDT 610) and Learning Design, Media, and Emerging Technologies course (6 Credits, LDT 620).

For more information and to enroll in other courses in the UMGC Instructional Design and Technology MicroMasters programs, visit edX.org.