Challenge 1: Acquire and apply new technology skills in instructional design practice.

Criteria for successful completion of this challenge: Evidence of sharing ideas, best practices or application of new technology skills in the field. Reflection must address: How you acquired your new skills (webinar, training, etc.) and how you have applied these new abilities in your own instructional design practice.

Examples: Professional presentations, blog posts, work trainings, adding technology into classrooms, online discussions where sharing of ideas or resources are used, LDT Technology Badges (make sure to focus on the application of the skills learned), other evidence of acquiring and applying new tech skills in ID practice (design, performance, workplace, educational, other).

Reflection

The competency for this challenge is "Acquire and apply new technology skills in instructional design practice." The artifact chosen to demonstrate this competency is the Color Theory module created using Articulate Storyline. This module showcases my ability to learn and apply a new instructional design tool to create an interactive learning experience. By developing this module, I effectively connected my newfound skills in Storyline with my instructional design practice, fulfilling the challenge’s requirements.

Creating the Color Theory module required not only technical proficiency in Articulate Storyline but also thoughtful instructional design to enhance learner engagement. Articulate Storyline was entirely new to me, and I invested significant time learning how to leverage its features—such as creating scenes, embedding multimedia, and designing interactive quizzes—to develop a comprehensive learning experience. This artifact demonstrates the competency through its practical application of new technology, as I applied Storyline’s capabilities to design a module that combines visual elements with interactive activities to enhance understanding of color theory principles. The project’s structure, which includes interactive scenes, quizzes, and multimedia, exemplifies how this technology can be used to create an engaging, organized, and visually appealing instructional module.

My background in instructional technology and prior experience with other authoring tools informed my approach to this project. Although I had not used Storyline before, my familiarity with basic principles of instructional design and multimedia integration allowed me to approach the software with a foundation of knowledge that made the learning process smoother. This experience highlighted the importance of flexibility and adaptability in instructional design. Additionally, had I encountered Articulate Storyline in previous roles, such as creating training for new hires, this tool would have been highly useful for enhancing learner engagement through interactive elements and quizzes, which can improve information retention.

This project serves as a strong representation of my ability to acquire and apply new technology skills in instructional design practice. Through this experience, I gained confidence in using Articulate Storyline to create professional-grade e-learning modules. I learned the value of perseverance in overcoming initial challenges with new software and recognized the potential of Storyline to bring creative instructional ideas to life. Moving forward, I plan to further develop this competency by exploring advanced Storyline features and incorporating them into future projects. This continued learning will allow me to design increasingly complex and engaging e-learning experiences, better preparing me for instructional design roles that demand proficiency in diverse authoring tools.

Download the Reflection as a PDF.