Within this portfolio you will find an arrangement of artifacts that span two years while I pursued my Learning Design and Technologies masters at the University of South Carolina. These artifacts will show how I have expanded on my knowledge and application of skills within instructional design.

When looking at my artifacts over the last 2 years, it has made me realize just how much I have learned within instructional design. Applying the Association for Educational Communications and Technology Standards (2012) to my projects has proven the knowledge I have gained. My ASSURE eLearning Product and Canvas LMS Course show that I have the knowledge to create, use, assess and manage applications of educational technology and processes. These projects allowed me to critique my knowledge of new applications and apply design theories like cognitive load by Mayer (Moreno, 2010) and content sequencing by MRK (Morrison et al., 2013). My Treatment Report and Final Report Video do a great job showcasing my ability to implement educational technology and processes while being reflective. They also make sure to include the learner into consideration and utilize appropriate instructional strategies. Evidence that I have created, evaluated, used, and managed diverse digital learning environments are seen in my Front-End Analysis and Assistive Technology Website. Both projects incorporated utilizing the learner characteristics to design and develop the instruction around. My Formative Evaluation Project and Web-Based eLearning Product prove I can design, develop, implement learning environments by incorporating technology and collaborating with others. Lastly, my Tina Sears Case Study Evaluation Plan and Technology Plan Research Paper showcase my ability to explore, synthesize and apply methods of inquiry and utilize research to draw conclusions.

The Learning Design and Technologies master’s program has also allowed me to become familiar with instructional design models like ASSURE, ADDIE and MRK and be able to apply their instructional strategies within appropriate contexts for effective instruction with integration from learning management systems and multimedia.

Overall, this program has grown my abilities in time management, collaboration, and writing. Through discussion posts, reports, and papers and APA regulations, my writing has improved immensely. Evidence of my writing improvement can be seen by looking at my eLearning planning document to my instructional design document. My eLearning planning document was brief whereas my instructional design document includes several resources, better understanding of data instruments and in-depth explanations.

Another course that really opened my eyes was EDET 735 where we focused on designing websites and assignments around accessibility. This made me realize just how important it is to have online courses and websites be accessible for as many people as possible that may have impairments, but specifically visual. The module I created for the Formative Evaluation PowerPoint was not accessible whereas as my eLearning product is extremely. This has also made me look at all my resources I use in my career and look at them differently and see how I can make them more accessible.

Another aspect that I do not touch on much throughout my portfolio is the challenge of coding. Coding and I have a love-hate relationship, but the minute I see my code work, is the most exciting and achieving feeling ever. I was able to use my knowledge of coding to code a table in my Assistive technology website. I struggled with being able to put a boarder and links in, but problem solving and figuring out the code was so rewarding and made me feel accomplished!

Lastly, I never expected enrolling in an online graduate program to develop such a community of supportive people. I never thought lifelong friendships would come out of an online program, but with collaboration on projects and hours spent with them have developed true friendships and heightened my abilities to work well with others.