Wow! What a journey this has been creating this module. I have learned so much about the design process but the most significant thing I learned was the importance of iterating your work. Somewhere during the middle of this project I saw an internet article that talked about the evolution of the Simpsons. The author pointed out that the first sketches of the popular cartoon were EXTREMELY rough, but have evolved over the years (google it). The author made the parallel that our projects or ideas are no different; the first draft at anything we do can always be improved if we remain diligent. I read that article the same week that I was assigned to do a Dcon with Ben Turner. Between these two things, I was inspired to scrap my original prototypes and start over with my project design. I realized that I was only using storyline to a fraction of its ability and that my content wasn’t very engaging. I wanted to create a module that was engaging and involved a little humor (because honestly my topic is a little comical). So I went back to the drawing board to start over. 

I knew that if I wanted to create something cool that I would have to learn more than just the basics about storyline. I began to look at different storyline projects online and take note of the interactions that I was most intrigued by. Once I noted an interaction, I found 1-2 different tutorials of people talking about how to use it. I wanted my project to display my ability to do a variety of things in Storyline in case I ever use it in a portfolio. I basically made it a point to use each of the interactive functions in one way or another. Next, I knew that I had to step up my visual design game. Which was hard for me because I sometimes get paralyzed when I’m working from a blank canvas. At this point, I was glad that I chose to do a topic that I’m so passionate about. This allowed me to think of the images and colors that are associated with this topic. I started with the color scheme of the popular gay sex app “Grindr” and worked from there. I also did research into which colors represent sex and sexuality and added those colors as well. I learned how to use photoshop in order to crop and manipulate images like I wanted so that I could create fun objects within the module. Finally, I started building the course and used feedback to improve. As you all and Dr. McCalla begin to move around in the course, I got acquainted with areas that weren’t user-friendly or easy to navigate. Although I was right up on the buzzer at the end, I’m damn proud of how the module turned out.

For the final portion of the project I wanted to create an authentic assessment using a scenario. I wanted the learner to end the module by going through what someone who is new to gay sex would go through on their first encounter. It wasn’t a course reading, but I started reading up on the design method called action mapping and was drawn in. The premise of action mapping is that the learner is drawn immediately into the tasks that they will need to accomplish with the knowledge and skills they acquire in the learning (Moore, 2017). While I did want to showcase all of the ways I learned to make content interactive in storyline, I didn’t want this to just be an information dump. I wanted to create an experience through telling a young gay man’s story from my very first mindmap. So at the end, I allowed the learner to create a profile, prepare for the encounter, and engage their knowledge about sexual health and safety. It was a great way to take the learner through what they would actually do with the information. 

Overall, the studio design in this course was extremely helpful even though I fought it in the beginning. I really didn’t enjoy the google drive set up of the course in the beginning, but I grew to love it. I looked at every single person’s project every step of the way and gained inspiration. I loved the way that Danielle and Jacob used sliders and it inspired me to learn how to do that in my course. Like everyone, I loved the navigation that Ben Turner created so I learned how to incorporate that. I love how Jennifer’s visual design helped to support her topic. I took what everyone taught me and made something that I love and am proud of. This was a wonderful experience. 

Reference

Moore, C. (2017). Map It: The Hands-on Guide to Strategic Training Design. Montesa Press.

 

This design process has been really enlightening. I’ve learned a lot about who I am as a designer from how I manage projects to the way I handle adversity. This stage of the design has been largely frustrating for me because I find myself spending a lot of time worried about the content of my module. I want really badly to create something that is both visually appealing and instructionally sound. However, I don’t have proper user- or content research to really organize the course content the way I’d want to. As frustrating as that is, it has taught me that my favorite parts of the design process are probably the discovery/needs assessment and content development; this will help me identify my personal design philosophy. I am also learning the importance of iterations. While making this first prototype, I would tend to get fixated on one portion of the course and get stuck. I would treat each portion of the course as if I were creating the final product. I’ve read many times in this course (and in other courses) that the proper way to approach design thinking is to not be married to an idea and to iterate. I would stop myself from lingering on one section during the creation of this prototype. I would make myself just build a rough version and move on. I could worry about the fonts and color scheme after I had an interactive prototype that outlines how I would want the course to flow. 

The other thing that has been really enlightening during this process are the design consultations. I didn’t really understand the point of having a design consultation early in the semester, but it made sense this time. I was very inspired by one of the courses that I was assigned to give feedback on. The visual and interactive elements in my design partner’s course helped me realize that I was only using a fraction of the storyline capabilities that I could be using. In fact, it kind of made me want to scrap my whole structure and go back to the drawing board. For the sake of time, I will push forward with what I have, but I want to continue to reimagine this course throughout my grad program because I want it to be the best that it can be. My feedback partners course also highlighted some points that I learned in the course reading. Edward Tuft (2003) discusses the importance of how material is presented and that nonlinear presentation can enhance content relationships and contexts for presentation material. My design buddy had his course laid out in a way that spatially helped me organize the information. It encouraged me to revisit how I presented my content because mine was pretty text heavy and more like bulletpoints on a page. This design process (and this course) has been like drinking from a fire hydrant. I am excited to take the things I’ve been able to catch and slowly learn more as I develop as a designer. 

Reference: 

Tufte, E. R. (2003). The cognitive style of PowerPoint. Graphics Press.

 

 

After a few design consultations, I am beginning to think more creatively about the potential for this course. Originally I wanted to make a course that was cut and dry with pure facts. I figured that the content was engaging enough on its own because who doesn’t want to talk about sex! However, through collaborating with my peers and faculty, I’ve realized ways to make the content even more engaging. At work, I’ve been learning about the importance of including a narrative in the structure of your course when possible. According to  John Hattie and Greg Yates (2014) the cognitive act of sense-making is enhanced when concepts are layered and put into context. This happens because we do not learn linearly. Which means learners, especially online learners, have a better chance of making sense of disparate pieces of information when they are combined together in a big picture. It is cool for me to get to practice what I am learning in my courses; our reading on gaming design has similar sentiments about the importance of narratives. Dickey (2006) talks about how narratives can incorporate literary techniques to increase motivation. Establishing emotional proximity is one such technique. Meaning that I can activate empathy and identification with the topic of my course through using a narrative to capture the learner. This is huge because my topic is a very personal one that people will make sense of in their own unique way. 

With all of this in mind, I decided to create a narrative for my eLearning module. I figured that my learner could follow the ‘typical’ story of someone in my target audience. The character of the narrative will be a young person who is striking out on their own for the first time and considering having gay sex. This structure will allow me to add particulars about the character that the learner can relate with through emotional proximity. For example, I will likely include a conservative upbringing for this character since the learners in my region who will need this content can relate. I wanted to storyboard this journey, so I used the initial journey map that I created as a launching pad. Using this, I created a sketch of the path that the course will follow and where the content will be added into the narrative of this character’s story. 

This exercise in design thinking was actually really eye-opening for me. I’m familiar with the process of storyboarding through other instructional design courses that I’ve taken. I want to sharpen my technical storyboarding skills, but for now I just sketched out the course; I could use this as a foundation for a rapid prototype of the course. Creating this sketch helped me realize just how important it is to build learner personas and know the audience that you are building for. There were a few points in the narrative that made me think of how relevant the characters details would be to the learner. I needed to consider a lot: would the character want to expose himself and be out; would he even want to try penetrative sex, if so, what role would he try; does he prefer a more anonymous encounter or not. This list goes on. I realize that if the character(s) in the narrative make choices that are unfamiliar to the learner then, the learner may disengage from the content. It’s made me consider either using the variables feature in story line for user navigation OR providing separate characters or characterizations dispersed throughout the content. I want to optimize the course for engagement with the learner. I will continue to consider these things as I design. Please see attached sketch below:

 

References:

Hattie, J., & Yates, G. (2014). Visible learning and the science of how we learn. New York: Routledge.

Game design narrative for learning: Appropriating adventure ggame design narrative devices and techniques for the design of interactive learning environments. (2006, June). Educational Technology Research and Development, 54(3), 245-263. DOI:10.1007/s11423-006-8806-y

 

 

My goal in this course is to design a realistic, interactive learning experience that addresses a social issue. I began by having an ideation session around a few topics of interest. By using the mind mapping method, I organized my thoughts around a course about gay sex education. I want to create the type of material that I wish I had as I was figuring out my sexuality. Sex education is BARELY a part of most secondary curricula and education on gay sex is only very small portion of that! All too often, young gay men are sexually socialized through misinformation and popular culture. While the latter is not necessarily a bad thing, some out-of-context messages can be harmful to the individual and the gay community at large. I want this course to serve as a supplement to young gay men as they prepare to engage their sexuality with safety and a sense of social responsibility.

Robert McKim introduced me to higher levels of introspection in his work on visual thinking. In the text, I learned that we all have a way of representing our thoughts that are separate from the thoughts themselves (McKim, 1972). Understanding that is transformative for both the design AND content of this course. I used this visualization concept and a design thinking method to represent learning material that doesn’t exist yet. As I mapped out the possibilities in my mind, I could represent them using imagery in my brain. I’m learning that there actually are concrete, tangible components of the creative process; gathering ideas and ideation are one of them. I transferred this internal visual onto paper and made it concrete. In addition to kickstarting the creative process, visual thinking principles have implications for my course content. The words ‘gay sex’ invoke unique responses from any person who hears them given our social climate on the topic. In other words, people visually represent this in SO many ways. They can be demonized, vilified, celebrated, misunderstood, etc. etc. Which is precisely why I want to create content that is grounded in research and centers the gay experience.

I used the mind mapping design method to ideate for this course. This topic is very vast and the possibilities are endless haha. There are so many different angles that you could approach this topic from: psycho-social understandings, healthcare/ sexual health, history, racial, gender expansive socialization. I used the mind map as a tool to uncover all the angles and identify which were the most important to me; this is a passion project after all. I found myself lingering on the topics of just cisgendered gay sex (as opposed to queer sex that includes gender non-conforming folks). Additionally, I was really fixated on focusing on the topic through a racial lens and understanding the gay Black male experience with sex. I’ve included the mind map below and you can follow the iterations of the course under the Gay Sex Education tab. I look forward to diving into designing this course. I am certain that it will be useful for young gay men as they figure out how to navigate their sexuality. It could even be useful for those who came out later in life and feel like there are no resources for them.

 

 

 

References:

References

McKim, R. H. (1972). Experiences in Visual Thinking. Brooks/Cole Publishing Company.

 

I have always envied individuals who history remembers as “world-changers”. My undergrad experience as a Sociology major inspired me to see social issues as an opportunity to change things in the world around me. I consider myself to be a great storyteller and have always found comfort in traditionally ‘creative spaces’. So naturally, in my first career I gravitated towards an occupation that combined these experiences. I attempted to find my footing as a pastor  for years before I realized I needed to reevaluate my goals. I realized that my personal convictions were incongruent with the beliefs of many religious organizations. This setback created an urgent need for me to find another career path, whether it was fueled by passion or not. I began searching for high-paying jobs in a field with a great quality of life. I assumed that the technical and skill-based roles that I was searching through would not require as much creativity as a pastor that creates experiences and forms connections. I started to think that the creative side of me would not be utilized and would therefore atrophy. However, the introduction chapter in the Kelley and Kelley book helped me to see that creativity is present ANYWHERE there is innovation. Through this literature, I was able to realize that every innovation (new-to-the world thinking) is the product of factors outside of an innate ability to be ‘creative’. For instance, I could assess the desirability, viability, and feasibility of any solution to any problem and be an innovator. Each step of the process requires collaboration and out-of-the-box thinking to create solutions. I see now that innovation and creativity are more than buzzwords. Rather there are practical steps and methodology to changing the world that don’t belong to any specific profession. In short, we ALL have access to creative confidence; we just need to strengthen that muscle. This new perspective will allow me to frame the work that I do. I can begin projects with a sense self-efficacy and determination with the assurance that I can create a solution to anything. Additionally, I can use iterative design thinking principles to collaborate with learners and stakeholders to create the best possible solution to the issue; I’ll know that whatever I create in a project can always be improved upon. I want my people-centric approach to design to yield the best possible learning experience for students. I believe that education (in any and every form) holds the key to our society’s future. If we can spread the concept of considering others in everything we do, the sociologist in me believes that the world will continue to change for the better.

 

Kelley, D., & Kelley, T. (2013). Creative Confidence. Crown Business.