Overview of the brain and learning and information processing theory resources -  Week 2 blog post

To be an effective instructional designer, you must understand how the adult brain works and what the informational processing theory entails.

The brain rules blog (http://brainrules.blogspot.com/) provides a lot of great information on the human brain, and how information stores in both short term and long term memory. In John Medina’s (author of Brain Rules) 10/24/2014 blog post for How does memory work? He explained that unlike a computer that has a hard-drive, the brain has various memory systems. Instructional designers need to understand what these different systems are, and how they affect the content they are designing.

The information processing theory piggybacks off of understanding how the brain works. In a March 2014 blog post on Information Processing Theory (http://elearningindustry.com/information-processing-theory), the author Christopher Pappas provided a summary of the information processing theory, and it’s application to the learning process. This blog site points out the three main functions of information process, in addition to the three principles of the information processing theory, that will help instructional designers understand the logic and how to design content that will be easily digested and retained by learners.

Overview of eLearning Resources - Week 1 blog post

As an Instructional Designer and Developer my responsibilities is to ensure that I develop training content that is conducive to the learner’s environment, and that the learner can transfer knowledge from the course to their job. While brainstorming ideas on how to create innovative courses within the project plan time frame, I have ran across a few resources that will ensure consistency with the design of my courses.

Internet Time Blog (www.internettime.com/blog/archives/001083.html) – This site provides a lot of useful information and details for designing eLearning courses. By focusing on the look and feel of the course, you are able to ensure that your training delivery is meeting the needs of your learners. Focusing on the design of the course, also ensures that the eLearning layout and presentation assists your learners with being able to digest the information.

Are There Any Key Decision Factors when Selecting E-Learning? (bootcampmilitaryfitnessinstitute.com) – This blog provided a link to an interesting research paper on seven key decision factors for selecting e-learning. As a developer for a large organization, I must be able to determine if the training that is requested meets the needs for an e-learning course, or does it meet the needs for a face-to-face session. During the scoping process for the project there are several factors that I look at to verify what type of training deliverable should be used. The research paper discussed the media selection criteria, learning task considerations, and learning context and practical considerations.

Six Principle of effective eLearning (contae.wordpress.com) – The Six Principle of effective eLearning blog provides great information on ensuring that the training you developed will meet your stakeholder’s expectations. The blog covers elements that are needed to be incorporated into an effective eLearning module. This blog assist developers with creating eLearning courses that will facilitate learning and also allow the participant to apply the knowledge gained to their job.

References:
https://contae.wordpress.com/2016/05/04/six-principle-of-effective-elearning/
https://bootcampmilitaryfitnessinstitute.com/2016/05/05/are-there-any-key-decision-factors-when-selecting-e-learning/
http://www.internettime.com/blog/archives/001083.html