Leanne Suttles | Instructional Design

 Wrike vs. Trello Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash Which Project Management Tool is Right  for Your Team? Time is precious, so spend it wisely.      When it comes to project management, time is the most valuable resource. Strong organization and communication are keys to a successful training and development project. With so many helpful tools out there, let us take a look at two of the most popular project management tools on the market.  Why should you use Instructional Design project management tools? Team collaboration- As the project manager, it is important to establish a positive workflow within the Instructional Design Team.  Share resources- Within each project, resources need to be available for individuals and teams. Sharing resources ensures each team member can complete their tasks and view the progress of other team members. Organize and manage tasks- The success of the project depends on the deadlines being met and tasks being completed in order of priority.  Wrike

  Clear & Effective Communication with Stakeholders Photo by krakenimages on Unsplash    "Clear is Kind. Unclear is unkind." ~Brené Brown        When it comes to project management and communication, I am reminded of the quote by Brené Brown, " Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind ". In a 2021 survey conducted by Project.co , Project Managers report 67% of their communications with stakeholders are through email, followed by phone calls (8%), and face-to-face meetings (5%).  Is This Clear and Effective Communication?        This week, I was asked to review the following communication. It arrived via email, voicemail, and in a face-to-face conversation. This is sample email taken from the multimedia program, " The Art of Effective Communication ". Hi Mark,  I know you have been busy and possibly in that all-day meeting today, but I really need an ETA on the missing report. Because your report contains data I need to finish my report, I might miss my own de

  Lessons from the Project Post-Mortem Review      You might be asking yourself, "What have I stumbled upon? I came here to read about Instructional Design, not a murder mystery!" A Project Post-Mortem Review is not as scary as it first sounds. Sometimes referred to as a Post-Project Review, it is simply reflecting on a project, individually and as a group, once a project is complete. In the book, The Project Management Minimalist: Just Enough PM to Rock Your Projects! , Michael Greer recommends a two-step process for reviewing a project post-mortem. Two-Step Process for Reviewing a Project Post-Mortem 1. Prepare a specific list of questions for your Project Management team to reflect upon and answer. The team should be given ample time to self-reflect and prepare their responses. 2. Gather the Project Management team together to discuss the responses and lessons learned during the project. What Type of Questions Should be Included in the Post-Mortem Review? The post-mortem r

  Distance learning in the future I perceive distance learning as growing in the future. George Siemens makes an excellent point in the video. As people communicate online and through video, the idea of distance learning is gaining more acceptance (Laureate Education, nd.). I agree with this statement. Kahn Academy is a perfect example of video being used to teach and tutor concepts. Students can control the video and pause and rewatch as needed. Teachers are implementing a flipped classroom using Kahn Academy (Let's use video to reinvent education | Salman Khan, 2011).  Since 2019, enrollment in online post-secondary courses has jumped from 17.6% to 22.7% (Smalley, 2021). Instructional Designer: improving societal perceptions of distance learning I think the biggest thing we can do as Instructional Designers it to create diverse, content-rich, high-quality instructional material. This can be done by sticking with the Instructional Design foundations principles to design and

 Defining Distance Learning My personal definition of distance learning, prior to this course, would be the learner, instructor, and content are in different locations and brought together with technology. Although this definition is accurate, it is also narrow in scope.  My current experience with distance learning is teaching at an online high school where students attend live classes throughout the day and work in their curriculum either synchronously or asynchronously. Through this course, I am learning distance learning is evolving with new technology and resources where learners can collaborate and acquire deeper levels of knowledge in a synchronous and asynchronous setting. Distance learning is becoming more popular within the education system, companies, and with individuals who want to learn a new skill or hobby (Laureate Education, nd).  The current advancements in technology allow the learner, fellow learners, and instructor to connect and communicate in multiple ways.