Reflection on Research Experience

By
Shanica Robin - 308206773

A Paper Presented in Partial Fulfillment

Of the Requirements of
EDID 6506 Issues, Trends, Innovations and Research in Instructional Design,
Information Technology & Design
Semester I: 2015/2016

Student Email: shanica.robin@my.open.uwi.edu

University: University of the West Indies Open Campus
Course Coordinator: Dr. Camille Dickson-Deanne

This assignment allowed the opportunity to truly highlight the benefits of keeping
up to date in the field of education technology, distance education and instructional
design. Entering the assignments for this course my views were that I would just troll
some websites looking for information that may not be beneficial to me in my current
work environment, as I always relate course work with applicability back on the job.
However, I was wrong, this assignment afforded me a view into the ever changing
environment of the field. Knowing he new, up and coming trends allows you to make
better decisions, and reassess current approaches and methodology and keeping up-todate with your industry is key for building expertise. I have added more that 10 new
tools to my ever expanding toolkit.
To get a better understanding of the emerging trend sin the field, I first accessed the
sites and links provided in the assignment instructions. The NMC Horizon Report for
2015 captured my focus and formed the framework of the selection of the top trends in
2107. The trends chosen in my view can be implemented within the the timeframe and
will make significant impact in the field of education technology, distance education and
instructional design in the year 2017. These trends are based on hot button topics in
industry: Big Data, Analytics, MOOCs, LMS, Mobile Learning, Personalized Learning
etc. The identified trends represent the next stage in evolution of these current tends.
They are as follows:
https://infograph.venngage.com/p/62575/edid6506
It will be interesting to see how these trends will emerge and develop over the
course 2016 -2017. According to (Leblanc Vaughan, 2015) Articles and books will give
fresh ideas, and clients and projects will give the opportunity to get hands-on. These
trends will mature and show their value as we discover the audiences and environments
in which they can thrive. Most industries are changing rapidly, and the changes can
seem daunting. However, one of Stephen Coveys famous 7 Habits, Sharpen the Saw,

encourages us to create a program of self-renewal, including learning and researching

for mental growth.
We are fortunate to be IDs with the tools and stamina to research, learn, change, and
incorporate best practices to make our work more effective.
The challenge for me looking ahead as an instructional designer in the corporate
environment is to not be comfortable in the known but to actively pursue the unknown,
embracing change and taking risk on new approaches that may shape the
organizations performance and learning approach. Ive enjoyed the research and the
knowledge gained. This assignment has given me a new perspective on this course and
has highlighted the evolution of the field.
Reference for the Assignment:
Fournier, H., Kop, R., & Sitlia, H. (2011). The value of learning analytics to networked
learning on a personal learning environment.
Hodges, T. S., & Weber, N. D. (2015). Making Heads or Tails of Classroom Flipping.
Kappa Delta Pi Record, 51(2), 57-63.
Johnson, L., Adams Becker, S., Estrada, V., and Freeman, A. (2015). NMC Horizon
Report: 2015 Higher Education Edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.
Kurti, R. S., Kurti, D. L., & Fleming, L. (2014). The philosophy of educational
makerspaces part 1 of making an educational makerspace. Teacher Librarian, 41(5), 8.
Leblanc Vaughan, S. (2015, Feb. 2). 2015 Instructional Design Trends Compass:
Calling IDs to Action. Retrieved Dec. 1, 2015, from elearningindustry.com:
http://elearningindustry.com/2015-instructional-design-trends-compass-calling-ids-action

Levine, C. N. (n.d.). Open Learning, Open Content: Emerging Trends in Education:

iSchool. Retrieved December 1, 2015, from HAYIDION THE RAVSAK JOURNAL:
https://ravsak.org/open-learning-open-content-emerging-trends-education
New Media Consortium. (2010). The NMC Horizon Report: 2015 Higher Education
Edition.
Johnson, L., Adams Becker, S., Estrada, V., and Freeman, A. (2015). NMC Horizon
Report: 2015 Higher Education Edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.
Shi, Y., Xie, W., Xu, G., Shi, R., Chen, E., Mao, Y., & Liu, F. (2003). The smart
classroom: merging technologies for seamless tele-education. IEEE Pervasive
Computing, (2), 47-55.
Waters, J. K. (2014). Adaptive Learning: Are We There Yet?. THE Journal
(Technological Horizons In Education), 41(4), 12.
Yan-lin, L. L. Y. Z. (2010). The Application of the Internet of Things in Education [J].
Modern Educational Technology, 2, 005.