Introduction

               My professional career began by working for the Wisconsin Downtown Development as a program coordinator and membership liaison. As a program coordinator, I had many opportunities and exposure to learn and to build my knowledge and skills in the instructional arena. My roles and responsibilities at the Wisconsin Downtown Development provided a stepping stone for learning and introduction into the world of Instructional Technology. Over a period of nine years, I identified, sold and designed applications, trained staff and management, and established customer support for an average of 70 nationwide accounts per year.             

             The years of working at corporate levels were the pinnacle of my career path. I learned to challenge myself through uncovering details of a client’s real need followed by implementing technology to match the needs of corporate objectives.

             In addition to the above mentioned positions, I have also taught Microsoft Office applications in three different states and two foreign countries for over 8 years.

             My years of experiences as a trainer led me into the field of Instructional Technology. I first became interested in the Master’s of Science of Instructional Technology (MIT) program because of its title. However, as I entered into the program and became more familiar with the theories and principles of Instructional Design and Development, I found the field fascinating and essential for my goals of expanding my knowledge and skills as a trainer.

            Theories and principles of learning and instructional design helped me realize that retention of new materials cannot take place unless these principles are taken into account when training is designed and developed. As an Instructional Designer, I aspire to apply these principles and to ascertain that the learner’s needs are being met.

            As a trainer, I bring many of my formed beliefs and ideas to my new role as an Instructional Designer. Through many years of experiences I have learned to read and listen to those who are more experienced than I am. Thus, I have come to believe that learning is experiential and facilitated when the learner participates completely in the learning process and is engaged in practical, social, personal or research problems. I think as Instructional Designers, we should emphasize the importance of learning to learn and to have an openness to change.

            I believe my education and experiences have prepared me for various job responsibilities including applying the principles of learning and instructional design to different settings, subject matters, and diverse learners. I believe I am able to design an instruction that is not only tailored to the learners’ needs, but also emphasized more on applied knowledge and skills rather than rote memorization and facts.

             I am confident that in order to achieve successful training; I must know my target audience and the conditions for learning; I must be able to design a lesson or module as well as a complete curriculum. I also believe that it is necessary to determine how the message should be designed and presented in order to successfully communicate with learners with various background and knowledge. I am also proponent of the idea that as an instructional designer, I must be able to employ instructional strategies that can increase and maintain learner motivation throughout the learning process. I also believe in team work and a collaborative approach to design and development process and am convinced that team approach and inclusion of multiple perspectives will result in better learning products.

             I have practiced Instructional Technology (IT) in various capacities throughout my professional life and the program at UNCW. My learning experience in the program has revealed the importance of theories and principles of instructional systems design (ISD) for design and development of instruction in general, and training in particular. I look forward to exploring my new career opportunities and I am anxious to serve as an instructional designer / trainer in business and industry or government agencies.