The MSIDT Program and Me

Why did you select the MSIDT program at CSUF?

I chose the MSIDT program at CSUF for a few reasons. First and foremost, I have felt the need to validate my career by having a graduate degree in instructional design. I was lucky and fell into this great profession but I didn’t have formal training. I’ve had a great group of designers to learn off of at work but wanted to have that degree and the training necessary to feel like I’m cognizant of all angles of being an Instructional Designer.

Another reason for choosing this program specifically is I know two alumni. I worked closely with Jennifer Hudson (Shanahan) when I started at Advantage Solutions and now Chandler Ellman (Bondan) is my boss on the training team. Both are alumni of the program and recommended it. I looked at other programs and the CSUF program seemed to be a great mix of being local, well-regarded, and affordable.

The last reason is between my two stints at Advantage, I worked at Hyundai Motor America and they have a great tuition reimbursement program. I was essentially able to attend the program and receive full reimbursement. Unfortunately, when I decided to leave HMA I had to return my first semester reimbursement and begin paying for the program out of pocket upon my return to Advantage. Leaving the program was never a consideration though and I’m glad I was with HMA if for nothing else than to jump-start me with the program.

What are two (or more) topics that you learned about in the MSIDT program (so far) that support your ID career?

On the macro-level, the first thing that helped me in my ID career is the exposure to various learning models. Before I would slap something together and assume it was good-to-go. Now I understand how ADDIE, SAM, and other models such as Rapid Prototyping fit in. This helps design quality, accessible content for all users which I’m sure they appreciate in comparison with my previous, haphazard work-product. I always feel like my “design” has been there but the “instruction” was somewhat lacking. The program has been a huge help in filling those gaps, and I’m still learning!

Thinking on a micro-scale, one thing that sticks out to me is something as minute as color selection. Previously I would look in a color-palette book I have and find any random colors I felt like working with that complimented each other. I never really thought about how color affects someone’s mood or how they process the content. Additionally, getting back to accessibility a bit, I never thought about someone that might be color blind. The Alessi and Trollip book, Multimedia for Learning was a major help in getting me to understand these basic concepts that on the surface, aren’t quite as obvious as you might expect.