A solid and growth-oriented practice of learning design is best achieved when rooted in a strong professional foundation. Before completing the challenges in the Professional Foundations in LDT supra-badge, I felt my professional experience provided a sturdy groundwork on which I could continue to build. However, because instructional design is a reflective process, the creation of the artifacts in this supra-badge represent not just my growth in knowledge and application, but a growth in my understanding of the entire foundation of my work.

 

The Professional Communicator sub-badge afforded me a great amount of personal growth in an area I would previously have said I had developed quite expertly. Words have always been a love of mine, especially writing. This badge encouraged me to be efficient with my words and messaging. In a learning environment, this is a necessary skill because learners, particularly in the corporate environments I work in, do not always have a wealth of time to devote to the learning product. The infographic I created for this badge shows a dedication to careful language usage. The message is clear, concise, and on-point for the given parameters. While the brevity used in the infographic would not be appropriate for all projects, it is evidence of my growth in professional communication.

 

I also experienced significant growth in the two sub-badge areas Applying ID Research and Theory and ID Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes. Understanding instructional design theory has allowed me to more carefully consider the impacts (both realized and potential) of design decisions I make, along with determining the need for specific interventions based on learning theories. My Designing with the Theories paper gave me such great insight into how a simple task (in my case, how to make a great pie crust) can be taught in a multitude of ways, some potentially more effective than others due to content, learner, and context characteristics. The knowledge and perspective I gained during the Designing with the Theories project set the stage for a blog project I completed the following term. The blog project allowed me to not only apply my theoretical knowledge, but share it with the world. In addition to the content being ID-focused, the project required me to learn new skills (creating a blog website) and manage the technology and data-driven side of instructional design work.

 

I have long prided myself on being an ethical producer and consumer of instructional design work. The Ethical, Legal, and Political Implications of Design sub-badge reinforced a commitment to ethical and responsible conduct, which includes the proper citation of any material not my own. The Indiana University certificate shows not only my knowledge of proper crediting, but my commitment to do that. Alongside the ethical importance, working in corporate environments as I do places importance on the legal responsibility I have to an employer or client to produce assets that will not expose them to any liability. I have always taken this responsibility seriously and will continue to do so.

 

Taken together, the challenges and sub-badges within the Professional Foundations in LDT supra-badge represent what is needed to build a robust professional foundation. In fact, the development of this type of bedrock foundation was the primary driver for me pursuing graduate studies. I had many years of experience, but I felt that my foundational knowledge and understanding were lacking in some areas, notably learning theory and its practical application. Designing learning experiences has become more alive and purposeful – beyond the stated purpose of the training. This renewed vigor for design was made possible by my stronger foundation.

 

Like any foundation, my ID foundation needs to be cared for and nurtured. I am committed to always growing and developing my professional competencies. Because I work primarily with adult learning audiences, I plan to continue to research adult learning theory and how I can apply it to the learning experiences I design. In doing so, I am not only preserving my foundation, but shoring it up.