Reflection

Thoughts on chapters 1-3

How has Lohr reminded you of graphic design elements?

While reading the first three chapters of the Lohr textbook, I realized that I had used many of these techniques as a teacher, student, and in my current job without having a formal background in this area of instructional design. I'm looking forward to becoming even more knowledgeable with the research and terminology associated with this field.

What new ideas have you taken away from her now that you have finished the reading?

Although not classified as an "idea", I'm certainly gaining a greater knowledge of the terminology associated with this area. Also as someone who designs instruction, it was beneficial to be reminded to always keep the end user/student in mind when designing content. It's important to remember that what may seem clear to us as the designer or subject matter expert may not be clear to the student who we are ultimately designing the content for.

Do you see graphic design in a new light?

Having used graphic design to some extent, I don't believe I can say that I view it in a totally "new light". The textbook did reinforce a few facts for me. For example, don't let the technology "overshadow" the content. I could relate to the example in the textbook of the student who focused the majority of their efforts into creating great visuals for their PowerPoint presentation yet didn't put a great deal of thought into the actual educational content of their presentation. I saw this happen many times with student work during my tenure as a high school Marketing Education teacher. I can also personally say, I think I may have been somewhat guilty of the same mistake in the past. It's very easy to get caught up in working with the technology and unintentionally neglect the educational message that you want to deliver.

Have you noticed your reaction to graphic design has changed?

Reading the first three chapters of the Lohr textbook reminded me of how important both visuals and graphic design are to creating effective instruction. I was also reminded as to how they can be "over used" and can actually distract the user/student from the overall learning objectives. It's important to create the right balance between visuals/images and the content of the instructional unit.