As I reflect on this week’s journey, I am struck by the sheer number of Open Educational Resources there are in this world.  As an Instructional Designer, one of my responsibilities is to provide direction to faculty on available resources they may incorporate in their courses.  One of the reasons I am interested in this cMooc is to see the delivery method in action.  I am curious…is the cMooc something I can replicate here at Truman to provide opportunities for faculty development around the topic of OER?  I believe the answer is most definitely a resounding YES!  An added bonus this week for me?  The fact that I have already been exposed to new and different OER tools!  It’s easy to get comfortable recommending the same tools over and over.  I know Open Learning ’18 will take me out of that comfort zone, and force me to find and try new resources.

My hope is that I am able to contribute to the learning of our group by sharing not only resources I personally use, but to share my experience from the perspective of an Instructional Designer.   What is it like to convert a course from brick and mortar to fully online?  How do you “translate” an on-ground activity into an online activity without simply recording a lecture for 90 minutes?  Are faculty receptive to having another set of eyes on their courses?  How do Instructional Designers gain trust and build strong relationships with faculty and librarians, so that our recommendations are valued?  Just what is an Instructional Designer, anyway?

This cMooc has me geeking out as a lover of life-long learning!  I am inspired, and refreshed, and it’s not even Week 1!  Looking forward to learning with and from you all!

–Susan

Greetings!

My name is Susan Thomas and I am from Northeast Missouri. I am an Instructional Designer at a beautiful, public liberal arts college – Truman State University.

Before working in higher education, I was an Instructional Designer and Instructor in the corporate sector for over 15 years. Prior to that, I was a teacher in the public school system. I hold a Masters of Science in Education, with a specialization in Instructional Design for Online Learning from Capella University in Minneapolis, MN.

I have experience designing a wide variety of courses, including Instructor-Led, Hybrid, Blended, and both synchronous and asynchronous online courses.  As part of that process, I recommend Open Learning Resources, and I am very interested in all the Open Learning Initiative has to offer!