Plotting the Course: Mapping My Professional Learning Flight Path
Introduction
As an aspiring instructional designer with a background in K-12 education and a strong interest in blended and digital learning, I am enrolled in ETEC 524 with a desire to deepen my theoretical understanding and practical design skills for creating meaningful, engaging, and inclusive learning environments.
My professional work involves designing learning experiences that support diverse learners, and in my personal life as a volleyball coach and parent further reinforces my interest in how learners develop skills and confidence through well-designed, well-supported instructional environments. My short term goal for this course is to design a unit of learning for volleyball resources for new coaches and players to deepen their knowledge of the game. Through the MET program, my broader goal is to become a reflective professional who can thoughtfully integrate technology in ways that enhance learning, foster community, and support students’ learning. I’m very interested in learning more about how learning environments, both physical and virtual, can be intentionally designed for engagement, interaction, and deep understanding. I wish to strengthen my ability to create rich, multimodal content with digital media, while remaining grounded in relevant/recent pedagogy, rather than technology for its own sake.
I am excited to explore more meaningful assessment strategies that move beyond recall toward application, reflection, and authentic demonstration of learning. I aim to create opportunities for students to learn with and from one another, connecting and constructing knowledge from dialogue, feedback, and shared creation.
Learning Goals for Designing Digital Learning Environments
My learning goals for this course include learning as much as I can about the research behind what makes an effective digital learning environment, how to design effective learning units, and how to best assess learning. I am excited to learn more about Bates’ (2015) SECTIONS model to help me critically evaluate technologies based on different factors such as students, ease of use, teaching functions, and more. I’m curious to learn more about the SAMR model (Puentedura, 2021) and the different degrees of technology integration. I’ve studied Universal Design for Learning Guidelines in other MET courses and I look forward to learning more from this course from the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST, 2024). I’m also very excited about the Anderson (2008a & 2008b) readings that discuss the foundations of online and distance learning.
My Growth as a Digital-Age Teaching Professional
This course can further support my development as a digital-age professional by grounding my learning in theory, while reinforcing the importance of keeping the human experience at the centre of educational design. Drawing on the wisdom of First Nations’ perspectives, including Dr. Brokenleg’s (2017) work on the Circle of Courage, this approach recognizes that while education must support intellectual growth, it is equally important to nurture emotional well-being, belonging, and empowerment in learners.
Skills and Approaches
I took this course to increase my technical skills, as well as my pedagogical and critical thinking skills. I believe this course will help me critically think about the tools used in online learning spaces, especially ensuring that I am not using technology for the sake of using technology, but having a well-thought out and intentional plan when implementing new technology. I resonate with Chickering & Ehrmann’s (1996) seven principles of good practice, as those principles apply to any learning environment I may find myself in the future. I found that I also resonated with the International Society for Technology in Education (2017) standards for educators and will refer back to that during the course to keep my flight path on course.
Topics of Interest
The topics most central to my learning goals are multimodalities, assessment, and interaction. I recognize a need for future professional development in effective assessment strategies and best practices, particularly those that support meaningful and authentic learning. In addition, interaction plays a critical role in learner engagement, as well-designed interactive experiences help make learning more engaging, participatory, and meaningful for learners. Equally important is developing a deeper understanding of multimodal approaches to instruction, including how content is presented through text, visuals, audio, and media in ways that supports accessibility, comprehension, and learner choice.
Resources
As a novice professional, the resources I will need will be the research literature, tutorials, communicating with my community, and access to tools for ongoing experimentation. Tools and supports include learning management systems, access to feedback, and evidence-based research to inform my design decisions. Prototyping tools, learning analytics, rubrics and design frameworks, multimedia creation software, and technical support may also be needed.
Conclusion
As the course progresses, my learning path may continue to evolve as I deepen my understanding of theoretical frameworks and emerging technologies. However, even though my path, the technology we use, and the world itself is always changing, my commitment to being a reflective, theory-informed practitioner will remain constant.
AI Disclosure: ChatGPT was used for idea generation and grammar checking. All final edits and ideas are my own.
References
Bates, T. (2014). Choosing and using media in education: The SECTIONS model. In Teaching in digital age. Retrieved from https://opentextbc.ca/teachinginadigitalage/part/9-pedagogical-differences-between-media
CAST. (2024). About Universal Design for Learning. Retrieved January 9, 2026, from https://www.cast.org/impact/universal-design-for-learning-udl
Chickering, A. W., & Ehrmann, S., C. (1996). Implementing the seven principles: Technology as lever. American Association for Higher Education Bulletin, 49(2), 3-6. Retrieved from http://www.aahea.org/articles/sevenprinciples.htm
Puentedura, R. (2010). The journey through the SAMR model. IPad Educators: Sharing Best Practice in the use of Mobile Technology. Retrieved from https://www.powerschool.com/blog/samr-model-a-practical-guide-for-k-12-classroom-technology-integration
Tobin, T. J. (2014). Increase online student retention with universal design for learning. The Quarterly Review of Distance Education 15(3), 13-24.
International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). (2017). Standards for teachers. Retrieved from https://www.iste.org/standards/for-educators
School District 27 Residential Schools and Reconciliation. (2015, October 16). First Nations Principles of Learning [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PgrfCVCt_A