Connection with the Cohort in IDD&E
Yanping Lin, M.S. IDD&E ’20, is a student from China. In this interview, she has shared with us the lessons she learned during her journey through the IDD&E program and the takeaways for her future career.
— How did you choose IDD&E and Syracuse University?
— When I found the IDD&E program at Syracuse University, I read the description, liked it, applied for it, and was accepted. What brought me into IDD&E was my previous work. Too many questions accumulated: How to design a systematic curriculum to help students prepare for a highly competitive society? How to make teachers and students engaged? How to assess course effectiveness and teachers’ and students’ performance? How to manage a team effectively? This one-year program provides robust, systematic solutions that can be used in a variety of educational settings. In my master’s degree I wanted to focus on how to apply theory to practice. I browsed through former students’ master’s portfolios to get a full picture of the program and projects and was persuaded that IDD&E was exactly what I needed. Also important was the detailed, kind, and quick communication from the department, especially Rebecca’s responses to all my inquiries. I was ready to open an exciting chapter of my life.
— What excites you most about the IDD&E program?
— The IDD&E program is preparing me to be an instructional designer with technical and software skills. The focus of the IDD&E program is to help students develop knowledge and skills in the whole ADDIE process rather than only in using instructional technology. Additionally, IDD&E has equipped me with a novel, systemic, and systematic method of problem-solving that I have not used before. This shift in the perspective caused me to look afresh at performance problems and effective instruction: To produce desired outcomes, one identifies the gap, designs an acceptable intervention, evaluates both learning and instruction, and repeats the cycle.
— What was the most interesting learning experience for you in the IDD&E program?
— Connection. There is a strong social connection among classmates, professors, faculty, and alumni. We help each other and are part of a supportive cohort. I had opportunities to collaborate with different faculty and classmates from various backgrounds and cultures and learn from them: team management from Tanya Horacek, professional communication from Pam Gavenda, resource integration from David Patent. I am sure everyone liked guest speakers in IDE 632 and IDE 712, whose fresh and engaging activities enhanced our learning experiences from the real case studies they presented. The interconnection between courses within the IDD&E program is amazing. For example, our ISD model in IDE 632 and the front-end analysis plan in IDE 712 allowed us to look at similar problems from different angles. The professors are true experts, they are excellent in their work. I benefited a lot from them discussing the reasons behind their own instructional decisions in our classes—a model of how instructional designers think on the job.
— How do you plan to use the knowledge from the IDD&E program in your future career?
— In my career, I envision myself a supporter who helps students and teachers be successful. The IDD&E program has provided me with professional training and best practices in instructional design. My ISD model in IDE 632—a step-by-step change system for developing dynamic curricula and courses with diversity and informatization in mind—is the epitome of my future plan. I want to be an influential change-maker who develops and modifies a range of courses that promote individual student’s success and supports diversity of learners. Online instruction interests me the most not only due to its convenience and flexibility for instructors and learners but also its dissemination advantages, effective tools, and hyperlinked educational resources. I believe I have the foundational knowledge to make an impact in my future work.
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