Master of Instructional Design and Technology

  Institution: Private: Open University

The Master of Instructional Design Technology programme (MIDT) offered by the Open University Malaysia (OUM) aims to produce graduates who will be equipped with impactful theories, principles and practices of Instructional Design that could be applied in numerous engaging, attractive and appealing settings especially in an e-learning and social media environment. The instructional methods for MIDT are task-based and student centered, utilizing up to date learning designs to suit various technology environments. As we are aware, present day students are facing learning challenges that are fundamentally different from that of previous generations.

They require a different kind of educational experience that fits their multitasking lifestyle. In addition to this growing demand are technological developments, which have ushered in a new paradigm in education, bringing with it a new breed of students and a demand for courses that meet their needs. With the job market growing ever more competitive, and employees being expected to continually develop themselves professionally, lifelong learning’ has become a necessity.

OUM has recognized this need for innovative programmes and pedagogical solutions to attract such students, and has offered several online courses to its clients – MIDT is one of them. Another highlight of the programme is the diversity of its learning community: the students and facilitators hail from at least 7 different time zones and 14 different countries. This enables a mix of cultures unparalleled in education.

The MIDT is endorsed by the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) with yearly scholarships for deserving students and it is also very affordable – at least 4 times cheaper than those offered by other equally competitive institutions in other parts of the world with no compromise on quality of learning.

Entry Requirements

Normal Entry

• Honours degree in any field; OR
• Bachelor degree in any field with at least 2 years working experience.

Flexible Entry

• Be at least 35 years old on 1st of January (application year) AND
• Possess STPM/HSC (minimum 1 principal) OR
• Recognised Diploma or equivalent AND
• Passed Flexible Entry Assessment; AND
• Possess prior learning experience AND / OR knowledge relevant to the programme applied.

Programme Structure

Core Courses

• Principles and Practices of Instructional Design
  This course introduces students to instructional systems design processes focusing on the ADDIE Model. Thereafter students would be taken thoroughly through about 6 major Instructional Design Models vis-a-vis the principles and practices. The course will also briefly discuss the other components of the model, namely analysis, development, implementation and evaluation. At the end of the course, students should be able to confidently discern the difference between ISD and ID and select an instructional design model to suit the instructional environment moreso a technological oriented one.
• Research in Instructional Design and Technology
  The emerging field of instructional design and technology is generating a wealth of significant research. In this course, students would be able to hone their skills on how to access, critique and synthesize published research reports with an emphasis on designing instruction and instructional materials using technology. The emphasis will be on using research to have a positive impact on professional practice.
• Applying Theories of Learning to Instructional Design
  Various theories of learning exist to explain how learning occurs and how, based on certain theories of learning, instructional plans are developed. The course will focus on principal theories of learning such as behaviorism, cognitivism and constructivism and how they are applied to improving learning using various instructional technologies. The student will also be able to incorporate various learning processes when designing instruction using a variety of media, including web-based applications.
• Online Assessment Methods
  This course is designed to enable the assessment of student learning using online techniques to be understood in a wholesome manner. This includes using the most suitable performance-based assessment techniques, feedback procedures and evaluation tools. The course will provide opportunities for students to plan and design formative and summative evaluation methods using online approaches such as e-portfolios and online forum discussions. The course will also cover legal implications and challenges of online assessments
• Learning Communities and Social Pedagogical Networks
  A strong theory that will be discussed and applied will be Vygotsky’s Social Constructivist Theory and how this and other similar theories can translate into social softwares to enable informal learning environments through collaborative learning networks to flourish. The challenge for educators then will be how to re-frame their pedagogical practices for the new technological developments and facilitate the design of online communication and information exchanges to empower learners and create an enriched social learning landscape. Transformative and global educational experiences will be emphasized.
• Managing Intellectual Capital
  This course focuses on a systematic approach to corporate learning regarding the deployment and management of IC, IP and KP in an organization. The student will be trained, based on industry case studies, into how to connect learning and performance objectives of organizations in the knowledge-based economy.

Elective Courses

Any 3 from the following can be chosen.

• Design and Development of Interactive E-Content
  Instructional e-content in this course will include among others learning objects, active web pages and I-Tutorials. Students will be taken through the “how” of using the principles and practices in Instructional Design course to macro and micro design and develop instructional e-content. It will culminate into any one of the above outputs by using existing instructional templates. This course will also examine the issues and challenges that arise in the development of e-content.
• Instructional Technology for Diverse Learners
  Educators are identifying an increasing number of approaches to using technology to address the range of learner diversity found in instructional situations. Technology can enhance approaches such as differentiated instruction and can be implemented in specialized ways including adaptive technology for handicapped learners, distance learning to address modified attendance patterns, and enabling technologies for independent learning by highly talented students. In this class, students will learn about both the specialized devices and applications that can be used in instruction and appropriate ways of identifying and addressing student learning needs so technology can be implemented to address them appropriately
• Human Performance Technology
  Students examine the foundations, process models, interventions, professional practice issues and future trends in the field of human performance technology (HPT) which aims to improve performance in the work place or in learning situations. This course provides students with methods of identifying and solving human performance problems in organizations. Students will apply human performance theory, models, and techniques and conduct human performance analyses in preparation for effective design of instructional and non-instructional interventions.
• Managing Instructional Technology for Change
  The circumstances in information technology and learning technologies are constantly changing. These external changes necessitate and influence the developers and educators to integrate a more strategic planning into the curriculum in order to become a knowledgable educator in the changing 21st century. It is fundamental to acknowledge that educational technologies are often designed and developed without change in mind hence, the unit aims to better prepare students/educators to face these upcoming challenges.

  This course will inform and enlighten students the foundations of learning and technology through a meaningful integration of technology to support learning experiences. This course will also cover various factors of change, illustrated by learning using technoolgy, with the objective of raising an awareness of this issue of change in today’s contemporary learning environment.

• Network Systems and Learning Management
  This course is designed to provide students with reading and hands-on experiences in current and emerging networking technology that develops students’ familiarity with various aspects of network telecommunications and database systems. Topics include networking terminologies and reference models (TCP/IP and OSI), local area networks (LANs), wide-area networks (WANs), configuration of storage, backup and performance, remote access, virtual private networks, tuning and troubleshooting. The course will also cover web programming skills in coding and scripting languages that are used in learning management tools like XML, HTML, DHTML, JavaScript and PHP for systematic design and development of learning management technologies.
• Instructional Technology Development Tools
  Students will be taken through two sets of major tools – programmable tools (preferably flash) and ready-made templates (CourseLab). The blended approach will give students the dexterity to use the tools in accordance with the strengths and constraints of the content. Students will also be trained to master a collection of tools, most of which are computer-based, to be used throughout participation in their design and development of learning environments. Authoring/Multimedia tools such as programming, scripting, modeling, and project development applications (Inspiration, PowerPoint, Sketchpad and Photoshope) along with Web development applications (HTML editors like Dreamweaver and FrontPage) will be exposed to students to deliver one or more mini-projects that demonstrates their competency with these tools by the end of semester.

Capstone

• Research Project Design
  Instructional design in any setting can be the subject of systematic inquiry-research-through which improvements and innovations can be made. The benefits of research are most readily assured when the project is conscientiously designed. Students in this class will review existing literature about a topic, and identify how the research they design can provide meaningful contributions to the field. They will then go through the process of developing a research proposal, including formulating a researchable question and designing a study to advance their understanding of the question’s focus. This class is intended to help students understand the research process, both as an academic endeavor and from the point of view of program monitoring and development. Students who choose to do so can use their approved design from this class in Conducting Research in Instructional Design & Technology
• Current Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology
  This course provides an overview of current and future applications of technology in learning environments, focusing on examining what the experts and practitioners in the field are doing and saying and the concerns they express. At the end of the course, students should be sufficiently aware of the current ‘state of the art’ technologies, be able to identify and critically evaluate current trends in the use of these technologies to support learning and make an informed decision about the types of technologies that would be relevant and appropriate for their respective organizations
• Conducting Research in Instructional Design and Technology OR
  Students with career aspirations in program evaluation or policy studies, and/or that include the potential for doctoral studies have the option of conducting a capstone research project under the supervision of program faculty members. This research will in most cases be the project the student designed in Research Project Design, or a version of that project, but may also be a project designed specifically for this class. Student research proposals will be shaped with input from the program faculty, one of whom will serve as the student’s project advisor. After project approval by faculty, students will obtain the required permission (depending on the setting) and will move through the steps of research, including the drafting of a final report. Due to the timeframe of the class, student projects will necessarily be limited in scope, but may serve as pilot projects for further inquiry.
• Practicum In Instructional Design and Technology
  Students with career aspirations in program operation, development, management and/or administration will benefit from the opportunity to undertake a professional practicum as their capstone experience. The practicum will allow students to apply and further develop the knowledge and skills they have acquired through the MIDT program. While practicum placements will be the student’s responsibility (with approval from the supervising faculty member), program faculty will make every reasonable effort to facilitate the practicum assignment and the student’s work during the practicum. Specific requirements of the program will be determined with staff within the placement setting, faculty members and the student, but will include in every case references to specific outcomes from prior MIDT classes.
• Virtual Seminar: Critique and Review of Electronic Portfolio
  Throughout the MIDT students will maintain an electronic portfolio in which they gather evidence of ways that they have addressed the program and class outcomes. While there will be some artifacts required of every student, most of the decisions regarding what artifacts are included will be made by the students themselves. Importantly, the student’s capstone project (i.e. report from their research project or practicum experience) will be a required element in the portfolio. Those capstone projects will be presented in a gallery in a virtual world, in which each student will make a presentation using an avatar in that world. Students will also respond in meaningful ways to the projects and presentations of their peers, relating their responses to program concepts, principles and outcomes.

Source: Open University Malaysia (OUM)