In this weeks’ effort to sit quietly, and practice the Method of Loci, I took a different approach. The first time that I attempted this exercise, I was too literal with my visualization. I couldn’t separate my vision of the place that I was thinking about, from the exercise that I was working through. My hobbies often include interior design, and it’s hard for me to think about interior spaces in a different context. This time, my approach was much more illustrative, than literal.
As I sat quietly and worked through the Method of Loci relaxation and visualization exercise, I found myself assigning “context” to spaces as I visualized them, in order to help me focus on the purpose of this exercise. The context that I was working through was the ADDIE model, and so each step of the model was assigned a different “space” in my visual exploration.
Starting from outside of the front door, I pictured the “analysis” component of the ADDIE model. I visualized my client, and their needs in a product. How can I “open doors” to new methods of learning, and informing their audience, through my instructional product. I wanted to meet, and exceed, the goals that they had in mind, and provide elevated levels of education for their target students.
My next step, once I walk through that “door” is the “design.” I visualized walking around the entire space and getting a feel for the needs of the end user. How do they want the “space” to make them feel and what their “use” of the space should be. At this point, I visualized how I would improve upon, or help deliver electronic information and educational content, through an e-learning platform, for my client.
Advancing forward, after the design phase, I visualized the “development” of the project. Through the steps of the Method of Loci, I translated this process as a mental exercise of moving furniture around a room, in order to better accommodate the layout and the residents, utilizing the space. In an analogy of interior design, this is the equivalent of deciding if the furnishings are “right for the space” or if we need new furnishings in order to achieve the desired goal. Within instructional design, we must look at the content that is available to us, and decide if that is the correct delivery of information, or if we need new content. Is the delivery method effective, and does it enhance the learning outcome for students? Does it simplify and make sense in the space that it occupies?
The fourth step in the ADDIE model is the implementation step. I visualized this as the process in interior design where the designer is shopping for the new furnishings for the space. What measurements, colors, textures, and angles are going to achieve the desired impact for the client? This is the form vs. function step. You must research delivery methods, for the LMS. You must decide what content should be included, and how to achieve that content. You must establish timelines and organization to the project, in order to meet deadlines and goals. This is the “how, what, and why” phase.
And last, is the Evaluation step. This is the “make it or break it” moment in the project! In the exercise, I envisioned sitting on the brand new sofa, that was delivered for this space. I imagined the light coming in, early in the morning, and how the client would feel in their brand new space. This step, is the first test-drive of the new project that you are delivering to the client. This will determine how well you understand your clients’ needs, goals, and students.
In my visualization, I imagined my client sitting relaxed in their newly designed space, sipping on a nice cup of coffee, with a smile on their face. This will be my goal in all projects!
My Journey Through Instructional Design 