This page provides an overview of the MSIDT Project’s milestones and can assist students in the course-based version of the program with knowing what will occur when in each of the courses, which are six-weeks in duration. Competency-based program students complete the same milestones yet in six-phases and should consult with their Mentor faculty to interpret these course-based milestones for their project completion.
Overview
Students, Instructors, and Advisors can use this document as a guide for understanding what’s coming in the program and when. Referring to the Course Guide for each course will give a more complete awareness of outcomes, activities, and assessments throughout the program. All courses are six weeks. The 12 courses must be completed in an ordered sequence IDT601 to IDT612.
Why is it Important for Students to Know What’s Coming in MSIDT?
(1) Planning development and project timelines, when requested in coursework.
For example: During IDT605 when you must plan and sequence the remaining steps in your project your milestones are somewhat dictated by the courses to which they align. Prototyping with Alpha and Beta Testing cycles and production of associated reports and revisions will take place across IDT609, IDT610, IDT611, and IDT612. You will want to align the “Alpha Testing” as a project management component (project milestone/task) to your planned timing of the IDT609 course.
(2) Prepare for the learning curves and time needed for coursework.
For example, in IDT602, if you are not skilled at outcomes alignment or video presentations, completing the ID project proposal document and its associated mock conference presentation will require more time investment than it will for someone who has advanced skills already in those areas. Looking ahead to what’s coming in the program can help you plan your personal and other calendars to allow for potentially challenging courses when they’ll arrive on your course schedule.
SCROLL TO READ ABOUT THE MILESTONES IN EACH OF THE 12 COURSES.
IDT 601 Instructional Analysis I
This course will culminate in conducting a complete instructional design front end analysis (IDFEA). Major components to the IDFEA include: gathering data to inform the intervention, identifying and describing a target audience and learning environment, and providing a preliminary overview of tasks, instruction, and content that will be associated with the proposed solution to the problem or need.
In this first course, IDT601, you learn some basics of instructional design processes and how the MSIDT Project process will be structured. You’ll start by conducting discovery analysis to identify a problem or need that can be addressed by instructional intervention. You will also complete a front end analysis to better understand the instructional solution(s) that are likely to be most effective at solving or positively influencing the performance you identified.
One stipulation for your MSIDT Project is that it must be a solution to a performance or learning problem that is original and will result in a minimum of four hours of instructional time if the solution is primarily eLearning-based or six hours of instructional time if the solution is primarily instructor-led. It is also advised that your project not be focused on exclusively proprietary information for your organization because you will be required to share portions of your coursework with classmates for peer review and in your eventual ePortfolio for the MSIDT program.
IDT 602 Instructional Analysis II
This course will culminate in the completion of an instructional design project proposal (IDPP) and a conference presentation and proposal (CPP). Major components to the IDPP include: addressing the strategies and resources as well as the outcomes that the target population will achieve as a result of the instructional intervention. The CPP is an opportunity to construct and present a proposal for the instructional design project as if planning to do so at an academic or professional conference. Although an actual conference may not be attended, a presentation will be recorded for practice delivering your proposal in a professional context.
In this second course, IDT602, it is important to realize that the IDPP is a logical continuation of the IDFEA from IDT601. In the IDFEA your understanding of the problem was deepened and you crafted goals and sequenced those for your instructional solution. In this course, you’ll go the next step and develop specific learning and performance outcomes that will serve as the blueprint for your design steps and developing going forward. You’ll present your project/design solution being proposed as well. In this course, you will sharpen your skills in the alignment of learning outcomes and professional video presentations.
IDT 603 Instructional Design and Technology I
This course will culminate in the completion of a design document, flowcharts, and storyboards. The Design Document is where additional factors that may affect the design of the MSIDT Project will be considered moving from the Analysis to the Design Phase of the instructional design process. Flowcharts representing the macro and micro-level flow of the project’s instructional sequence and storyboards representing the first instructional materials to be developed are created as well to illustrate project components, including navigation, usability, and design.
In this third course, IDT603, the design document represents a more stable version of your MSIDT Project plan to communicate development needs in your MSIDT Project. Although you are the developer of the project, preparing flowcharts and storyboards in this phase of design will prepare you for collaborative design team experiences where you may be responsible for communicating design intentions to a separate team of developers. These documents are also valuable for articulating the project for other stakeholders.
IDT 604 Instructional Design and Technology IIulminate in the
Coursework will culminate in the completion of instructional materials and an assessment of project changes. Three examples of instructional materials to support the implementation of the final project will be created. You will also assess their MSIDT coursework up to this point and make necessary project revisions to refine the overall effectiveness of the design, feasibility, usability, and alignment to the project learning outcomes.
In this fourth course, IDT604, you will begin to develop your instructional materials and use the Storyboards you created in the previous course as a guide for that development. You will also assess what is feasible to continue with in terms of the scope of your project’s development needs. It is at this juncture you may want to work with your faculty on technology-related training you need beyond your MSIDT program to ensure you can develop what you plan in your project or find alternative ways to accomplish what you intend to develop.
IDT 605 ID Project Management
Coursework will culminate in the completion of a communication and management plan. The communication and management plan will address the communication hierarchy, preferred methods of communication, and how frequently everyone should be communicating.
This fifth course, IDT605, focuses on understanding the role of the ID Project Manager. Although you are the primary designer and developer and probably implementer of your design, you will think through how to manage your MSIDT Project factoring in all potential stakeholders who may contribute going forward with its development, implementation, and evaluation.
IDT 606 ID Technology Research
Coursework will culminate in the completion of a technology market study and making any project design revisions based on findings from this study.
The research focus in this sixth course, IDT606, enables you to best determine which technologies are available that you “could” use in your MSIDT Project to develop and deliver the instructional solution. This course helps you make an informed design decision about which you will use in your project. You will likely have already finalized many of these decisions and, for some students, your project may have certain organizational constraints preventing you from using other technology if you are doing a project for your workplace. However, this course is about making sure you are aware of options at a master/graduate-level of understanding.
IDT 607 Evaluation of Instructional Systems
Coursework will culminate in the completion of Program/Project Evaluation and an Evaluation Plan. You will conduct a Program/Project Evaluation through the construction of a logic model while the evaluation plan will be developed to establish how the target audience will be assessed to determine whether the solution to the problem has been effective.
In this seventh course, IDT607, although you will have considered the plan to evaluate your instructional intervention early on, now you will finalize the design of your assessments that will be used to determine if the intervention has been a success in your project and consider the evaluation of the instructional intervention as well. You’ll also learn about common ID Evaluation models and develop one to suit your particular project’s needs.
Additionally and importantly, this course gives you some time to get ahead on what’s coming for your prototype development in IDT609. Specifically, although you are not required to continue developing your intervention/project’s materials and other assets needed for creating a working prototype until IDT608, it is important to make some progress on those items. If you do not, then in IDT608 when your project prototype must be completed and ready for testing at the start of IDT609!
IDT 608 Instructional Development I
Coursework will culminate in the completion of a working prototype which reflects the major features, content, and functionality student’s MSIDT project.
At the end of this eighth course, IDT608, you must have a functioning prototype of your project to test. This is when the ADDIE “development” phase is formally underway, but you COULD be building as far back as IDT606, technically, for things you are certain about already. Yes, once the Design Document in IDT603 is finalized, you can reasonably start building your prototype (and are encouraged to do so if your time and skill-level permits. Consult with your faculty or the MSIDT Program Chair for advice if you are unsure about your development schedule.
IDT 609 Advanced Instructional Design and Technology
Coursework will culminate in students conducting an Alpha Test with the Prototype developed in IDT 608. Once conducted, you will analyze and write up the results of the Alpha Test in the form of an Alpha Test Report.
In this ninth course, IDT609, you will conduct user testing/alpha testing on your functional prototype and develop a report of what went well and needs to be changed. This is a quasi-Implementation phase where you are prototyping for revisions. You’ll continue to conduct analysis, evaluation, and the return to its development in the next course. You will have to recruit several testers for this course and work on a schedule to ensure testing is completed on time. You may want to start lining up your alpha testers before this course begins.
IDT 610 Advanced Instructional Design and Technology II
Coursework will culminate in the completion of a design team and stakeholder plan. You will also make revisions to their projects based on the results of their alpha test that was conducted in IDT 609.
During this tenth course, IDT610, you are working on revisions and completing any parts of your project that were undone previously. You must have a finished/fully-functional project at the end of this course. There may be some kinks still to smooth out, yet the project needs ready for Beta Testing with a sample population from your target audience in the next course.
IDT 611 Final Project Phase I
Coursework will culminate in students conducting a Beta Test with their final project. Once conducted, you will analyze and write up the results of the beta test in the form of a Beta Test Report.
This eleventh course, IDT611, includes activities nearly identical to IDT609’s except you are working on testing with more formality and expected to have an improved prototype from the Alpha Test and sharpened skills with the testing itself. Some of your material/plans from the formative (Alpha) testing experience in IDT609 can be revised and reused in this course… or a new or additional test could be designed with additional data collected. You will again have to recruit several testers for this course and work on a schedule to ensure testing is completed on time. You may want to start lining up your beta testers before this course begins.
IDT 612 ID Final Project Phase II
Coursework will culminate in the completion of a final project presentation, the creation of an ePortfolio containing various artifacts of MSIDT coursework, and a final project reflection.
This twelfth and final course, IDT612, is your capstone. You will continue to make revisions to your project if needed from the Beta Test in IDT611’s results and finalize your program portfolio.
Page last edited October 6, 2019