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Standard 3: Utilization
Standard 3: Utilization
"Utilization is the act of using processes and resources for learning" (Seels & Richey, 1994, p. 46).
This domain emphasizes aligning learners with appropriate materials and activities, preparing them for engagement, supporting their interaction with the content, assessing outcomes, and embedding these processes into ongoing organizational practices. It includes four key subdomains: Media Utilization, Diffusion of Innovations, Implementation and Institutionalization, and Policies and Regulations. Candidates demonstrate mastery in this area by applying theory and research to make informed decisions about the use, dissemination, and integration of instructional technologies within real-world learning environments.
Reflections on Utilization
Reflections on Utilization
The Utilization domain emphasizes the strategic and ethical use of instructional processes and resources in real-world learning environments. It requires thoughtful decisions around media selection, innovation diffusion, implementation, and adherence to institutional policies. The artifacts in this section illustrate my ability to bridge design with practice, ensuring that the instructional materials I help create are not only effective in theory, but also usable, adoptable, and sustainable within complex educational systems.
Throughout these projects, I have grown in my ability to match learners with the right media, communicate and support the adoption of new ideas, implement strategies in authentic teaching contexts and navigate the legal, ethical, and policy-based considerations that affect instructional technology. Whether designing an interactive science game for middle schoolers or helping faculty implement accessible, copyright-compliant content, I have continually refined my skills in stakeholder communication, instructional rollout, faculty development, and systemic thinking.
These experiences have deepened my understanding that successful instructional design is not complete at the point of development, it is realized when learners and institutions can actually use what has been created. This section of my portfolio reflects my transition from designer to facilitator of learning experiences, guiding the responsible and sustained use of instructional innovations in a variety of settings.
3.1 Media Utilization
3.1 Media Utilization
"Media utilization is the systematic use of resources for learning" (Seels & Richey, 1994, p. 46).
element_game_paper_v1.docxPeriodic Table Game: Ella's Mansion
Periodic Table Game: Ella's Mansion
The Periodic Table Game: Ella’s Mansion was designed as an interactive digital game to teach 8th grade science students the structure and function of the periodic table. Instead of relying on static resources like textbooks or lectures, this project leveraged game-based learning principles to increase student engagement, promote content retention, and support multiple learning styles. The media format was selected specifically to address learner motivation and align with instructional outcomes requiring higher-level engagement and application.
Artifact
The artifact includes screenshots and documentation from the Ella’s Mansion game design, as well as a breakdown of how the game’s media elements (visuals, sounds, movement) were matched to content areas of the periodic table. The design materials also reflect learner feedback and game-based design strategies.
Reflection
The game design for this project represents a deliberate instructional decision to move beyond conventional media and toward an immersive, interactive platform that supports both cognitive and motivational learning goals. By integrating visual, auditory, and kinesthetic modalities into the gameplay experience, the design team ensured that the media used was not only engaging, but instructionally aligned. This artifact reflects my ability to make intentional, research-based media decisions that enhance learning through active, media-rich environments.
3.2 Diffusion of Innovations
3.2 Diffusion of Innovations
"Diffusions of innovations is the process of communicating through planned strategies for the purpose of gaining adoption" (Seels & Richey, 1994, p.46).
werner_advising_technology.docxProject & Report Research: Meeting Academic Advising Objectives with Instructional Design and Technology
Project & Report Research: Meeting Academic Advising Objectives with Instructional Design and Technology
This project proposed a strategic framework for integrating instructional design theory and educational technology into academic advising practices. The initiative stemmed from the recognition that traditional advising often lacked intentional instructional structure. The project recommended implementing tools such as online tutorials, streaming video modules, and digital student portfolios to better align advising with clear learning outcomes. The report presented not only the rationale and instructional alignment for these tools but also a communication strategy aimed at encouraging adoption among advisors and institutional leadership.
Artifact
The artifact is a formal research-based proposal and report outlining how instructional design and educational technology can be embedded into academic advising systems. It includes suggested tools, implementation pathways, and arguments for shifting advising culture toward a more instructional and student-centered model.
Reflection
This project aligns with AECT Standard 3.2 – Diffusion of Innovations. The work focused not just on presenting new ideas, but on crafting a systematic approach to gaining institutional buy-in and reshaping advising as an instructional practice. By presenting advising professionals with clearly aligned technologies and illustrating how these innovations support student learning, this project exemplifies how strategic communication can serve as a catalyst for sustainable instructional innovation.
3.3 Implementation and Institutionalization
3.3 Implementation and Institutionalization
"Implementation is using instructional materials or strategies in real (not simulated) settings. Institutionalization is the continuing, routine use of the instructional innovation in the structure and culture of an organization" (Seels & Richey, 1994, p.47).
instructional strategy workshop.docxUsing Blogs to Design Effective Learner- Centered Instruction: Guiding Students to Foster Deep Understanding Through Summary and Reflection
Using Blogs to Design Effective Learner- Centered Instruction: Guiding Students to Foster Deep Understanding Through Summary and Reflection
This project focused on introducing a practical, evidence-based instructional strategy to new faculty through a professional development workshop. The strategy combined the use of reflective blogging with the “25-word summary” technique to encourage student critical thinking, engagement, and synthesis. Faculty participants learned how to integrate these tools into their own courses immediately, applying learner-centered design principles to real teaching contexts. Importantly, the workshop was designed for the Early Career Pedagogical Development Program (ECPDP) at Virginia Tech, supporting broader institutional efforts to build a culture of effective, technology-enhanced instruction.
Artifact
The artifact includes the outline of an instructional plan to introduce and model the instructional strategy. It also includes faculty-facing implementation guidance to support immediate classroom use and encourage long-term adoption.
Reflection
This project exemplifies AECT Standard 3.3 – Implementation and Institutionalization, which emphasizes the use of instructional strategies in authentic settings and the sustained integration of those strategies within an organization’s culture (Seels & Richey, 1994). By embedding the training in an institutional program for new faculty and focusing on low-barrier, high-impact strategies, the project encouraged not only initial uptake but also broader diffusion of learner-centered practices. This reflects my ability to support implementation in real settings and to align instructional innovation with institutional structures that promote long-term pedagogical change.
3.4 Policies and Regulations
3.4 Policies and Regulations
"Policies and regulations are the rules and actions of society (or its surrogates) that affect the diffusion and use of Instructional Technology" (Seels & Richey, 1994, p. 47).
best practices for images (2).pdfBest Practices for Using Stock Images in Courses
Best Practices for Using Stock Images in Courses
This instructional guide was developed to support faculty and instructional designers in the ethical and effective use of stock images in course materials. The document outlined strategies for aligning visual media with course objectives while ensuring compliance with institutional policies, accessibility standards, and copyright law. It included guidance on selecting meaningful imagery, applying alternative text for accessibility, and navigating licensing restrictions for both free and paid media sources. The resource was designed for ongoing use in instructional consultations, reinforcing consistent and compliant media use practices across the institution.
Artifact
The artifact is a best practices guide that addresses accessibility, copyright, and instructional design considerations for visual media. It was distributed through faculty development channels and integrated into the standard instructional design review process.
Reflection
This project reflects AECT Standard 3.4 – Policies and Regulations, which addresses “the rules and actions of society (or its surrogates) that affect the diffusion and use of Instructional Technology” (Seels & Richey, 1994, p. 47). By embedding accessibility, copyright compliance, and institutional design protocols into a single resource, this project advanced the ethical use of instructional technology. It also helped systematize policy adherence as part of the instructional development process, ensuring that media choices are not only pedagogically sound but also legally and institutionally aligned. This work demonstrates my ability to create policy-informed tools that promote ethical, inclusive, and sustainable instructional practices.
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