06/24/2022

The content in this month’s TOPkit Digest is brought to you by Amanda Major, Ed.D., PMP, CPTD, Instructional Designer and Project Manager, Center for Distributed Learning, University of Central Florida (Amanda.Major@ucf.edu). She titled this Digest ADDIE, my favorite advice columnist.

• Ask ADDIE - Introduction
• Video Tip: Value of Questions
• Must-Read Announcements: Online CoLAB Registration, and more
• Top Tips: Top 5 Favorite Ask ADDIE Issues of All Time
• From the Community: Encountering Dilemmas ADDIE Can Address
• New Content Contributions
• Top Community Topics

Children have so much fantastic curiosity that tends to wane into adulthood. Why lose this valuable skill? Relationship development and self-insight hinge on asking questions. Questions lead to so many valuable outcomes: problem-solving, actions, innovations, reflections, and discovery.

The time to ask a question is now. Ask ADDIE.

• Meet new colleagues and get a glimpse into their current professional roles at the TOPkit Online CoLAB Speed Networking event on June 28 at 3 PM EDT. Register now!
• Who is ADDIE? Peek behind the curtain and read "The Great Unveiling."
• Scan over new content pages in TOPkit about student engagement in synchronous courses and planning a community of inquiry online.

As those who prepare faculty development professionals to teach online, we occasionally encounter dilemmas in planning, developing, or evaluating our faculty development programs. As famous inventor Charles Kettering noted, we formulate a thoughtful question, "a problem well-stated is half-solved," and we send it to ADDIE, TOPkit's resident advice columnist.

ADDIE’s advice never fails to dazzle us. Here are the top 5 favorite (in reverse order)  Ask ADDIE issues of all time. Drum roll, please.

#5 - HyFlex BlendFlex, Asynchronous, Synchronous: Decoding Modalities (Issue 22)

Quality design how-to varies with the digital learning mode offered yet, deciphering modalities grows blurrier as faculty discover creative online experiences during the pandemic. ADDIE provides insights into the potential of innovative modality-attribute combinations.     

#4 - Foundations to Skyscrapers: Stages of Quality Design (Issue 17)

A reader developing faculty development in their department aimed to address faculty needs using the ADDIE model. The carefully crafted response from our advice columnist provides a visual of Quality ADDIE Stages and Topics.

#3 - Getting Started with Digital Badges (Issue 23)

A reader solicited advice for getting faculty started with digital badges. ADDIE covers advice for scaling digital badging as well as its value. Examples for incorporating micro-credentialing into courses are outlined.

#2 - Essential Work or Essential Workers: Who Can Tell? (Issue 25)

A reader was left stumped by the newish DOE regulations for regular and substantive interaction (RSI) between students and instructors. How could they relay these essential requirements for course facilitation to faculty as course design standards? ADDIE illuminates RSI as a faculty development policy consideration.

#1 - Becoming a More Proactive Faculty Whisperer (Issue 15)

An instructional designer asked for advice for improving faculty buy-in to incorporate Universal Designer for Learning in their online course design. ADDIE replies by recommending a conversation as a start to gauge a faculty member’s thinking about their course design, followed by additional sage advisement.

With so many excellent Ask ADDIE issues, selecting the top 5 was a challenge. Authors carefully crafted responses to address real-world faculty development in the higher education digital learning space. Each is worthwhile reading. We (designers, multimedia specialists, technologists, coordinators, managers, and directors in the digital learning in higher education space) are grateful for ADDIE's consistently strategic and practical guidance.

Ask your most pressing questions related to faculty development for online education. Complete this form to ask our resident columnist, ADDIE, for advice. You may review questions others have posted to share your feedback or suggestions.

Ever wonder who the mysterious ADDIE is? Find out about the history and evolution of TOPkit’s Ask ADDIE in Issue 26 "The “Great Unveiling”: A Peek Behind the Curtain of Ask ADDIE". The sage adviser you have come to know and love is revealed. Though you may be surprised to learn about the true identity of ADDIE, you won’t be surprised to know that finely tuned expertise and year of experience in higher education digital learning substantiates the wise words of ADDIE.

Developer and Editor
Bren Bedford, MNM, Web Project Analyst, Center for Distributed Learning, University of Central Florida

Editor
Florence Williams, Ph.D., Associate Instructional Designer, Center for Distributed Learning, University of Central Florida