Flight Path
Current Coordinates
At this point in my learning journey, I am coming into EDCI 337 with some exposure to multimedia, partly through academics but particularly through social media management for businesses. I work in an aesthetics clinic where I design interactive and educational content mainly through Canva and Instagram reels, including videos and visual posts, to educate and connect with audiences and potential clients. I also get to design fundamental lash courses for new eyelash extension technicians. Where I get to creating units and exams, which has sparked my interest in deepening my understanding of effective educational design. This job has given me tools through trial and error, teaching me how to present information clearly and think critically about what I am posting. Despite this experience I know there is room to grow. This will be my first formal course in multimedia, and I want to deepen my understanding of how multimedia design principles and learning theory can make educational content not just engaging, but also more intentional and effective. By experimenting with different multimedia formats, this gives me the opportunity to refine both social media posts and educational materials to maximize understanding and engagement. I am overall excited to learn how to structure content purposefully and ensure that my design decisions support learning outcomes. This course offers the perfect opportunity to formalize my creativity and experiment with new formats beyond social media.
Mapping the Route
My main goal is to develop the ability to create interactive multimedia experiences that are both engaging and educational. As technology such as generative AI continues to advance, I believe it is important to understand how these tools can be used thoughtfully to enhance educational experiences rather than distract from them. I am particularly interested in exploring how storytelling and design thinking can guide learners through information across videos, web pages, and other multimedia formats. I am excited to see how I can apply these skills to both my social media work and teaching, creating content that is truly purposeful. I also hope to learn how to use generative AI responsibly as a creative tool, to support brainstorming and refining my content. Additionally, I want to gain confidence in evaluating my multimedia designs to ensure they meet learning goals and address diverse audience needs. By the end of this course, I want to be confident not just in producing content that looks appealing, but in intentionally designing multimedia experiences that enhance learning, strengthen engagement, and improve both my social media content and curriculum building/ teaching efforts.
Anticipating Turbulence
I expect that learning new technical tools and balancing creativity with structured learning outcomes will be challenging. Coming from a background that emphasizes visual appeal and audience engagement, shifting my focus toward designing with learning theory, accessibility, and cognitive load in mind may require a change in perspective.Additionally, learning how to use generative AI effectively and responsibly as a creative tool may feel challenging, especially given that its use is often discouraged. I believe this will be a meaningful skill to develop, as AI does not need to replace creativity but can instead support and enhance it. I plan to navigate these challenges by seeking feedback from peers and instructors though our interactive learning platform and reflecting on how each project contributes to my understanding of multimedia learning.