25 episodes

Whether you are a college professor, corporate trainer, K12 instructor, or HR professional, digital education, remote work and eLearning are affecting you. Join virtual learning scholar & design expert, Dr. Timothy M. Stafford, Program Director for the MS program in Instructional Design and Technology at St. Thomas University as he tackles some of the issues with designing facilitating and assessing instruction in digital spaces, along with some special "rockstar” guests along the way. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thevirtualinstructor/support

The Virtual Instructor Podcast Timothy M Stafford, PhD

    • Education

Whether you are a college professor, corporate trainer, K12 instructor, or HR professional, digital education, remote work and eLearning are affecting you. Join virtual learning scholar & design expert, Dr. Timothy M. Stafford, Program Director for the MS program in Instructional Design and Technology at St. Thomas University as he tackles some of the issues with designing facilitating and assessing instruction in digital spaces, along with some special "rockstar” guests along the way. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thevirtualinstructor/support

    S4E3: The Innovator's Dilemma in Education

    S4E3: The Innovator's Dilemma in Education

    Join Dr. Timothy M. Stafford, Director of Grad/Online Academic Programs for St. Thomas University, as he discusses Dr. Clayton Christiansen's Principles of Disruptive Technology in his bestselling book, The Innovator's Dilemma, and applies them to the educational process. 



    Show Sponsors

    Anchor.fm

    Christensen, C. (2013). The innovator's dilemma group guide. In The innovator's dilemma: When new technologies cause great firms to fail (pp. 232-234). Harvard Business Review Press.


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    • 20 min
    S4E2: Chat GPT and the Future of Education

    S4E2: Chat GPT and the Future of Education

    Join Dr. Timothy M. Stafford, Director of Grad/Online Academic Programs for St. Thomas University, as he discusses the role of artificial intelligence like ChatGPT and how it can positively affect the ways that we teach, build and design coursework. This is especially true in light of utilizing the concepts of demonstration and real-world application in Merrill's First Principles of Instruction. 

    Show Sponsors


    Anchor.fm


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    • 25 min
    S4E1: The Foundations of Education

    S4E1: The Foundations of Education

    Join Dr. Timothy M. Stafford, Director of Grad/Online Academic Affairs for St. Thomas University, as he lays out the foundations of education, objectives, activities, and assessment and then talks about the role of the instructor in a virtual course and how to use this basic educational framework to bring value to the course and students through the announcements each week. 

    This episode is sponsored by:


    Anchor.fm
    St. Thomas University - Masters of Science Program in Instructional Design and Technology 


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    • 16 min
    S3E2: Merrill; First Principles of Instruction Part 2 - Demonstration

    S3E2: Merrill; First Principles of Instruction Part 2 - Demonstration

    Demonstrations can be a useful tool in the classroom, helping students to engage with the material and understand complex concepts. When used effectively, demonstrations can also help to create an environment of inquiry and discovery. Join Dr. Tim Stafford of St. Thomas University as he continues with part 2 of a 6 part series on David Merrill's First Principles of Instruction.

    Links from the Show:

    Article: Merrill (2002) First Principles of Instruction

    Book: First Principles Revised - AECT


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    • 12 min
    S3E1: Merrill's First Principles of Instruction - Part 1

    S3E1: Merrill's First Principles of Instruction - Part 1

    The Principles of Instruction for Creating and Facilitating A Successful Course 

    If you are an instructor, you are likely to be an industry expert already, and understanding how the course fits in the reality of what you want the student to become is key. Finding out what the program emphasizes, the performance indicators, and the concepts the students need to be competent based on industry standards and the institution’s mission will help you understand what makes it work and what doesn’t. A successful course is subjective to the mission of the institution and what the industry says is a confident, competent, and accomplished practitioner. It also aligns the students with the field of work, which is critical to their success, and it goes for every course. 

    Join the conversation with your host, Dr. Tim Stafford of St. Thomas University, as he shares about Dr. M. David Merrill's work on the First Principles Of Instruction and why it is important for you as an instructor to know and understand it. 

    Tune in!



    During this episode, you will learn about;

    [00:01] Introduction to the show 

    [01:14] Today’s focus: The First Principle of Instruction by David Merrill

    [01:36] When Dr.Tm Stafford was first introduced to David Merrill’s work and his transformation

    [04:54] The foundational idea behind David Merrill’s principle of instruction

    [07:07] What to review when creating or writing a course  

    [09:44] Aligning the programs with the school and the industry’s mission standards

    [10:44] Approaching courses in a way that aligns students with fieldwork competencies

    [12:53] Enriching your approach by understanding where a course sits in the overall body of education. 

    [14:14] Identifying competence and performance indicators to point to when building a program or certificate 

    [15:40] The idea that we should start with when writing a course 

    [17:57] Ending the show 



    Notable Quotes 


    When you understand what makes instruction work, you also understand when instruction begins to fail and when to go back to the principles. 
    A successful program will align with the institution’s mission and the industry’s standards. 
    Many people don’t need a four-year degree or a doctorate to become good at something; they need the competency to do it.
    Build courses that are not only measurable but also successful. 



    Resources Mentioned

    Article: Merrill (2002) First Principles of Instruction

    Book: First Principles Revised - AECT

     

    Connect With Dr. Tim Stafford

    Website: https://www.tmsphd.com  

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tmstaffordphd/ 


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    • 19 min
    S2E2: 7 Must Have Tools for the Virtual Instructor

    S2E2: 7 Must Have Tools for the Virtual Instructor

    Join Dr. Tim Stafford of St. Thomas University as he "opens his toolbox," as a virtual instructor and talks about the 7 important tools that you need to be a successful virtual instructor. There are many different kinds of tools out there, and many of them do a great job, so you need to have them in your toolbox as you continue to teach in a virtual environment. You don't want to miss this episode. 

    Show notes:

    Infographic: 7 must-have Tools for the virtual instructor


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    • 10 min

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