College of Education and Human Development

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Instructional Design Students Receive Association Award

August 21, 2015

When Ellen Brown became the lead project manager on an important initiative at work, she didn't know which of her colleagues would be assigned to her team.

She couldn't help but grin when she was joined by Ronny Salmeron, an instructional developer whose qualifications include a graduate certificate from the Instructional Design program at George Mason University. It's the same academic program Brown is enrolled in.

"It was wonderful working with someone who has the same training I do," said Brown, who is a full-time assistant director of education at the American College of Radiology and also is working toward a master's degree in instructional design and technology. "We were on the same page."

 

Graduate student Ellen Brown and alumnus Ronny Salmeron used what they learned in Mason's Instructional Design program to spearhead an award-winning project. Photo by Sally Cook.

 

Salmeron, who served as Articulate Storyline developer and instructional designer, and Brown spearheaded the project as employees of the American College of Radiology (ACR) in Reston, Virginia. The instructional program they developed provides online training on how to implement safe and effective lung cancer screening.

After the launch of the program in May, the duo learned that their organization had been named a 2015 award winner by the American Society of Association Executives, in part because of the significant online component they developed. The award honors associations for innovative, effective, and broad-reaching programs that positively impact the community.

"This award is also kudos to Professor Williams van Rooij and the faculty for their guidance and expertise and also for fostering such a relevant and applicable graduate program," said Brown. "The training at Mason is truly helpful to me."

On the job, Brown continues to apply principles learned in her courses. Now that the ACR project has launched, for example, she is evaluating the program's effectiveness in training radiologists and residents and ultimately in improving patient care. "The learner feedback is the best I've ever seen for an eLearning program at ACR," she said. "I attribute this success to having followed the instructional design process I've been taught in my graduate work."

The tight connection between learning theory and career application is a key facet of the Mason program.

"This is the kind of student feedback we love hearing," said Shahron Williams van Rooij, associate professor in the Learning Technologies division of the College of Education and Human Development. "It means we're teaching the principles and processes of instructional design and project management that have immediate, practical resonance in the workplace. It's what we strive for and what our graduates and employers say they value most about our program."

Brown remembered that as politics, scope creep, and other typical problems entered into the project, she relied on her training from George Mason to guide stakeholders back to an instructional design process that "works like mathematics." 

"We managed to turn everyone into believers in the art and science of curriculum development and instructional design," she said.

» See a short demo of the ACR project.

 

This article was written by Pam McKeta. 

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To learn more about the Instructional Design program at Mason, including how to earn a graduate certificate or master's degree, please review the information at LearnTech.gmu.edu or contact an academic advisor at learntech@gmu.edu.

 

About CEHD

George Mason University's College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) includes two schools: the Graduate School of Education, one of the most comprehensive education schools in Virginia, and the School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism. CEHD offers a full range of courses, certificates, and degree programs on campus, online, and on site to more than 4,000 students each year. CEHD is fully accredited by NCATE and all licensure programs are approved by the Virginia Department of Education. George Mason University, located just outside of Washington, D.C., is Virginia's largest public research university.

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