Artifact

For the competency “Write and edit messages that are clear, concise, and grammatically correct,” I have selected my Game Pitch for Surviving the Camps as an artifact. This pitch was developed to create a historically grounded and emotionally impactful game that helps players understand the complex ethical and logistical decisions faced by both detainees and administrators during Japanese American internment in World War II, relating these decisions to the world of 2024.

In both educational and professional settings, the ability to effectively analyze and design decision-making scenarios that simulate real-life challenges is critical for fostering empathy and understanding. The game pitch I created serves as an interactive platform where players engage with scenarios that reflect the multifaceted challenges of internment camps, from managing scarce resources to navigating ethical dilemmas. This pitch demonstrates my ability to design experiences that allow learners to explore different perspectives and make decisions that echo historical events while drawing parallels to contemporary issues of civil rights and community resilience.

My experience in instructional design has enabled me to effectively craft game-based learning environments where complex scenarios are broken down into understandable, relatable choices. In Surviving the Camps, the decisions made by players—such as how to distribute food or maintain camp morale—are designed to provoke reflection on similar ethical challenges in today’s society. This real-world relevance is key to encouraging players to think critically about issues of power, authority, and social justice, helping bridge the gap between historical events and modern experiences.

The inclusion of reflective prompts in the game’s design—asking players to assess the impacts of their decisions—further supports this competency. By prompting players to consider both the immediate and long-term consequences of their actions, the game encourages a deeper understanding of how choices affect community well-being. This reflective component exemplifies my ability to design learning experiences that go beyond surface-level understanding, instead fostering critical analysis of complex social and historical dynamics.

This artifact exemplifies the competency of designing complex decision-making scenarios by offering players an immersive role-playing experience with multiple perspectives and branching narratives. The process of developing the game pitch helped me realize the importance of empathy in learning design, particularly when dealing with emotionally challenging content. The experience underscored the value of creating scenarios that require players to navigate ambiguity and make decisions that don’t have clear right or wrong answers—an essential skill for understanding both historical and present-day complexities.

Moving forward, I will continue to apply these scenario-based design skills in my projects, with an emphasis on fostering critical thinking and empathy through interactive learning experiences. My goal is to create instructional materials that are not only informative but also transformative, helping learners connect historical lessons to current societal challenges. By utilizing the principles of game-based learning and real-world relevance, I will design impactful, learner-centered experiences that inspire thoughtful engagement with complex topics.

Artifact 2

The app I am proposing in my CIP storyboard represents a significant step toward my goal of teaching technology tools to doctoral students and transitioning into a Product Implementation Manager role or a similar position within a growing technology company. The storyboard, created using Canva, incorporates elements of both Cognitive Information Processing (CIP) and Social Cognitive Theory. Originally, I intended to focus solely on CIP, but integrating Social Cognitive Theory has allowed me to create a more dynamic, engaging learning experience, enriching the overall design by making it more relatable to learners.

One of the key aspects of this project is the balance between CIP’s structured, step-by-step approach to processing information and Social Cognitive Theory’s emphasis on modeling and observation. CIP provides the framework for how learners absorb, retain, and recall information, which is crucial in teaching complex technology tools. Social Cognitive Theory adds another layer by encouraging learners to observe and model behavior, which makes the learning process more interactive and personal. This combination of theories strengthens the module, ensuring that learners not only understand the technology but are also able to apply it in real-world scenarios.

Creating this storyboard has been an enlightening process. It has helped me transform theoretical concepts into a concrete artifact that demonstrates how these learning theories can be applied in real-world educational settings. The opportunity to integrate multiple theories into one cohesive learning module has expanded my understanding of how to structure learning in ways that accommodate different learning styles and cognitive processes. For example, the initial introduction to the technology tools uses CIP to break down complex information into manageable segments, ensuring that learners can focus on one step at a time. Meanwhile, Social Cognitive Theory encourages collaboration and peer learning, where students can observe each other’s progress and apply feedback to improve their own understanding.

This experience has been particularly valuable in aligning my skills with the demands of today’s educational technology landscape. With the rapid growth of AI-driven tools and digital platforms, the need for instructional designers who can integrate theory with technology is greater than ever. My work on this CIP storyboard has shown me that learning is not just about delivering content—it’s about creating meaningful experiences that engage learners on multiple levels. By incorporating Social Cognitive Theory, I was able to add a personal touch, ensuring that learners feel connected to the material and can apply it effectively.

Looking ahead, I plan to continue using the principles of CIP and Social Cognitive Theory in my future projects. Whether it’s developing learning modules for a start-up or creating comprehensive training programs for academic institutions, I now have a deeper understanding of how to use these theories to create impactful learning experiences. This CIP storyboard is not just an exercise in theory application—it is a stepping stone toward my broader career goals in educational technology.

The process of creating this storyboard has reinforced my passion for instructional design, and I’m excited about the possibilities it opens up. We truly are living in an exciting time for educational technology, and I look forward to contributing to this field by designing tools and experiences that meet the evolving needs of learners. This project has given me a glimpse of what’s possible when theory meets practice, and I’m eager to continue refining and applying these skills in future roles.