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PORTFOLIO
Instructional
Design Projects
The following are
descriptions and demonstration links to training products I
designed, or for which I was the senior instructional
designer. The descriptions are ordered chronologically
by project dates.
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| Courseware:
Writing
Skills
Computer
Tutor for Writers. The client was the U.S. Air Force Research
Laboratory, Human Effectiveness Directorate, Intelligent Training branch,
Brooks AFB, Texas. The purpose of the course was to utilize military
expertise in 'intelligent tutoring system' technology to assist with
fundamental skills training. Approximately 16 hours of instruction
were developed targeting writing process skills and knowledge. The
courseware used an innovative procedural facilitation strategy and
included a unique writing process support tool. Several thousand
high school students used the tutor, and the Department of Labor adopted
the product for remedial writing skills training as part of G.E.D. test
preparation (Job Corps). Currently marketed to High Schools by
Apangea, Pittsburgh.
Role.
Lead instructional designer and director of research team, designed the
courseware strategy using a procedural facilitation approach (1995-1998). Also
conducted a year-long study of the effectiveness of the courseware.
The courseware produced gains equivalent to one letter grade above control
groups receiving only classroom instruction. This is an unusually
positive result for writing instruction. |
Click on the screen graphic below to View
a demo of the  Computer
Tutor for Writers (Called 'Maestro', requires MS Internet Explorer
compatible browser).
View
slides presented at a meeting about the tutor sponsored by Carnegie
Mellon University.
A year-long study sponsored by Air Force Research
Laboratory established the effectiveness
of the tutor. An article
in the Journal of Educational Computing Research presents the
results of this study.
The software from this
study wasconverted into a Web-based application, and marketed. |
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Courseware:
Professional
Intermediate
Systems Acquisition Course (ISAC). The client was The Defense
Acquisition University, Ft. Belvoir, Virginia (as a subcontractor to MTC).
ISAC was an 80 hour certification course for Defense Acquisition
professionals. The purpose of this survey course was to introduce
Acquisition professionals to basic acquisition processes, including
details about eleven different functional areas involved in defense
acquisitions. ISAC is currently used by multiple DoD colleges.
Over 20,000 students have taken the course, with an additional 5,000 per
year added to that number.
Role.
Lead/senior
instructional designer, designed overall course strategy using a
story-based approach. Also designed numerous animated Flash-based
lessons and the overall classroom component for this blended training
product (1999-2001). Client and students responded very positively
to the course. Wrote and published a case study of the course. |
| The ISAC course
was developed by MTC Technologies. Kurt served as a
subcontractor, as the principal instructional designer.
 A
demo of a few ISAC lessons is available. Click on the course
graphic. When the course opens, you may view the
Introduction, and lessons 1.2, 4.2, 6.3. These are the only
lessons that are active in the demo. The introductory lesson
describes the instructional approach and how to use the
interface.
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Performance
Support System
Courseware Designer Support
Tool ( CDST) included 24 lessons on how to design courseware, 120 instructional design job-aids
(worksheets), an advisor system and a rapid prototyping tool for use to
test out courseware designs. This product
is targeted at instructors, subject-matter experts and developers.
The product is also targeted at entry-level instructional designers. The purpose of the product is
to provide support for
instructional design activities. In particular the product was
designed to train and support military personnel without instructional design training who are tasked to design
computer-based training (e-learning, courseware, web-based training, etc.).
Role. Worked as the primary instructional designer
and programmer, also managed the product development team (2002 - 2004).
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 Click
on the screen graphic to view the product page for the
CDST.
Kurt was the principle instructional designer, as well as
the project and business manager.  Click on the
screen graphic to view a sample training module included
with the CDST that was created using Flash. The
module teaches Naval Watch Officer security.
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