Instructional Methods

Demonstrate an understanding of the theory and practice of education through the development of health science programs that focus on the application of evidence-based strategies and methodologies.

Artifact Reflection:

Instructional Design Project/HPTT 802 Instructional Design for Health Professions Education

The instructional design course project focused on developing a comprehensive instructional module for a health professions course. The goal of the assignment was to create a detailed blueprint for an effective educational module that could realistically be implemented in a learning environment. Throughout the project, I explored key aspects of instructional design, including needs analysis, understanding learner characteristics, defining clear learning goals, applying evidence-based design principles, and developing appropriate methods for assessment and evaluation. Because the project required thoughtful planning of educational materials with the appropriate scope, sequence, and focus for learners, it directly aligns with the instructional methods objective of developing effective health professions education programs.

One of the most valuable lessons I gained from this project was understanding just how detailed the instructional design process truly is. Creating an effective instructional module involves much more than identifying a learning gap and presenting information to fill it. In this assignment, I was required to carefully map out every component of the learning experience, including module length, enrollment considerations, human resource involvement, budgeting needs, usability, and overall course structure. This level of detail helped me appreciate the complexity behind well-designed educational programs.

At the time I completed this project, my experience in formal education was fairly limited, which made the assignment feel particularly challenging. However, that challenge also pushed me to think more critically about how educational programs are developed and implemented. Now that I work in an academic setting at the University of Iowa, I recognize how beneficial this experience has been. The skills I developed through this project continue to help me design, organize, and deliver course content in a way that supports meaningful learning for my students.

Artifact Reflection:

Curriculum Outline/HPTT 801 Foundations of Health Professions Education

The objective of the Curriculum Development assignment was to design and describe a detailed 15-week course that I would potentially teach in the future. The purpose of this project was to learn how to thoughtfully develop and organize a course while integrating appropriate learning theories to support effective teaching and assessment. In addition to outlining weekly content, the assignment required careful consideration of how students would engage with the material and how their learning would be evaluated. This artifact supports the objective of developing health science education programs that use evidence-based teaching strategies, including principles such as Information Processing Theory and Retrieval Practice.

Working through this assignment helped me understand curriculum development at a much deeper level. Prior to this experience, I had mostly thought about teaching in terms of delivering content or following a textbook. This project helped me see that an effective course requires intentional planning, where learning objectives, activities, and assessments are all connected. Both formative and summative assessments were carefully integrated into the course structure to help students progressively build knowledge, reinforce key concepts, and ultimately demonstrate mastery of the material. These strategies are especially important for promoting long-term retention and the ability to apply knowledge in real clinical situations.

At the time I completed this assignment, I was not yet teaching in a classroom environment and had never designed a curriculum before, so the process felt unfamiliar and somewhat challenging. Now that I work as an educator, I appreciate how valuable this experience was. Understanding how to intentionally design a course has become extremely useful when updating existing content or developing new learning experiences. More importantly, it helps me ensure that the material I teach is not only organized well, but also structured in a way that truly supports meaningful learning for my students.