For the great majority
of us, students, Theory courses are meant to bore, require extensive non-sense
reading, and resemble endless tortuous paths soon to be forgotten.
Dr. Varagoor’s teaching style defies all these assumptions. I found
myself willing to read, learn, and participate in class; and what is worth
more: I've gained important useful knowledge while having fun. CUIN 7345 was
one of the best classes I’ve ever attended.
CUIN 7345 was my first in-depth introduction to the educational
theories, which have since, formed the basis of much of my work toward my
Doctorate. It was exciting to study and discuss articles by recognized experts
in my field. Dr. Varagoor drew from her experience and expertise and
provided us with a number of helpful articles outside of those from our text.
Further, our in-class and on-line discussions and application assignments
contributed to an in-depth understanding of each theory. Dr. Varagoor's
expertise and dedication were very motivating to me as I attempted to
understand often-difficult concepts. I owe a great deal to Dr. Varagoor's
insightful and thoughtful teaching of these concepts and I find that I draw on
the knowledge learned in this class daily as I write my dissertation and
converse with my colleagues.
Because the course
covers several models and theories of instructional design, first impressions
of the class and assignment expectations will seem overwhelming. As you
progress through the course, I believe you will realize that Dr. Varagoor has
done a wonderful job with her selection of content and class activities. One of
the most beneficial aspects of the course is the discussion time after
theory/model presentations. This was an enriching time because of the varied
backgrounds of class members. We shared our comments on the readings and asked
questions of each other. This dedicated discussion time allowed us to realize
the interrelationship of the theories/models and how we can best incorporate
this knowledge into our jobs and research projects.
I am honored and delighted to
have the opportunity to write a comment about your Instructional Design Theory
class. Without a doubt, there are 2 courses that have been superior and yours
is one of them. The reason your class stands out as excellent is your teaching
style. I really appreciate the opportunity you provided to us. I wish I could
study more with you. My statement is in these next two paragraphs...
Instructional Design Theory
taught by Dr. Gita Varagoor is one of the best classes I have taken in the
Instructional Technology program at the University of Houston. The course is
integral to the curriculum so having an excellent instructor is key to the
success of the entire program. In this course Gita provided an excellent
foundation for understanding instructional design. She made the subject come
alive by selecting interesting theories to investigate. She was masterful
conducting weekly discussions that illuminated each theory we studied.
Assignments were structured so students could apply theoretical knowledge to
the subjects that interested them. Having some options in the subjects I chose
to pursue allowed me to investigate topics that are meaningful and enabled me
to gain a great deal of knowledge. Gita's teaching style made all the
difference in this course being very informative and increasing my interest in
the field.
On a personal note, Gita made
the class enjoyable because of her interest in the students. More than any
other instructor she shared personal experiences and communicated information
about what it is like to work as an instructional designer. The personal
experiences Gita brought to the class really enhanced the learning experience.
My only regret is that I could not take additional classes from her.
One of the reasons I entered the IT program was because I love
working on the computer and I must admit that I was not thrilled about taking
an IT theory class. However, as I reflect on what I’ve learned in the program
and how I plan to utilize what I’ve learned in my career, I find that the
concepts discussed and applied in CUIN 7345 are most valuable to me as an educator.
I did not realize at the time I was taking the course how much I would value
what I learned from it. Knowing good design theory is applicable for any
educational or training environment. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses
of the different theories—when and where they function well and when and where
they do not—is a must when designing good instruction.
I found several of the class requirements
beneficial. I gained the most from the collaborative class sessions in which we
applied the theories in a real context via structured exercises designed by
Gita. I also appreciated the Reigeluth matrix framework provided for our short
papers. In addition, developing the module for the final paper gave me the
freedom to apply the concepts to my discipline in a way that proved useful for
me as a community college instructor.
Reviewing my IT classes, I believe that this one would be the most
difficult one to teach. Gita did an excellent job of focusing our attention on
the important theories and at the same time allowing us to construct our own
knowledge. The only suggestion that I would offer for the class is that I would
like to have received more constructive feedback on my writing of the two
papers. I am now struggling with writing my dissertation and realize that more
constructive criticism on the papers I wrote while taking classes in the
program would have been helpful.
Sue Little, Summer 2000