Project Reflections

Completing this project provided an opportunity to reflect deeply on my design philosophy, my developing professional identity, and the role of hybrid methodologies in modern instructional design practice. Throughout this process, I became increasingly aware of how structured analysis and agile iteration complement one another rather than compete. Engaging simultaneously with ADDIE's systematic progression and SAM's flexible cycles demonstrated that instructional design is most effective when it draws from both clarity and adaptability. This insight reshaped my understanding of how instructional solutions evolve. It confirmed the importance of maintaining a research-grounded mindset while remaining open to revision, creativity, and learner-centered decision-making.

One of the most significant lessons emerged from recognizing how central analysis is to every design choice, even those that occur late in development. My instructor's feedback on my first project emphasized the importance of grounding each decision in evidence and articulating my rationale with precision. Applying that feedback here required me to slow down, question assumptions, and revisit analytic findings each time I revised a diagram, adjusted the pacing, or altered the narrative. This recursive approach echoed the literature, which describes ADDIE as a flexible framework whose phases naturally inform one another (Branch, 2009; Molenda, 2003). The project taught me that analysis is not a preliminary activity that concludes once design begins; rather, it is a continuous lens that sharpens instructional clarity and strengthens alignment between content, media, and learner needs.

The project also deepened my appreciation for SAM’s emphasis on collaboration and iterative refinement. Engaging in rapid prototyping, gathering early feedback, and making responsive adjustments transformed the work from a static plan into a dynamic learning experience. The cycles of revision recommended by Allen and Sites (2012) encouraged me to test ideas early, seek honest critique, and remain receptive to changes that improved clarity and accessibility. These ongoing refinements did more than improve the artifact; they cultivated habits of mind that will guide my future work, especially in environments where timelines are compressed and stakeholder input evolves quickly.

Working through multimedia learning principles in a more deliberate and sustained way also shaped my professional growth. Mayer’s (2021) research became more than a theoretical reference; it became a practical framework for every visual arrangement, animation decision, and pacing adjustment. I gained a fuller understanding of how coherence, signaling, temporal contiguity, redundancy, and segmenting support or hinder learning, especially when presenting abstract conceptual models. This project challenged me to apply these principles not merely as guidelines but as essential tools for reducing extraneous cognitive load and supporting comprehension for diverse audiences. The experience reinforced the need to design intentionally, recognizing that each element of a multimedia artifact either supports or distracts from meaning.

Another area of growth occurred through my increased attention to accessibility. Working in K–12 environments has taught me that learners bring diverse strengths, needs, and constraints, and this understanding translated naturally into the design of this video. However, applying accessibility principles at a professional level required more than intuition. It required deliberate choices supported by research, critical self-evaluation, and testing across multiple devices. This project taught me that accessible design is not a final step or an add-on; it is a mindset that shapes every stage of the creative process. As I refined captions, contrast, text size, and pacing, I recognized that accessibility is integral to both equity and instructional effectiveness.

Reflecting on the feedback process helped me recognize how much I have developed as an instructional designer. My instructor’s steady guidance taught me to slow down, look closer, and pay attention to the small details that give a project its strength. The feedback I received from Project 1 became especially important while working on this project, because it helped me recognize patterns in my own thinking and pushed me to be more thoughtful and intentional. I began to see how clarity, precision, and purposeful choices shape the learner’s experience, and how much stronger my work becomes when I take time to refine it. With each revision, I learned to step back, reconsider my approach, and improve the design in ways that truly support learning. That process has become a habit I value, and it has shaped the way I see myself growing as an educator, instructional designer and as a professional. 

This project also reinforced the importance of aligning instructional design work with real professional contexts. By drawing on examples from my teaching environment and observations from corporate learning conversations, I learned to situate theory in practice in ways that resonate with diverse audiences. The opportunity to create a scholarly yet practical artifact reminded me that my strength as an instructional designer lies in bridging conceptual clarity with real-world application. The hybrid framework reflected in this video mirrors the hybrid nature of my own professional path, which blends structured systems thinking from my military background, creative problem-solving from my work as a musician, and evidence-based instructional design principles from my graduate studies.

Although the video successfully meets its intended goals, it also presents opportunities for further development. Future iterations may incorporate more interactive components, allow viewers to navigate between sections, or include applied scenarios that ask learners to apply the hybrid model directly. Recognizing that instructional design is an iterative discipline, I view this project not as a final statement but as a foundation for continued exploration into multimedia pedagogy, agile design, and accessible communication.

Overall, this project has profoundly influenced my identity as an instructional designer. It strengthened my ability to apply theory to practice, deepened my understanding of how to communicate complex concepts clearly, and reinforced my commitment to designing instruction that is both rigorous and responsive. By integrating structured analysis with iterative refinement, I gained insight into the kind of designer I am becoming: one who values precision, creativity, accessibility, and continuous improvement. These lessons will guide my future work in both educational and corporate environments, where effective design must always remain attentive to learners, grounded in research, and open to evolution.