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A Letter from the Future

Daryn,


Congratulations!  It is May 2018 and you’ve done all the hard work necessary to graduate from a rigorous 21 month online program and you’ve earned your Master of Science in Instrutional Design Technology from California State Fullerton.  In retrospect, this program has been a turning point in your life in many ways; personally, academically, and professionally.

In October 2017 you attended the MidPoint check in.  You came to the meeting with anxiety but left with understanding.  You had done research on the soft skills gap but were still unsure as to the direction for your final project.  After receiving feedback from professors and fellow students you decided to narrow your focus from soft skills to strategic coaching.  Instead of focusing on the skills that 21st century employees need, you decided to focus on solving the problem.  By shifting to strategic coaching you effectively narrowed your focus.  This allowed you to have more purpose with your research.  With a clearer focus you finished the fall semester and ultimately began your final project.  

The goal of your final MSIDT project was to create an engaging learning object for coaches, managers and leaders to develop their strategic coaching skills.  Giving others a strategy by which they can engage and enrich the lives of others through an online learning module has reiterated why you chose to enter into Instructional Design.  Your goal was to design something beautiful, yet entirely applicable for adults to learn.  Keep pushing yourself to do your life’s best work.  Innovate and create, but don’t lose sight of the human element.  

You have a passion for learning. Curiosity and fascination rejuvenates your soul.  The search for new ideas keeps you filled with excitement and enthusiasm. You think curiosity is an underdeveloped skill these days.  Once you find something that you are actually interested in, learning more about it becomes recreation.  You use your brain for the purpose of enriching the lives of people and making this world a better place.

During this program you’ve gotten the chance to study the subject you love: Instructional Design. You’ve also learned that research is actually “fun”.   You’ve met and worked with brilliant people, all from the kitchen table.  Your health and happiness are better than ever and your future is in your hands.  However, if it wasn’t generous benefit of tuition reimbursement from Apple none of this would have been possible.  Make sure you take a moment and write an email thanking your Store Leader, as well as others who have made this moment possible.   

Finishing the MSIDT program at CSU Fullerton which has taught you how to be a completely self-directed learner because the program is 100% online.  You are skilled in creating eLearning content, course outlines, flowcharts, storyboards, and scripts that meet learning objectives in a learner-optimized fashion. You can apply the ADDIE and SAM method to design engaging instructor-led, web-based and video courses for adult learners.  You enjoy partnering with Subject Matter Experts to identify course goals, target audience and learning objectives. You are able to write task-based assessments that measure objectives and identify content strategies and treatments that will provide the best training experience for the learner.  

Great at managing multiple projects at once you work well independently or collaboratively.  You have experience working with design teams and have developed prototypes and worked with programmers.  Working with others to promote innovative approaches and enhance productivity related to curriculum development is a personal strength.  Finally, you have experience and skill in assessing training and designs in order to build quality learning programs.  

This program hasn’t been without it’s sacrifices.  You’ve spent countless hours at the kitchen table in front of your laptop.  You’ve used your lunch break to read research papers instead of talk with your friends and coworkers.  Your days off were spent reading, writing or researching.  It’s clear that the sacrifices were worth the time and money and your brain has changed.  The intellectual stimulation and overall cognitive development from this experience has yielded a more intelligent Daryn.

With your Masters Degree there will be more job opportunities in the Instructional Design Field and will open doors that weren’t available to you just a few years ago.  It’s quite possible that by now you’ve begun working as an Instructional Designer in either a corporate or higher education capacity.  If so, the job that you’ve landed was unattainable without your Masters Degree.  Earning this degree is evidence of your persistence, determination, intellectual prowess and the ability to handle challenging environments.  All of those qualities are highly sought after for manager and director positions.  

Finally, you should have a sense of accomplishment.  The feeling of personal satisfaction for walking across the platform to receive your master’s degree was overwhelming.  The effort that you put forth to complete your studies, despite moments of doubt and uncertainty, will stand as a central character building life experience.  This degree says something about who you are and the dedication you have to Instructional Design.  Congratulations, Daryn.  You’ve definitely earned it. 

Sincerely,
Daryn Bryden 

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