Brian Zang
33 N Main St, STE 205
Logan, UT 84321
435-787-9500
I became interested in the Masters in Instructional Technology program at the suggestion of a co-worker in an IT department who was a recent graduate from Utah State University with the same degree. I liked the range of courses offered, which fit into my interests for new technologies I wanted to explore. Because I had some background in education (about 4 years of substitute teaching), the learning theory aspects of the program interested me as well. The stated goal in my letter to the department asking for admission to the program included my hopes to focus on entertainment and using technology tools to advertise for education. After my first semester, the philosophy behind this goal became clearer as I studied Learning Theory. I believe that there are appropriate times for Constructivist design of instruction and Direct Instructional design of the same instruction to increase the potential for learning and transfer of ideas from classroom settings to real world settings. For example, I believe edutainment misses the mark in trying to fuse education with entertainment. It is my goal to use instructional design principles in the creation of entertainment that doesn't necessarily educate (more Constructivist in design). By highlighting certain themes, entertainment would thus act as an advertisement for other Direct Instruction education (e.g. a movie about the Revolutionary War is watched and the observer decides to look up more information on the Internet about the War, or to take a history course at some point).
I equipped myself with some of the tools that were available in the courses, such as Flash, Video Production, Sound Design, Web Design, and Board Game Design. The most beneficial practice that developed out of this experience was the ability to learn new tools effectively. As technology and software continues to advance, it is easy to see that knowing how to learn tools ranks higher than skills in specific tools alone. Near the end of my program, I began to focus on the skills needed for effective instructional design in an attempt to produce better board game instructions for my culminating creative project experience. The ADDIE group of skills, including Performance Analysis, Instructional Design, and Research and Evaluation of Instruction, has broadened my scope and influences my everyday work experiences beyond the short-term goals I had to develop specific projects in entertainment.
I am currently self-employed as a business consultant and web programmer, doing much of my work with a team of independent retailers that I have been working with in some form or fashion since 1997. Besides entertainment and personal projects, my consulting work has directly benefitted from each stage of my degree, and I have often included some projects that were work related for completion of class assignments. I anticipate continuing with my current job after I graduate, but am open to other opportunities in the fields of Performance Improvement and Instructional Design. My job duties have always included aspects of both of these fields, so I came to the degree with a certain level of experience. However, the higher level of organization learned with competent systematic processes to enhance performance and instruction immensely enhances the value of the services I can provide.
Link to Resume