Overview
Professional goals
Now that I have been at San José State University since Fall 2002, the basic plan for professional development is to complete the dissertation, dive into other areas of research interest, continue teaching in higher education, and continue to present at national conventions. Ultimately, I will contiue to pursue an idea that first germinated in my doctoral work at Penn State. I believe the administrative policies of academic computing and the teaching practices within educational institutions should fall under the oversight of an educational technology (ET) professional. The ET professional, acting in a leadership role and as a change agent, is uniquely qualified to oversee instructional technology programs for establishing effective learning environments. In current higher education settings, this is an exception rather than a common occurrence. A simplified process of change that reflects my role in the process is outlined below.
See ISD Position paper for an overview of my professional goals and aspirations. Excerpts are included below.
See Vitae for a historical view of my work experience.
It all begins with a vision
To start the change in all areas of education, higher education must lead by example, particularly graduate education programs, through which the leadership of tomorrow’s academic institutions will emerge. In my vision of the future, graduate students would complete their academic and professional preparation exposed to and benefitting from the best that instructional technology offers, such as instructional-technology-practicing faculty and technology labs and classrooms that appropriately support learning objectives.
As these graduates begin their professional careers, many will become faculty in higher education, increasing the ranks of those who currently there who understand the role of IT in the curriculum. As they progress through their academic career and assume increasing responsibility for leadership, the educational institution itself becomes increasingly IT savvy. Out of this mieliu emerges the IT trained professional to assume leadership positions for academic computing as it affects faculty, students, and the learning environment.
The process for obtaining an academic computing leadership role is, in part, dependent on academic integrity, scholarship, and professional respect within the academic field that is obtained through holding tenure-faculty positions. The other critical component is a successful venture in corporate ISD management that would develop the leadership skills and qualities that will be needed in higher education in the future.
The list below includes all the courses I have taught at San José State University since Fall 2002. The courses with hyperlink course codes represent those for which I designed the curriculum and built a supplemental website.
COURSE PHILOSOPHY OF TEACHING EDIT 226 Instructional Design Seminar Cognitivist with a constructivst twist. The classroom environment is instructor facilitated discussion around PowerPoint presentations or in-class handouts. Course projects are based on the principles of problem-based learning where student's select the problem to solve based on their professional goals. The culminating experience is a unit of instruction developed with the Kemp model of systematic instructional design. EDIT 273 Graphic Instructional Resources: Design and Development
(Graphics for Performance and Learning)
Cognitivist with a constructivst twist. The typical classroom environment is about 1-hour of instructor facilitated discussion around PowerPoint presentations; 30 minutes of group critique of course projects, and about 1 hour of hands-on computer lab. Course projects are designed to increase the student's knowledge of and skill in using 12 graphic design principles. Students choose one "theme" or content domain for all the course projects. The culminating experience is a portfolio of the student's top three projects. EDIT 269 Graphic Media for College Teaching Cognitivist with a constructivst twist. A similar course to EDIT 273 but with projects that are typically produced for college teaching. The typical classroom environment is about 1-hour of instructor facilitated discussion around PowerPoint presentations; 30 minutes of group critique of course projects, and about 1 hour of hands-on computer lab. Course projects are designed to increase the student's knowledge of and skill in using 12 graphic design principles. Students choose one "theme" or content domain for all the course projects. The culminating experience is a portfolio of the student's top three projects. EDIT 241 Emerging Technologies for Educators Cognitivist. The course is an instructor-guided classroom experience with well-structured projects and assignments. Students are guided in applying a new technologies to projects and given a number of instructional concepts to learn. Students may choose among a variety of elective in-class projects to broaden or deepen their knowledge of emerging technology topics. EDIT 242 Practicum in Instructional Technology Constructivist. This course is a field experience for IT students. The role of the instructor is course facilitator and administrator. The learning experience is in the hands of the learner and the practicum host supervisor. EDIT 122 Microcomputers in Education Cognitivist. The course is an instructor-guided classroom experience with well-structured projects and assignments. Students are guided in applying a new technologies to projects and given a number of instructional concepts to learn. EDIT 272 Information Management
(online course)
Constructivist. This online course is a problem-based learning experience, where students read and analyze case-studies on a wide variety of IT topics. The role of the instructor is guide and tutor. The learning experience is completely in the hands of the distant learner.
McGriff, S.J. (2003). Drawing Beyond the Lines: Pushing the Boundaries of Graphics for Instruction and Encouraging Creativity.International conference of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT), Anaheim, CA.
Lu, M. & McGriff, S.J. (2003). Instructional Material/Idea Exchange: What 'Works' Magic in Your Multimedia/Graphic Design and Production Classes International conference of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT), Anaheim, CA.
Clark, K. & McGriff, S.J. (2002). The Digital Divide in Higher Education: Minority Issues in Educational Technology. Invited presentation, Banneker Discussion Group, American Council on Education (ACE), Washington, D.C.
McGriff, S.J. (2001). Leadership in Higher Education: Instructional Designers in Faculty Development Programs. International conference of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT), Atlanta, GA. [See, Faculty Development]
Nworie, J. & McGriff, S.J. (2001). Towards the Transformation of Higher Education: Educational Technology Leadership. International conference of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT), Atlanta, GA. [See, Educational Technology Leadership]
McGriff, S.J. (2000). Project Management for Instructional Design in Higher Education. Annual conference of the Pennsylvania Association for Educational Communications and Technology (PAECT), Harrisburg, PA.
McGriff, S.J. & Park, J. (2000). Design and Development of Interactive Learning Environments: Methods and Models. Annual conference of the Pennsylvania Association for Educational Communications and Technology (PAECT), Harrisburg, PA.
McGriff, S.J., Kim, H., & Hsu, P. (2000). Towards an Assessment of Problem Solving Ability in Middle School. Annual conference of the Pennsylvania Association for Educational Communications and Technology (PAECT), Harrisburg, PA.
Clark, K. & McGriff, S.J. (2000). The Instructional Design Practicum: The impact of field work experience on employment selection and their role within an organization. International conference of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT), Long Beach, CA.
McGriff, S.J. (1999). The Diverse Quality of Education Web Sites: Practical Design Guidelines. Syllabus99 Education Technology Conference, Santa Clara, CA.
McGriff, S.J. (2001). Leadership in Higher Education: Instructional Designers in Faculty Development. Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT), Atlanta, GA, November 2001.
Nworie, J. & McGriff, S.J. (2001). Towards the Transformation of Higher Education: Educational Technology Leadership. Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT), Atlanta, GA, November 2001.
McGriff, S.J. (1997). Video Streaming Technology as a Distance Education Tool: Applications for Higher Education. ED Journal, 11(8), 11-16.
Problem-solving meeting for UDB-SJSU Project Team (November 2004) a half-day working group meeting to develop collegiality
Inspiration Concept Mapping [pdf] a graduate workshop for students at Penn State University
INSYS Survival Toolkit Brown Bag Lunch for Graduate Students at Penn State University, Instructional Systems Program (INSYS)
ISD Leadership in Higher Education
The supporting field of my doctoral program, “Leadership in Higher Education,” is part of my professional goal to serve in a leadership role in higher education, first as faculty and then administrator. Much of my doctoral courswork shows my efforts to prepare for this goal: an introductory course within the Higher Education program addresses how higher education institutions function. Diversity and Leadership, from the Educational Theory and Policy program focuses on leadership within increasingly diverse academic settings. Two additional courses focus on the skills of teaching in higher education and for instructing adult learners, Teaching Adults and Concept Learning and Problem Solving. The final supporting field course, Macro-organizational Psychology, sets the foundation for how organizations and their respective subsystems function within their own environment and with external entities.
These projects demonstrate the integration of the supporting field course content and instructional systems:
Faculty Development: A Catalyst for Transforming Higher Education [pdf]
Applications of Macro-Organizational Psychology in the Study of Higher Education Institutions [pdf]
Project Management for Instructional Design in Higher Education [pdf]
An internship in corporate America
The Andersen Internship [pdf] (Summer 2001) enhances my supporting field, but is listed under INSYS emphasis. The result of the internship was an enriching, professional opportunity to experience corporate training culture. This internship was an ideal transitional experience from theoretical doctoral work to practical application of ISD knowledge.
| Steven J. McGriff — Portfolio | Last Updated: 11/26/2004 |