[Chris Craft]
Program Portfolio
Introduction
Christopher Craft is a student at the University of South Carolina. He is in the process of completing a Master's degree in Educational Technology and has begun a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and Research. You will find him to be a well-balanced mixture of real-world design skills and knowledge of the underlying theories of learning.
Professional goals
I intend to enter the professorate. I believe that it is possible to impact educational practice and the integration of technology through a further understanding of cognitive load theory and its implications for classroom practice. The first ingredient necessary in the creation of an excellent professor is a solid base in learning theory. A strong background in theory can prevent the implementation of ideas that are based solely on intuition or worse, ideas and programs that are harmful rather than helpful. A professor strong in theory can leverage analytic skill to the new ideas proposed and spot those that are merely repackaged.
The second major ingredient in our professor soup is a knowledge of modern methods of content delivery. With a strong body of research supporting the notion that students learn well in hybrid courses (i.e. those with a face-to-face as well as an online component), a professor must be current in ways to deliver content through a variety of media. With new methods constantly being developed, a professor must have the technological know-how as well as the desire to experiment with new methods. Given that we already have established a strong theoretical background, it is then easier to dismiss methods that are overly flashy and provide great amounts of extraneous cognitive load. The use of or the choosing not to use certain design techniques rests on a professor's understanding of how the mind receives information and processes it. This is a crucial ingredient with the current push for more distance education courses due to the low overhead experienced by colleges and universities, and the ability for institutions to have these courses taught by adjuncts. Given these conditions, a professor who anticipates tenure must be flexible and able to adapt to this changing environment.
The final ingredient is the need for a professor to be friendly, approachable, and teachable. These qualities are perhaps paramount to our discussion, as they provide the flavoring in the mix. A professor who is unapproachable and un teachable reflects a professor who is unwilling to be a lifelong learner, and that is ultimately the goal.