Design Document 3: Differentiating DB and DC Retirement Plans
Competency 3: Communicate Knowledge
Sub-competencies
- Communicates effectively in oral and written formats
- Effectively communicates content through the design and delivery of teaching/learning activities that integrate content and pedagogy
- Demonstrates the ability to adapt instruction and assessment techniques to the needs of diverse learners
Narrative
To highlight Competency 3, I am attaching a copy of a design document I created for EDCI 572. The course described in the document is intended as one class within a 24 week course to prepare practicing professionals for the International Foundation of Retirement Education (InFRE) Certified Retirement Counselor examination. Myself and several of my colleagues teach this class for other staff members at Colorado PERA, the retirement plan for which I work.
Communicates effectively in oral and written formats
Content related to retirement, investment and financial planning can be complex and intimidating. For me, the challenge in developing this design document and other design documents for classes about retirement written for this program has been to write clearly and concisely keeping in mind that all the financial jargon I know either needs to be excluded from the document or explained. As one of my friends in the Instructional Design field pointed out, a design document should be written so that any other Instructional Designer could pick up the document and complete any other phase of the design process fairly easily.
Effectively communicates content through the design and delivery of teaching/learning activities that integrate content and pedagogy
While writing this document, I had to make sure I identified the terms that might be unclear and define them for the readers. I was very careful to define a "regular DB" (or Defined Benefit retirement plan - think retirement plan that pays you a monthly pension like Social Security) vs "PERA's Hybrid DB Plan" (Lincoln, 2016, p. 2). In my Design Evaluation Chart, I was also very careful to note any answers to test questions that were not obvious to someone without knowledge of retirement plans as the segment of that Design Evaluation Chart shows below (Lincoln, 2016, p. 13).
To highlight Competency 3, I am attaching a copy of a design document I created for EDCI 572. The course described in the document is intended as one class within a 24 week course to prepare practicing professionals for the International Foundation of Retirement Education (InFRE) Certified Retirement Counselor examination. Myself and several of my colleagues teach this class for other staff members at Colorado PERA, the retirement plan for which I work.
Communicates effectively in oral and written formats
Content related to retirement, investment and financial planning can be complex and intimidating. For me, the challenge in developing this design document and other design documents for classes about retirement written for this program has been to write clearly and concisely keeping in mind that all the financial jargon I know either needs to be excluded from the document or explained. As one of my friends in the Instructional Design field pointed out, a design document should be written so that any other Instructional Designer could pick up the document and complete any other phase of the design process fairly easily.
Effectively communicates content through the design and delivery of teaching/learning activities that integrate content and pedagogy
While writing this document, I had to make sure I identified the terms that might be unclear and define them for the readers. I was very careful to define a "regular DB" (or Defined Benefit retirement plan - think retirement plan that pays you a monthly pension like Social Security) vs "PERA's Hybrid DB Plan" (Lincoln, 2016, p. 2). In my Design Evaluation Chart, I was also very careful to note any answers to test questions that were not obvious to someone without knowledge of retirement plans as the segment of that Design Evaluation Chart shows below (Lincoln, 2016, p. 13).
In re-reading this document, however, I now realize that I could have and should have gone even further to define my terms. I did not define the very basic retirement plan terms "Defined Benefit" and "Defined Contribution." These very basic retirement terms have meaning to me, but they may not have meaning to another person trying to replicate this course or develop additional materials.
Demonstrates the ability to adapt instruction and assessment techniques to the needs of diverse learners
The design document identifies the differing education levels of participants in this course, "Customer Service Representatives and Benefit Counselors are required to have a high school education. Benefit Counselors are more likely to have a college education. Customer Service Representatives are more likely to have a high school education and possibly some college level classes" (Lincoln, 2016, p. 5). Since this document was written, this class has been implemented with a group of participants with education levels ranging from high school only to Master's degrees to Bachelor's degrees with certifications in other areas of finance and retirement planning. Overall, the reaction to this was quite positive. As intended, the group discussion formats allowed those with more knowledge to lead those with less providing scaffolding for those with less knowledge and motivation in the form of teaching and sharing for those with more knowledge.
Demonstrates the ability to adapt instruction and assessment techniques to the needs of diverse learners
The design document identifies the differing education levels of participants in this course, "Customer Service Representatives and Benefit Counselors are required to have a high school education. Benefit Counselors are more likely to have a college education. Customer Service Representatives are more likely to have a high school education and possibly some college level classes" (Lincoln, 2016, p. 5). Since this document was written, this class has been implemented with a group of participants with education levels ranging from high school only to Master's degrees to Bachelor's degrees with certifications in other areas of finance and retirement planning. Overall, the reaction to this was quite positive. As intended, the group discussion formats allowed those with more knowledge to lead those with less providing scaffolding for those with less knowledge and motivation in the form of teaching and sharing for those with more knowledge.
Reference
Lincoln, M. (2016). Design Document Part 3: EDCI 572
Lincoln, M. (2016). Design Document Part 3: EDCI 572