Superpowers of Design

For this activity we looked at our own design superpowers, and when, how, and why we use them. My practice is in designing curriculum for paramedic education, creating faculty and student resources, and collaborating with other educators and instructional designers to create a valuable student experience. I’ve identified the following as design characteristics or “superpowers” that I use:

Champion for the field: As an educator I am responsible for laying the foundation in my students; one that will carry them through their career. It is important to inspire and motivate them to continue their own learning journey long after they leave school. In healthcare it is imperative that we remain up to date on patient treatments and medical practices therefore fostering an ongoing desire for learning in my students is important. Being a champion of ongoing learning helps set an example for students and faculty alike. Supporting other educators is also a huge part of moving the field forward. Encouraging my peers to expand their instructional tools helps to ensure our delivery of knowledge remains current.

Creative:  Being able to use something in a way it wasn’t designed for or creating a new method for the use of technology that already exists. There are plenty of healthcare educational tools that are designed for physician or nursing students, but not many solely designed for paramedics. Often open access knowledge resources such as curriculum developed by health authorities or other agencies like Prodegy EMS or Jems can be used in combination with my own curriculum design.

Flexible: Working with various faculty and ever-changing schedules poses some challenges. Being flexible to coworkers’ shift hours and short notice changes is a must. Instructor meetings are often set using the online tool Doodle and held via Zoom.

Accountable: Being on task, on time, and within budget. This is a skill I must use when creating curriculum and educational resources. I need to be accountable to other faculty, the institution, stake holders and students. The online tracking programs Wagepoint and Tsheets makes tracking faculty hours simple and easy online.

Inventive: Keeping the interest of students in a training program can be a challenge. I am constantly challenged to keep developing interesting, interactive activities to maximize student attention and motivation. Games such as Kahoot is a great way to build energy in the students.

Resourceful: Using technology in an education program is a lot easier with an unlimited budget, which few have. Our students come from varied backgrounds with varied access to technology tools. Creating Facebook pages devoted to students allows them to re-home their printed texts, uniforms, and other learning equipment like digital tablets. Some students are even able to share online access to books or resources to limit costs.