What does an instructional designer do?
May 26, 2007In the past few months, I’ve been asked by a number of different people what an instructional designer does and how to get into the field. I love instructional design because it is a field where I am constantly learning and I have a great variety in what I do. I use so many different skills—writing, web design, graphics, collaboration, planning, plus of course how people learn.
Since this question has come up more than once, I thought it would be useful to collect all the information I have emailed people privately and post it here. This will be a series of posts over the week or so. I have about five pages of emails to revise for this format, so it’s waaay too long to put into one post.
So without further ado, here’s the first installation:
What does an instructional designer do?: Design and develop learning experiences
I’m emphasizing “experiences” here deliberately, even though that isn’t always how others would describe the job. I think one of the crucial things instructional designers can (and should!) do is make sure that students have opportunities to actively practice what they are learning.
If all you’re doing is dumping content into PowerPoint slides or text to read, you don’t need an instructional designer. The Subject Matter Expert or whoever knows the content can just write it, and the students will be passive recipients of that content. What the instructional designer adds to the process is the experiences of learning and practicing; IDs know how people learn and have ideas on how to help them learn better. If you are looking for engaging learning activities or ways to make practice closer to real life skills, that’s when an ID is who you need.
How do we do that?
- Work with Subject Matter Experts to identify what students need to learn
- Develop objectives and ensure content matches those objectives
- Revise and rewrite content to shape it for learning needs
- Structure content and activities for student learning
- Create media to support learning (e.g., visual aids for face-to-face, various multimedia for e-learning and online)
- Develop assessments (note that this does not only mean tests)
- Adapt instructional materials created for one format to another format (usually this is adapting materials from face-to-face to e-learning)
Note: I don’t consider this to be a completely comprehensive description by any stretch of the imagination. This is intended to just be an overview. If you think I missed any major points, please add a comment. I’d love to hear some feedback!
Update: Other Posts in this Series
- What Does an Instructional Designer Do? (Current post)
- Getting Into Instructional Design
- Instructional Design Skills
- Technology Skills
- Professional Organizations and Career Options
- Is instructional design the right career?
Read all my posts about Instructional Design Careers.
Technorati Tags: instructionaldesign, e-learning, education
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Hi,
Enjoyed your posts. I’m a technical writer seeing a lot of job openings for IDs lately, and was curious about crossing over. You didn’t delve into tech writers too much, but I’m wondering how much graphics development is involved in your daily work. I’m finding that most job openings require several years’ experience, so breaking in could be intersting.
Hi Suzanne,
I haven’t really known any tech writers who became instructional designers, although I’ve interviewed some, so I don’t feel like I have as much expertise in this particular subject. However, I do think it’s possible to make the transition successfully, especially if you could find an ID job that focuses heavily on writing where your skills are already strong.
In my previous two jobs, I did almost no graphic work. I did lay out storyboards in PowerPoint, but they were very rough. Our production group had the graphic design and Flash expertise, so I let them do what they were good at.
My current job is with a much smaller company, and we don’t have the luxury of passing it off to someone else to finish. Most of my visuals are stock photos (with some basic editing). I’m starting to create more custom graphics now as I’m improving my skills, but it’s still pretty basic. Fortunately, one of the other IDs on the team does have strong graphic design skills, so when I need help she’s there to support me.
I think it’s certainly possible for you to find something where you don’t have to do much, if any, graphic design. Larger companies are more likely to split up the work into specializations than small teams where you have a “one person shop.” Personally, I feel that the visual aspect is an area where I have a lot of room to grow, and I’m trying to learn more in this area. You should be able to get started in ID without it though.
[...] to clarify my own “lessons learned.” This won’t be a structured series the way my Instructional Design careers set was where I had all the posts planned out in advance. I haven’t organized my thoughts [...]
Hi Christy- you posted a comment on my blog after you were randomly led there by wordpress. I can’t see a link between my few posts and your site other than we both use wordpress. But then your blog has been around much longer than mine. I am glad you picked up mine as I now know of another field in education. As a classroom teacher designing instruction, I always wished I had time and assistance to create and integrate to make the school day more relevant. My current school is looking at NWEA testing, which I used in my past district. I appreciated the data it provided as a piece of the student’s profile that was easy to use to modify instruction. There is such a need to overhaul and integrate all subjects, not just tech, to allow engaging and meaningful instruction. Cheers!
Nancy, I replied on your blog previously, but just realized I hadn’t done so here yet. Oops! Even those of us who have been at it for a while still make mistakes.
I think that blogging and interacting with other edubloggers will give you numerous ideas about making what you teach more relevant. It won’t help on the time issue though. Teachers just need a few more hours in the day to get everything done.
By the way, don’t forget when you comment on another blog to include your blog address in the URL. That makes it easy for people to find your blog, including people who might just be visiting. I knew who you were because I had already commented on your blog, but people who just come here won’t know how to find you.
Question for you, what is the difference between an Instructional Designer and Courseware Developer?
In my personal definition, Courseware Developer would be less on the design end and more on the technical/programming development end. In an environment where courseware developers are used, then the designer would mostly have responsibility for the content design and the developer do the technical implementation. Basically, the ID does the AD in ADDIE and the developer does the DI.
However, the title Instructional Designer encompasses a whole spectrum of jobs, including those outside the big vendors where those jobs are split. In most organizations, IDs do more than one or two letters of ADDIE. Many jobs, like mine, are titled instructional designer but include the description of courseware developer above. ID is the broader title of the two, as it can encompass all the responsibilities of the developer as well.
Of course, individual organizations may decide to use those terms completely differently than what I described above. YMMV
Very much enjoyed your blog. I have an undergrad in History and a M.Ed. in elementary. I sell for a curriculum company and think that the future is in instructional design.
Do you think Basic html is a good place to start?
Basic html isn’t a bad place to start for technology skills; it’s certainly something I use all the time. If you have access to Captivate, that’s probably a better option, as I think those skills are more commonly used. Html has the advantage of being a skill you can learn for free without buying software–a definite plus.
Learning Web 2.0 technology is another place to start. Create a blog, edit a wiki, join an online community. A year ago when I wrote this series, I didn’t include those on my list of technology skills. However, I think there are more organizations seeing the value in them and starting to use them. Again, these tools have the advantage of usually being free, so they can be easier to learn on your own.
Hello Christy, I very much enjoyed your blog. It provided me with much information. I am an elementary educator who has three years experience teaching students with mild to moderate learning disabilities, nine years teaching general education curriculum, and hold a Master of Art Education Administration.
I wish to obtain a second master degree in Instructional Design with a concentration in E-Learning to begin teaching at the university level.
With so many colleges and universities offering master degree in Instructional Design, my question is what types/names of classes should the program have that would provide me with a knowledgable background for developing course content and delivering the information via different multi-media systems?
I would appreciate your input and assistance.
Edren, check out the discussion on my post Instructional Design Certificate or Masters Degree.
Several people made good points in that discussion that I think are relevant to your question, assuming you want to work in instructional design. Look for a program that will give you lots of hands-on, practical experience and help you build a portfolio of work. A masters program should give you experience using real tools. Employers will be more interested in how you demonstrate your real-world skills than what your degree is in.
However, if you’re not actually interested in working in instructional design (which is what it sounds like, since you say you want to teach), then you’re wasting your time getting a masters that won’t be about teaching. Being an instructional designer means working behind the scenes, not interacting directly with students. If you want to teach online, look at something like Sloan-C’s certificate for online teaching. (Shameless plug: I’m currently finishing up development on a course called Facilitating Online Learning Communities that would also be helpful if you want to teach online.
If you really do want a second masters to help you teach at the university level (which you really should be able to do with your current degree), why not look at a degree in Adult Education instead? An instructional design degree doesn’t actually match your stated goal.
Edren~
I’m currently an elementary teacher and just finished up getting my masters in instructional design at Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania. I was going to focus on ID for education; however, when I decided to dual in instructional design for education and corporate settings, I found that I learned a lot of valuable knowledge to use when teaching in the face-to-face and corporate settings. The following courses I took at Bloomsburg taught me how to effectively develop course content and deliver using MANY multimedia systems: LMS Administration, Website Development, Online Course Design, Multimedia Productions, and Authoring Tools. With these courses I was able to develop and implement my very own Blackboard course along with my very own course in the LMS system Plateau. I would highly recommend an ID program to help fine tune course development and teaching skills. Hope this helps Edren! Let me know if you would like any further information or experiences from an educator who went through an ID masters program.
Emily
were can you find info on desighner
Christy,
I have enjoyed reading through your informative website. I do have a few questions, but let me give you a little background first. I have extensive experience in technical training. I was also a web developer, although that was eight years ago and I haven’t kept up with the technology. I have a B.S. in technical communications with an emphasis in video and multimedia production. I have never been formally trained and am not familiar with ADDIE, Adult Learning Theory, etc. So given my background would it be easy for me to transition to ID? Where is the best place for me to begin this transition? Any information you could provide would be much appreciated. Thank you!
Cheryl
Cheryl, your background is a good foundation, but it does sound like you have some gaps to fill. Others will disagree with me, but I don’t think you need a masters degree to learn adult learning theory and instructional design models. If you’re willing to put in the time reading, reflecting, and practicing on your own, you can do it without paying tuition. You will need to brush up on your technology skills, although you may want to focus on rapid development tools to start rather than the web development tools.
Here’s a couple of places to get started:
Getting Started with Instructional Design (This is more about careers in India, but still has some useful links.)
5 Simple Ways to Get Started with E-Learning Development
Essential Reading for Instructional Design
How to get an Instructional Design education without paying tuition
An immediately accessible instructional design education (A shorter version of the reading list above)
I am a Spanish teacher considering moving into ID. I would like to know if my language skills would be a bonus in this career, and if there are many opportunities for travel to Spanish speaking countries to implement training.
Hi,
I’m inspired with your writings and it helps me to explain to people what ID is all about.
I’m from Malaysia and here, ID is not quite a popular job and people would be curious when I said I’m an ID.
Thanks, and I will keep on reading your writing.
Hi,
i read through your posts and got an idea of the job of an ID.and also of the skills required.I am a software engineer by profession,recently i got an opportunity to shift as an ID..thats when i searched,and read through your posts..it was helpful..but i was wondering,if u could help me figure out,if its wise of me to make this field transition..i know its entirely 2different fields..is there job opportunitues as an ID in companies-big ones,permanent ones and not contract basis?..is the growth of the field lik that of software engineer?..is it a new field,and is there scope in this field in future?..what do u think?..
Thank u
There are ID positions that are long-term, salaried positions, like the one I have. I don’t have any statistics to back me up on it, but my guess is that more permanent positions are in academia than in businesses. I’m not sure how the job growth compares to software engineers. I don’t see a huge growth right now, but long-term I think the increase in K-12 online schools will fuel some more need for IDs.
I will point out that instructional designers need to have excellent writing skills, and it’s not a field you’re likely to find fulfilling if you aren’t a good writer. Can you see yourself being happy with a job where a significant portion of your day is spent writing?
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Hi,
I have been getting job opportunitues from naukri for ID post. But i want to know wat exactly it is. As im working in architecture field designing, i have done my 3Ds Max course. I need to know can i apply for tat post.
Hello,
I really liked your blog, congrats!
I´m from Brasil, and i´m searching for courses of Instructional Design in EUA.
Do you have any recomendation?
Sorry about my terrible english…
By EUA, do you mean the European University Administration? I’m afraid I don’t really know anything about education programs outside North America. Sorry I can’t help.
[...] does an Instructional Designer [...]
Noted that few ‘academically trained’ ID specialist are on this forum. have a look at the IBSTPI (www.ibstpi.org) website to see the internationally validated ID competencies. Then you get a sense of the capability of what someone with an ID qualification should be able to do. For myself (with a grad degree in ID) my work ranges from developing business strategy, training/non-training gap assessment, programme design, and of course evaluation of intervention (i.e, use of success case methodology)etc. The view of ID in UK is seriously limiting and from experience a case of ‘not-built-here’ as evidenced by the very anti-US so-called ID contingent.
Hi Mal, this isn’t precisely a “forum.” This is a blog, where I post my thoughts and experiences and people comment. Check out the video Blogs in Plain English for an explanation; hopefully that will help you understand the difference between blogs and forums.
But you are correct that most of the people who have commented on this post don’t have training. Most people who find this post find it with a search for something like “what is instructional design” or “what is an instructional designer.” I wouldn’t expect most people with a grad degree in ID to search for those phrases; would you?
The IBSTPI guidelines are a great resource for people in the field or perhaps HR professionals looking to hire IDs. I don’t find them particularly helpful for explaining ID to people outside the field though. This post really came about because of questions I received from people in a networking group. These were people from a wide range of backgrounds for whom the level of detail from IBSTPI would be overwhelming. As an instructional designer, I do try to write with my audience in mind. Don’t you agree that understanding the audience is an important part of what we do?
As for your comments about the view of ID in the UK, I’m not sure what relation that has to my post. I’ve lived my whole life in the US and have only worked for US companies and schools. No one has ever accused me of being “anti-US” before; that’s a new one for me. But I know a number of instructional designers in the UK, and I don’t see that kind of limiting view from them. But perhaps the UK IDs who write blogs (which is really the only ones I interact with) have a different attitude from whoever you’re accustomed to.
Hi!
It´s Denise again, i didn´t notice that I wrote “EUA” sorry, it´s because in Brazil USA means Estados Unidos da América (EUA). But i´m looking for courses at USA. Do you know any about Instructional Design?
Thanks,
Denise.
Ah, that makes much more sense. Thanks for the clarification. SDSU, Bloomsburg, and Indiana University are online programs that I have heard good things about. Here’s a partial directory of instructional technology programs that might help you in your research. Check out the comments on this post by Tony Karrer for some more discussion about online programs.
Thanks!!!! I saw the post and it mentions a lot of places, but i’m searching for on-site courses of about three months duration and live in another country. Today i was thinking and it seems canada’s better for me, cause i want to go with my boyfriend and in usa it’s usually more complicated to get a visa.
Do you know any course there?
Thanks again!!!!!!
Getting a visa for the US can definitely be a challenge. Check out Athabasca in Canada. I’m not sure if they have anything for just three months, but I’ve heard good things about their programs.
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