What is an Instructional Designer?
An instructional designer is responsible for designing, coordinating, and implementing educational material to learners in a variety of fields. The materials must meet expectations regarding satisfying learning outcomes, but they must also adhere to strict standards put in place by quality assurance boards.
Instructional designers are thought of as the architects and designers of the learning process. They can also be known as instructional technologists, curriculum designers, or learning experience designers. The job requirements change often as more individuals seek to gain knowledge through online capacities, whether through their workplace or through schools and universities.
What Does an Instructional Designer do?
Regardless of job location, many instructional designers have similar job duties, including consulting, designing learning materials, and recommending new methods.
Consulting Before Designing
An instructional designer is most often tasked with designing instructional material or overseeing the design of the material. This means a variety of things and involves many sub-tasks, including consulting with pertinent individuals. For instance, they may design learning materials for a business that needs to train their employees on new protocols.
This may involve speaking with the employees to learn their learning style, finding how much time is available to train the employees, and getting a deeper understanding from the owner of what is required. They may also need to consult additional resources to gain knowledge about a specific topic. In this case, the actual designing will involve input from the owner, employees, and various boards or committees (for instance, a safety board).
The instructional designer must consider all individuals and standards when creating their materials. Importantly, some standards must be strictly adhered to. For instance, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) requires that employees be trained on a number of safety topics.
Instructional designers have designed a number of free materials through videos and other means that businesses can use. However, some businesses will want to consult with other instructional designers in cases where materials are outdated or irrelevant to the current learning objectives.
Creating Learning Materials
The actual creation of learning materials usually involves working on a computer with a variety of different programs. Learning materials may take a number of forms, including print, PowerPoint presentation, or video. Experienced instructional designers will pull from their prior resources to create material that is easy to understand and easy to administer.
Creating a presentation may involve training someone to give the presentation or giving them explicit written instructions on what to say. Individuals teaching a motorcycle training course, for example, use standardized teaching methods which need to be learned before administering the program.
Creating Online Learning Materials
Many materials nowadays need to be created for online use. Instructional designers need to be knowledgeable on how people learn online as well as how to create materials for online use.
Understanding programming languages and web page creation can help many designers advance their career. For example, instructional designers tasked with creating a university standard for how online courses should be taught need to understand what will make students less likely to click through important information, and not cheat on online exams.
Recommend Methods
There are many cases where instructional designers are not actually responsible for creating new material. For instance, many teachers and professors will choose how to administer knowledge, using a variety of techniques they have learned.
However, they may need assistance in designing their course as a whole, especially to meet standardized testing requirements. They might meet with a school board to recommend new tactics for teaching and provide guidance on how these new materials should be created and distributed.
Assessment of Learning Methods
Additionally, instructional designers may be responsible for assessing current levels of learning effectiveness as well as new learning techniques. This involves creating and administering surveys or observational data and analyzing the data using analytical methods. The feedback gathered from programs helps instructional designers improve their own as well as their client’s approaches to education.
What is the Difference Between a Technical Writer and an Instructional Designer?
Instructional designers are tasked with the creation, dissemination, and oversight of educational materials that are often given to students and work employees. Technical writers are also tasked with creation of educational materials however they tend to work in industry and generally work with non-educational materials.
Technical writers are responsible for breaking down difficult to understand information into manageable chunks. They may read technical articles and digest these for businesses to understand and implement, or write operation manuals found in consumer products.
Instructional designers may consult with technical writers or use their products in times when they need a better understanding of a topic. They may also work in collaboration on a project, where the technical writer contributes easy to understand content and the instructional designer decides how the information will be distributed.
Can an Instructional Designer Work from Home?
While the vast majority of instructional designers work full time from an onsite office, there is some opportunity to work from home. As the tasks demanded of an instructional designer involve meetings, teamwork, and presentations, working from home is often not realistic. However, some positions are open that only require instructional designers to create material, which can be done from home.
Designers working at a company full-time may be able to conduct phone calls and work on a computer some days from home. However, designers should not count on the option of being able to work full-time at home.
What Do You Learn in an Instructional Design Degree Program?
Instructional design programs focus on teaching students a number of important, practical skills that will help them throughout their career, regardless of where they practice. The following is not an exhaustive list of what students will learn in a program.
- Basics of Instructional Design: Students will spend one to two courses covering what instructional design is, where and how it can be applied, and how the field is changing.
- Virtual Design: Students looking to create online material will focus on how students learn in an online environment and how to best present information.
- Video Production: Required in some programs, optional in others, producing videos is one type of media used to provide instruction.
- Education: As many designers go on to practice in an academic environment, students will learn how to learn. These courses may be taken through a school’s education department.
- Instructional Design Challenges: These courses will teach students common challenges in the field and how to overcome them. Critical thinking and problem-solving skills will be learned and practiced.
- Age Differences in Learning: How to create and present material differs widely depending on the audience. Students will gain knowledge on the learning differences between children, young adults, and adults.
- Evaluation of Methods: Students in graduate programs will gain in-depth information regarding how to qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate how effective education methods have been.
- Research Design: Some instructional designers will learn how to conduct research in order to assess and improve existing educational methods.
- Consulting: Programs will begin to teach students the skills involved with diplomatically meeting with various individuals and organizations involved in creating education material.
What are the Requirements to Become an Instructional Designer?
Educational Requirements
A very few instructional designers hold a high school degree or equivalent, but many get at least a Bachelor’s degree. A four-year university program is often taught through the communications department.
The program will train students to create content using film, web pages, and presentation software like PowerPoint. Students will learn the ways in which individuals learn best as well as what types of methods are best in which situations. Students may also take courses in psychology to better understand how people think.
Master’s Degree Programs
As the job market gets more competitive, the majority of instructional designers have chosen to pursue higher education and get a Master’s degree before starting their career. A Master’s degree goes further into depth than a Bachelor’s degree program and allows students to complete larger projects that can be evaluated for feedback.
Master’s degree programs often last two years. Few students go on to receive a PhD in instructional design, however this is a possibility. This higher degree is often pursued by those wishing to teach instructional design, develop ground-breaking materials, or practice in a niche field.
What is an Online Instructional Design Degree?
Online degree programs are available for students to gain a Bachelor’s and/or Master’s degree fully online. All courses taught in a traditional classroom will be taught online through videos, reading material, or presentations.
Some programs, particularly Master’s programs, demand a capstone project to demonstrate their knowledge. These programs can sometimes be completed in less time than traditional programs if students choose to take classes full-time, year-round.
Online courses can also be taken in hybrid formats where students take some courses online and others face-to-face in a classroom. This often allows students to gain more feedback on their work.
Students looking to teach in certain fields like public schools or universities should note that not all online programs are recognized in every state as being accredited and many do not lead directly to a teaching license. Potential students should take care in selecting a program and should contact the state’s educational board in the state they wish to work in.
What Tools Does an Instructional Designer Need?
Instructional Ddsigners utilize a number of specific tools that help them be successful and grow their career. Some of these tools are optional, and not all potential skills are listed here.
Presentation Software
Different programs like PowerPoint or Prezi are crucial for creating presentation material used in education or business settings. Understanding various presentation tools and ways of creating a presentation will allow instructional designers to be flexible in their designs.
Video Equipment
Being able to work professional video equipment is something that most instructional designers can do; however, a lack of familiarity is not an issue. Many companies will contract out to videographers to create professional videos.
Computers
Whether a laptop or desktop computer, instructional designers spend the majority of their time working behind a screen to create content and figure out how educational programs should be laid out.
Graphics Software
While creating graphics is often contracted out to a graphic designer, instructional designers with basic knowledge of Adobe products are more versatile and often more valued within a company.
Multi-Line Telephones
Since instructional designers are required to meet with a number of different individuals and coordinate tasks, many offices are equipped with special telephones. Instructional designers who work independently may need to utilize special conference software or programs to make this work.
Survey Creation Programs
Programs like SurveyMonkey or Qualtrics can be utilized to survey students in order to assess how effective an educational program is. Survey analysis tools are also crucial measurement tools. While these aren’t always necessary, they help ensure programs are meeting standards.
What Skills are Required to Be an Instructional Designer?
Becoming an instructional designer requires a wide array of knowledge and skills that will be put to the test when creating educational materials, training educators, and assessing methods. Certain personality traits will help designers excel, however many skills can be learned through educational programs.
The following is not a complete list but will give instructional designers an idea of what employers are looking for.
- Presentation: Instructional designers must be skilled at both designing presentations as well as administering presentations. This involves knowledge of presentation software as well as having good speaking skills.
- Computer Based Training Software: Used primarily by instructors, instructional designers need to be skilled at using programs like Blackboard and Moodle in order to utilize these in their instructional designs. For instance, educational facilities not using these programs can be encouraged by instructional designers to incorporate them into their lesson plans.
- Creating Graphics: While instructional designers do not need to double as graphic designers, having a basic working knowledge of Adobe Photoshop and related programs will help to create eye-catching educational material.
- Data Collection and Analysis: Creating surveys, collecting data, analyzing and reporting on data is an important skill for instructional designers who are aiming to test new methods or evaluate current educational standards.
- Webpage Creation: Instructional designers need to understand how online learning takes place as they have a large role in shaping e-learning courses and curriculum. Being skilled at creating learning-based webpages and incorporating test questions, videos, etc. is a critical skill.
- Writing and Communication: Being able to clearly write and communicate a topic or a method of instruction is critical for instructional designers.
- Project Management: Many working parts need to be managed when creating instructional programs. Instructional designers need to speak with many individuals and coordinate ideas and sub-projects to make a program run smoothly.
- Networking: While the majority of instructional designers work for an established educational facility some work independently. In cases where work needs to be contracted out to graphic designers or video creators, instructional designers need to have established networks to turn to for contract work.
- Video Creation: Engaging videos can make or break a student’s interest in a subject. Recording and editing videos can be contracted out, however independent contractors often learn the basics of these skills in educational programs.
- Ability to Teach: Instructional designers must themselves be skilled at instructing, whether teaching teachers or testing out new methods with students or business employees. If working with a school or school district, most states require designers to hold a teaching license.
- Leadership: Many instructional designers report that they are able to make executive decisions when creating materials or advising teachers on new methods. They often need to lead instructors and administrators throughout various processes.
What are the Pros of Being an Instructional Designer?
Becoming an instructional designer can lead individuals to gain a number of benefits.
- Sense of Accomplishment: Properly designed educational materials allow students to gain a better understanding of difficult topics. Many instructional designers note they feel accomplished when their methods are implemented and students are successful at reaching their learning objectives.
- Creativity: Even instructional designers who spend their entire career within one domain get to exercise their creative abilities to tackle tasks. As times change, instructional designers have needed to get creative to continually capture students’ attention.
- Job Flexibility: The options for employment for instructional designers are wide ranging. While many work for public and private schools or universities, many more work online or consult for businesses. Flexibility can also include the ability to work from home, however this is not always the case.
- Working with a Team: The ability to work with many different individuals within a team can mean goals are achieved more quickly, which can boost an instructional designers career.
- Ability to Outsource: While learn all the different skills involved in being an instructional designer can be overwhelming, they have the opportunity to hand off tasks to other individuals. For instance, they may outline how a video should be created but can hand over the actual task to a videographer.
- Create Something New: Designers who hold graduate degrees may have more flexibility in experimentation with new methods. New formats created can take hold and spread throughout a mode of learning, like streaming live videos with online courses.
- Job Variety: From creating new material to designing an entire course, instructional designers do not often have a dull moment. Who they work for can change as well as the outcomes of what they are creating.
What Professions are Similar to Instructional Design?
School Teachers and Instructors
Educators in public schools and universities utilize the services created by instructional designers, but they also create their own. Teachers must follow guidelines put forth by their states’ board of education as well as follow national standards to educate their students. Instructors may be found online and at public and private schools.
Instructional Coordinators
These professionals often oversee curriculum designers and are tasked with overseeing the broad picture of education. They may work with teachers and principals at schools to develop curriculum plans, textbooks, and set learning objectives as a whole in order to improve the education of students.
Technical Education Teachers
These instructors often teach students certain technical skills that can be learned in technical and certificate-based school programs. They often have different ways of teaching as many skills learned are hard skills and require hands-on learning. They may need to adhere to various standards when teaching skills that require safety considerations like welding or becoming an auto mechanic.
Training and Development Specialists
Individuals in this career track are tasked with creating education material that focuses specifically on educating employees through businesses. While an instructional designer may do this job as well, many specialists receive particular training in their area of expertise and hold specific knowledge regarding what standards are required.