Is anyone here an Instructional Designer?

[RoxMonster]

My goal is to transition from secondary English teaching to Instructional Design. I have done some research on it and feel I’d enjoy the job and be good at it but mainly think the tech aspect is what I need to learn.

I know there are different ID models such as ADDIE, Gagne’s, Bloom’s etc. Bloom’s I was trained on to be a teacher and from researching the others, I do these while teaching even if my teacher Ed. Program didn’t call them as such.

What are the main tech programs I should learn? I have heard Articulate Storyline 360 is important and I believe there’s a free 60 day trial so I plan to do that. Adobe Illustrate? I know it may depend on the company. I will mainly be applying for corporate positions and ideally remote ones.

I am really determined to do this. I know of (not personally but through an IG I follow) other teachers who made this transition and am willing to do what it takes to make this transition too. I really would prefer to not go back to school though. I don’t mind taking some one-off online courses though.

I’ve also heard having a portfolio is essential and I am a bit lost on that aspect so I need to do more research.

Any other tips for me? This is a post and run as we head out to dinner but I will check back later tonight.

[just]

I have been for about 8 years and now I run a unit of technologists including instructional designers.

I have exclusively worked in higher education which is a completely different world than corporate. However I work with contractors that have corporate gigs, and I’ve hired someone away from corporate

A portfolio is important in corporate, less so in HE. Make sure it’s well organized, perfect spelling and grammar, accessible, and completely error free.

Again HE is very different - I prioritize theory, and process far more highly than specific technologies. However experience with learning object creation (Articulate,Captivate, or H5P); experience with image creation and manipulation (photoshop, illustrator); video/audio creation editing (Camtasia, Final Cut); learning platforms experience (these are very industry specific).

I won’t hire someone who can’t give examples and evidence of being very focused on equity and accessibility.


There are some good Facebook groups around general ID and corporate ID.

From a training perspective, ID is like a mini coding-boot camp hysteria. There’s a lot of people out there willing to take money to train K12 teachers up for ID. Do your due diligence on the ROI of any training you choose to do.

[RoxMonster]

Thank you! I would be open to higher Ed as well.

I just joined an ID newbie Facebook group that already seems it will be really helpful so thanks for that suggestion!

[just]

I love love love instructional design in HE and have always been a fan of hiring k12 teachers. However there is a huge rush into the industry right now, and it’s not the slam dunk it used to be. Additionally most HE positions have little cross over with the work done in corporate or in corporate-type HE units. They’re almost two different jobs to be honest.

Anyway - let me know there’s any other questions you have.

[lust2hart]

I just finished my 6th week as an ID! I’m in higher ed. I did a graduate certificate - I think it was 5 classes, all online. If you’re interested in knowing the program, PM me - happy to share that info. I work in a center for online learning so we specifically assist instructors who want to teach online or hybrid.

My interview focused heavily on my experience working w faculty. I had to give examples of how I’ve transformed in-person classes to hybrid or online. They wanted to know what pedagogy I use - I think Gagne is a pretty popular one. Higher Ed will want to know about Bloom’s taxonomy and Quality Matters if the job involves developing online courses. Definitely be able to talk about ADDIE and what each step looks like in your process - like what exactly does the Analyze step look like for you / what would you do during that step? I think this will be super important if you end up looking for a corporate gig. You’ll also need to know andragogy for a corporate job. Corporate interviews will include questions about how you’d work w Subject Matter Experts - like how will you get SME buy-in on your project? Both higher ed and corporate will want to know your project management skills/process to make sure you meet deadlines.

There will most likely be questions about accessibility and/or universal design. You’ll also want to be prepared to answer questions about what experience you have w an LMS - some places may want someone w experience w their specific LMS, but I think most will be fine w any LMS experience.

Good luck! Let me know if I can answer more questions.

[lexus]

My DH and I both started out as teachers. When he was in his masters program it was hard for him to find a teaching job (history teacher during the CA budget crisis) and he wound up getting a job recommended by a professor. His masters is in Instructional design. He went from data input (that first job) to an instructional designer on a a government contract to instructional designer in a private industry (completely different field than the contract). He has had to learn different programs for each job but there are always content experts for him to learn about the specific devices or whatever. He did need a portfolio for each which he originally built in that masters program. Originally his goal was to go into higher ed but by the time he had level of experience that was need he had gotten this latest job and was no longer interested. He did interview for several higher Ed positions in the first few years.

He recommended finding an instructional design certificate at the very least.

[marcyiam]

First - good luck to you, I hope you find something you like!

Also, depending on where you work, sometimes you will also do the actual development/build, other times you do everything up to and then hand it off. So depending in what want you can look for. (And sometimes the line is blurred)

And for learning whatever tool they are looking for, YouTube will have videos of all levels to help. From basic to the more advanced skills. It's fun to explore and see others' ideas. There are also communities out there for help.

Good luck again. It's fun!

[RoxMonster]

Thank you for all the tips and encouragement!