New to Instructional Design

Oct 27, 2012

Greetings, I am new in instructional design but not new in LMS functionality. I am a technology administrator at a private K-12, so I do everything. They are wanting to start and kick off online courses both hybrid and fully online. Right now they are creating everything in PowerPoint and then using Storyline to publish it. When I came in a year ago, I told them they were wasting money but that we can use Articulate products to the full potential. They got all excited and wanted to get right to work on it. Well, other priorities have come up that is not related to online course development and now I feel that we may not get back to it. 

My questions are:

1. How do I start creating a portfolio?

2. I would be interested in jobs where I am under someone who would be teaching me. Are their jobs out there like this?

3. Master in Instructional Design? I want to take classes for this but right now, I have not been given the green light.

It is a struggle because even though I have been in IT, I really like do the little I was able to do. There is a possibility of me working with a local high-end company in developing their training. This may help but I want to get going. 

Thanks for your help.

19 Replies
Bruce Graham

Hi Chris,

In short, without beating about the bush or sitting on any fences....

1. A portfolio - just build one. It's not rocket science, (although of course if have a particular yearning, you can build a course about rocket science.....). A "portfolio" in this instance is just a collection of builds that show what you intend to do for someone, or sell to someone. Just get started, preferably with something you enjoy talking about, or have always wanted to build.

2> Yes. If you cannot find or get the jobs - start a business. You can always have a business and work for someone else. Anyone can start a business. If that is a frightening thought - if you love ID that much, think of it of taking up a new hobby where people pay you, that's all it is

3> Masters Degree - Personally I'm not completely convinced about being a "Master in Instructional Design". I've been an instructional designer 12+ years and am still a beginner. I've met a lot of very highly qualified people in a variety of areas who can prove they are clever by the number of bits of paper they have...then there are those who work in the "non-academic" world.  It's about what you can DO, primarily to help business strategy that gets the jobs in Instructional Design at the moment, not the qualifications you have. If you need a qualification - learn about business so that you can speak their language in tenders and design meetings.

These forums have all the information you need to answer your questions. In short - just do it.

Searching on "portfolio" is a great place to start

Make a plan, execute,see what happens, receive colleague/client and financial feedback, execute on feedback, start again and repeat until rich.

Have a look here for ID inspiration.

There are a few steps in between, but in essence, that's it.

Talk again when you need help, or when you are rich - which ever comes first

Bruce

David Anderson

Hi Chris -

Bruce shared some great ideas for networking and building portfolios.

Here are a few, more popular threads around some of your questions. I hope they help:

Portfolios:

Online Portfolio
E-learning designers - how do you find new work and clients?

Freelancing: Freelance heroes

Instructional design

I'm new to instructional design

Education, degree, major?

What does an instructional designer need to know?

Daniel Brigham

Hi, Chris:

One of the tough things about creating a portfolio is the time it takes, time you are usually not getting paid. But know that all successful e-learning pros put the time in, just like you are doing. Wouldn't be surprised if a from scratch portfolio takes a 100 hours or more, especially if you're recording and editing voiceover and sfx.

When I create a new portfolio piece, I think hard about a specific client or industry, and design the piece around some problem they have. In any case, you need to procure or create some material, so you might as well work with material that solves some type of problem (sort of what training is supposed to do). Welcome aboard.

Chris  Glass

Thanks guys for your help. I hope the new job will want to do this training for them now that they know that I am interested in doing it for them. 

The one thing I can do is look at problems at my current job and create things even if they never see it. This will also help build up my portfolio. 

I will see if my employer will do something in providing some type of schooling. I will not push it but if it happens, it happens. I agree, degrees mean nothing other than you were a great student. I am an IT director for a school and yet I have no degree in computer science or anything related. It was all under the apprenticeship of one guy who taught me everything he knew and let me try things out. I just wish I had someone around here that would be willing to that. Thankfully I have a community here that I can have to look at my work. 

Just wondering, how did you guys get started and work your way to where you are today?

Daniel Brigham

Chris: I spent 10 years teaching writing and rhetoric at the University of Colorado at Boulder. I was getting burned out on classroom teaching, so I did some contracting with an online training company in my area (Knowledge Factor, Boulder, CO.) After doing eight or so contracts with them, I set up Brigham Communications. Been self-employed a little over two years now. When you are self-employed, you are judged on the work you've done, not your degrees. btw, have I mentioned the "Freelancing Heroes" thread to you? A good place to learn about doing your own thing.

As Bruce G. (aka "Bytor") said to me not so long ago, "it's not that hard to better than most people. You just have to want it a bit more." Happy Halloween. 

Bruce Graham

Hi Chris,

I got into this in a rather strange way - I was a "people manager" in an IT company, and had to take some time off through stress. I figured out,during my time off that I had always trained people, and enjoyed it.

Got a new role in (classroom) training in the same company, then got interested in online training.

It all took off, and 4 years later there I was, responsible for producing courses, designing LMS functionality and reporting systems etc. inside Oracle for European staff and Partners.

Moved once, did the same for 2 years, got bought, did another 2 years, got made redundant, now been doing this for over 4 years.

Had some scares, had some luck, had lots of hard work, and I love it.

Make a plan, execute it, see what happens and what people think, change tack accordingly, and repeat.

Bruce

Rich Johnstun

If you are just getting into it, start reading up on the ADDIE model. Strive to really understand what each of those steps means. I know that if I had a much better understanding of this model when I started a dozen years ago, I would have been much better than I was when I started. It's easy to want to skip those first two steps and jump right into the development, but it makes all the difference in the world to start with step one.

Bruce Graham

Agree with Rich, but remember - if the people who you are talking to in the ADDIE model are the wrong ones, you can have the most brilliantly designed, researched and "feedbacked" course, but it may still be completely and utterly boring to the learners!

ADDIE is good, but needs some tweeks from other models, try Gagnes 9 Steps of Instructional Design for some useful additions.

Bruce

Rich Johnstun

I completely agree Bruce. Too many designers follow the "rules" and completely neglect the learner. I've seen many programs that hit all the check boxes and were theoretically sound, but were completely ineffective. 

What I really learned early on was how incredibly important the analysis phase is and how many people want to gloss over that piece because they are convinced that they already know what the learner needs and what the challenges are. I'm sure most people here have experienced the same. 

Bruce Graham

Rich Johnstun said:

I completely agree Bruce. Too many designers follow the "rules" and completely neglect the learner. I've seen many programs that hit all the check boxes and were theoretically sound, but were completely ineffective. 

What I really learned early on was how incredibly important the analysis phase is and how many people want to gloss over that piece because they are convinced that they already know what the learner needs and what the challenges are. I'm sure most people here have experienced the same. 


Agreed completely.

Find out what the learner needs, from their perspective.

Just because someone represents "the expert", or "the corporation/HQ" does not necessarily mean they have the slightest idea what is required, OR the skills to articulate that in learning terms,(excuse the pun...).

We, as IDs, need to understand that, and also have the necessary skills, and be brave enough to take people to task when appropriate. In order to do THAT, you need to understand the business, and talk in business terms, or else it can easily turn into resentment from the business of "...that training person that's been brought in...".

Bruce

Bruce Graham

Rich Johnstun said:

I've had stuff that I refused to put my name on because I was told, "We appreciate your input, but we want you to do it the way we requested.".  


There's a fine line between an effective instructional designer and being a prima donna

Sometimes, people think they know what's best because they create PowerPoint slides for conferences, yet sometimes they listen freely to what we suggest because what we do is still seen as slightly unusual, and sometimes misunderstood.

Saying that, I have, on occasions, been known to don a tutu during the planning phase......

Bruce

Daniel Brigham

Bruce Graham said:

Rich Johnstun said:

I've had stuff that I refused to put my name on because I was told, "We appreciate your input, but we want you to do it the way we requested.".  


There's a fine line between an effective instructional designer and being a prima donna

Sometimes, people think they know what's best because they create PowerPoint slides for conferences, yet sometimes they listen freely to what we suggest because what we do is still seen as slightly unusual, and sometimes misunderstood.

Saying that, I have, on occasions, been known to don a tutu during the planning phase......

Bruce

"There's a fine line between being an effective instructional designer and being a prima donna." Amen, Brother.
Rich Johnstun

Mike Taylor said:

@Rich  Sometimes a PDF could be the best option. IF it's just a checkbox / CYA type thing and nobody is truly going to DO anything differently then at least that would minimize the amount of time wasted producing and taking a course.


Agreed Mike. The most simple solution is often the best and this an be an effective tactic when trying to drive some of these compliance related issues. When trying to drive culture and behaviors however, that same tactic will be less than effective. The challenge is convincing the requester that simply publishing a document informing someone of the desired behavior and requiring them to read it may not result in the behavior shift they would like. Culture will trump policy, virtually without fail. 

Rich Johnstun

Bruce Graham said:

Rich Johnstun said:

I've had stuff that I refused to put my name on because I was told, "We appreciate your input, but we want you to do it the way we requested.".  


There's a fine line between an effective instructional designer and being a prima donna

Sometimes, people think they know what's best because they create PowerPoint slides for conferences, yet sometimes they listen freely to what we suggest because what we do is still seen as slightly unusual, and sometimes misunderstood.

Saying that, I have, on occasions, been known to don a tutu during the planning phase......

Bruce


Agreed Bruce. It's about compromise and the flexibility to move with the ebb and flow to develop the best possible result. Having said that, I'm certain that for everyone here there are times when "marching orders" are given and all we can do is what is expected. 

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