I have know idea how to get into the field of Instructional Design/eLearning. I can create eLearning, but being from the public education sector, I have no examples to post in a portfolio. Any ideas on how to go about this and get some legitimate work posted would be greatly appreciated.
One of the ways many folks create samples for their portfolios is by submitting entries to David Anderson's Weekly eLearning Challenges.
Another way is to simply create a few eLearning modules or courses using your own ideas and intellectual property. This has worked very well for me, since I'm normally rather restricted by non-disclosure agreements and other constraints associated with using client projects as work samples.
I definitely agree with Adele. Consult David's weekly challenges, they'll help get your imagination churning and then you'll be able to quickly build up an interesting and diverse portfolio. When I was first starting out, I tossed together a couple of quick ideas using my own intellectual property and some content I found online (http://ashleychiasson.com/Samples/Cat_Bath/story.html and http://ashleychiasson.com/Samples/Book_Review/story.html) while not necessarily professional examples, those samples are still two of my most-visited portfolio pieces.
Another option could be offering to do some pro-bono work for non-profits in your area, but I'll caution you to start small (or else you'll end up doing A LOT more than you bargained for).
You might also want to check out elance.com and odesk.com - I know that a lot of the gigs there aren't the best paying opportunities, I think both of these sites have some great postings for Instructional Designers and e-Learning developers that offer pretty fair compensation for someone just starting out.
I think your experience within the public education sector can be critical to gaining employment as an instructional designer, you just need to position yourself well. Some of the elements that made a great resume for working in the public education sector might not be as relevant for ID (not saying that it's not relevant AT ALL, just that you might want to focus yourself a bit more for ID). I would suggest revising your resume to emphasize elements such as Curriculum Development, Designing Training Plans, Developing Assessment. Examine the ADDIE Model and determine how you can revise your resume to best suit some of the key concepts discussed in a prominent ID Model.
I'm sure I have more recommendations...but I'm not even 1/4 through my first coffee of the morning. Feel free to reach out with any questions :)
I actually went through that very transition recently. I worked for a public college in eLearning, but wanted to get back to private sector work for a variety of reasons.
The above advice is spot on. Use the weekly challenges to both sharpen skills and build portfolio pieces. You could also consider some personal hobbies and how you might make complete eLearning modules out of them...
3 Replies
Hi, Peggy!
One of the ways many folks create samples for their portfolios is by submitting entries to David Anderson's Weekly eLearning Challenges.
Another way is to simply create a few eLearning modules or courses using your own ideas and intellectual property. This has worked very well for me, since I'm normally rather restricted by non-disclosure agreements and other constraints associated with using client projects as work samples.
Good luck with your projects!
Adele
Peggy,
I definitely agree with Adele. Consult David's weekly challenges, they'll help get your imagination churning and then you'll be able to quickly build up an interesting and diverse portfolio. When I was first starting out, I tossed together a couple of quick ideas using my own intellectual property and some content I found online (http://ashleychiasson.com/Samples/Cat_Bath/story.html and http://ashleychiasson.com/Samples/Book_Review/story.html) while not necessarily professional examples, those samples are still two of my most-visited portfolio pieces.
Another option could be offering to do some pro-bono work for non-profits in your area, but I'll caution you to start small (or else you'll end up doing A LOT more than you bargained for).
You might also want to check out elance.com and odesk.com - I know that a lot of the gigs there aren't the best paying opportunities, I think both of these sites have some great postings for Instructional Designers and e-Learning developers that offer pretty fair compensation for someone just starting out.
I think your experience within the public education sector can be critical to gaining employment as an instructional designer, you just need to position yourself well. Some of the elements that made a great resume for working in the public education sector might not be as relevant for ID (not saying that it's not relevant AT ALL, just that you might want to focus yourself a bit more for ID). I would suggest revising your resume to emphasize elements such as Curriculum Development, Designing Training Plans, Developing Assessment. Examine the ADDIE Model and determine how you can revise your resume to best suit some of the key concepts discussed in a prominent ID Model.
I'm sure I have more recommendations...but I'm not even 1/4 through my first coffee of the morning. Feel free to reach out with any questions :)
Peggy,
I actually went through that very transition recently. I worked for a public college in eLearning, but wanted to get back to private sector work for a variety of reasons.
The above advice is spot on. Use the weekly challenges to both sharpen skills and build portfolio pieces. You could also consider some personal hobbies and how you might make complete eLearning modules out of them...
This discussion is closed. You can start a new discussion or contact Articulate Support.