Forum Discussion
Best Certification for Breaking into Instructional Design field
I am mentoring an Educator (with a Master's in Teaching) and 15 years of teaching fifth-grade science as well as pre-school.
This educator wants to transfer her skills to break into the Instructional Design field.
What are the best certifications programs for this type of professional?
12 Replies
Hi Carrie,
You could try one of these...15 Instructional Design Certifications, Certificates and Courses | Indeed.com
In the US it seams that a degree or masters in ID is very popular and useful. In most of Europe a demonstration of the skills through portfolio is more often what will help you get a job, of course this is once you have proven your learning background through a teaching or learning undergrad. This Instructional Design for eLearning course is great for the practical skills and process of interactive eLearning design.
RyanMcInnes love you speaking to the local differences in this comment—are you personally based in the US or in Europe?
Hi Noele, Yes, based in Dublin, Ireland. Many of my team have a background in teaching or teaching English as a foreign language. I know some similar companies in the UK have recruited similar profiles for ID's. There are eLearning undergrads and Masters programmes but they wouldn't be as plentiful as in the US.
I was a certified teacher for 12 years, teaching students from 1st grade to 12th grade, holding an M.Ed. However, the program that prepared me the most, nailing my first interview as an ID, is getting an MS in Instructional Design & Technology from Full Sail University. It was a one-year program I took online, and I was able to maintain my regular teaching schedule. Most of the classes were asynchronous, allowing me to complete them at my convenience, usually at night. More than knowledge, I was in the practice of producing projects every week. When I had my interview as an ID in a field I had zero experience in (restaurants & hospitality), I was able to turn an Articulate project on food safety the next day. My interviewers later told me this impressed them the most. It was something they didn't ask for, but that program forced us to produce e-learning projects consistently, so it was no big deal for me. It's interesting to note that many graphic designers apply for ID positions. However, having a teaching background, combined with impressive graphic design skills, will help you stand out.
This is super interesting! I'm curious, in your online program from Full Sail, how big of a factor was learning to use tools like Articulate vs. the amount of time spent training more on things like, say, adult learning principles? I'm always curious about the breakdown between technical and practical skills.
Ironically, Full Sail did not train in ID-specific tools such as Articulate. They focused mainly on Online Learning strategies, project collaboration, and research-based methodologies. Articulate templates made it easy enough for me to whip out a quick e-learning module by applying these principles.
I teach the practicum course for the University of California at Irvine's E-Learning Instructional Design Program. We've had quite a few graduates who are teachers transitioning into the field. It's a series of six courses, taught by industry professionals currently working in the field building elearning. The courses provide the foundational knowledge and application, and in my course they build a course from soup to nuts.
https://ce.uci.edu/programs/business/elearning-instructional-design
Wow...thanks to this awesome community, I now have option to research! Thank you!
Excited to hear what you choose and why, CarrieMain-4bc1 !
