Dzine2learn

     Social Media: who uses it, who is oblivious to it, and who masters it?    The generation you are part of may influence the degree to which you use social    media. Let's say you're a grandmother of three and you retired from the                 corporate world 15 years ago. Your grandkids are ages 2, 4, and 8. You live            three hours away from them and your daughter keeps you updated through         Facebook which you've mastered.    Your daughter uses Instagram and Snapchat with her friends to stay updated         with each other's kids. My question is: is the grandmother a social networker, a    digital native, a digital pioneer, or something else? What about the daughter?     The point is that a person's generational status doesn't define a person's social      net...

As described in the previous post there are various instructional design specialties.  However, when you complete a graduate program in instructional design, your core program is the same regardless of your ultimate specialty.  For example, in your core program you will learn about instructional design theories, instructional design models, and how people learn. These courses teach principles that are at the heart of all your design work. Some specialties use tools more than others. If you are an instructional designer for a university, you will likely use a Learning Management System (LMS) such as Canvas or Blackboard to host the course. You will need to know how to design courses that are instructionally sound . You may also use tools to create videos for the course. In the corporate world you may be working with Trainers to produce e-learning modules. The types of tools they use can vary but the common ones are Camtasia, Adobe Captivate, and Articulate 360. Another specialt...

Instructional Design A broad field Instructional design encompasses a variety of roles and functions. For example, designers work in K-12 education, Higher Education, corporate training, the military, and non-profits. Instructional designers may work independently or as part of a team. Instructional Designers vary in their function, also. They may conduct analysis or Human Performance Technology functions, or, they could design the content for a college course. Some ID'ers are e-learning specialists and use tools such as Articulate 360 to develop digital courses. If you're considering Instructional Design as a career, or if you're a student of ID, it's important to meet professionals in this field. You can start by talking with professors in the graduate program that you aspire to join or the one you're in already. Graduate schools may have organizations you can join to meet professors and students of the program. You can get to know them and how they chose this pro...

Instructional Designers are found in consulting roles, working solo, or as part of a team. They may even be part of a project team that has several divisions that include project management. One such group that I learned of recently was for a large online university. Their instructional designers worked in one of four areas: managing content, managing the Learning Management System, designing the learning activities, and managing the evaluation process.  Have you considered your ideal Instructional Design role? Would you want to work solo or as part of a team?  Share your comments below to let us know what the real world of ID is like if you're already working. If you're a team member, do you all have similar roles or is one person assigned the team lead? How is work divided among the team members.  During my graduate program many of the courses had team projects. This was a great way to prepare for the team work that is likely to follow in the field. Many of us students ...