Instructional Design and Technical Skills

The technical skills listed in ID job postings sometimes pose a challenge on whether we feel competent to apply for it. We'll look at some of the more technically-focused job postings next week. For now, let's look at what is requested in Higher Education. These job listings often have fewer technical demands. However, applicants are still expected to have experience with Learning Management Systems, and the top ones such as Blackboard or Canvas. We ID'ers have experience using these as students but not administrators

How did you land your job in this field? Did you convince the interviewer that you had enough understanding as a student using Canvas to be able to transfer that as a Canvas Adminstrator? Or, are you aware of any training you could take for this role?

Position Summary

Preferred Qualifications

Education
Master's degree in education-related field, instructional design, instructional technology, or another relevant field required for SLXD. Similar Bachelor's degree required for LXD; Master's degree preferred.

Job Knowledge

Demonstrated knowledge of adult learning theory, evidence-based instructional design models, innovative instructional technology, and online learning. Systems thinking and design thinking knowledge a plus.
Demonstrated experience working with curriculum, assessment, and measurable learning outcomes.
Demonstrated success in providing pedagogical guidance to develop online and/or multi-modal courses in a higher educational setting.
Knowledge of software used in technology-based instruction including Learning Management Systems and other applications such as Blackboard, Desire2Learn, Canvas, Zoom, etc.

Comments

Smartsheet: an alternative to Microsoft Project

For years Microsoft Project dominated the market for project management software. It has a steep learning curve and is an expensive per seat cost. I was a technical writer for a small software company that used MS Project for the three project managers and myself. While I enjoyed learning about the science of project management from them in our meetings, I discovered that using the software was not that intuitive. I plugged in the tasks and timelines for several projects only to discover how challenging it was to have to refactor dates. It seemed to mess up the entire project such that I just stopped using it. It was more time consuming setting it up and refactoring it than just inputting status to show our progress. It looks like a better option is SmartSheet which is used by many major companies. You can sign up for a free trial to get familiar with it. The more you can learn about tools to manage instructional design projects, the more likely you are to be considered for the team. T...

Apps for Instructional Designers in Higher Ed

As an Instructional Designer in Higher Education your tasks will range along the ADDIE model: Source: https://hortmonvera.wordpress.com/2015/03/06/addie-instructional-model/ A peer in my graduate ISLT program also works for the University. Her tasks in instructional design are determined by the department she works for. This is her second assignment as an instructional design assistant. Some of her tasks include testing links to multimedia content, checking library references, and proofreading and editing content. She graduated from the program recently and was promoted to Instructional Designer 2. In this role she uses apps like PowerPoint to create the videos and recordings that accompany these. She also uses Camtasia by Tech Smith to make similar content. However, this tool takes some skill to use, which impacts the Design and Development stages. Are you working in Higher Education or planning to as an Instructional Designer? Which apps are you currently using and which o...

The U.S. Distance Learning Association

The USDLA is the oldest organization for distance learning https://usdla.org/ They conduct research and have weekly podcasts as well as local/state chapters. Are any of you members or planning on becoming a member? Higher Education is one of the specialties I'm considering, so I want to check out this organization. However, this organization is not limited to just Higher Education -- their members include corporations, healthcare, and government. This past week they held their annual conference. They also offer a certification for universities to demonstrate their adherence to the 91 standards of the organization. Maybe this is something you would propose to a future university team to consider. Here's their monthly podcast about the future of distance learning: https://inkandescentradio.com/series/distance-learning-roundtable/

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