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What are the key functions of an Instructional Designer in Higher Ed?

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 This article presents an interesting perspective on working in Higher Ed as an Instructional Designer. The author, Todd Taylor shares what his 18 months of experience in the field have been like.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/three-perspectives-instructional-design-higher-education-todd-taylor

He makes the point that many IDers are used for two main functions in Higher Ed:

1) To review course material and ensure its accuracy

2) To develop graphical content such as PowerPoints, videos, etc.

He proposes that our main function is that we should be doing design thinking. This includes working backward by reviewing assessments and evaluations in order to determine learning gaps and learner needs. In fact, this is what instructional design curriculum is all about for graduate students. What he is saying is that we need to be prepared to advocate for ourselves in order to define our roles. If we don't we can end up performing a lot of tasks that aren't the greatest use of our education and expertise.


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