Author Archives: Melissa A. Venable

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About Melissa A. Venable

Working at the intersection of instructional design and technology, social media, and career development.

Additional Duties as Assigned

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We’ve all found ourselves tackling assorted tasks that were not exactly part of the job description. (Once I actually had to build a sign with donated plywood and paint!) This may be particularly true of Instructional Designers. In a field that is dynamic and in an economy where organizations are striving to do more with less, the job description expands.

What takes up your time that isn’t in an Instructional Design model? Thinking about my last few positions and employers, these are the items that stand out for me and seem to be consistent:

  • Copyright/license research and documentation of permissions
  • Report writing
  • Keeping, typing, and distributing meeting minutes
  • Attending meetings, lots of meetings (I knew of course that there would be meetings, but…)
  • Conducting the hiring process and writing performance evaluations
  • Marketing (business development) at expos, manning tables and booths
  • Copy editing and formatting

I have personally and professionally learned from the process and everything involved. It all adds to your knowledge base and builds up your skill set – ultimately allowing you to do more and understand more about the organization.

What have you found yourself doing that was a little unexpected but added value?

photo credit: Beverly & Pack, Flickr

Getting (Online) Students Ready

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RunwayI don’t think it is completely out of line to say that not all students, or prospective students, are ready to begin online programs when they enroll.  I recently overheard an online instructor say: “The students enroll in class, buy a computer, and on the first day of class turn the computer on.” This group of students is non-traditional, usually working full-time, and often returning to school after a long absence. The preparation of these students falls on the shoulders of the instructor of their first course who is expected to help them with everything from computer set-up to LMS familiarization. All of this takes time and focus away from the course content and schedule and can result in frustration of all involved.

How do you prepare your online students to actively participate in the experience on Day One of Term One? Ideally, there is some sort of formal New Student Orientation available – developed by your institution and customized to meet the needs of your students and programs. This experience would include not only web pages and tutorials, but also helpful assistants available to answer questions and address concerns.

An online orientation might include:

  • Learning basic computer skills: such as using email and sending attachments.
  • Buying and setting up a computer: downloading plug-ins, protecting from viruses, selecting hardware and software.
  • Accessing the Internet: choosing and using Internet browsers, finding an ISP, using unsecured wi-fi hot spots.
  • Preparing to participate: how to navigate the course LMS interface, uploading/downloading of course materials and assignments, communicating in discussion boards, virtual classrooms, and via email and instant messaging.
  • Managing time, resources, and stress: awareness of expectations; availability of counseling, advising, and support resources; tips, suggestions, and recommendations from successful students.

If a customized orientation is not available, there are a lot of existing options online. A few examples are listed below. Consider sharing some of your favorites.

photo credit: Oddsock, Flickr

Learning Instructional Design: in school and on-the-job

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I have been asked several times to serve as a guest speaker in graduate level instructional design/technology courses. (All but one of these events occurred online via synchronous classroom!) The topic I am assigned is usually something like:  “Working as an Instructional Designer” or “Managing Online Course Development”.  The two questions I field most frequently are listed below along with my responses.

What are the important things about instructional design that you learned in school?

  • Coursework helped me to learn and understand different approaches to designing courses and modules. In school you become familiar with the standard processes and models and practice taking an idea for a learning event through the steps and stages.
  • Through the completion of individual and group course projects I learned the basics of how to do the work. Putting the pieces to together in the best possible sequence takes practice. I like many other students often dreaded the group work, but that’s the way it usually works with an employer. You rarely work a project start to finish on your own. It’s a team effort.
  • Planning a project was also part of many course activities. Being able to organize the work and resources at the outset makes the rest go ever so much more smoothly…although the plan will change – more on that below.
  • Through my coursework I gathered a pretty substantial set of resources. Different instructors have different favorites as well and that helps you grow your own library or tool box. These resources include textbooks, key journal articles, professional organizations, and countless checklists and templates.

What did you have to learn on the job?

  • Management skills are a critical piece of the puzzle, in my opinion, and although I was required to take a course in project management, this is a skill that truly comes from practice. You get better with each project at considering all of the variables and making decisions. It’s about people, resources, and time. These skills include learning to communicate and collaborate with all levels of management and team members. Check this link for more on the ideal skill set for an Instructional Designer.
  • The plan changes. Learning how to deal with this in terms of people, resources, and time also comes from experiencing projects take an unexpected turn. Some variables are hard to predict and leave you in reaction mode. Strategies for getting everything and everyone back on track can be read, but experiencing and trying them out adds them to your tool box.
  • On the job you also learn the real-world consequences of a plan and timeline. It’s one thing for you to miss the mark with your classmates when designing a wine selection tutorial for a fictitious grocery store chain (remember that one, guys?) It’s another thing to miss the mark with an academic calendar or corporate budget.
  • Keeping current with trends and research in technology is a constant effort. The schoolwork and interaction with classmates started the conversations. It’s the continued work, reading, investigating, and experimenting at work that help you stay as current as possible. The pace at which the options and possibilities for online learning are changing is fast and furious.

The skill set of the Instructional Designer is wide and varied and can largely depend on where you are working and what type of course you are designing (K-12, higher education, military, corporate). Get as much experience as you can while you are in school!

Both schoolwork and practical experience should work together to prepare you for the work to come. Try to tie in current or past employment in terms of topic area when working with an instructor to outline a course project. Take on internships, volunteer work, and part-time jobs when you can to not only open up opportunities to practice what you are learning in your courses but also to gain the experience your future employers will be looking for.

photo credit: MAMJODH, Flickr