Chapter 24 takes a look at lessons learned from the chapter's author for obtaining a position in instructional design. Take a look at a few of the sources provided for job openings from lesson 1 and search for at least 3 positions that are of interest to you. Describe the general nature of the positions and list the skills required for the job. Do you have these skills?
General description: Interpret client learning needs, create customized curriculum, develop e-Learning solutions, and partner with necessary teams to deliver results.
Skills required: Assessing, designing, developing, implementing, and evaluating learning solutions.
Applicant requirements: 2 years experience, BA/BS in related area, experience with e-learning systems preferred, MA/MS in related field preferred.
Notes: This position was also listed on the ASTD site and ISPI site. I could tweak my resume to apply my experience in the Software Process Team to apply to this job.
General description: Link between business development, content design and development, production, and clients.
Skills required: Manage team of Instructional Designers, define learning-solutions, build account loyalty, gauge program impact, and work well with all parties involved.
Applicant requirements: BA/BS in related field, advanced degree preferred, 10+ years experience, deep literacy, passion for design, demonstrated eloquence, collaborative and iterative approach, solution stewardship, flexibility, ability to learn on the job and self-paced, critical reasoning skills, and ability to travel.
Notes: The title of this job, “Solution Designer” or “Solution Architect”, sounds sooooo much cooler than “Fire-Putter-Outer” or “Trainer”. I think I need to use this title for what I do now. I am way under-qualified for this job because I have limited experience as an instructional designer.
General description: Responsible for all aspects of product development, including analysis, consultation with clients and SMEs, development, and delivery.
Skills required: Comprehensive knowledge of instructional design/technology and adult learning principles. Evidence of creating innovative and engaging learning materials, as well as developing and delivering technical training. Knowledge of web, multimedia, or graphic design applications.
Applicant requirements: BA/BS in related field, 2+ years experience, MA/MS in related field preferred, project management experience preferred, experience in Deaf community preferred including knowledge of ASL, higher education experience preferred.
Notes: This job caught my eye because I have family in New York and I considered attending RIT for my BS. The description is way too vague. It doesn’t say what the “product” is that is being developed. It looks like the “product” is just general learning materials and technical training. I could meet the minimum requirements here, but not the preferred requirements related to deaf community members.
General description: Entry-level instructional designer for Customer Support.
Skills required: Utilize ADDIE model, storyboarding, graphic layout, develop training, create and maintain training, coordinate with others.
Applicant requirements: BA/BS in related field, 3+ years instructional design experience, 2+ years e-learning design and development, understanding of rapid development tools, problem solving and evaluation, general office stuff, Instructional Design certificates, Flash & Dreamweaver experience preferred.
Notes: Working for eBay could be a monster like working for Dell, but I though I’d look at this listing anyway. I have Flash and Dreamweaver experience, but it was years ago. I would need to brush up if applying for this job. I also don’t have any certificates, but really, if I were going for a certificate, I would go for Lean 6-Sigma Blackbelt. Instructional design isn’t my cup of tea. I prefer general problem solving, and statistical process control and improvement gives me more flexibility there.
Remember that the field of instructional/educational technology is not just focused on education, but on business and industry as well. Look at the resources provided on page 258 in chapter 25 and select one of these links and complete the self assessment. What did you learn about yourself from the assessment?
I never took a career assessment, so I decided to go to CareerOneStop and check out the self-assessments. There were a bunch of them, and I opted to check out the skills profiler. The only job that came up as a good match for me was “robotics engineer”. It’s funny…I left a job in software engineering. The skill of sitting at a desk wasn’t listed on the profiler, and that was the huge problem I had with software engineering. What I learned about myself from the assessment is that I am not well categorized by this assessment.
My grandmother used to say that engineering was a personality type and not a career. I think I do a ton of engineering in the library that I work at. Working the in the Pillow Elementary library provides me with a good mix of problem solving and skills use as well as diverse social and intellectual stimuli to keep me fairly happy for now. In a few years I may tire of it and do something else. I just wish it paid more and I had the full time clerk I’m supposed to have so I could focus on the most value-added tasks.
Chapter 26 lists several websites for professional organizations and websites for professional publications. Visit 2-3 websites for professional organizations and 2-3 websites for the professional publications and address the following:
International Forum of Educational Technology & Society
o Professional organizations:
§ Mission
The International Forum of Educational Technology and Society (IFETS) encourages discussions on the issues affecting the educational system developer (including AI) and education communities. While recognising that this brief might be seen as too broad, it is proposed to conduct multiple discussion threads on more specific topics. This approach helps in developing specific aspects concerning the design and implementation of integrated learning environments while sharpening the overall vision about the purpose and processes of education. The discussions are aimed to be definitive and helpful in reaching some conclusions. The discussions are structured in the form of problem definition, fixed term discussions focusing towards some conclusive end. The conclusions are then put in concrete form for public dissemination.
§ Cost of membership
Free.
§ Publications
Journal of Educational Technology & Society
§ Conferences and meetings
None. Formal and informal discussions only.
§ Opportunities for professional development
None beyond participation in discussions.
§ Notes
I was familiar with IEEE, but did not know they had an Ed Tech forum before this assignment.
International Society for Performance Improvement
o Professional organizations:
§ Mission
ISPI's mission is to develop and recognize the proficiency of its members and advocate the use of Human Performance Technology.
§ Cost of membership
Regular - $165 annually
Young Professional (35 years old or younger) - $125 annually
Student - $60 annually
Lifetime - $1500
§ Publications
ISPI books, Performance Improvement Journal, PerformanceXpress, Performance Improvement Quarterly
§ Conferences and meetings
Scaling New Heights, Delivering Results
THE Performance Improvement Conference
April 10-13, 2011, Orlando, Florida
§ Opportunities for professional development
SkillCasts scheduled monthly available for an additional fee.
§ Notes
This looks like a very interesting organization and I am interested in learning more about Human Performance Technology and how I can apply HPT to student performance. I was not familiar with this professional organization before this assignment.
Learning and Leading with Technology
o Professional publications:
§ Focus/Goals of the journal
L&L articles emphasize practical ideas and provide how-to tips for integrating digital age skills (NETS) effectively into K–12 classrooms, curriculum, and administration. We also run articles focusing on trends and best practices in educational technology.
§ Submission guidelines
Please send a query before submitting a manuscript so the editors can ensure that the magazine effectively covers a broad range of topics. E-mail your query to Kate Conley, editor, at kconley@iste.org. Please include a brief but specific description of your article idea and why you think this information would be useful to the L&L audience. Be sure to include the kind of technology your manuscript will discuss and its primary outcome or effect on learning or teaching. Please allow one week to receive a reply to your query. The editor will let you know if you should proceed with drafting your manuscript. This process applies even if you have already written your manuscript.
§ Is this a peer reviewed journal?
No, it’s non-refereed.
§ Is the journal online?
Yes, the digital version is available to subscribers. For free you can access a sampling of articles from the most recent issues.
§ Notes
I would like to see what this publication has for the youngest learners. I was familiar with ISTE before this assignment, but not the Learning and Leading with Technology publication.
TechTrends
§ Focus/Goals of the journal
To provide a vehicle for the exchange of information among professional practitioners concerning the management of media and programs, the application of educational technology principles and techniques to instructional programs, corporate and military training, and any other kinds of information that can contribute to the advancement of knowledge of practice in the field.
§ Submission guidelines
Manuscripts are uploaded to the site and reviewed online. http://www.editorialmanager.com/tech/
§ Is this a peer reviewed journal?
Yes.
§ Is the journal online?
If you click on “Instructions for Authors” and then “Read Online” you can see previews, but you cannot read whole articles with out subscribing.
§ Notes
This would be a good journal to subscribe to if I were interested in educational technology in a variety of fields. I did not know about this journal before this assignment.
Chapter 27 looks at competencies for instructional design and technology professionals. If you were responsible for identifying the domains, competencies, and performance statements for a performance technologist, what would they include and why?
This is how I could best group domains, competencies, and performance statements for Performance Technologist based on my experience and the table on page 280 of the text.
Domain | Competency | Performance Statement |
Systematic | Problem Identification | Perform root cause analysis and rank obstacles. |
Use mathematical tools to assess variables and identify defined processes. | ||
Problem Solving | Identify possible solutions and quantify risk / reward. | |
Cast a wide net, not discounting suggestions without cause. | ||
Quantify effectiveness of solutions. | ||
Effective | Professional | Maintain professional relationships and work respectfully with others. |
Process Improvement | Compare beginning, improving, and improved states. | |
Establish a process for continual improvement when possible. | ||
Project ROI and determine actual ROI. | ||
Ethical | Professional Honesty | Maintain proprietary information. |
Honestly assess data, problems, and solutions. | ||
Credit sources. | ||
Professional Responsibility | Remain current with field trends. | |
Act in socially conscious and responsible fashion. | ||
Contribute to the field when possible. |
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