Instructional Design Careers

EDUA 6377 - Instructional Design

Instructional design is a rewarding and growing field, with plenty of opportunities for those interested in improving learning outcomes. By building your skills, pursuing education and experience, and networking with others in the field, you can set yourself up for a successful career in instructional design. Instructional design careers can take many different forms, depending on the industry and specific job.

Here are a few examples of instructional design roles in different fields:

Business and Industry

Instructional design plays a crucial role in business and industry. It enables companies to create and implement effective training programs that promote employee development and growth, ultimately resulting in a better bottom line. As Tracey & Morrison (2012) explained in the article "Instructional Design in Business and Industry," there are three very broad categories of roles that instructional designers in a corporate setting: Sole designer, some of the responsibilities are design, development, assessment, formative evaluation, revision, and implementation. Team member/leader, composition varies depending on the learners, technology, and project scope. And an External Designer/Consultant who is hired to produce a product or lead a project.

Military Education and Training Environments

Effective military education and training rely heavily on instructional design. Military instructional designers are responsible for developing and delivering training programs that prepare soldiers for deployment and other operational duties. According to Bratton-Jeffrey and Jeffrey (2007), "To work effectively in the military environment, instructional designers must understand and appreciate the transition the military will make in the years ahead. Military training will evolve alongside this transition, and the use of and emphasis on technology will have a significant impact on that training."

Health Care Education

Health care industry is very broad, most of us think about doctors, clinics, hospitals when we think about health services. However, instructional designers play a crucial role in the healthcare industry, where training and education are essential for healthcare professionals to provide quality care. Instructional designers in healthcare work with subject matter experts to design and develop training programs that meet the specific needs of healthcare organizations.

Healthcare instructional designers may be involved in designing and developing a range of training programs. According to Locatis (2007), professional schools are the most obvious sub-settings for education and training in healthcare. Medical schools have several departments dedicated to medical education that evaluate courses and students develop curricula, and biomedical communication which includes medical illustration, photography, video, and multimedia. Additionally, academic departments in medical informatics are responsible for teaching and research related to the application of computer and information technologies in healthcare.

P-12 Education

Instructional designers in P-12 education work to develop and improve educational materials and strategies for students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. Lowther & Ross (2007) have identified three common types of instructional design for integrating technology into P-12 classrooms: integrated learning systems, computer-based learning, and classroom-level technology integration.

Also, instructional designers collaborate with educators and administrators to design curriculum, develop instructional materials, and evaluate the effectiveness of educational programs. This can include creating interactive learning materials, developing assessments, and providing professional development for teachers. Instructional designers in P-12 education may also work with special education programs to ensure that all students have access to quality education.

University Roles for Instructional Designers

The roles of instructional designers in universities vary depending on the specific department and the needs of the institution. According to Litchfield et al. (2012), instructional designers feel great satisfaction in helping faculty members create engaging instruction and improve their teaching skills. Some examples of instructional design roles within universities include Instructional Designer, Educational Technologist, and Faculty Development, among others.

Instructional design is a rewarding and growing field, with plenty of opportunities for those interested in improving learning outcomes. By building your skills, pursuing education and experience, and networking with others in the field, you can set yourself up for a successful career in instructional design.

References

Bratton-Jefferey, M. F., & Jeffery, A. B. (2007). Instructional design opportunities in military education and training environments. In R. A. Reiser and J. V. Dempsey (Eds.) Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology (2nd ed., pp. 187-196).Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Litchfield, B. C., Albion, P., McDonald, J. & Nemoto, J. (2012). Five university roles for designers from three nations. In R. A. Reiser and J. V. Dempsey (Eds.) Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology (3rd ed., pp. 218 - 228).Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Locatis, C., (2007). Performance, instruction, and technology in health care education. In R. A. Reiser & J. V. Dempsey (Eds.) Trends & issues in instructional design & technology (2nd ed.). (pp. 178-186). Columbus, OH: Merrill-Prentice Hall.

Lowther, D.L. & Ross, S.M. (2007). Instructional designers and P-12 technology integration. In R. A. Reiser and J. V. Dempsey (Eds.) Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology (2nd ed., pp. 208 - 217).Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Tracey, M., & Morrison, G. R. (2012). Instructional design in business and industry. In R. A. Reiser & J. V. Dempsey (Eds.) Trends & issues in instructional design & technology (3rd ed.). (pp. 178-186). Columbus, OH: Merrill-Prentice Hall