Instructional Design Skills

eLearning

Instructional Design Skills

by michaelg March 4, 2019

Author: Christy Tucker
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This is post #3 in a series about how to become an instructional designer. Links to the rest of the series can be found at the end of this post.

I know many instructional designers were originally teachers or trainers who changed careers (just like I did). Many of the skills overlap between these fields, so it can be a pretty easy transition. However, just like every other field, instructional design has its own set of jargon and specialized knowledge.

Free Online Resources

If you’re considering moving into instructional design, I think one of the best things to do is just to start reading about it. Fortunately, many free resources are available online.

Don Clark’s classic site has a great introduction to Instructional Systems Design (ISD) and ADDIE, the most common instructional design model. I used this site when I was first moving into instructional design.
Jane Bozarth’s 10-Minute Instructional Design Degree has some great tips to keep in mind.
Articulate has collected a number of posts on Practical Instructional Design Basics for those getting started.
Check out my post on a Basic Instructional Design Process. I wrote this as an overview for people outside the field. However, this framework gives you a basic process as a starting point.
Learning Solutions Magazine is an eLearning Guild publication with contributions by numerous authors.
The IDTopedia is a glossary of terms. As you’re reading other sources, if you come across terms you don’t know, this is one place to check.
Blogs by instructional designers can be an excellent resource as well. Start with my list of 35+ ID and Elearning blogs.
My list of bookmarks tagged instructionaldesign contain a wide range of resources. I also have a shorter list of resources for new IDs, including reading lists and information about starting in this field.

Books plus an App

For slightly more than free ($2.99), the Instructional Design Guru app for Android is a mobile glossary of almost 500 terms related to ID. If you’re constantly looking up jargon while you read up on the field, this will save you time.

If you have a little budget, there are some great books available as well.

Saul Carliner’s Training Design Basics is a practical, comprehensive starting point. The intended audience is beginners in the field to who want to learn the process of designing workplace training from start to finish.
Julie Dirksen’s Design for How People Learn provides a very accessible view of research on the science of learning.
I compiled a list of 12+ Books for Instructional Designers for more additional reading.
Cammy Bean’s list of essential reading for instructional designers has lots of good suggestions.
Tim Curry created an extensive reading list, followed by a his top four choices.

Online Courses and Graduate Programs

Especially if you’re moving to the field of instructional design from a career in something other than teaching, formal training can be the fastest path into an instructional design career.

edX offers an instructional design “micromasters” program. It’s four online courses. You can take them for free or pay for verified credit.

Open Learning has a free online course on instructional design that includes some solid foundation content and a guided process for creating a project. A paid certification is available too (although the certification may not count for much with employers, you might want it just to have a formal credential).

If you want a graduate certificate or masters degree, Connie Malamed (the eLearning Coach) maintains a list of US instructional design programs. Many of these can be completed completely online.