Designing Digitally
12/06/2011
With the relatively recent interest in moving to web based training more and more people are thinking about making a career change. The job of an instructional designer for computer based training is very interesting, highly rewarding but also not your average job. Individuals in this career have to be creative, have a comprehensive understanding of web based training development, training scenarios and scenario based training. They also have to know about eLearning development companies and how these companies provide services to the clients.
While it may be hard to narrow down just three qualities of an instructional designer, the following are certainly at the top of the Designing Digitally, Inc. staff list.
An instructional designer has to be able to both talk and listen. He or she will meet with the client to determine their learning objectives and goals as well as ask the questions necessary to be clear about the training program desired. In addition communication within the vast number of professionals involved in developing the training is also a must. The instructional designer will work with the subject matter expert, the web based training developers, virtual world designers, project managers and the team in general.
In addition to verbal communication the instructional designer will often be responsible for generating the copy or text that goes along with the training. This may include audio and video scripts as well as the trainer and participant manuals. Being able to develop games, simulations and training modules that people respond to emotionally will help with learning and motivation for training.
The instructional designer has to be able to visualize the end product before the first line of programming is ever generated. This really means seeing the big picture as well as all the details to provide a very accurate experience for the learner. This ability to visualize and see both from a designer as well as a user's perspective helps to ensure that the training is well structured, logical and at the appropriate level based on the target audience or training group. Designing Digitally, Inc. instructional designers definitely have these skills, resulting in amazingly lifelike serious games and 3D simulations.
Knowledge may seem like a big concept, and it really is when it comes to game based simulation and training. As the designer you will have to be able to know how people learn based on current research and approaches. You will also have to have a good foundation in a wide variety of theoretical and practical areas from the tools used in designing online trainings through to the most innovative of instructional strategies. While you don't need to be a subject matter expert in the specific field, having the knowledge what creative, unique and effective eLearning techniques best suit the training goals is going to be a key component of your job.
Needless to say the instructional designer is also going need to have more than his or her fair share of creativity. If you think you have all these skills as well as some proven leadership abilities you may be a great match for this truly unique career. The highly skilled instructional designers at Designing Digitally, Inc. definitely have all these characteristics in our staff as well as the experience that has helped our company become an industry leader in the world of web based training. For more information on how we can build your web-based training modules contact us today!
We bring a personal and effective approach to every project we work on.
