Learning by Instructional Design

Imagine that it's your first day on a new job. After completing the new hire paperwork, your supervisor asks you to sit at a desk and participate in computer-based training. This interactive and informative training lasts for one hour. When your supervisor returns, they ask you to follow them into a classroom where you will spend the next four hours learning about the company and your position.

Orientation is often not fun, but necessary to prepare you for your new role.

Have you ever thought about the person who does the training modules for your new position? No? Well, the chances are that someone working for the company with knowledge of instructional design is responsible for organizing the onboarding process.

The field of instructional design is relevant to higher education, corporate, and non-profit entities. Instructional design uses learning theories to teach people new skills via computer software programs and in-person training sessions.

If you’ve ever taken an online university course, an eLearning developer with a background in instructional design created the curriculum. This person or team of educators and developers facilitated the flow of your class and organized how you learned the material.

Do you believe in life-long learning? Are you committed to finding new ways to expand your skills and knowledge? My dedication to learning is the reason for this post about instructional design.

Last September, I decided to invest time and money into improving as an educator. I joined a Facebook group and enrolled in a sixteen-week online instructional design course led by an expert in instructional design. In addition to this course, I started the certification classes offered through LinkedIN’s LYNDA Learning.

I have learned that, instructional design empowers me to combine fifteen years of experience in K-16 classrooms with my video editing skills. Many of the learning theories I know from graduate school and use as a professor are useful in instructional design. They help me to organize engaging and relevant lessons for learners. I have also found that working with Final Cut Pro software to create video content for YouTube has helped me understand how to incorporate video and other media elements into instructional design projects.

Through a popular instructional design software called Articulate Storyline 360, I can breathe human life into virtual classrooms.

Make 2020 phenomenal and learn something new every week! Commit to finding connections between your current skills, interests, and professional responsibilities. A life-long learning commitment requires that you read informative blogs, take courses, receive mentorship, join professional networks, and view videos that can enhance your knowledge in a field.

To start your 2020 learning commitment, enroll in my online course, Frequency: Personal Development 100, that teaches you the essential skills of personal development and leadership. The course covers gratitude practices, exercises in building your self-esteem, and tactics to enhance your decision-making skills. The following quote is what one of my enrolled students had to say about Frequency: Personal Development 100:

"When I initially enrolled in Dr. Lindsay's Personal Development 100 course, my only goal was to gain some fresh ideas that may benefit my professional growth. What I actually gained has been an invaluable set of lessons offering insight into any area of my life: Professional development, marriage and parenthood, friendships, and personal health. There truly is no area in my life where Dr. Lindsay's lessons are not applicable." - Mark S.

#personaldevelopment #instructionaldesign #learning