Skills of Exceptional Learning Designers

Educational designers have to be multi-talented and life-long learners! As you will read below, designing eLearning is a process that requires expert educational knowledge and understanding of learning theory, creativity, constant growth and embracing of new technology, collaboration, excellent writing and communication skills, and attracts highly organized, detail-oriented, and results driven teammates. 

I know, it sounds like a lot and may even feel overwhelming, however, many of these "soft skills" are developed in previous work and life experiences and you're probably closer than you realize! 

Consider one or two of the highlighted areas listed below and start there. Make a plan to brush up on your Google or Microsoft Suite skills, or take a class to upskill and learn an LMS. Read about adult learning theory or practice writing by staring your own blog! Whatever you do and wherever you start, I encourage you to begin with the end in mind: finding a career that you love designing engaging eLearning instruction!

1. Expert Educators Well-Versed in Learning Theory

From ADDIE to Inquiry Based Model of learning theory and a thorough knowledge of Bloom's Taxonomy of a framework for learning, it is essential that instructional designers have studied and practiced teaching theories as well as being well-versed in many types of instructional strategies for teaching online, in person, or for designing self-directed eLearning. 

2. Lifelong Learners Who Embrace New Technology

eLearning is a constantly evolving industry that moves at the speed of technology. Although some learning theories and practices have been around for generations, new technology used in education is developed every day. 

The best instructional designers embrace new technology and jump right into learning new software or apps quickly. They love trying new things and understand that new technology can present the next powerful tool for learning.

Successful instructional designers love learning, and upskilling is just a by-product of their success. From taking courses, improving design skills, networking, and attending conferences and workshops, it is a field that encourages and requires constant learning.

3. Creative and Visual Thinkers

"Do it messy" is a great motto for learning designers as they experiment with new designs, ideas, and concepts. Creativity is necessary to keep up with the constantly changing eLearning industry, pushing the boundaries and always staying ahead of the curve. 

Gamification, multimedia elements, and trying new apps to engage students is part of the process. Using visual, audio, and other multimedia elements to keep learners interested is essential to great learning design. If they are not engaged, learners are not learning!

4. Collaborative Workers    

Collaborating with co-workers, supervisors, SME's, graphic designers, computer developers, and students is the key to designing a successful course. 

It's not possible to produce an online course alone and collaboration often takes a course to the next level. Being open to feedback and working closely with team members and stakeholders is an essential skill.

5. Results-Driven

A great course can take weeks or months to create and still not meet the objectives or produce the performance outcomes that it was designed to meet. It's all about the results. 

As instructional design is an iterative process, the jobs not done until the result is achieved. An excellent learning designer will ensure that the objectives are clearly defined, that the learning tasks and assessments all match those objectives and then they will make the necessary changes as they gain feedback along the way. 

This requires asking the questions of WHY if a course fails to meet the performance objectives. Are there technology issues? Are learners completing the tasks or abandoning part way through? Does this course meet the students actual needs? 

There are a myriad of reasons why a course may not be successful and learning designers should be willing to dig into the data and make the changes that will allow the results to be delivered.

6. Detail-Oriented and Highly Organized

Creating an eLearning course requires an eye for detail. Meticulous work, checking and rechecking for accuracy pays off in the end when you have created a well-organized, polished and professional course that engages students and delivers the content successfully. 

On a similar note, to produce those results, an instructional designer must also be highly organized as they keep track of all the moving parts from the needs assessment, detailed outline, learning objectives, feedback, multimedia and graphic elements and more.

7. Great Listeners and Communicators

Articulating ideas clearly and concisely is a skill that the best instructional designers work to develop. In addition, they must be open to listening to others' ideas, asking the right questions to your target audience, and really taking the time to understand the needs of your learners. They are open to positive and negative feedback from students and ask for the feedback frequently both formally and informally. 

8. Strong Writing Skills

Writing, grammar, editing, and structure are essential when designing effective instruction. Verbal and written expression are needed to create great eLearning materials that engage learners from beginning to end. 

This post discusses the skills that the best instructional designers are able to exhibit. Information for this post is found from the source(s) listed below:

mylearningworld