Abstract
Instructional design positions in higher education require greater depth and breadth of knowledge, far beyond the bulleted qualifications found in typical job descriptions. The eDesign Collaborative Research Team wished to explore the discrepancies that exist between commonly identified competencies and those deemed necessary by instructional designers (IDs) actively working in postsecondary education. This study identifies the work performed by instructional designers and compares that work to the competencies and tasks identified in literature focused on instructional design and designers. Likewise, the study sought to explore the career plans and goals of IDs and their access to professional development. A majority (56%) described the ID role as a mix of both faculty and content development. When asked about what they would rather be doing with their time, an even mix between working with faculty more and working on content development more was observed. Many individuals also mentioned an interest in working more with technology and innovative projects. Collaboration with subject matter experts (SMEs), content experts, faculty, and instructors was by far the most important competency, both in importance and time spent. Research and marketing seemed to be least important and garnered the least amount of employee time.
Highlights
Background and ContextInstructional design, as a field, found its roots in the midst of World War II (Reiser, 2012)
This study presents a comprehensive view of the regular duties and tasks of instructional designers (IDs) working at University Professional Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) member institutions, which is presumed to be a representative sample of four-year institutions in the United States and Canada
75% of respondents had one to 10 years of ID experience, and 97% of that experience came from a higher education background
Summary
Instructional design, as a field, found its roots in the midst of World War II (Reiser, 2012). Psychologists and educators, such as Robert Gagne, were recruited by the military to utilize educational and psychological research to develop training materials based upon the known principles of instruction. The development of instructional design models and theories continued over the several decades, informing computer-based instruction and job performance. These models and theories have been useful in many different educational contexts, from human performance to K–12 to higher education
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