Knowledge and Skills Needed by Instructional Designers in Higher Education

Abstract

In this paper, we sought to address the following research question: What knowledge and skills are needed by instructional designers in higher education to be successful in their roles? We interviewed eight instructional designers from across the United States, all working for institutions of higher education. Using the constant comparative method, we analyzed our data to identify relevant themes. Our results suggest that instructional designers in higher education must have a solid foundation in instructional design and learning theory, possess soft skills and technical skills, and have a willingness to learn on the job. Most instructional designers felt their academic backgrounds assisted them with their job roles, and, in particular, valued their professional experiences. Instructional designers in higher education must also keep abreast of multiple emerging information and communication technologies. We provide a discussion to synthesize our findings. The findings are relevant to professionals, professional academic programs, and professional associations.

The Impact of the Cooperative Mentorship Model on Faculty Preparedness to Develop Online Courses

“…Similar to previous studies (Pan et al, 2003;Richardson et al, 2019;Ritzhaupt & Kumar, 2015), the faculty in this study also had misconceptions about the role of IDs in this mentorship process. IDs were perceived as technical personnel in charge of technology and placing the course content online.…”

“…Following previous studies (Kumar & Ritzhaupt, 2017;Richardson et al, 2019;Ritzhaupt & Martin, 2014), this study found evidence of the importance IDs' soft skills in building trust or gaining "buy-in" (Ritzhaupt & Kumar, 2015) with university faculty during mentorship relationships. Moreover, when IDs have strong persuasive skills, relationship-building skills, and communication skills (Ritzhaupt & Kumar, 2015), they can help faculty members become successful in teaching high-quality online courses. When working with university faculty who are new to online course design and development, it is very important that IDs are equipped with strong skills to teach them and are able to explain complex learning design elements (Ritzhaupt & Kumar, 2015).…”

“…Moreover, when IDs have strong persuasive skills, relationship-building skills, and communication skills (Ritzhaupt & Kumar, 2015), they can help faculty members become successful in teaching high-quality online courses. When working with university faculty who are new to online course design and development, it is very important that IDs are equipped with strong skills to teach them and are able to explain complex learning design elements (Ritzhaupt & Kumar, 2015). In addition, the relationships that are built on mutual respect and trust where both mentor and mentee bring something to the table can open the door to faculty creativity, openmindedness, and willingness to learn (Pan et al, 2003;Richardson et al, 2019).…”

“…However, the majority of university faculty still do not know what IDs can do because their roles are misinterpreted, and they are sometimes referred to as the "best kept secret" in higher education (Dimeo, 2017). There are still misconceptions, such as when academic institutions perceive IDs as "tech" people, "techies," or part of the information technology (IT) department (Ritzhaupt & Kumar, 2015). This lack of understanding may be the result of limited institutional efforts or support to communicate what IDs can do.…”

The Role of Self-Efficacy in Predicting Use of Distance Education Tools and Learning Management Systems

“…The success of distance education therefore depends on the ability of instructional designers to provide student satisfaction and retention (Saba, 1999). Accordingly, instructional designers in distance education should have a broad background in instructional design and distance learning theory, have both technical and soft skills, and have a willingness to learn emerging information and communication technologies (Ritzhaupt & Kumar, 2015).…”