Skills for Instructional Design Professionals

Abstract

Competent instructional designers must have specific skills to successfully facilitate learning and to improve the performance of individuals and organizations. While some authors and professional organizations have identified the capabilities required for effective instructional designers, only a few have validated these skills by collecting data from actual practitioners.The purpose of this article is to discuss the results of a research study we conducted to identify and empirically validate competencies for instructional design professionals.

Competencies for Instructional Designers: A View from Employers

“…The International Board of Standards for Training, Performance, & Instruction (IBSTPI, 2016) defines a competency as "a knowledge, skill, or attitude that enables one to effectively perform the activities of a given occupation or function to the standards expected in employment. " Researchers have studied competencies for instructional designers (Byun, 2000;Larson & Lockee, 2004, 2009Klein & Jun, 2014;Koszalka, Russ-Eft, & Reiser, 2013;Richey, Fields, & Foxon, 2001;Villachica, Marker, & Taylor, 2010); for ID project managers (Brill, Bishop, & Walker, 2006;Foxon, Richey, Roberts, & Spannaus, 2003;van Rooij, 2013) for multimedia developers (Liu, et al, 2002;Ritzhaupt & Martin, 2014;Ritzhaupt, Martin, & Daniels, 2010;Sugar, Brown, Daniels, & Hoard, 2011); for training and development professionals (Berge, Verneil, Berge, Davis, & Smith, 2002); and for performance improvement specialists (Fox & Klein, 2003;Klein & Fox, 2004). Our review of these studies suggests that IDT competences can be classified into five major categories: (1) instructional design, (2) instructional technology, (3) management, (4) communication and interpersonal skills, and (5) other foundational competencies.…”

Knowledge of the Human Performance Technology Practitioner Relative to ISPI Human Performance Technology Standards and the Degree of Standard Acceptance by the Field

“…And as is the case with professional knowledge and competency standards for instructional design practice (e.g., the International Board of Standards for Training, Performance and Instruction standards), similar standards of HPT knowledge have been provided by a number of professional societies oriented to the HPT fi eld, such as the International Society for Performance Improvement and the Association for Talent Development, though varying focuses in the standards are evident upon close examination. Despite the availability of the HPT fi eld and practitioner competency and knowledge standards, the degree to which practitioners within HPT resemble or practice the standards has not been the subject of signifi cant empirical research.As of the time of this writing, there has been some research into the qualitative beliefs and agreement among practitioners regarding the content and coverage of certain sets of HPT practitioner standards (e.g., Klein & Jun, 2014 ), but little has been published in the way of quantitative skills and knowledge assessment of practitioners as measured against the published standards. Th e present study is intended to examine both the qualitative and quantitative questions about the acceptance and ability Despite the availability of the human performance technology (HPT) competency standards, the degree to which practitioners within HPT practice the standards has not been the subject of signifi cant empirical research.…”

Preservice Science Teachers’ Instructional Design Competence: Characteristics and Correlations

“…Klein and Jun (2014) argued that competencies describe the critical ways in which proficiency is demonstrated. However, many researchers (Klein & Richey, 2005;Parry, 1998;Richey, Fields, Foxon, 2001) claimed that there are a set of related skills, knowledge, and attitudes that enable an individual to effectively perform a given occupation or job.…”

“…Several related conceptions and terms for IDC (instructional design competence) used in the literature are: instructional design competencies (Bowman, 2015;Cheng, 2014;Klein & Jun, 2014;Richey et al, 2001), instructional design skills (Brill, 2016;Isman et al, 2012;Koehler, 2015;McElvany et al, 2012;Nativio, 2014), pedagogical design capacity (Aydeniz & Dogan, 2016;Beyer, 2009;Beyer & Davis, 2012;Forbes, 2009;Forbes & Davis, 2010;KnightBardsley & McNeill, 2016;Ross, 2014) and lesson planning skills (John, 2006;Koehler, 2015;Klein, 1991). These various academic terms represent IDC as a hierarchy and mental ability of human beings.…”

“…However, many researchers (Klein & Richey, 2005;Parry, 1998;Richey, Fields, Foxon, 2001) claimed that there are a set of related skills, knowledge, and attitudes that enable an individual to effectively perform a given occupation or job. In this study, competence, as described by Klein and Jun (2014), is applied. Competence is a critical way in which proficiency is demonstrated and a system in which multiple skills and abilities in a hierarchy can be measured through individual performance.…”