Good afternoon everyone, welcome to the third post for my Human Performance course blog. As with the last one, I’m supposed to limit my post to 1 or 2 paragraphs. I can tell you already I’m not going to make it.
Introducing Traci
I watched a webinar presented by Traci Tobergte, an Instructional Systems Specialist working for the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), an office within the Department of the Interior. You can learn more about Traci Here. She works as both an Instructional Designer and Performance consultant for the OSMRE. It’s important to note this because we often wear multiple hats; I will talk more about this in a minute.
It’s all about Partnership
Traci started by talking about how she was not an SME or Subject Matter Expert at the OSMRE and depended on those in her department that were SME’s to help her understand the content she was designing. This is a critical point for us to realize as Instructional Designers. We will probably not be the SME’s in the job roles we take and the companies we work for. It’s a bonus if we are, but that doesn’t happen very often. I have worked for software companies, hospitals, and Internet services companies. I was not an expert in the topics or content I was being asked to design. I worked heavily with those considered the SME’s in their fields to ensure the learning experiences I was designing met the audience’s content and knowledge needs. I would go so far as to say, without the partnership of the SME’s I wouldn’t have been able to design anything remotely coherent. When you are not the SME for a project, going into it as a partner is the most important thing you can do. Don’t tell your stakeholders or project team what they need to know or do. It’s essential to go in as a team member willing to partner and collaborate with everyone to ensure a successful outcome.
Designer and Developer
Another topic that stood out was a question that Traci answered. The question was about how she went about not making her content standard, mediocre, and boring. As she explained what she did, it started a conversation about being both a designer and developer. It is possible to have a designer or team of designers in very large companies, which is all they do, design learning experiences and training. Once they are done with the design, they would hand their design off to the developer group to do the actual building of the design. I have never been blessed to work for such a company. In every company I have worked for, I have been both the designer and developer of all my content. While it would be nice to focus on one or the other, I think being able to do both gives you an edge in the job market and the companies you work for. Being able to do both means that you understand the skillset and concepts required of both roles. There is a trade-off in being both designed and developer. You may need to spend less time on either the design portion or be simpler in the development. If not executed well, both of these options can result in a less than optimal final product. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t do it. Becoming proficient in design and development skillsets brings efficiencies to any learning project because you can bring to the table the full spectrum of skills and concepts as a designer and developer.
That’s it for today. I look forward to talking to you again.
Scott