Education is a constantly evolving process. As new innovations and findings occur, educational materials need to be revised and adapted to accommodate these changes. However, it is not as simple as revising a textbook or adding in the new information to a course. The entire learning process often needs to be reshaped, so individuals are able to digest and retain the material in an effective manner. This is where the instructional designer’s role comes into play. Instructional designers are paramount in the process of learning. They are tasked with redesigning courses, developing entire courses or curriculums and creating training materials, such as teaching manuals and student guides. The Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) defines the responsibilities of instructional designers as “the theory and practice of design, development, utilization, management and evaluation of processes and resources for learning.” Essentially, instructional designers implement theory and research processes to design and implement learning materials that produce greater outcomes for a specific group of people.
Source:
What do instructional designers do?. Purdue University Online. (n.d.). https://online.purdue.edu/blog/education/what-do-instructional-designers-do
Analysis
As our world becomes increasingly complex a need arises to take time and consider the best approach to manage and facilitate this growth and complexity. Designers are at the forefront of this. Technology and Education are two big concerns moving forwards and Instructional Designers are coming to meet the need and solve the problems. This article does a great job of introducing the problems facing the industry and the roles that Instructional Designers are filling and need to fill.
