Secrets To Instructional Design Success
- Always keep learning.
One controversial topic in the e-Learning industry is whether or not someone needs an instructional design degree to be the most successful as an e-Learning developer. Connie Malamad, The eLearning Coach, addresses this, taking a different approach to the argument. She says, “Perhaps what is most important is that the instructional designer is a self-didact. That the designer is motivated to read cognitive psychology, instructional design and eLearning textbooks, trade books, journals and blogs.” The key to being successful is to keep learning. Malamad further explains how it’s important “that he or she can learn something in a completely different field and transfer this knowledge to instructional design.” This type of learning and skill is incredibly valuable to any type of profession, including instructional design. - Focus on your goals.
This one’s easy to say but more difficult to actually practice. According to Panos Mourdoukoutas in the Forbes article “The Six Rules of Personal Success,” “It takes patience, persistence, and discipline to stay focused. Patience to overcome the hurdles that stand between you and your goal; persistence to overcome the failures, setbacks, and temptations that may take you off course; and discipline to play the game right, to comply with all the rules: know what you are doing, be punctual, and work out all the details.” The reason this is challenging is because patience, persistence and discipline all take time, which means you’re not necessarily going to fulfill your goals right away. If you do stick with it, however, you’ll be on your way to instructional design success. - Network with the e-Learning community.
As Christopher Pappas, founder of the eLearning Industry network, writes, “One of the most effective ways to make money in eLearning is by knowing how to network with other professionals. However, you have to be ready and willing to devote time to get out there and make a connection with eLearning freelancers and companies.” This article refers mainly to freelance e-Learning professionals, but this tip especially can benefit any e-Learning developer in the industry. If you want to succeed, you need to find a community to talk through issues, get ideas and inspiration and share your own successes with!
Take the advice of these successful experts, and remember to make it your priority to keep learning, focus on your goals and network with other e-Learning professionals. Know any e-Learning developers who could benefit from these tips? Let them in on the 3 secrets to instructional design success!
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