Whereas the instructional design landscape a decade ago was mostly about supporting teaching and learning endeavors as well as ed-tech integration, each passing year complicates the expectations for this broad and diverse field. From assessment to analytics to curriculum and course design to understanding new educational trends and the paradigm shift to online learning, instructional designers need to be well versed in an incredible variety of contexts. It boggles my mind when I think of the road we’ve traveled on this campus alone over the 8+ years I’ve been working here. Then multiply that by 19 campuses, the colleges, UP, and World Campus, and you’ve got an army of folks that represent a significant contribution to what happens at the University each and every day in terms of teaching and learning.
What has changed the most I think is the shift to online learning and the sheer workforce demands needed to pull this off with quality and integrity. For some IDs, responding to this shift will be the hallmark of their careers – the fact that they could successfully move their constituents to the new paradigm with quality results – from processes to personnel – these mammoth changes didn’t happen through laissez faire approaches to leadership – but with strategic insight and planning from groups of professionals with vision and courage to discern the contexts in which the new approach could most benefit students and campus communities. And then to make it happen!!!!
It will be interesting to see how this chapter in educational advances plays out over time.
