New tools

I recently read a blog about how technology has made us lazier. I hear this all the time from people who think that the generations that came before us were more hard-working and innovative. But, today when I was giving a lecture to some kids about the rapid development tools used in elearning, I realized that technology does not make us lazy. Far from making us dull, having tools and appliances that take care of cumbersome mundane tasks, actually makes us more innovative. These tools give us the freedom to focus on our core competencies. To excel and innovate in the areas that excite us the most.

As an ID, I now have tools that allow me to create rich and engaging elearning courses with audio and multimedia in a matter of hours. This lets me focus my energies on ensuring that my instructional approach is sound and my content is robust. A lazy ID would never have worried about these things too much. In fact, a lazy person would not work too hard no matter what the conditions.

It isn’t the tools that make us lazy, I suppose they just magnify our natural temperament. The new version of Flash allows my graphics team to quickly create almost anything that their imagination can come up with, including detailed 3D models. New technology allows doctors to keep people alive, even those who would've died years ago without that technology. And we can now think about creating lifelike simulations for medical training courses that we had never thought possible.

It’s time we stopped being afraid of technology and how it’ll change our lives. For the most part, it has made things better. For the most part it’s let us stretch our imaginations in terms of things we could do. Some years ago, Captivate was such a painful and cumbersome tool to use that I wouldn’t ever have the time to worry too much about whether the training simulations I’m making will really be immersive and engaging. But, with the new and improved Captivate, I can actually focus on the scenarios that I’m using for the simulations and how I can improve them. I can be more of an ID and less of a developer.

"Hi, I'm an Instructional Designer." "Huh?!"

I love the UPS ad! Every time it comes on I feel a rush of happiness. Here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRAHa_Po0Kg
I love it because it's so evident that these guys love their job. They love what they do. And that inspires so much faith in their capability to do it well. I like positive people, particularly at work. Enthusiasm is infectious.

I love my job. I know it's one of those abstract, vague, sitting-in-front-of-a-computer-all-day-long kinda jobs, but I love it. I know it's much more glamorous to say that you're a dancer or an architect or a vet or something. Usually when I tell people what I do, all I get is, "What is that again?" Sigh...

I know so many Instructional Designers who think that their job is just fluff. That it's meaningless and based more on conjecture than science. But before things become accepted as science, they're considered suppositions, superstitions even. I agree that instructional design isn't an exact science, quite like psychology, a subject that it is largely built upon. But all you have to do, to understand how important ID is, is to look at some of the 'training' that's out there. Honestly, a lot of corporate trainers have absolutely no logic behind what they are doing.

ID is important because it helps people get there faster and easier. If your organisation needs you to get from point A to point B ASAP, then your best bet is a professionally designed training program. Because haphazard training will only guarantee chaos, frustration and resentment. Okay, I'm not saying that creating an elearning course isn't frustrating. It usually is.

The whole concept of collaboration between an ID and a Subject Matter Expert is based on conflict. As an ID, it is my job to challenge everything the SME says. But the good thing is that we get to tear each other's hair out so that the people who are at the receiving end of the training don't have to tear their hair out. And invariably there are deadlines that prevent IDs and SMEs from killing each other. I never thought I'd say this, but thank God for deadlines.

Writing content for training

What should you write? What should you put in and what should you keep out?

The importance of elaboration

When you look at a piece of content you may feel that it isn’t clear enough, but you can’t seem to put your finger on what is missing. A common cause is that the content has not been elaborated enough. To a Subject Matter Expert (SME) it makes perfect sense, but you find yourself struggling with it. In all likelihood, your learners will struggle with it too.

The first thing that you must do is to find out what pre-requisite knowledge the learners must have in order to take the course. For example, if you’re making a course to explain the systems of a particular aircraft model to maintenance engineers, then you do not need to explain the basics of aircraft systems. These things may be alien to you, but they make perfect sense to your learners. What you do need to explain in detail is where these systems are located in this particular aircraft, additional features that this aircraft has and any special considerations that the engineers must keep in mind while servicing the aircraft.   

Once you have defined the prerequisites, you will know what not to dwell on. You must then ensure that the content is elaborated adequately so the learners understand and internalize your key messages.

The various types of content that you can include

Here is a quick list of the types of things you can include to flesh a piece of writing out:

• Definitions – Define terms that your learners are unfamiliar with at the beginning of the piece.
• Descriptions – Describe concepts, products, tools, etc because sometimes a formal definition just isn't enough.
• Examples – Give some examples to help learners understand what you are talking about.
• Comparisons or analogies – This is a great way to aid understanding. Think of an analogy that you can draw or compare the concept to something learners are already familiar with.
• Types or categories – Do these concepts or items belong to a category or can they be divided into various types? Describe each category or type.
• Causes or triggers – Are there causes or triggers for these events or processes?
• Applications or uses – Describe what these tools, procedures, or products used for. This is particularly important when you create training material for adults because they are relevancy-oriented.  
• Advantages or benefits – What are the advantages of these products, tools or procedures? This is important if want your learners to buy into a new product or process.
• Disadvantages or limitations – Talk about the disadvantages or limitations. Remember, it is better to be honest and upfront rather than gloss things over.
• Goals or results – Define long-term goals and expected results to help learners see the point of learning and doing new things. 
• Steps of processes or procedures – Clearly list the steps of processes or procedures.
• Problems and solutions – Are there problems that these new tools or processes solve and what exactly are the solutions?
• Background and history – Would some background information help learners understand or appreciate better?

Remember, that it's not enough to just present the facts, you have to establish the context. Most learning fails because it only seeks to impart information. When dealing with adults, you have to constantly show them the value that they (not just as organisations, but) as individuals will derive from this learning.

So, you want to be an ID?

What is Instructional Design? Is it a science or an art? Can we define it and quantify it? Probably not, but I am going to try. 

As with anything else, when you start out as a rookie Instructional Designer ( or ID), you wonder if you're doing things right. You want a manual on how to do all kinds of weird things that you never imagined yourself doing. I mean let's face it, did any of us dream of being an ID growing up? I still wonder how I ended up here. But, instructional design let's me do a lot of different things that I love. Like figuring out how things work and then seeing if they can be done better. Or, asking a lot of pesky questions to people who don't always have all the answers. It let's me write on an enormous number of subjects (and pretend to sound like an expert). It let's me experiment with sound and visuals, create cartoons and tell stories. And it gives me a captive audience for all my (not so brilliant) doodling and rambling. And best of all, there is no "right way" in instructional design, so I'm certainly not doing things wrong. 

So, if you're new at this, stick around if you love shades of grey. If you're a black and white kind of person, you'd probably be happier somewhere else. If you do decide that this job is for you, you'll always have the chance to learn and to get better. You'll read about a million theories and models, but take them with a pinch of salt. Nothing is absolute and we all know theories and models get disproved everyday. I have a few time-tested rules that I live by, some of which have been handed down by "gurus" and some that I've come up with on my own. I'll share them with you on this blog and please feel free to share your experiences as well, so I can learn from you.

Let's start by talking about what it takes to be a great ID. Here are some of the things that have held me in good stead:

1. Be curious and eager to learn about everything. You don't have to be a genius, just persistent. 
2. Don't be afraid to ask questions. You will always come across as an idiot initially and most Subject Matter Experts (or SMEs) will treat you like a buffoon. Once, they see how quickly you learn and how thoroughly you do your homework, that condescension will convert into admiration.
3. Do your homework. Never walk into a meeting unprepared. And if you do, keep your mouth shut and do your best to look intelligent. 
4. Always listen to what others have to say before you open you mouth. And don't just keep your mouth shut, keep an open mind.
5. Look at things from the perspective of the SME and the client. They have a problem and you're here to fix it. Don't make up your mind about anything until you've spent a couple of weeks interacting with these people.
6. Once you do make up your mind, be firm. Most SMEs would like to share everything that they know with the learners. Be patient, it's great that these experts are willing to share all their knowledge so freely.
7. Learn to take control. You decide what goes in and what stays out, not them. To be able to do this, you have to have a clear idea of what the solution will look like.
8. Think, ponder. An instructional designer, indeed any designer, should spend more time thinking about the solution and less time creating it. If you haven't thought things through, the end result will be a mess.
9. Once you have come up with a solution, do your best to sell it. Don't just insist that they take it or leave it, you have to show them why it will work. Talk about each characteristic of the solution and link it to a need.
10. Be meticulous about the details, but not an obsessive perfectionist. (I struggled with this for a long time.) Always keep your mind on the big picture and don't waste time and energy on unimportant details.
11. Work in a team. A lot of great IDs I know, prefer to work in isolation and after you've put in a few years, I suppose you'll be able to pull it off too. But, at the beginning of your career, you need to see if the words you've written actually convey the meaning that you want them to and if the illustrations you've come up with work for everyone. 
12. Learn how to write well. This is the most basic skill that you must have if you are to survive.