Recently Patti Shank wrote a great response post on the heals of a post by Cathy Moore – Are Instructional Designers Doormats? …on an area that I have been pondering for some time.
Julie Dirksen‘s comment in Patti’s post really resonated with me. Specifically when she stated “There’s something about instructional design that people think is self-apparent, or easy.”
I think, like I believe she does, that most outside of the “learning field” (and some within it) have a superficial understanding of what an ID can do in the creation of formal learning solutions. Several people I have encountered in the past asked if the title was made up!
Generally I find there are parallels to our US education system where educated professionals responsible for formal instruction and deep content knowledge are often looked upon by the public as “baby sitters” with summers off. I strongly believe this perception is being transferred to organizational learning professionals. Additionally a certain truth exists; a SME can, on occasion, with no background in ID or adult learning theory produce an effective formal intervention. For that audience, for that content, and in that context they were effective (by what ever definition they choose (usually a level 1 survey). As a result a myth is born and is perpetuated that “this stuff is not that hard…anyone can do it.”
This myth does not exist in law, orthodontics, or plumming for that matter. So I ask – how can we squash the myth and grow the profession?
Mark
About Me
I help companies become more social by design.
Mark Britz is an organizational social designer, author, speaker, and consultant who helps companies develop systems for the culture they need to scale their business without losing the things that make it special. Mark facilitates this shift through his workshops, speaking engagements, and leadership coaching.