Instructional design coordinator
Encyclopedia
An Instructional Design Coordinator is a person who is responsible for overseeing the implementation of instructional design
techniques, usually in an academic setting or in corporate training.
Instructional design
became popular in the 1930s, when the United States
was developing new instructional techniques, as the need for rapidly training soldiers in a multitude of technical fields rose sharply during World War II
. Since then, instructional designers have come up with new and innovative techniques to facilitate learning, using the most advanced technology available to them. Today, Instructional Design Coordinators employ modern technology, such as the Internet
, to implement the techniques developed by instructional designers and distribute them to students in a variety of settings.
Instructional design today focuses heavily on computing technology and communication, which has enjoyed much increased availability among students in recent years, to implement advanced learning concepts, such as cognitive learning theory and cognitive load theory. These more recent theories guide instructional techniques by providing models based on research on how the human brain processes and stores information.
, digital content distribution, use of Web 2.0 features in online learning and teaching, online collaboration software (groupware), chat rooms and message boards, content repositories
, online information storage and retrieval, and preferentially has industry experience working with or developing these technologies.
The successful candidate must also be closely familiar with common desktop computing environments, especially Microsoft Windows
and, to a lesser extent, Mac OS
, both of which are used in academic settings. Familiarity with common desktop development and office applications, such as Microsoft Office
, Macromedia Dreamweaver
and other applications in the Macromedia Studio series, Adobe Photoshop
, GoLive
, applications designed for use in academic settings, such as Camtasia, and other applications used for developing web content and facilitating remote instruction.
-based and technology-enhanced instruction, distance learning, multimedia
-enhanced instruction, web design
and web development
, library services, faculty
and student training, course development, technical support
for students and instructors, course content review, as well as many others. http://www.higheredjobs.com/admin/details.cfm?JobCode=175197276
and other developed countries. It remedies many logistical problems that are associated with traditional classroom settings, such as the need to be present on campus at a certain time, which is often a prohibitive stumbling block for those who work full time. While distance learning can be conducted via a variety of communication media, the preferred method today is to deliver course content and facilitate interaction among students and between the instructor and the student via the World Wide Web
.http://www.sdccdonline.net/distance_education.htm
Instructional design coordinators are responsible for overseeing the development and distribution of web-based course content, working with instructors to develop and maintain functional web pages and facilitate the use of dynamic web applications for the distribution of course content, assessments, communication, grade reporting, as well as other tasks required to conduct a complete online learning program via the web.
The advantages to this form of instruction include flexibility for both the students and the instructor in regards to the time spent towards the course, as students are able to log on to the course web site at any time of the day or night. They also enjoy the freedom of being able to complete coursework from any location, as students are generally not required to come to campus at all for courses that are taught fully online.
s include Blackboard
and Moodle
, which are both widely used on campuses nationwide. http://www.edweek.org/dd/articles/2008/06/09/01moodle.h02.html
These software suites provide course home pages for instructors which can be easily edited via online forms. The software allows instructors to easily add content via online text editors or using HTML
markup. In addition to uploading lecture content, instructors are also able to upload files which would be distributed as handouts in a traditional classroom setting. Students who log onto the course home page can view the course content online or download the materials provided by the instructor, as well as submit assignments posted by the instructor by uploading files from their computers. Instructors can view all student submissions online and grade the assignments through the web interface, making the graded work available to the student immediately. Online grading can be very efficient as it eliminates the need for instructors or teaching assistants to manually calculate grades for assignments or exams, which can also be taken online by students, and are often graded automatically by the software.
The advantages of online learning also motivate many instructors who teach in a traditional classroom setting to use online learning technology to supplement their curricula.
The instructional design coordinator is familiar with the needs of online instructors, especially regarding communication and content distribution. He or she is responsible for adapting existing technology to make the technology as transparent and functional for students and instructors alike. A successful instructional design coordinator understands concepts of software usability, as well as technical support and training in order to deploy software packages that serve the various needs of his or her educational community.
, as well as legal requirements, such as Section 508 of the US Rehabilitation Act, which mandates that electronic publications by government agencies be accessible to persons with disabilities, and copyright compliance, taking into consideration provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act
.
Instructional design
Instructional Design is the practice of creating "instructional experiences which make the acquisition of knowledge and skill more efficient, effective, and appealing." The process consists broadly of determining the current state and needs of the learner, defining the end goal of instruction, and...
techniques, usually in an academic setting or in corporate training.
Instructional design
Instructional design
Instructional Design is the practice of creating "instructional experiences which make the acquisition of knowledge and skill more efficient, effective, and appealing." The process consists broadly of determining the current state and needs of the learner, defining the end goal of instruction, and...
became popular in the 1930s, when the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
was developing new instructional techniques, as the need for rapidly training soldiers in a multitude of technical fields rose sharply during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Since then, instructional designers have come up with new and innovative techniques to facilitate learning, using the most advanced technology available to them. Today, Instructional Design Coordinators employ modern technology, such as the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
, to implement the techniques developed by instructional designers and distribute them to students in a variety of settings.
Background
Traditional instructional design bases its work on the theories of B.F. Skinner on stimulus-response learning, training programs focused on observable behaviors. Tasks were broken down into subtasks, and each subtask treated as a separate learning goal. Training was designed to reward correct performance and remediate incorrect performance. Mastery was assumed to be possible for every learner, given enough repetition and feedback.Instructional design today focuses heavily on computing technology and communication, which has enjoyed much increased availability among students in recent years, to implement advanced learning concepts, such as cognitive learning theory and cognitive load theory. These more recent theories guide instructional techniques by providing models based on research on how the human brain processes and stores information.
Qualifications
Instructional design coordinators come into contact with modern computing and communication technology on a daily basis, and must have a strong mastery of a variety of technology-related fields. The instructional design coordinator is expected to work closely with faculty and administrative staff to facilitate technology use in the modern classroom. He or she has experience working with Web-mediated instruction and multimedia applications, is familiar with the principles of web designWeb design
Web design is the process of planning and creating a website. Text, images, digital media and interactive elements are used by web designers to produce the page seen on the web browser...
, digital content distribution, use of Web 2.0 features in online learning and teaching, online collaboration software (groupware), chat rooms and message boards, content repositories
Repository (publishing)
A repository in publishing, and especially in academic publishing,is a real or virtual facility for the deposit of academic publications, such as academic journal articles....
, online information storage and retrieval, and preferentially has industry experience working with or developing these technologies.
The successful candidate must also be closely familiar with common desktop computing environments, especially Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
and, to a lesser extent, Mac OS
Mac OS
Mac OS is a series of graphical user interface-based operating systems developed by Apple Inc. for their Macintosh line of computer systems. The Macintosh user experience is credited with popularizing the graphical user interface...
, both of which are used in academic settings. Familiarity with common desktop development and office applications, such as Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office is a non-free commercial office suite of inter-related desktop applications, servers and services for the Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, introduced by Microsoft in August 1, 1989. Initially a marketing term for a bundled set of applications, the first version of...
, Macromedia Dreamweaver
Macromedia Dreamweaver
Adobe Dreamweaver is a proprietary web development application originally created by Macromedia, and is now developed by Adobe Systems, which acquired Macromedia in 2005....
and other applications in the Macromedia Studio series, Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is a graphics editing program developed and published by Adobe Systems Incorporated.Adobe's 2003 "Creative Suite" rebranding led to Adobe Photoshop 8's renaming to Adobe Photoshop CS. Thus, Adobe Photoshop CS5 is the 12th major release of Adobe Photoshop...
, GoLive
Adobe GoLive
Adobe GoLive was a WYSIWYG HTML editor and web site management application from Adobe Systems. It replaced Adobe PageMill as Adobe's primary HTML editor and was itself discontinued in favour of Dreamweaver...
, applications designed for use in academic settings, such as Camtasia, and other applications used for developing web content and facilitating remote instruction.
Duties
Instructional Design Coordinators are employed in a variety of technical specialties, such as technologyTechnology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
-based and technology-enhanced instruction, distance learning, multimedia
Multimedia
Multimedia is media and content that uses a combination of different content forms. The term can be used as a noun or as an adjective describing a medium as having multiple content forms. The term is used in contrast to media which use only rudimentary computer display such as text-only, or...
-enhanced instruction, web design
Web design
Web design is the process of planning and creating a website. Text, images, digital media and interactive elements are used by web designers to produce the page seen on the web browser...
and web development
Web development
Web development is a broad term for the work involved in developing a web site for the Internet or an intranet . This can include web design, web content development, client liaison, client-side/server-side scripting, web server and network security configuration, and e-commerce development...
, library services, faculty
Faculty (university)
A faculty is a division within a university comprising one subject area, or a number of related subject areas...
and student training, course development, technical support
Technical support
Technical support or tech support refers to a range of services by which enterprises provide assistance to users of technology products such as mobile phones, televisions, computers, software products or other electronic or mechanical goods...
for students and instructors, course content review, as well as many others. http://www.higheredjobs.com/admin/details.cfm?JobCode=175197276
Distance Learning
Distance learning is a rapidly growing trend in today's academic world, and has found wide acceptance in higher education in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and other developed countries. It remedies many logistical problems that are associated with traditional classroom settings, such as the need to be present on campus at a certain time, which is often a prohibitive stumbling block for those who work full time. While distance learning can be conducted via a variety of communication media, the preferred method today is to deliver course content and facilitate interaction among students and between the instructor and the student via the World Wide Web
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
.http://www.sdccdonline.net/distance_education.htm
Instructional design coordinators are responsible for overseeing the development and distribution of web-based course content, working with instructors to develop and maintain functional web pages and facilitate the use of dynamic web applications for the distribution of course content, assessments, communication, grade reporting, as well as other tasks required to conduct a complete online learning program via the web.
The advantages to this form of instruction include flexibility for both the students and the instructor in regards to the time spent towards the course, as students are able to log on to the course web site at any time of the day or night. They also enjoy the freedom of being able to complete coursework from any location, as students are generally not required to come to campus at all for courses that are taught fully online.
Technology
Due to their increased adoption among educational institutions, distance learning programs drive the demand for powerful hardware and software to host educational applications, often for thousands of users per institution. Current popular learning management systemLearning management system
A learning management system is a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, and reporting of training programs, classroom and online events, e-learning programs, and training content...
s include Blackboard
Blackboard Inc.
Blackboard Inc. is an enterprise software company with its corporate headquarters in Washington, D.C. and is primarily known as a developer of education software, in particular learning management systems. Blackboard was founded by CEO Michael Chasen and chairman Matthew Pittinsky in 1997 and...
and Moodle
Moodle
Moodle is a free source e-learning software platform, also known as a Course Management System, Learning Management System, or Virtual Learning Environment...
, which are both widely used on campuses nationwide. http://www.edweek.org/dd/articles/2008/06/09/01moodle.h02.html
These software suites provide course home pages for instructors which can be easily edited via online forms. The software allows instructors to easily add content via online text editors or using HTML
HTML
HyperText Markup Language is the predominant markup language for web pages. HTML elements are the basic building-blocks of webpages....
markup. In addition to uploading lecture content, instructors are also able to upload files which would be distributed as handouts in a traditional classroom setting. Students who log onto the course home page can view the course content online or download the materials provided by the instructor, as well as submit assignments posted by the instructor by uploading files from their computers. Instructors can view all student submissions online and grade the assignments through the web interface, making the graded work available to the student immediately. Online grading can be very efficient as it eliminates the need for instructors or teaching assistants to manually calculate grades for assignments or exams, which can also be taken online by students, and are often graded automatically by the software.
The advantages of online learning also motivate many instructors who teach in a traditional classroom setting to use online learning technology to supplement their curricula.
The instructional design coordinator is familiar with the needs of online instructors, especially regarding communication and content distribution. He or she is responsible for adapting existing technology to make the technology as transparent and functional for students and instructors alike. A successful instructional design coordinator understands concepts of software usability, as well as technical support and training in order to deploy software packages that serve the various needs of his or her educational community.
Administrative Duties
In addition to assisting with the development and the successful deployment of course content to students via the web, the instructional design coordinator also needs to keep records of, and carefully review the contents of the courses which the institution offers, to ensure that the content that is distributed is accessible to all students, complies with current web standardsWeb standards
Web standards is a general term for the formal standards and other technical specifications that define and describe aspects of the World Wide Web. In recent years, the term has been more frequently associated with the trend of endorsing a set of standardized best practices for building web sites,...
, as well as legal requirements, such as Section 508 of the US Rehabilitation Act, which mandates that electronic publications by government agencies be accessible to persons with disabilities, and copyright compliance, taking into consideration provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act
Digital Millennium Copyright Act
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act is a United States copyright law that implements two 1996 treaties of the World Intellectual Property Organization . It criminalizes production and dissemination of technology, devices, or services intended to circumvent measures that control access to...
.
Support and Training
Instructional Design Coordinators are expected to use their expertise in various technological fields to train faculty and students to use available technology to the fullest extent. In addition to conducting training sessions and seminars, instructional design coordinators provide technical support for students and faculty, ensuring that assistance via phone and e-mail is available to the users as much as possible. The associate needs to guide users through preparing their computers for online learning, perform administrative tasks, such as managing online student enrollment, account management, as well as personal assistance required by users in order to successfully use the available software. It is imperative for the instructional design coordinator to communicate efficiently with students, faculty, and supporting staff to manage the proper implementation of the learning programs required by the institution.See also
- Instructional designInstructional designInstructional Design is the practice of creating "instructional experiences which make the acquisition of knowledge and skill more efficient, effective, and appealing." The process consists broadly of determining the current state and needs of the learner, defining the end goal of instruction, and...
- Instructional theoryInstructional theoryAn Instructional theory is "a theory that offers explicit guidance on how to better help people learn and develop." Instructional theories focus on how to structure material for promoting the education of human beings, particularly youth...
- Distance educationDistance educationDistance education or distance learning is a field of education that focuses on teaching methods and technology with the aim of delivering teaching, often on an individual basis, to students who are not physically present in a traditional educational setting such as a classroom...
- Online learning
- E-learningE-learningE-learning comprises all forms of electronically supported learning and teaching. The information and communication systems, whether networked learning or not, serve as specific media to implement the learning process...
- Educational technologyEducational technologyEducational technology is the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using and managing appropriate technological processes and resources." The term educational technology is often associated with, and encompasses, instructional theory and...
- Learning management systemLearning management systemA learning management system is a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, and reporting of training programs, classroom and online events, e-learning programs, and training content...
- Computer assisted instruction