Instructional designers are usually underestimated in terms of the value they bring to a course. Just like a teacher who leaves an everlasting impact on students, instructional designers teach and help learners grow in the same way. But what is it that makes eLearning professionals effective and successful at what they do?
Instructional designers are the least celebrated team members of the training community. With more learners turning towards online learning solutions, the role of eLearning professionals is even more critical. How are they able to create compelling eLearning programs that create better learners and performers?
The truth is, IDs and eLearning professionals have 4 habits that make them highly effective, as they constitute critical factors for the success of the eLearning program. Let’s go through them, one by one!
Hunger for Knowledge
Instructional designers are inquisitive and curious by nature. Looking for information on the surface is never good enough for them. In fact, that just gets them started! Successful eLearning professionals believe in learning new things on a daily basis.
This is especially true when the topic is new and they need to get down to its basics. eLearning professionals know that the only way to create meaningful courses, without sounding tongue-in-cheek, is to know the topic well. They also love to ponder and research until the content is well-supported with reinforcement information, as well as supplemental knowledge. They strongly believe that knowledge is the key to solving many problems.
This sense of value in learning is – and should be – reflected in their eLearning courses. Perhaps the biggest challenge here for eLearning professionals is to resist the urge to delve deeper into topics for personal satisfaction. After all, they have an entire project to complete on time and within budget!
Genuine Initiatives
eLearning professionals are extremely self-disciplined. They believe in to-do lists; in fact, their lists are often a bit of an overkill!
These professionals are self-starters and have faith in their intuition. They don’t sit around waiting for instructions. A lot of design elements and content organization are based on common sense and what works best for most learners.
eLearning professionals create interfaces and content topics in a way that goes well with the client. Having grasped the expertise on how to analyze the learner, analyzing the client’s needs is a piece of cake for IDs and eLearning developers.
Being proactive is the secret weapon of all eLearning professionals. They have clear visuals on how the finished product should look like, even when it is in its nascent stages. More often than not, they can also predict the popularity or demise of a particular educational technology tool among a group of learners.
Relentless Positivity
As huge projects go, stress and negative vibes can make their appearance. But not with eLearning professionals, who tend to see the bright side of every project – learners interacting with their end result.
eLearning professionals are capable of bringing positive energy to their team members by reminding the of the project’s purpose – essentially, to change lives. Encouragement and motivation are their forte.
Mediating difficulty in team member relationships is also one of their secret powers. The main reason is their multi-disciplinary knowledge on technical terms used by individual members for their tasks. Perhaps the most anxious and eager individuals on the learner feedback are the eLearning professionals.
Multi-Tasking and Multi-dimensional Thinking
eLearning developers shine under extreme pressure and time constraints! They are motivated by the checks they make on their daily to-do lists. Also, they cannot help but think in a multi-dimensional perspective. This is a true talent, as it requires them to step into many shoes and empathize. From creating audio narrations, video lectures or interactive exercises, eLearning professionals are dauntless in the face of their duty.
eLearning projects are often unique in their design and needs, keeping things very interesting for everyone on the team. The downside of this super-human attitude is that it could be overwhelming at times. It could topple the home-work balance. But all of this just makes the eLearning profession more exciting!
Conclusion
eLearning development is not easy, and definitely not a limited field. It requires constant learning, unlearning and relearning. But eLearning professionals strive to achieve the satisfaction of changing human lives daily. With the changing technology, the changes in learning habits are closely followed by eLearning professionals. If you are one, then you can take pride in being a part of the hippest and trendiest work fields!
