Make Learning More Appealing and Efficient: Instructional Design Degree
Do you enjoy working with people and would love to help them improve their skills as well as knowledge? Do you have a passion for education, but would like to help others in a more personalized manner instead of a standardized one? If so and you would enjoy working in a continually evolving field, then obtaining a degree in instructional design will be very beneficial. It is a career field where you get to design custom training solutions using creative techniques as well as the latest technologies. This means that as an instructional designer, you will be assisting people with learning in a manner that is not only easier, but more effective. Since you are directly assisting people with improving their knowledge, which in turn can better their lives, it is a very fulfilling career path. In fact, CNN Money has listed instructional designer as number 38 on their list of
Instructional Design Degree Information
Bachelor of Arts in Instructional Design
The Bachelor of Arts in Instructional Design is designed to prepare you for creating your own instructions for both corporate as well as varied educational environments. Course topics range from principles of instructional design and evaluation of e-learning to emerging issues in educational technology, advanced instructional design and more. This type of degree is useful in careers such as human resources, training and development, curriculum development as well as corporate education training. There are also Bachelor of Science in Instructional Design and Technology degrees available.
Master of Science in Instructional Design and Technology
Students interested in continuing their studies after obtaining a bachelor’s degree in the field can go on to earn a Master of Science in Instructional Design and Technology. This degree is useful for anyone who is interested in working as an instructional technologist. Course topics may include foundations of instructional technology, managing instructional technology projects, methods of research in education, e-learning design and development as well as action research.
Instructional Design Degree FAQ
Can This Degree Be Completed Online?
Instructional design is a type of degree that can be completed in a completely online capacity. Typically, online courses include everything from studies in assessment to virtual collaboration, learning theory and more. Masters degrees in this field are particularly popular in this field amongst instructional designers who want to increase their knowledge of tools, techniques and theories. Online instructional design certificates are also available for those with existing degrees in the field who want to increase their knowledge without having to complete an entire degree course again. Finally, Phd courses in instructional design are also available online for those who aspire to teach in universities.
Who Is An Ideal Candidate To Study Instructional Design?
Due to the nature of the this industry, instructional designers should have a passion for both technology and learning. To be a good instructional designer it is important that you have good analytical skills and the ability to conduct research in a thorough manner. Communication is another important skill in this industry and you should be able to do it both verbally and visually in an effective manner. In addition, good listening skills will be useful as you will need to identify the needs of an audience and then create measurable objectives based on this information. You should also be flexible enough that you are able to use evaluation and feedback to make improvements to your material in order to provide a better learning experience that can benefit your audience. Finally, instructional design is a field where good project management skills are very useful as well as a healthy dose of creativity.
What Exactly Does A Job In Instructional Design Entail?
When working as an instructional designer you are not only responsible for designing instructional materials, but it is also your responsibility to assist people with making sense of the materials. This involves taking the information that your audience has to learn and changing it into material that is both meaningful and clear. As an instructional designer your work should help learners to see the bigger picture, which is accomplished by putting the various bits of information together in a coherent manner. In short, as an instructional designer your job isn’t simply to present people with information, but to help them make sense of it.
What Duties Might I Have As An Instructional Designer?
One of your primary duties as an instructional designer will be to identify the learning needs of students by working with subject matter experts. You will then be required to develop objectives and make sure that the content you create is a match for those objectives. You might also have to rewrite and revise existing content in order to make it more suitable for learning needs. Additional media to support learning might also have to be created and it is often necessary to take original instructional materials and then adapt them to another format.
How Much Can I Potentially Earn In This Field?
The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics does not have any figures on salaries for instructional designers, but the 2019 median pay for instructional coordinators, which is a subgroup, was about $66,290. On the other hand, training and development specialists took home in the region of $61,210 per year.
What Are The Advantages To Obtaining A Degree In Instructional Design
Instructional design is a very desirable career field, but a degree is not always essential to finding employment as you can also pick up experience on your own. However, a degree can provide you with a big advantage as it demonstrates to potential employers that you have the ability to learn to a high standard. It also serves as a demonstration of your commitment and competence in the field. In addition, by completing your instructional design degree you can improve your chances of eventually obtaining higher positions in your career. This is because a degree can often weigh heavily in your favor in terms of your chances to receive a promotion and provides you with credibility as well as a credential in the field.
