{"id":60,"date":"2014-07-10T14:33:17","date_gmt":"2014-07-10T19:33:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/learning-tech\/?p=60"},"modified":"2014-07-10T14:42:30","modified_gmt":"2014-07-10T19:42:30","slug":"what-is-an-instructional-technologist-or-instructional-designer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/learning-tech\/2014\/07\/10\/what-is-an-instructional-technologist-or-instructional-designer\/","title":{"rendered":"What is an instructional technologist or instructional designer?"},"content":{"rendered":"

I was asked to address this question in a recent department meeting. I was feeling somewhat poetic when I composed my answer. For those of you who consider yourself an instructional technologist or instructional designer or one of the many titles that falls\u00a0along this spectrum, I hope this gives you some beginning-of-the-semester inspiration (P.S., Jim Groom\u2019s take on this is also a good read http:\/\/bavatuesdays.com\/what-is-an-instructional-technologist\/<\/a>):<\/p>\n

An instructional technologist\/designer is . . .<\/em><\/p>\n

adaptable<\/strong>: Everything in this field is always changing, constantly. We need to stay ahead of the curve, and quickly vet new products and concepts to confirm their effectiveness before unleashing them on our faculty. Our priorities constantly shift, we manage multiple things all the time, and we like it.<\/p>\n

patient<\/strong>: We work with very smart people and very complex computer programs and processes. \u00a0Being impatient would be like playing with unstable explosives.<\/p>\n

knowledgeable of educational theory<\/strong> (cognitivism, behaviorism, constructivism; Bloom\u2019s domains, Maslow\u2019s hierarchy, Knowles\u2019 andragogy, Gartner\u2019s multiple intelligences, Kolb\u2019s experientialism, etc.)- We apply this knowledge both in how we train people, but also in describing the strategies and possible uses of the tools we recommend.<\/p>\n

knowledgeable of html\/web scripting languages<\/strong> (javascript, css, asp, php, etc.) for supporting, troubleshooting, developing, etc. various technologies. Deep down, most of us are nerds.<\/p>\n

experienced in audio\/video editing techniques <\/strong>, particularly as it applies to digitized content. Some knowledge\/experience with A\/V hardware, cabling, etc. is also important. And. . .<\/p>\n

familiar with graphic design principles<\/strong> and able to manipulate digital or scanned images, and save them in multiple formats. Deep down, we\u2019re creative too.<\/p>\n

comfortable in a teaching, mentoring role. With\u00a0our excellent\u00a0communication skills, <\/strong>we translate technical information to non-technical audiences, and vice versa. We communicate in person, in writing, and over the phone with faculty, staff, technicians, administrators, and students ensuring that everyone\u2019s needs are met and that projects are moving forward.<\/p>\n

devoted to customer service<\/strong> \u2013 This is paramount to our positions. It\u2019s what we do.<\/p>\n

We learn how to do technical things quickly in a variety of formats and on a variety of platforms. We train, support, design, develop, troubleshoot, evaluate, inspire, counsel, diffuse, evangelize,\u00a0and imagine. We get our hands dirty under desks and in lines of code. And we perch on ivory towers and wax intellectual with some of the smartest people in the world. We plan, create, and support elaborate virtual environments in which instructors teach and students learn. We like knowing that our services and skills have tremendous value to the quality and efficacy of teaching and learning on our campus and beyond, and we strive to give every person and every problem our full and immediate attention.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I was asked to address this question in a recent department meeting. I was feeling somewhat poetic when I composed my answer. For those of you who consider yourself an instructional technologist or instructional designer or one of the many titles that falls\u00a0along this spectrum, I hope this gives you some beginning-of-the-semester inspiration (P.S., Jim […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-60","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/learning-tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/learning-tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/learning-tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/learning-tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/learning-tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/learning-tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/learning-tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/learning-tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/learning-tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}