Instructional designers are critical in the face of the coronavirus. As K-12 schools and universities across the United States have shut down, many until summer at a minimum, tens of thousands of instructors have been forced to move their teaching from in-person to online. Corporations, too, must convert their training, both for new hires and their continuing education programs.
This is a pivotal moment for online learning: it could all go terribly wrong, or it could transform the way Americans expect to learn.
Now, more than ever, instructional designers are needed to step up and not only assist in converting in-person instruction to online, but also to work with instructors to teach them the skills they need to be effective online facilitators. Instructional designers are experts in how people learn, both in-person and online. They are masters of making the most of existing digital tools to create effective and engaging online learning experience, whether facilitated or on-demand. They are incredible problem-solvers when it comes to instructional challenges, and wizards with online technology.
Want to know more? Learn what instructional designers do. Already an instructional designer? Consider volunteering your skills with the Instructional Design Emergency Response Network.
What instructional design challenges are you facing?
