How to Keep It Interesting: Q. For Whom? A. For YOU!
About DSA
Darryl L. Sink and Associates, Inc. (DSA) helps organizations design and develop learning and performance solutions that get results. DSA works cooperatively with organizations to:
- accomplish internal custom projects
- train and educate their internal staff in Instructional Systems Development.
Check out DSA presenters and Consultants at dsink.com.
DSA Tips Newsletter Archive
If you haven’t visited the tips archives lately, check it out – http://dsink.com/dsa-tips-newsletters
Darryl’s tips are now conveniently organized not only by published date, but by these topics:
- Project Management
- Front End Analysis
- Design Strategies
- Instructional Strategies/Techniques
- Measurement/Evaluation
- Implementation
- Professional Development
- Coaching with DSA Tips
We have lots of great ideas just waiting for you to use!
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Call me at 831-649-8384 or email me at jane@dsink.com.
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Since I believe instructional designers get better and quicker with experience, I want to share an idea to help keep you doing what you do well (instructional design and development). So how do we keep you interested and continue to benefit from your growing experience? Here’s my idea:
Help yourself to stay interested and help your learners at the same time by pushing yourself to try something you haven’t tried before. It does not have to be new to the field just new to you.
For example, have you ever really studied and then designed and developed:
- Authentic learning activities?
- Debriefing techniques?
- Case studies?
- Constructivist learning approaches?
- Instructional games?
- Job/learning aids?
- Problem based learning strategies?
- Simulations? (Whole course simulations or smaller ones)
- Structured roleplays?
This is just a starter list. You could make a list of your own and add to it on a continuing basis.
I personally ask myself with each new project if there is something I can do differently or new to me. See a little of my story related to my professional development using this idea of trying something new on each project in a previous DSA tip:
For those relatively new to instructional design, this is a great way to build all the basic skills you need to become a master at our trade. For those with a lot of experience it is a way to stay fresh and interested in your work and become even more masterful. For a manager, this can be a great way to retain good designers, keep them interested and help them feel empowered and valued. How about giving them more strategic work, too, as a reward for their experience and know-how. After all variety is the spice of life!