Week 12B - Module #14: Career and Professional Development
On the one hand, finding one definition for instructional design and technology is a complex process. According to Reiser (2018), the goals of instructional technology expressed in different definitions have shifted over time, and “later definitions indicate the main goal is to improve learning” (p. 6). On the other hand, finding a defined professional profile for instructional designers is a more complicated process. A professional involved in the instructional design and technology field needs to possess various skills connected with other areas. According to Kumar and Ritzhaup (2017), “instructional designers need a robust background in education, instructional design models and technical skills, accompanied with an understanding of how to apply these to problems of teaching and learning” (p. 309). Apart from those educational skills, instructional designers need to know about new software and technologies to develop new systems. Kang and Ritzhaupt (2015) claim that professionals in