When one hears the term, “instructional designer,” what do we normally think? Someone well versed in creating effective instruction for a specific set of students or workers? And, what does one think about the connection between a higher education degree and an instructional designer? Higher education has a place in preparing our next generation of trainers and instructional designers. Theoretical understanding is important. However, far too often, our colleges spend too much...
Each of you has found moments in life where you have felt it desirable to become a leader in some situation. Each of you has, also, discovered in your professional lives that titles do not necessarily equate with leadership — in fact, they seldom do. Titles are an indication of power and, in order to keep receiving a paycheck, we generally do what those with higher titles ask of us. But, what...
“When you’re finished changing, you’re finished.” (Ben Franklin) “The greatest obstacle to necessary change is a reluctance to modify or abandon procedures that have become familiar and comforting. But a flexible, agile organization has no choice but to change in the face of reality.” (‘Outgrowing the Old’ by Laura Stack, TLNT, The Business of HR) So, what force separates the organizational winners from the losers? Since the beginning of time, it has been...
Today, with the help of e-Learning authoring programs, most custom courseware production is done in-house. In terms of the structural needs required, that solution works fairly well. However, the video and animated graphics required may cause you to look out-of-house for a solution if, for no other reason, your target audience expects professional visual components in the training they are asked to take. What should you look for in such a custom...
Forty ago today — February 7, 1977 — ITC began business in the Rockville, Maryland home of one of its founders. William J. Schmidt, Gerald H. Kaiz and I were the founders. All three of us had pioneered industrial skills training videos at NUS Corporation before choosing to go out on our own. ITC grew rapidly. Four times we made the “INC. 500” and by 1990 ITC was traded on NASDAQ...
It is beyond amazing to me that the nominee for Secretary of Education, Ms. Betsy DeVos, was ever nominated for that post. DeVos has long been an advocate for funneling money away from public schools and toward private educational options, including for-profit and Christian-based schools. In short, she is not a big fan of public school education. Times are a’changing, I guess. When I was a young man everyone I knew was respectful of our...
