Transitioning from Teaching to Instructional Design

If you are a teacher who is considering other career options outside teaching, here’s an overview to help you prepare to transition from teaching to instructional design.

As someone who has taught for 4 years, teaching had been my comfort zone. It is indeed one of the most fulfilling yet challenging roles. About two years ago, I found myself wondering about other career options for me outside teaching. It was then that I discovered the Instructional Designer career path.

Qualities of an Instructional Designer

When making the decision to move from teaching to instructional design there are many factors to consider. The most important being: what qualities make a successful instructional designer and how these qualities compare to your strengths as a teacher. A successful instructional designer is patient, detail oriented, able to work independently, and has excellent communication skills. They are also able to take complex topics and present them in an easy-to-understand manner.

Basic Skills Each Instructional Designer Must Have

As an instructional designer, you will be responsible for the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of instructional materials and programs. In order to transition from teaching to instructional design, it is important to have a clear understanding of the process as well as the different instructional strategies that are available to you. Additionally, it is helpful to have experience with a variety of different educational technologies.

Instructional designers need to familiar with the instructional design process which generally includes the following steps: needs assessment, task analysis, learning objectives development, instructional strategy selection, instructional materials and activities development, learner analysis, and formative and summative evaluation. It will be helpful to read on the different instructional design models such as the ADDIE model, Gagne’s 9 Events of Instruction, and Bloom’s Taxonomy. Additionally, it is important to have experience with a variety of different instructional strategies. Some common instructional strategies include: problem-based learning, inquiry-based learning, case-based learning, and project-based learning.

While being familiar with fundamentals of instructional design is the first step, you won’t really be starting from scratch when you decide to pursue this career path. As a teacher, the most important skill that you have and that you can bring into this career is your passion for facilitating learning.

If you wish to know more about instructional design or how to successfully transition from teaching, please feel free to send us a message.