A Newbie POV

I left education knowing I was undervalued, underappreciated, and confined to a box that drove me insane. When I decided to transition out of education I wanted to create but continue to educate with little to no limits. I did not fully understand what that entailed until I learned about Instructional Design (ID) and Learning and Development (L&D). Do I truly understand now? Like Lil Uzi said, "It's only my third day out here. I dunno." But as I have been given the opportunity to explore and work on developing learning experiences I would like to share what I do know for those transitioning with me.

ID vs L&D

For the longest, I couldn't tell you the difference, and probably still getting it wrong *Laughing Intensively Out Loud*. Instructional Design and Learning and Development go hand in hand. To define, ID is the systematic process of creating effective and engaging instruction material and experiences using a framework like ADDIE. It is the pilot of the beginning-to-end process. In this stage, it is putting pen to paper. Outlining strategies and key players to articulate what is being learned.

On the other hand, L&D is about creating and bringing the ID's vision to life. It focuses on the overall development of individuals and their ongoing growth and improvements. Using authoring tools, strategies, and creativity to create the end product. L&D also uses proven measures to influence the engagement of the learners such as teaching methodologies, instructional technologies, and techniques.

As a teacher, I was both ID and L&D technically. I initially thought ID was for me because of the current position I was in but when recalling my passion, "creating learning experiences, that are not mundane," I realize that L&D is more of my cup of tea.

Authoring Tools

I had no clue about authoring tools other than a few googled programs that I did not want to pay for the full version as a teacher. Gone are the days when we only use PowerPoint to teach. *Praises because I was truly annoyed by 60 slide presentations with squished material on each slide*. I would not say it is ineffective, I would just say that there are tools that are more efficient. It is important to have the ability to use different authoring tools because each offers a variety of components that can enhance the learning experience. On a positive note. I actually learned something in PowerPoint in my recent experience and was baffled! It just further proves that we do not know everything about what we do know (if that makes sense).

Authoring tools are essential in learning and development as they enable the creation of interactive and customizable content, provide flexibility in content delivery, facilitate collaboration, enhance learner engagement, save time and costs, and offer analytics and tracking capabilities. By leveraging these tools, we can create effective and engaging learning experiences that cater to the diverse needs of learners in today's digital age.

So far in my experience, I like Rise and using AI voiceover. I am excited to gain official experience in Storyline other than playing around. My goal is to be fluent in authoring tools and be able to recommend based on the contributions they make that will benefit a company.

The Growth/Longevity of the Field

Just like teaching, the growth and longevity of the field are on an incline. With the continuous growth and evolution of curriculum design, methodologies, technologies, and assessment techniques, there is always a need to ensure our learners are getting the best practices.

Advancements in technology have significantly influenced the growth of learning development. Online learning platforms, interactive educational tools, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence are just a few examples of technological innovations that have transformed the way we learn. These advancements have made learning more accessible, personalized, and engaging, catering to diverse learning styles and preferences.

To ensure longevity, learning development needs to be supported by ongoing evaluation and improvement. Educational programs and interventions should be regularly assessed to determine their effectiveness and identify areas for refinement.

Sustainability is another crucial aspect of the longevity of learning development. Initiatives should be designed to be adaptable and scalable, considering factors such as resources, infrastructure, and the needs of diverse populations. Long-term planning and collaboration between educational stakeholders, including policymakers, educators, researchers, and learners, are essential to creating a supportive environment for sustainable learning development.

It is my hope that you do not criticize me when I say that the skills that I have noticed myself using are particularly easy and common sense when you really get down to it. However, I am fairly new and most skills have been transferred from my previous career. I am ecstatic about diving deeper and coming across challenges. I think about my future in this field often and how one day I won't just create the end product but will engage in discovery calls, needs analysis, and engage with SMEs to name only a few aspects I am looking forward to.

The more I learn, create, and gain experiences, the more I become excited to grow in this field. The exciting part is not only do I get to create and gain skills with development, but while I develop for a variety of industries I am gaining knowledge about the industry. It's like a free learning course. :)