ID Question & Answers

What is Instructional Design?

Instructional Design is defined as “a systematic process that is employed to develop education and training programs in a consistent and reliable fashion” (Reiser & Dempsey, 2007). In addition, Instructional Design models or theories may be thought of as frameworks for developing modules or lessons that 1) increase and/or enhance the possibility of learning and 2) encourage the engagement of learners so that they learn faster and gain deeper levels of understanding.

What is e-learning? 

E-learning is the effective learning process created by combining digitally delivered content with learning support services. 
V. Waller and J. Wilson 

E-learning consists of the transfer of skills and knowledge using electronic applications and processes. This may include Web-based learning, computer-based learning, virtual classrooms, and digital collaboration, use of audio or video recording, satellite or land-based broadcasts, CD-ROM, DVD, videoconferencing, and even the phone system. 

E-Learning can be broadly defined as any use electronic technology to create learning experiences. 

What is Learning Management System?

A Learning Management System (sometimes also called "Course Management System", "Pedagogical Platform", "E-Learning Platform") is a software system that delivers course ware plus e-tutoring over the Internet.

An LMS (Learning Management System) consists of an infrastructure platform that allows the tracking of courses or training experiences in relation to learners. The LMS works at the curriculum level allowing the assembling of courses in to collections such as academic or training programs. 

E-Learning courses managed by the LMS might be created with course-authoring tools and delivered with the assistance of Learning Content Management Systems. An LMS is not limited to e-learning and can also manage other forms of instruction.

Tasks of the LMS:

Manage learners taking whole courses

Manage the curriculum

Manage courses in various curriculums

Present options depending on learner profiles

Track learner needs and preferences

Track course completions and scores

Tasks a traditional LMS does not perform:

Create assessments

Provide course navigation

“LMS” is a catchall term in SCORM. It refers to a suite of functionalities designed to deliver, track, report on and manage learning content, learner progress and learner interactions. “LMS” can apply to very simple course management systems, or highly complex enterprise-wide, distributed environments.”

Remember, however, that lines are being blurred between LMS and LCMS features depending on system design. You will find variations from vendor to vendor.

What is and LCMS? 

A Learning Content Management System consists of an infrastructure designed to create, deliver, manage, and reuse instructional content. Content might be web pages, test, media, or assembled lessons and other course components.

The LCMS deals with content and its assemblies (learning objects, lessons, courses) and how that content is delivered. LCMSs convert information into learning content and are able to present it in a various forms depending on the learner and the learning objectives.

An LCMS may provide course to an LMS that tracks the learner and his/her enrollments.

What is an Objective?

Objectives are the foundation upon which you can build lessons and assessments that you can prove meet your overall course or lesson goals.  Think of objectives as tools you use to make sure you reach your goals. They are the arrows you shoot towards your target (goal). FAQs: ID interview questions Here is a list of questions that you as an Instructional Designer might encounter during interviews. What is ADDIE? Have you ever had to deviate from the ADDIE model for any course? If yes, explain. What is the difference between an ILT and WBT? What is the process you use to create instruction? How do you create observable performance objectives using Robert Mager’s theory? Can u tell us something about education theories – Gagne, Bloom’s…? How do u work with a difficult SME? How do you create a WBT for a client who simply gives you their classroom training PPTs to be converted into a WBT? How would you incorporate Kirkpatrick’s second level of evaluation to create performance-based training? What is your proficiency level of the listed eLearning tools? Flash, Captivate, Camtasia, Breeze, Blackboard. How you ensure you work effectively with subject matter experts? Describe how you get information from “difficult” Subject Matter Experts? Describe your design process. How do you ensure your Learning Objectives are met? How do you measure the success of your course? Which of Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels do you have the most experience with? If you design a course for a sales class, and the instructor comes to you saying the attendees just are not understanding the material, what would you say or do? how to repeat an action in Word? (F4) how to add your name as author of a document in Word Could you introduce your favorite instructional design models, theories, and/or tactics and how to moderate/integrate them in real situation? Could you give some comments to be kept in mind when we design a web-based instruction with comparison to the traditional ISD? Do you interact with prospective learner or instructor in the process of ISD? If you do, could you introduce the way to interact with them and its advantage and disadvantage? Could you give some recommendation/tip for effective and harmonious teamwork with SME, and other team members from your experience? Could you give some advices for the novice designers who want to be a professional Instructional Designer? What is your educational background? What is your prior experience (experience related and Dot related to multimedia development)? How long have you been in this field? How do you classify yourself? Do you have experience in any other role other than that of ID? What is your philosophy of instructional design or multimedia development? How did your educational background and prior experience prepare you for the job? What kind of change have you seen in the field of courseware development over the last three years and how have your job, role, and duties changed as a result? How do you expect the duties of an instructional designer likely to evolve in the near future? How have your educational background and prior experience prepared you to cope and keep up with this change? What are your roles and main duties as instructional designer What other roles do instructional designers from your company customarily perform? What is your relationship with other staff members? What is your relationship with the clients? How long has your company been in business? What are the characteristics of your main competitors? Describe the working environment of your company?-its philosophy, work ethics. how people treat each other, etc. What is the ID models/processes you use to develop an instructional program? Do you use the same model/process or different ones for the programs to be developed? Any trend in using ID models you’ve noticed in recent years? What parts of the design and production process are you directly involved in and what are your responsibilities? How has your involvement in the production process changed in the last three years? Are you involved in parts of the process you weren’t before? Likewise, are you not involved in parts you were before? How has the design and production process changed in the last three years? What additional changes do you anticipate in the near future? How will these changes affect your role? Do you have input in the vision of the project? At what point in the production process do you first become involved? What other roles do you work closest with and why? At what point do you stop working on a title? Are you involved in creating the storyboard/flowchart? When do you begin to create it? What aspects of your storyboard are often subject to editing? Client Do you have direct contact with the client, or does someone else in the company handle those interactions? How do they do that? What has changed with respect to your relationships with clients in the last three years? Teamwork How often do you meet and what is the purpose of the meeting? How do team members communicate with each other? How important is teamwork to the product development? How to build a successful team? How many instructional designers are involved in developing a prototype? Are the prototypes a segment of the title or a totally separate project? Do you often create more than one prototype? Does the prototype limit you in the production of the entire title? If you also author a prototype: What is your preference of authoring tools? Why? How is a tool chosen for a specific project? What is the key equipment necessary for authoring? What do you think are the keys to a good instructional design? How do you make a design inviting and fun? Are you often requested to use gender-specific or ethnic-specific designs, and if so, under what circumstances? How do you decide to use text, visuals, or interactions in your design? How do you build interactivity into your designs? What types of transitions do you employ in your designs? What type of feedback do you use in your design? Why? Do you often have to use color-codes/color schemes/designs that the client wishes to use? Do you try to address different learning styles/ability levels in your design? Do you prefer learner-controlled designs? How many levels (from the main menu) do you suggest in a design? How do the subject matter experts contribute to the multimedia application? You involved in any type(s) of the evaluation of the products? In what way? Does your company evaluate your performance or that of other instructional designers’? How should the performance of instructional designers be evaluated? Personal Can you think of any examples of lessons learned from experiences in the field? What are some major obstacles you face in doing your job? What aspects of your job do you like most? What advice would you give someone who wants to become an instructional designer? What type of qualities would you personally look for in an instructional designer? What quality makes up a good instructional designer? Describe your typical day? Do you meet with the client? If so, how often? Why is it important? Which roles are involved in the design phase, how many? Have you had any clients return for repeat business with you? Why do you think so? What authoring tools are most commonly used in multimedia development? If you use different authoring tools to develop a prototype and the final product: What is your preference of authoring tools for developing the final product? Why? How is a tool chosen for a specific project? What is the key equipment necessary for authoring the final product? Do designs ever need to be altered after they have been approved because they are unfeasible from a production point of view? How do you communicate the scope of a change you are requested to make? What is the relationship between authoring and programming? Should authors know some programming? Do you develop and use templates? Do you work from a style guide, and if so, how is it created and who creates them? What is the process for collecting all the pieces you use m the title? How do you gather information about the learners you expect to be in the class? How detailed are the learner outcomes for the class? Does the college have to review and sign-off on them? Do you have to come up with all learner activities? Do you design them from scratch or find existing materials, like a book or tutorial? Do you have to test the learner’s at the end of the course? Even if the college does not require it, do you go through some kind of assessment so the learners can prove to their employers (current or prospective) that their skills have improved? Tell us about your favorite instructional design models and theories. How do you evaluate your course? A survey handed out to the learners at the end of the course? How do you use the evaluation to change the course? the manager of the sales department walks into your office and says she needs training on customer service. What do you do?” How do you design and develop an excellent learning experience? Tell about your qualifications for this job? What technical skills you have?