Embarking on a career as a learning designer can be exciting and rewarding, but like any profession, it comes with its own set of surprises and challenges. Here are ten things that you might not have been told about being a learning designer:
Learning design isn't just about creating courses. You'll find yourself wearing many hats: writer, graphic designer, project manager, data analyst, and even amateur psychologist as you try to understand learner behavior.
You'll need to stay up-to-date with the latest e-learning tools and technologies. While these can enhance your work, they can also be a source of frustration when they don't work as expected or become quickly outdated.
Working with SMEs is essential, but it can be challenging. You'll need to develop diplomatic skills to extract information, manage expectations, and sometimes push back on content overload.
While learning design allows for creativity, you'll often work within tight constraints – be it budget, time, technology, or organizational culture. Learning to be creative within these boundaries is a skill in itself.
No matter how engaging your content is, learners will forget much of it. Understanding and combating the forgetting curve through techniques like spaced repetition and reinforcement will become a constant challenge.
You'll pour your heart into a course, only to receive vague or negative feedback – or sometimes no feedback at all. Developing a thick skin and learning to seek out and interpret various forms of feedback is crucial.
Creating inclusive learning experiences that cater to diverse needs and abilities is not just a nice-to-have, it's a must. You'll need to become well-versed in accessibility standards and universal design principles.
While completion rates are easy to track, measuring actual learning impact and behavioral change is much more challenging. You'll grapple with finding meaningful ways to demonstrate the value of your work.
The field of learning and development is always evolving. You'll need to constantly upskill yourself, staying abreast of new theories, technologies, and best practices.
While e-learning is a big part of the job, you'll likely find yourself involved in various learning interventions – from designing face-to-face workshops to creating performance support tools and even influencing organizational learning culture.
Being a learning designer is a dynamic and multifaceted role that goes far beyond simply creating courses. It requires a blend of creativity, technical skills, people skills, and a passion for continuous learning. While these aspects of the job may come as a surprise to some, they're also what make the field of learning design so engaging and rewarding. Embrace these challenges, and you'll find yourself growing not just as a designer, but as a professional and a lifelong learner.
