Instructional Design 4.0

What emerging instructional design roles tell us about the [very near] future of instructional design.

In the last month or so, a new flavour of instructional design role has started to emerge which might shed new and interesting light on the [very near] future of instructional design.

Here’s a summary of the three trends that I’ve seen, and what it might mean for the key skills and day to day role of instructional designers.

Let’s go 🚀

Theme 1. AI & Prompt Engineering

An increasing number of instructional design require an understanding of artificial intelligence and how it might be integrated into the analysis, design, delivery and evaluation of the learning experience.

Increasingly, instructional designers are expected to have a deep understanding of AI capabilities and limitations, with a specific focus on both large language models (LLMs) and prompt engineering.

Advanced structured prompting skills, including prompt injection and chain prompting, are particularly in demand among employers.

TL;DR: Instructional designers are increasing expected to be able to leverage AI in the end to end design, delivery and evaluation process, which represents a significant evolution from the core skills of instructional design.

Theme 2. Data-Driven Decision Making

An increasing number of instructional design roles require data analysis skills. Powered by the data capabilities of AI, the ability to gather and analyse data in the analysis, design, iteration and evaluation stages of the process appear to be becoming increasingly central to the instructional designer role. and learning science to build better support for learners.

Among other things, instructional designers are required to use AI to establish mechanisms to measure the efficiency, accuracy, and effectiveness of learning solutions, suggesting that data analytics skills are becoming increasingly important.

TL;DR: One of the key affordances of AI is the ability it gives us to gather and analyse data at an unprecedented pace and scale. For instructional designers, this might signal a shift away from primarily qualitative skills like content creation and design towards more quantitative roles centred around impact analysis.

Theme 3. Cross-Functional Collaboration

Another theme I’ve noticed in recent instructional design roles is an increased emphasis on the importance of collaboration with cross-functional teams made up of product managers, developers, and designers.

Instructional designers appear to be becoming more deeply involved in the product development lifecycle, indicating a shift towards roles that are not just about creating learning materials but also about contributing to the overall design and development of educational technology products, using data.

TL;DR: AI opens up new possibilities for innovative learning products - e.g. intelligent tutoring systems, personalised learning pathways and automated content generation- which requires the combined expertise of instructional designers, engineers and product managers to ensure that they are both pedagogically sound and technically feasible.

AI: a new wave in instructional design?

Implications for Instructional Designers

It’s early days, but if roles advertised in the last couple of months are anything to go by, the role of the instructional designer is evolving.

We seem to be seeing both a narrowing and deepening of the skill set required for instructional designers, with a new emphasis on technical, communication and creative skills.

What could this shift could mean for the instructional designer skill set? Here’s my take:

• Understanding of AI & Machine Learning: Instructional designers will likely need a foundational understanding of how AI and machine learning technologies work, including their capabilities, limitations, and applications in the analysis, design, delivery, iteration and evaluation process.

• Data Literacy: The ability to interpret and use data will likely become increasingly important, especially in the analysis, design and evaluation of learning experiences.

• Familiarity with Development Processes: A basic understanding of software development processes, including agile methodologies, will likely become increasingly important for effective collaboration with engineers and product managers.

• Cross-Functional Teamwork: The ability to work effectively with product managers, engineers, and designers requires strong teamwork and communication skills. Instructional designers must be able to articulate pedagogical goals and requirements to non-educational professionals and understand their perspectives.

• Agile Project Management: As instructional designers become more involved in the product development lifecycle, agile project management skills become more important. They need to manage timelines, coordinate with multiple stakeholders, and ensure that projects stay on track.

• Ethical Considerations: With the increased use of AI, instructional designers must understand and consider the ethical risks and implications of working with aI, including privacy concerns and bias in AI algorithms, and ensure that learning products are accessible and equitable to all users.

• Innovative Design Thinking: The development of new learning products requires creativity and the ability to think outside traditional educational paradigms.

In summary, the rise of AI brings with it a shift towards AI-enhanced educational technology products. For instructional designers, this marks a shift in their role which requires a broadening of technical knowledge, a shift in their process and a deepening of their pedagogical expertise.

For instructional designers who have for decades operated within well-established processes using well-established tools, the rise of AI could represent a significant evolution and reimagining of their role. For some this will be a positive development, for others it will be unsettling.

One thing is for sure: the evolution of the instructional design role won’t happen overnight. However, as recently-listed instructional design roles like those at Chegg and Trilogy demonstrate, the evolution is already underway.

That’s all folks!
Phil 👋

PS: If you want to future proof your skills and explore what AI-powered analysis, design and delivery looks like with me, check out my AI Learning Design Bootcamp.