Analytical skills for instructional designers

Nearly a year ago I posted an old conference paper on necessary skills of instructional designers (How to identify an expert). Here’s another short one* on the same theme from my dim and distant past, which I boldly believe remains relevant. The paper continues the focus on necessary skills for instructional designers. I again applied the wisdom of James G. March, this time by explaining why instructional designers needed to be able to cope (and thrive) in situations involving ambiguity and the formation of coalitions. Continue reading

How to identify an expert

Most of us are confronted with experts in our lives and work, especially those who toil in education. Further, especially if we work in teams, we have to depend on given experts to ensure that the project we’re involved with succeeds. If they don’t have the expertise they claim, our project can flounder, to all our cost. So, how do we know whether or not they as as good as they seem? Continue reading