There are a number of occupational roles, positions, and career paths into learning design. This is an introduction to a few ways learning/instructional design careers are evolving in education and industry today.

1. Who is Designing Learning Today?
@LauraPasquini techknowtools.com/about

2. ● Instructional Designers
● Instructional Technologists
● Instructional Coordinators
● Learning Architects
● Learning Designers
● Learning Experience Designers (LX)
● Learning Development Specialist
● Learning Strategists
● Learning Scientists
● Learning Engineers
● Faculty, Instructors, & Teachers… OH MY!
ID vs. LD:
Who is
Designing
Learning
Today?

3. Distance
Learning
Coordinators
Instructional
Coordinators
Instructional
Designers &
Technologists
L&D
Managers
Talent
Development
Technical
Writers
ID & LD Roles
(to name just a few…)
Occupational Roles for Learning
Training &
Development
Specialists

4. Instructional Designers & Technologists
(25-9031.01)
Develop instructional materials and products; assets in the technology-based redesign
of courses. Task include:
1. Present & make recommendations regards course design, technology, & instruction
delivery options
2. Define instructional, learning, or performance objectives
3. Develop instructional materials & products for technology-based redesign of courses
4. Design learning products, included web-based aids or electronic performance support
systems
5. Provide analytical support for the design & development of training curricula, learning
strategies, educational policies, or courseware standards
O*NET Online: https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/25-9031.01

5. Distance Learning Coordinators
(11-9030.01)
Coordinate day-to-day operations of distance learning programs and schedule courses:
1. Communicate to faculty, students, or other users of a distance learning courses or
materials, programs, services, or applications
2. Develop distance learning program goals or plans, including equipment
replacement, quality assurance, or course offering plans.
3. Supervise distance learning support staff
4. Assess distance-learning technological or educational needs and goals
5. Train instructors and distance learning staff in the use or support of distance
O*NET Online: https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/25-9031.01

6. ID vs. LD
Learner-Centered Course Design
Learning Happens Everywhere
Focus is on the Learning
Environment, Experiences, &
Practices
Follows a Learning Experience
(LX) Development Process, e.g.
Design Thinking, UX, UI, etc.
Evidence-based learning
development
Instructor-Focused Course Design
Learning Happens in the Course
Focus is on the Teaching Delivery
& Instructional Materials
Follows a Prescribed Learning
Development Process/Framework
e.g. ADDIE, SAMR, etc.
Needs-based curriculum writing
1
2
3
4
5

7. What About Learning Engineers?

8. There is overlap with LD, ID, and learning engineer, here are some characteristics of this emerging
role for learning development. A learning engineers are often a team of professionals who design
learning environments, specifically by:
• Working closely with administrators rather than with with instructors & subject matter experts
• Developing research on learning & data science to make decisions based on quantitative
analysis
• Changing and driving learning initiatives at the program level; bigger picture
• Are involved in learning science research, for example - The OpenSimon Initiative at CMU:
https://www.cmu.edu/simon/open-simon/
Learning Engineers:
(Lieberman, 2018)

9. Design of Learning:
A Field in Transition
1. Nature of Professionalism: We know there are multiple paths to career development,
education, & training in the field; support is needed for all pathways into the profession
2. Research Agendas: We need to discuss an inclusive, cohesive, and rigorous research
agenda around teaching and learning that looks at the nuanced picture of learner
experience, environments, & outcomes
3. The Complexity of Instructional & Learning Design: We need to discuss how institutions
and organizations can better facilitate flexible, cross-functional, interdisciplinary teams for
improved leadership, research, and course development
(Kilgore, Torcivia, & Gogia, 2019)

10. More about learning design careers:
A Snapshot of Instructional Design: Talking Points for a Field in
Transition by Whitney Kilgore, Patrice Torcivia, & Laura Gogia
“Instructional Designer” vs. “Learning Designer” by Joshua Kim
Learning Engineers Inch Toward the Spotlight by Mark Lieberman
Instructional Design vs. Learning Experience Design: Is There
Really A Difference? By Monica Gragg
@LauraPasquini
techknowtools.com/about