Questions+for+the+Expert

If someone has already posted a question, there is no need to add it to the list again. Just make a list of questions, then I will arrange a way of voting for the top choices.
Top six best questions, in my opinion, David@La Crosse

1. After attending an ASTD conference a couple years ago, they mentioned that mobile learning was going to “explode in the next six months". What examples of this do you see? What other trends do you foresee in the next few months? Years? What is the best way for designers to keep up? -- Thanks, Dawn in Minneapolis 2. Do you think there are more instructional design positions available in business and industry or in education? How do salaries vary between the two environments? Josie from Wausau 3. In terms of the corporate world, how realistic is it to see designers take the time to follow a complete instructional design process? It appears, to cut time, often there are a lot of assumptions made and little time spent in the analysis phase. Is this true or is this just my experience? Do we as designers have to do more to prove the value of each step? – Thanks, Dawn in Minneapolis 4. Companies like Wal Mart are beginning to offer online instruction for college credit to their workers. I do not have a lot of respect for Wal Mart's employee philosophy (low pay, dead end jobs), but one cannot argue against higher education. Is this a good thing for workers, and for Instructional Designers? David@La Crosse 5. Is there current research that shows whether employers view fully online degrees programs any different than a traditional degree program? Do employers care that an applicant may have not attended any face to face classes while earning an advanced degree? Carol Robarge, Eau Claire, WI 6. In a world where technology changes daily, do you feel we place too much emphasis on the latest and greatest delivery method? Do you foresee a future where higher education is delivered primarily through distance learning? Amanda in DC


 * Top six best questions, in my opinion, Reema @ Fayetteville **
 * 1) After attending an ASTD conference a couple years ago, they mentioned that mobile learning was going to “explode in the next six months". What examples of this do you see? What other trends do you foresee in the next few months? Years? What is the best way for designers to keep up? -- Thanks, Dawn in Minneapolis
 * 2) Are there any critical gaps in knowledge that you frequently encounter in the ID industry? Lynn@Chicago
 * 3) **How difficult it is to change job from a Instructional Designer in Higher Ed to Industry? -- Reema @ Fayetteville, NC **
 * 4) With the recent budget situations across universities and closings of the Teaching and Learning centers do you feel the Instructional designer positions are at more risk now than ever? ** Reema from Fayetteville, NC **
 * 5) What you do look as more important while evaluating a CV for a instructional designer position - the pedagogical knowledge or the technical expertise? ** Reema from Fayetteville, NC **

 in which an ID background would be necessary, wouldn't it be difficult to enter as the "senior" ID person? What types of positions would be entry level positions that would allow time and exposure within the business/ industry to become familiar with it or at least gain exposure and experience with someone who in reality is a "senior" person that would help navigate the waters of a very exciting interesting field? Another words, how do you get the first break? Or is there something out there that resembles an internship or student teaching? Linda Gates_Phoenix AZ
 * 1) Do you think there are more instructional design positions available in business and industry or in education? How do salaries vary between the two environments? Josie from Wausau
 * 2) With the recent budget situations across universities and closings of the Teaching and Learning centers do you feel the Instructional designer positions are at more risk now than ever? ** Reema from Fayetteville, NC **
 * 3) What you do look as more important while evaluating a CV for a instructional designer position - the pedagogical knowledge or the technical expertise? ** Reema from Fayetteville, NC **
 * 4) In January 2009, The Louisiana Community and Technical College System began offering some of its college courses on mobile phones. Is this a trend that you believe will take off in the upcoming years? ** Kurt from Lancaster, PA **
 * 5) ** How long do you think it will be before there are powerful instructional design tools available for instructors to develop material on mobile units like the iPhone or iPad? ** ** Kurt from Lancaster, PA **
 * 6) For adult learners, is assuring transfer of learning from classroom to the workplace explicit in current instructional design models? Do you feel it should be explicitly included as an instructional designer responsibility? How would you suggest instructional designers evaluate and facilitate learning transfer? ** Kim from Spring Green, WI **
 * 7) What impact, if any, do you think that the shortened attention span habits dictated by most social media will have on e-learning? Jeff in Arvada
 * 8) How would you suggest we institute change in traditional public schools from the learning strategies of the 1950’s to those of a technologically modern society in 2010? Karen B Cashmere
 * 9) With so many courses online nowadays, have there been any studies regarding learner integrity with regard to the online tests, thus impacting course validity? Deborah @ Mt. Horeb, WI
 * 10) I would like to find employment someday as an Instructional Designer in the federal government, preferably as a Department of the Army civilian employee, not as a contractor. What do you hear about Instructional Design careers in the federal government? David@La Crosse
 * 11) Companies like Wal Mart are beginning to offer online instruction for college credit to their workers. I do not have a lot of respect for Wal Mart's employee philosophy (low pay, dead end jobs), but one cannot argue against higher education. Is this a good thing for workers, and for Instructional Designers? David@La Crosse
 * 12) In a world where technology changes daily, do you feel we place too much emphasis on the latest and greatest delivery method? Do you foresee a future where higher education is delivered primarily through distance learning? Amanda in DC
 * 13) **How difficult it is to change job from a Instructional Designer in Higher Ed to Industry? -- Reema @ Fayetteville, NC **
 * 14) **I'm surprised that instructional design only sometimes overlaps with pedagogy... certain contents from this instructional design class overlap with my M.Ed. and teaching licensure courses, and certain contents don't. I think professionals in both fields (ID/pedagogy) would benefit from knowledge/skills covered by the other. If both fields were intended to enhance specific knowledge/skills, how is it that the two have diverged so much in content? -Tomoko in DC **
 * 15) Is there current research that shows whether employers view fully online degrees programs any different than a traditional degree program? Do employers care that an applicant may have not attended any face to face classes while earning an advanced degree? Carol Robarge, Eau Claire, WI
 * 16) As I view different job postings, most of them describe the need for a senior Instructional Designer. The term "senior" for many reasons makes me uncomfortable, but getting back to the class, if you have a background in education, but do not have any formal experience in ID or the business/industry
 * 1) After attending an ASTD conference a couple years ago, they mentioned that mobile learning was going to “explode in the next six months". What examples of this do you see? What other trends do you foresee in the next few months? Years? What is the best way for designers to keep up? -- Thanks, Dawn in Minneapolis
 * 2) In terms of the corporate world, how realistic is it to see designers take the time to follow a complete instructional design process? It appears, to cut time, often there are a lot of assumptions made and little time spent in the analysis phase. Is this true or is this just my experience? Do we as designers have to do more to prove the value of each step? – Thanks, Dawn in Minneapolis

19. Technology and e-learning has no doubt presented numerous opportunities to learners of this generation than to previous generations. In this class e-learning in the K-12 environment brought up some interesting debate. Is there ever concern that, should e-learning become the main mode of learning for future generations, we may raise generations that will become socially illiterate? Has research been done on this topic or been evaluated in the past? - Judy Buechner in Cherry Valley, IL

20. In your opinion, are there industries where you feel a person with more interpersonal and less knowledge of instructional design concepts may be more of an asset or could potentially be hired over someone with technical knowledge and less interpersonal skills? If so, where have you seen this or where do you speculate this may occur? - Judy Buechner in Cherry Valley, IL 21. What background do you look for and value when you hire a new instructional designer? Lynn@Chicago 22. How do you stay knowledgeable with all the current technology available to instructional designers? How do you ensure that your employees maintain and expand their skills? Lynn@Chicago 23. Are there any critical gaps in knowledge that you frequently encounter in the ID industry? Lynn@Chicago 24. What skills are critical to the survival of a new ID professional? What skills must be focused upon in the first three critical years of business? Lynn@Chicago 25. What areas of growth do you see in the ID market? Lynn@Chicago 26. What three pieces of advice do you wish someone had given you when you started out in this field? Lynn@Chicago 27. In hindsight, what three ID experiences did not turn out as you anticipated and were the results satisfactory or unsatisfactory? Lynn@Chicago 28. With a myriad of textbooks and ID leaders in the current market, who inspired you to enter the ID field and did you have a role model to follow? Lynn@Chicago 29. Is there an elearning authoring tool you would endorse? Karen B Cashmere