Instructional Designer – Learning and Development
Contributed by – Ed Beck, ID2ID Advisory Council Member
The ID2ID program provides instructional designers working in higher education an opportunity to engage a community of colleagues who share the same passion for advancing teaching and learning
This program is designed to help participants grow professionally by focusing on common areas of interest: faculty development, academic transformation, digital literacies, accessibility, assessment, open education, and learning spaces, among others.
The ID2ID Advisory Council is getting ready to launch the next cohort of Ignite, our mentorship tier that connects instructional designers with experienced mentors or pairs groups of similarly experienced buddies together. We reached out to one of past mentors, James Washok to learn more about his experiences in the program. In addition to working as a mentor in the past, James is known in the ID2ID community for generously hosting pop-up workshops for our entire ID2ID community in topics like Articulate 360, Storyline, or Adobe Creative Cloud applications.
Ed: Hi James! First, thank you for taking the time to share with us today. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
James: Like quite a few folks, I found myself “accidentally” becoming an ID. I am an educator at heart, with a degree in secondary science education. I actually placed my content online back in 1999 when LMS’ were unheard of and most web pages were hand-coded! I didn’t actually “become” an ID until 2016. However, between 1999 and then, I consistently created educational and training materials at my main organization, propelling me into the instructional design world. After taking over the main position at FlightSafety International as their lead – and sole – instructional designer, I’ve gone on to complete two Master’s Degrees in the field (M.Ed. in Curriculum Development/Instructional Design and an MS in Instructional Design Technology). During the last 8 years, I’ve not only maintained my role at FSI, but have also worked with Brinks Home Security (curriculum development consultant), Lockheed Martin (senior instructional designer), and most recently, was picked up by D.R. Horton to create – and lead – a new Learning and Development team of instructional designers and outside contractors/consultants.
Ed: We are so happy to have you and your experience as part of our community. What drew you towards the ID2ID Program?
James: I had a long-time friend and colleague who introduced me to the Program. When the notice went out that the ID2ID Program was looking for mentors, I thought it would be a great experience to work with like-minded individuals and basically network. The pairing of Educause and Penn State University (I’m originally from Edinboro, PA) was also a bonus in my mind as I respect both organizations for what they’ve done in their respective fields. I truly wanted to “pick others’ brains” for a bit seeing as how I am in corporate settings and wanted to know the differences (and similarities) in the educational world as well.
Ed: What was your favorite thing about the ID2ID program?
James: One, how easily our group “fit” with one another. It was as if we truly were placed with one another with a purpose. The variety of backgrounds and personalities – along with location – was refreshing. I’ve worked with colleagues from all over the world, so this was nothing new. However, being in a setting where we were working together for a common goal, rather than working on Projects with tight deadlines and meeting strict regulatory standards, was great!
Two, the freedom to create and work on a project that the group could benefit from as a whole. With the feedback we received from the Advisory Committee, the group ended up with a strong Project that they could not only be proud of but use as a resource for their resumes should they ever choose to leave the positions they were in at the time.
Three, the ID2ID Advisory Council folks themselves. On a few of our meetings, it would often be just a few of them and myself. It was wonderful “talking shop” with some truly experienced folks who shared the same passion and drive for innovation and perfection that motivates me every morning.
Ed: Our ID2ID program is separated into multiple tiers. Our first tier, Engage, connects Instructional Designers to the ID2ID community in Slack. Our second tier, Ignite matches Instructional Designers in a structured mentorship program, with goal planning and reflective assignments. Can you speak about your different experiences in the ID2ID program, both leading some sessions that were open to all as part of our Engage tier and also being a mentor to a group of Instructional Designers as part of an Ignite Tier?
James: As a mentor, I was blessed with a great group of four very different individuals from all over. Most were in academia in some form or another, so their interest in the corporate realm was a relief as I would ask myself, “What can I offer to these people?” But it was, again, as if we were hand-picked and purposely placed together. When it came time to figure out what we were going to work on, I simply let them make the decision – I had my own thoughts. It was another eye-opener when all four agreed upon one of the Projects I was going to suggest to them. Acting more like a facilitator and guide, it was an experience I look forward to sharing again in the future.
During the time – and even after (now) – I also found, through the chats and Slack discussions – that many of the participants in ID2ID had questions/concerns about specific applications, tools, and methods that I knew I had a lot of experience with. So, I offered weekly webinars on using tools like Articulate Storyline 360, discussed supporting applications like Adobe CC and Camtasia, and then went on to do a series on the science of visual design.
I wouldn’t have been able to do any of those – with any amount of confidence – were it not for the support of this Program.
Ed: Your contributions to the community are wonderful. Thank you for being so generous with your time. What would your advice be to someone considering being a mentor in our program?
James: Do it! It may seem overwhelming and confusing at first, especially if you’ve never done anything like this before, but it is so worth it. Have an open mind and realize that you may have some people in your group that have years of experience and are looking for guidance to something new as well as new folks who have limited knowledge and experience who are looking for you to guide them and share your experiences without necessarily “teaching” or “coaching” them.
Be patient and approach it as if you were having a conversation with a family member or close friend, not a teacher. And above all…have fun. It’s not hard to do that. I had a lot of fun with our group, and I hope they had as much fun as I did. We are connected and remain connected on LinkedIn, sharing experiences and “wins” whenever we get them. And if you have some experience in applications, tools, methods, etc. that you can share with the group, reach out and see if there’s interest in holding meetings with people outside your group.
Ed: Thank you for your time!
Interested in ID2ID program? Please apply to be included in the next Engage cohort.