Contributed by – Pauline John and Janan Boljevic
The ID2ID program provides instructional designers with the opportunity to connect with others in the ID field and share their ideas for improving the learning experience for both students and educators. We had a conversation with Kimberly King, a past Accelerate participant, to learn about her work and experiences with the program.
I: Hello Kimberly, thank you for participating in this interview for our Spotlight article. To start us off could you please tell us about yourself, your current job title, your background, and what motivated you to choose your career path?
Kimberly King: I have been an Online Marketing Professor since 2017. My educational background includes a B.S. in marketing with a minor in public relations followed by an M.S. in digital media and mass communication. I also own a business that focused on marketing when I started it in 2019 and has evolved into a business and marketing consulting practice called KiKua Consulting. The opportunity to teach presented itself after I received my master’s degree. In recent years, I have been trying to transition out of teaching into instructional design.
I: What drew you to the ID2ID program?
KK: I was drawn to the program after it was recommended to me by someone who knew I was interested in instructional design.
I: Can you share your personal experience engaging with the ID2ID program?
KK: I am a former participant in the Engage and Accelerate programs where I redesigned one of the courses that I am teaching and developed a liquid syllabus for the previously mentioned course. During these programs, I was able to connect with people who were interested in getting into the ID field and those who have had years of experience in the field.
I: Can you please share about your Accelerate project?
KK: I developed a liquid syllabus for my eMarketing and Social Media course that has become the blueprint for other instructors and has allowed my online students feel better prepared for the course. This became the first introduction of a liquid syllabus for many of my students and they found it very beneficial.
I: Could you please share a little bit more about your liquid syllabus and how it was beneficial for your students?
KK: Yes, a liquid syllabus is one which is easily adaptable and more interactive for students. The syllabus includes various links for the course, the institution, and how-to videos for the course. It is an opportunity for the students to get to know their instructor, to be prepared for the course and what is expected of them like preferred modes of communication, course protocols etc.
I: How has your experience with the ID2ID program inspired or supported other teachers in your Institute?
KK: It inspired other instructors to include this within their course as an introduction, receive feedback, and keep their courses current. Many of them had not heard of a liquid syllabus and preferred this over the current syllabus.
I: How do you think your prior experiences supported your participation in Accelerate program?
KK: My prior experience of working in education and going through the previous cohort with ID2ID supported my experience in the Accelerate by being a sounding board and meeting other people who shared similar experiences or wanted to expand their knowledge in the ID field. The cohort forced me to be accountable and make sure I completed my deliverables. In the end, I was able to produce something that benefitted more people than I could imagine.
I: What would be your advice to someone else submitting a project proposal for the Accelerate tier?
KK: My advice would be to thoroughly flesh out your ideas and then narrow it down to one concept that can be completed in the allotted timeframe.
I: Thank you for your time. We wish you the best in your journey as an instructor and an entrepreneur.
Interested in ID2ID program? Please apply to be included in the next Engage cohort.