Consistently, instructional designers are tasked with three objectives: 1) teach learners new information 2) reevaluate current knowledge 3) assess outcomes.
When is that last time you turned that rubric on yourself?
This is not a train-the-trainer moment – it is a self-evaluation opportunity.
One of the Seven Da Vincian Steps to Genius Every Day is called Dimostrazione: A commitment to test knowledge through experience, persistence, and a willingness to learn from mistakes.
- Have you recently improved your process due to feedback, positive or negative?
- Are you willing to allow your knowledge and expertise to be tested, so you can gain better insight and become a better designer?
The best teachers are lifelong learners. There’s a reason for this; according to Gerhard Fischer, director of the Center for Lifelong Learning & Design at the University of Colorado, “lifelong learning is an essential challenge for inventing the future of our societies; it is a necessity rather than a luxury … It is a mindset and a habit … It creates the challenge to understand, explore and support new essential dimensions of learning.”
New dimensions of learning can only unfold when old paradigms are released. A willingness to keep an open mind and learn from every situation, in and out of the training environment, will ensure your instructional design is engaging and effective on a deeper, more impactful level.