Why is there a distinction between Instructional Designers and Teachers? Does this distinction prepare us for the direction and climate of education’s future?
One day, as I was pondering about the qualities and metaphysics of Instructional Design (ID) as any normal, cool human being does, I came to realization that instructional designers are a lot like teachers. Being in a family full of teachers, this fact became apparent to me quickly. I mean, do teachers not plan out their own curriculum? Aren’t they concerned with how their content is delivered as well? What is the difference, and what’s the point of instructional designer if there isn’t?
Starting off with some surface sign, designers design, and teachers teach. They are similar and utilize the same set of skills and knowledge, but aim at different functions of the learning process. Designer are not subject experts, so they have to consult an expert of a subject to get content for a delivery system. Teachers are masters at their subject, and can rely on themselves for content. Instructional designer have more variety where they can provide their services; they can work not only in the education field, but for the corporate world, focusing on mass employee training (which has different age groups and vastly different demographics).
What at their core makes them different? I believe it comes down to experience vs theory. Instruction designers focus on the theory behind how instruction should be taught, because their job is to make curricula cohesive yet holistic, and deliver it in the most effective way possible. They have more autonomy to mess with the format and medium (technology) of the content and see how it changes the outcome. Yes, they do rely on empirical and evidence, but they lack the instantaneous feedback that teachers have to make slight adjustments right away. Teachers’ strength is the experience they have of managing a classroom structure, understanding, tending to, and relating to kids in person, and know how to deliver information to make it relatable and alive. Since teachers’ focus are given to so many facets with a smaller, improportionate amount of time (content mastery, curriculum development, tutoring, teaching, etc.), there time is stretch between the mount of detail they can give. Yet, they still devote their time to the betterment of their students.
In a sense, a teacher is like a large plate, in that their focus is spread out to provide a more holistic experience. An instructional designer is like a bowl; it can’t do as much as the plate, but it’s depth allows more focus into certain topics. I believe the distinction is important, especially for the future. As the education system as it is now, teacher don’t have time or resources to improve their teaching; Instructional Designers can come in and help them design more efficient teaching methods if instruction is failing them. That said, working with teacher will help with practical and realistic design, and they it will be more adjusted to the teacher to convey the information to their class. In a perfect world with a superb education system, the distinct could still be possible. Teachers could adapt more into their Instructional Designer role, while the instructional designers become educational consultants, helping the teachers try out new theories of learning and conveyance to continue pushing the limits of what education can do. They might be similar, but they are truly the perfect team.
Here is another though piece between actual teachers and designers on what constitutes the difference:
https://evolvingeducator.wordpress.com/2014/07/21/teacher-vs-instructional-designer/
LIS 4022 Spring 2020 