Cultivating the Next Generation of Instructional Designers with Remote Internships

Brief Abstract

The need for experienced instructional designers who are ready to create quality online courses right now is greater than ever before. How do we meet this need as a field and cut down on the time it takes for new IDs to gain the professional skills they need? Remote internships!

Presenters

Lead Presenter: Jill Giacomini, University of Colorado

Jill Giacomini has been an instructional designer since 2012--initially at Regis University and then moving to the University of Colorado in 2019. In her role, Jill enjoys working with faculty to find new ways to create instructionally sound and engaging courses. A particular area of interest is developing sustainable methods to collect student and instructor feedback to continuously improve course quality. Jill earned her MS in Technical Communication and MA in Information and Learning Technologies from CU-Denver and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education in Leadership for Educational Equity, focusing on Professional Learning and Technology, also from CU-Denver.

Co-presenter: Lainie Hoffman, University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz

A Colorado native and graduate of both CU-Boulder and CU-Denver, Lainie is a great believer in the benefits of combining mountain air with an excellent education. She holds a Master's degree in Information and Learning Technologies, as well as a Bachelor's degree in Anthropology. She works to foster an environment of curiosity and exploration, which lends itself well to the growing landscape of digital education. Her strengths include a flexible communication style, an energetic approach to problem-solving, and a strong belief in cooperative experiences.

Extended Abstract

When it comes to instructional design we all know that, like anything else in life, we learn so much more by actually doing the work as compared to learning about how to do the work. The experience we get by jumping in and immediately beginning to solve authentic problems is a huge boost to our learning in any context.

The changes we have all experienced as a result of the pandemic have only increased the need for quality online courses, meaning that the need for experienced instructional designers who are ready to begin working with faculty to create quality online courses right now is greater than ever before. How do we meet this need as a field? How do we cut down on the time it takes for new IDs to gain the professional skills they need to be successful? Remote internships to the rescue!

This session, designed specifically for higher education instructional design/educational technology professionals, education faculty who teach in instructional design programs, and instructional design students, will focus on important elements to consider when creating a quality, remote instructional design internship. The presenters will share their own story about designing a remote internship from scratch, lessons they learned from the experience and practical tools they created to make it easier for others to get their own remote internship programs launched. The session will have a particular focus on connecting and making an internship meaningful, for both the student and the sponsor, in a remote environment.

Specific resources from the session will include:

Planning Framework Tools for ID professionals and faculty to use to create and organize a quality remote internship for a student
Resources for students seeking internships

This interactive, asynchronous session will also include:

Polling features, to provide both attendees and presenters with more information about specific needs in the field that ID internships might address
The opportunity to schedule follow up one-on-one meeting with presenters to engage about specific questions and experiences
A “design your own internship” challenge in which participants have the opportunity to explore what an ideal internship might look like