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You are here: Home / eLearning Design / If Instructional Designers Ran The World

If Instructional Designers Ran The World

by Connie Malamed

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If Instructional designers ran the world

Did you ever wonder what it would be like if instructional designers ran the world? Imagine the contributions instructional designers would make to society if they were in charge. In fact, imagine if training in Instructional Design were a prerequisite for any executive, legislative or leadership position.

Ah, what a wonderful world it would be.

IF INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNERS RAN THE WORLD…

All highway and road signs would make sense.

Signs would be written and rewritten until they were the epitome of perfection. Road signs would never confuse the reader nor have multiple meanings. Signs like the one below would be immediately removed.

sign that says, "sign not in use"

 


Everyone would know their objectives.

Enough of this silliness. We can’t have people running around not sure of their goals and objectives. If instructional designers ran the world, things would run smoothly because the analysis and identification of personal objectives would be a prerequisite for doing anything. Many people would probably just stay in bed.


Every device would have an instructional diagram on its surface.

You can never have too many opportunities to learn. After writing all those courses, don’t you kind of wonder how everything works? If we had our say, there would be a simple schematic diagram on every device and machine. Then we’d all have a better understanding of the world.

airplane with diagram


There would be job aids for every life situation.

Who says life doesn’t come with an instruction manual? We can at least try. Wouldn’t you love job aids for parenting, relationships, and all those sticky work situations? I can just imagine all those wonderful decision charts now.

woman reading manual for dealing with life


We wouldn’t let statistics lie; it’s not instructionally appropriate.

When your job involves communicating information that is accurate and realistic, stretching the facts just won’t do. We prefer to design learning experiences with creativity, but lying with statistics is not an acceptable treatment. This would be in violation of the ID Code.

man with Pinnochio nose because of lies


We would outlaw multimedia incompatibility issues.

Forget worrying about all the different graphic and video formats. If instructional designers ran the world, all multimedia incompatibilities would be legal violations. There would be only one compressed graphic or video format and one for audio. This would be strongly enforced.


When your kids misbehave, they would be required to get online attitudinal training.

Let’s not forget the importance of attitudinal training. It has the potential for changing minds and behaviors by speaking to the emotions. Why should parents have to repeat themselves until they’re exhausted? Just send your kids to the online attitudinal training center!

Girl with a bad attitude


We would replace “There’s an app for that.” with, “There’s a course for that.”

There would be so many opportunities for structured, unstructured, formal and informal online learning, that Apple would need to change its slogan.

Phone with text "There's a course for that."


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Comments

  1. Connie Malamed says

    September 29, 2019 at 12:03 pm

    Hah ha. Love it. Thanks, Purnima.

  2. Purnima says

    September 25, 2019 at 10:40 pm

    Excellent. I would add another one. We would make content-centric learning material an offence.

  3. Brenda Heilman says

    September 28, 2015 at 10:25 am

    LOVE this!

  4. Priya says

    September 28, 2015 at 10:21 am

    Witty & funny article!!!

  5. Connie Malamed says

    September 29, 2011 at 7:23 am

    I can’t believe someone made that video. So funny. Thanks, Leah.

  6. Leah says

    September 29, 2011 at 5:47 am

    If Instructional Designers ruled the world, this would never happen:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-5mbwiCpW8&feature=share&noredirect=1

  7. Connie Malamed says

    August 31, 2011 at 6:08 pm

    Ha ha. Thanks for your opinion, Richard πŸ™‚

  8. Richard Drummond says

    August 31, 2011 at 5:41 pm

    Ah, if we Instructional Designers had time and resources enough, what a world we could create, where miscommunication would be a crime. Of course, we would come up against vested interests, such as politicians, the military and car salesmen, but what the heck! love your idea! At least dreams are inexpensive, oops, cheap!
    Cheers,
    Richard

  9. Connie Malamed says

    June 2, 2011 at 8:24 pm

    What a wild idea!

  10. Aneesh Bhat says

    June 2, 2011 at 5:19 pm

    We could have a House of Horrors. The only way to enter the house would be to press a flashing green button with a sign that says – Click Next to continue.

    πŸ™‚

  11. Jacob says

    May 5, 2011 at 3:05 am

    Yes, let an Instructional designer rule every big/small department and government body, then we won’t see the ambiguity that we see in this present world. Will have an e-learning module to address every situation as much as we have the revelation on the topic by the Creator.

  12. Puja Wahi says

    January 31, 2011 at 11:56 am

    I loved it. Very well put indeed.

  13. Connie Malamed says

    June 18, 2010 at 8:37 am

    Hi Johnny,
    Well, that’s another way of looking at things =D

  14. Johnny says

    June 18, 2010 at 8:32 am

    Wouldn’t there also be steaming piles of irrelevant garbage lining the sidewalks? So many great things that ID’s can bring to the table. Too often, not so great.

  15. Nikita says

    June 16, 2010 at 3:19 am

    That is Awesome !

  16. Connie Malamed says

    May 22, 2010 at 6:42 am

    Thanks, Lori. Funny to use it as a career choice tool! (If you can’t stand to see disorganized information, if stupid road signs drive you crazy … then Instructional Design is your field.)

  17. Lori Atkinson says

    May 21, 2010 at 2:46 pm

    I know I am coming in a little late to this post…Wow..Connie
    Fun, creative, brilliant!

    In addition to being an ID I help young adults with career counselling. What if this was a part of a career choice tool. If you read this and say “that’s me” “that’s me” then you are a natural ID πŸ™‚

  18. Connie Malamed says

    April 19, 2010 at 7:34 am

    Good one, Andrew.

  19. Andrew Hagerty says

    April 19, 2010 at 7:32 am

    what about adding courses have to have overworked and complicated images just to show that I can do them.

  20. Victoria Henderson says

    April 14, 2010 at 4:59 am

    Loved this! I think you should have added an area about over complicating things. I like to do this in my course designs as I am not very bright and ignore my colleagues advice!

  21. Janet DiVincenzo says

    April 13, 2010 at 8:29 pm

    Oh my — how much do I love that jet plane?

  22. Connie Malamed says

    April 12, 2010 at 5:36 pm

    Hi Karen,
    Well it’s good to know I’m not the only egomaniacal person around. And Cammy can join us! As she said, we’d be very nice about it =D

  23. Karen Hairston says

    April 12, 2010 at 5:09 pm

    So true! You don’t know how many times, my ID colleagues and I have said, “If we only ruled the world…”

  24. Connie Malamed says

    April 12, 2010 at 3:34 pm

    Hey everyone. I’m glad this could bring a smile (and unbridled ambition) to your lives.

  25. Cammy Bean says

    April 12, 2010 at 3:31 pm

    Actually, Jenise, we do want to take over the world. Well, I do. But I would be very nice about it.

    Connie — fabulous post, as always.

  26. Nashua Online says

    April 12, 2010 at 2:44 pm

    Well done!

  27. Jenise Cook says

    April 12, 2010 at 2:42 pm

    Oh, Connie… thank you for writing this!

    We IDs don’t want to “take over” the world, we just want to make it an even better place to live and work.

    Your post is a Classic and I’ll recommend it to others.

    Love it!

  28. Megan says

    April 12, 2010 at 1:46 pm

    I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve said these things… I believe, I believe.

  29. Kim DiLIegro says

    April 12, 2010 at 12:11 pm

    Funny!

  30. Connie Malamed says

    April 12, 2010 at 10:21 am

    Yes, and if we believe, some day it will all come true.

  31. Sue Taylor says

    April 12, 2010 at 10:02 am

    That….is….AWESOME! πŸ™‚

Trackbacks

  1. #19 – Design Outing β€” Emergent Radio says:
    September 6, 2012 at 9:16 pm

    […] If Instructional Designers Ran the WorldΒ on Connie’s blog […]

  2. If Instructional Designers Ran The World « El Aula Virtual says:
    September 29, 2011 at 9:54 am

    […] Imagine the contributions instructional designers would make to society if they ruled the world.Show original Compartir:Like this:LikeBe the first to like this post. Comentarios (0) Deja un […]

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