Learning to Design: Course Design Made Easy with Sarah Wilson
Are you interested in instructional design? Instructional designers have never been in such great demand. Whether you've been asked to create some training at work, or to whip up a presentation, or even to create some kind of elearning, you're in the right place. Have you ever felt like creating great learning content is a bit tricky or maybe just out of reach? Do you ever wonder about how you can make your learning designs more interesting and effective? Do you know how to really connect with learners? In this podcast, Sarah is going to break things down and show you that it's not as complicated as it might seem. Sarah has been a professional instructional designer in the public and private sectors for people of all ages for more than 20 years and she's also got the formal education to back it up! She is here to guide you every step of the way on your learning to design journey. With each episode, she'll provide some handy notes and tools to assist you. Instructional design is a fantastic way to impact everyone in school, the workplace, or just about anywhere people need to get things done.
Got a question or topic you're curious about? Email Sarah at sarahw@learningtodesign.com.
Learning to Design: Course Design Made Easy with Sarah Wilson
On the Importance of Learning Portfolios
Kick off the new year with Sarah as she dives into the must-have tool for every instructional designer: a learning portfolio. In this episode of Learning to Design with Sarah, discover why portfolios are game-changers for aspiring, developing, and professional instructional designers alike.
Join Sarah as she unpacks the essentials of what a learning portfolio is, why it matters, and how it can showcase your skills, expertise, and unique approach to learning design. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting your ID journey, you'll learn actionable tips on creating a portfolio—even if you don’t have professional experience yet. Plus, Sarah shares her secrets on leveraging free tools like Articulate Rise 360 to build an impressive portfolio without breaking the bank.
Tune in to get inspired, stay ahead of the trends, and start building a dynamic, evolving portfolio that reflects your personal brand and career growth.
Click here to see my own portfolio as an example!
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Hi, welcome back to learning to design with Sarah, instructional design made easy. Today, we're going to talk about why every instructional designer needs a learning portfolio. Happy new year, instructional design friends, it's January 2025, and I'm excited to kick off the year with an episode on a topic that's been coming up a lot lately, learning portfolios. Whether you're an aspiring, developing, or professional instructional designer, having a learning portfolio can be a game changer. Let's dive into what they are, why they're important, and how you can create one, even if you're just starting out. A learning portfolio is essentially a curated collection of your work. It's a way to showcase the projects you've designed, developed, or contributed to, and it highlights your skills, creativity, and expertise. Think of it as a visual resume that demonstrates not just what you've done, but how you've done it. Your portfolio can be shared with prospective employers, clients, or colleagues to provide evidence of your abilities. Personally, I've found my portfolio invaluable. It's helped me attract new clients and stand out in a competitive job market. If you're curious, I've linked my portfolio in the show notes for inspiration. Why have a portfolio? I'll give you 10 reasons every instructional designer should have one. Showcase your skills and expertise. A portfolio is a tangible way to demonstrate your proficiency with tools like Articulate Storyline and Rise 360. Creating your portfolio using these tools shows prospective employers that you not only understand them, Highlight real world experience. Whether it's an e learning course, interactive module, or blended learning solution, your portfolio allows you to showcase how you've applied theoretical knowledge to solve real problems. Stand out to employers and clients. Many job descriptions explicitly require a portfolio, especially for instructional design roles. Having one ready can help you stand out by providing a clear view of your capabilities and accomplishments. Provide evidence of results. Include metrics like learner satisfaction or engagement rates to show the impact of your work and your ability to measure learning outcomes. Reflect on personal growth. Updating your portfolio regularly encourages you to reflect on your learning journey and identify areas for improvement or growth. Demonstrate adaptability. Portfolios show that you're keeping pace with evolving trends, tools, and methodologies in instructional design. Facilitate networking and collaboration. Share your portfolio with peers, mentors, or clients. It can be a conversation starter or a foundation for collaboration. work reminds you of your achievements and reinforces your expertise. Establish your personal brand. www. microsoft. com your portfolio reflects your unique approach to instructional design and helps you build a distinct professional identity, tailor to specific opportunities. You can customize your portfolio to highlight projects and skills relevant to specific roles or audiences. Okay, so you might be wondering, how do I build a portfolio if I don't have very much professional experience yet? Well, here's the good news. You don't need a formal role to start building a portfolio. Here are some ways you can do that. You can leverage your hobbies and interests. Use what you know and love. Go from the known to the unknown. For example, if you're into gardening, create a micro learning module on plant care. Love video games? Design an e learning course about game mechanics. The key is to demonstrate your instructional design skills, regardless of the topic. Create samples. Design sample e learning modules, microlearning resources, or face to face workshop materials. Focus on different modalities, like blended learning, technical writing, or even gamified content. Use free tools and trials. Tools like Articulate Rise 360 offer free trial subscriptions. You can use these to create and publish projects for your portfolio. Just make sure to export and save your work before the trial expires. Iterate and reflect. Regularly review and update your portfolio to keep it fresh and aligned with current trends. Use it as an opportunity to reflect on your growth. I just want to say a little bit about using free trials effectively. If you are new to using a tool like Articulate RISE 360, take advantage of the free trial. It's a really expensive program, so save yourself some money. Here are some quick tips. 30 days, but you don't need a credit card to sign up at the time of this podcast. Use that 30 days to create your completed portfolio project. Now, before you sign up for it, that's when you start planning the project. Use the 30 days to build it. Make sure you export your work before the trial expires. Even if you lose access to the tool, you'll still have your exported files. In the next episode of this podcast, we're going to begin going step by step through creating a learning portfolio. I'll share tips, templates, and examples to help get you started. Meanwhile, you can check the show notes for resources and examples, including a link to my own portfolio. Thanks for listening to Learning to Design with Sarah. Whether you're just starting out or looking to refresh your portfolio, I hope this episode has given you some inspiration. Have a great day, and I'll see you next time. Bye for now.
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