Center for Instructional Technology and Training
Finding a career you’re passionate about might feel like one of the most daunting, life-altering choices in life. But I am excited to share how my experience in teaching and learning led me to an internship at CITT, making for a first step in my pivot to instructional design.
As an instructor, one of the things that I loved the most in my job was the systematic process of designing and developing my courses. Maybe it’s because I’m obsessed with organization and structure, but I really have a passion for user and learner experience design; in education, this so happens to translate to instructional design! I first learned about the instructional design internship through the UFIT newsletter and immediately contacted Leslie Mojeiko (lmojeiko@ufl.edu) to learn more. This internship was not only ideal for current students, but also career changers like me who were looking for experience in instructional design, educational technology, and accessibility and inclusivity.
During this internship, CITT gave me opportunities to complete trainings and explore resources related to project management, course design, and pedagogy. One of my interests is foreign language education, and they were able to pair me with a Czech Language course development that allowed me to witness different approaches to designing and developing a foreign language course.
One of the many valuable things that my instructional design internship has taught me is that there is always room for innovation in teaching and learning. After participating in several instructional designer (ID)/subject matter experts (SME) consultations, I learned about Learning Tools Interoperability (LTIs), which are characterized by educational technology that enhances the student learning experience. For example, if an instructor often uses lecture videos in a flipped-learning environment, they may wish to consider adopting Playposit, an LTI that allows interactions in a lecture that must be completed before moving on. Or maybe an instructor teaching a course that is research-oriented may wish to adopt Perusal, a tool that allows for collaboration on journal articles.
Embedded in all of my instructional design work were opportunities to increase my expertise on accessible and inclusive teaching practices. The internship gave me time to observe consultations and complete trainings, such as the Teaching for Inclusivity and Accessibility series.
In writing this bulletin, I hope to show students and seasoned instructors who desire pursuing a new career that instructional design is an option that just so happens to be closely related to teaching. If you would like to learn more and apply, reach out to the internship supervisor Leslie Mojeiko at lmojeiko@ufl.edu.
Tags: Course Design, Education Technology, Instructional Design, Professional Development, Internship