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are employers expecting from instructional design and learning technology professionals across sectors?  \nNicole L. Weber 1*  \n 0000-0001-8723-5686  \nCorine McCarthy 2  \n 0009-0007-6881-2530  \nKatie Campbell 1  \n 0009-0004-1669-7524  \nHannah Bauer 1  \n 0009-0002-2332-1635  \n1 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Whitewater, WI, USA  \n2 Moraine Park Technical College, Fond du Lac, WI, USA  \n* [Corresponding author:](Corresponding author: webern@uww.edu)[ webern@uww.edu](Corresponding author: webern@uww.edu)  \nCitation: Weber, N. L., McCarthy, C., Campbell, K., & Bauer, H. (2024) . What are employers expecting from instructional design and learning technology professionals across sectors?. Contemporary Educational Technology, 16(3), ep510.  \n[https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/14606](https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/14606)  \nARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT  \n\n| Received: 22 Feb 2024\u003Cbr>Accepted: 15 Apr 2024 | As new technologies and learning practices emerge, the way instructional design and learning technology (IDLT) professionals conduct their work evolves. With this constant evolution comes a change in employer expectations of IDLT professionals. This convergent mixed methods study analyzed 130 IDLT-related position descriptions and interviewed 12 IDLT leaders from the K12, nonprofit, higher education, and corporate sectors to identify current expectations related to degree qualifications, knowledge, skills, and abilities expected from IDLT professionals. Results included a preference for a master’s degree-level qualification, at times due to bureaucracy, and an interest in the combination of academic preparation with instructional design experience. Additionally, employers shared that they were interested in an advanced understanding and adaptable application of IDLT theories, models, and frameworks, as well as a need for nonspecific IDLT skills (e.g., communication and collaboration) and familiarity with IDLT-related technologies (e.g., learning management system and course authoring software) . These results provide valuable insight for those looking to join IDLT field, current IDLT professionals interested in upskilling, and educational programs preparing future IDLT professionals for the workforce.\u003Cbr>Keywords: instructional design, learning technology, K12, higher education, corporate, nonprofit, KSAs (knowledge, skills, and abilities) |\n| --- | --- |\n| INTRODUCTION |  |\n\nWith learning experiences growing and changing across education sectors due to rapid and continuous emerging technologies and practices, the instructional design and learning technology (IDLT) field is considered to be in a state of evolution (Beirne & Romanoski, 2018) . But what does this mean for individuals interested in transitioning into the field, current professionals in the field, and preparation programs? This state of evolution necessitates frequently reviewing and researching what degrees, knowledge, skills, and abilities IDLT employers expect from their employees to best support current and future professionals in finding success in the field.  \nThe formal origin of instructional design began as early as World War II from the need to train large groups of people (Reiser, 2002, as cited in North et al., 2021) . According to Zippia (2024), there are almost 100,000  \ninstructional designers currently in the United States, and instructional design positions are projected to continue growing (i.e., 7.0% from 2018-2028, translating into approximately 15,000 new jobs) . Similar to how the original need to train and educate people has only grown across sectors (e.g., K12, higher education, corporate, and nonprofit) and in the number of positions over time, the knowledge, skills, abilities, and qualifications of IDLT individuals have also grown over time, continually evolving as new practices and technologies emerge.  \nThere have been recent s","cbCaivdQdizeOiOw","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaivdQdizeOiOw","pdf",325141,17,"English","# Abstract\n# Introduction\n## Formal Degree Requirements\n## Instructional Design & Learning Technology-Specific Expectations\n# Methods and Results","[{\"question\":\"How did the study investigate employer expectations for IDLT professionals?\",\"answer\":\"It used a convergent mixed-methods design by analyzing 130 IDLT-related position descriptions and interviewing 12 IDLT leaders across K12, nonprofit, higher education, and corporate sectors.\"},{\"question\":\"What degree qualification did employers often prefer?\",\"answer\":\"Employers showed a preference for master’s degree-level qualifications, sometimes influenced by organizational bureaucracy.\"},{\"question\":\"Which knowledge and skills did employers emphasize in IDLT hiring?\",\"answer\":\"Employers emphasized advanced, adaptable understanding of IDLT theories, models, and frameworks, along with non-specific skills such as communication and collaboration, plus familiarity with IDLT technologies like learning management systems and course authoring software.\"}]","What are employers expecting from instructional design and learning technology professionals across sectors? | PDF",1792090567,43]