In my reflection on developing ID expertise, I analyzed my thought processes as I devised solutions for ill-structured problems in a series of case studies. Through this analysis I found that keeping my skills aligned with the types of competencies instructional designers are expected to have is likewise an ill-structured endeavor—one that requires ongoing learning and practice. To that end, I have identified several communities of practice within the field of LDT in which I participate actively to ensure that I keep developing as an instructional designer.
 

One community of practice in which I actively participate is the Articulate E-Learning Heroes site, which provides ongoing design challenges (https://community.articulate.com/hubs/e-learning-challenges). I can submit a rough concept or a finished product and receive constructive and helpful feedback from others in the community, which makes it a highly supportive environment in which to develop ID skills and techniques. This forum is also a rich source of design inspiration as well as a robust instructional design resource, as community users share materials such as templates, spreadsheets, and other design aids that help practitioners, such as myself, who work as freelancers. Another feature of this community is the ability to create on online portfolio, which I have done to showcase my e-learning examples using Articulate products. 

 

Other resources I use to stay up-to-date on current e-learning trends are the eLearning Guild (www.elearningguild.com), of which I am a member, and www.elearningindustry.com. Because anyone in the e-Learning community can submit an article with a focus on e-Learning trends, design tips, and best practices, the information on elearningindustry.com is current and practical. The eLearning Guild has its own publication, Learning Solutions Magazine (www.learningsolutionsmag.com), as well as website sections and a blog dedicated to covering strategies, tools, and best practices for instructional designers. The site also makes available downloads of eBooks and white papers.

 

Another professional organization to which I belong is the Association for Talent Development (ATD) (www.td.org). ATD has been a valuable resource to me because it focuses on LDT domains that are not necessarily the focus of my instructional design efforts now—but into which I plan to expand my freelance business once I complete the LDT program. In addition to its monthly publication, which features a range of articles focusing on performance as well as specific types of instructional strategies to help enhance learning, it offers regular conferences, has an extensive catalog of publications, and has several communities of practice, each of which is led by an expert in the field.
 

Naturally, one community of practice in which I have actively participated over the past year and a half is the Purdue LDT program. In addition to the community of colleagues, professors, and guest speakers who have been featured in the courses I have taken, I have also made regular use of the Purdue LDT Student Center. In particular, I have used the information about professional organizations and journals applicable to LDT, and I have been active in the Purdue technology badge program. Like the act of instructional design, being an effective instructional designer is an iterative process, with analysis, assessment, and ongoing development the keys to improvement.

As I leave the Purdue LDT program, I plan to continue to participate actively in the instructional design community of practice writ large as well as in communities of practice whose focus aligns with my interests as an e-Learning instructional designer.