The other day a co-worker and I were discussing the breadth and depth of the 1700 Career series federal workforce, specifically the 1750 Instructional Systems Specialists (ISS) field.
It occurred to me that over my 20 plus years working in different DoD organizations, there are two types of ISS, an academic and an institutional. If you’re curious as to what I mean, read on.
Academic ISS
The academic ISS is the designer who received a degree in instructional design, instructional technology, or educational technology. At most academic higher education institutions, the focus is on learning models, theories, and the science behind learning. Most of these graduates take on internships and become the “design” power behind quality instruction.
Sometimes, even academic ISS’s may have skill and knowledge gaps depending on where and in what specific field they received their 24 hours of positive education requirements (the hiring qualifications for 1750s). This is because higher education entities shifted in the last few years to accommodate e-Learning and focused more on software and other tools, and less on theory and the how we learn. Basically, getting away from grounded learning science and good instructional design practices.
Institutional Instructional Systems Specialist
Institutional ISSs are on the other hand, born out of a forced mechanism. Meaning, they wind up in this field because they were facilitators or instructors in an adult classroom environment, usually in their military career or related federal positions. Most were Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) in a specific career field, or assigned as an Instructor/Writer, so they developed lessons too. These individuals apply for ISS positions because they enjoyed the teaching part, and want to continue learning how to become training developers. Unfortunately, they often have limited knowledge and skills on the learning theories and instructional design models required to be effective instructional systems specialist.
Why are we talking about this?
SO, why are we talking about these two categories? If you think about each learning product as a boat, we always get the boat in the water. But where is the boat going? How are we going to re-fuel? What are our waypoints? Will there be sights to see? If the learner was on this boat with no direction, no way to perform deliberate practice, receive feedback, or have time to reflect, what do you think their learning experience is going to look and feel like? They may get seasick, it may feel more like a life raft than a leisure cruise, they can get lost in the storm, and if you’re old enough to remember the show Gilligan’s Island, where a three hour tour could turn into a stranded group of people on an island trying to survive.
So, is there ever a point where the two come together?
Yes and no. Some institutional ISS become academic ISS because they want to be better at the learning science, not impose their subject matter “SMEness.” In these instances, it can be difficult to find the right training opportunities and mentors. Either way, the role of the ISS or training developer must bring back the lost art of “Design” in Instructional Design, and start preparing to move to Learning Experience Design (LXD)! Want to know what those skillls looks like, check out our other blog on Learning Experience Designer: 5 of the best skills to have.
So how do we get back to incorporating learning science and quality learning design? We need to start with our talent. Support the workforce by upskilling or reskilling our institutional and academic ISSs. We need to support them to grow professionally while building their instructional design and LXD skills. TTD Learning Solutions is here to help you and your organization fill those gaps by developing the right mix of talent, depth of experience, and breadth of knowledge, through our 1700 Series Academy. Haven’t heard of the 1700 Series Academy? Check it out here!
TTD Learning Solutions is here to help you and your organization fill those gaps by developing the right mix of talent, depth of experience, and breadth of knowledge, through our 1700 Series Academy. Haven’t heard of the 1700 Series Academy? Check it out here!
