Leaving the Classroom: A Transitioning Teacher Podcast

What to Include in Your Instructional Design Portfolio

In this episode, I’m going to talk about what you should have in your portfolio, what tools to use, and how long it may take to build a portfolio.

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Enjoy the podcast transcription:

Hello, everyone. Welcome to leaving the classroom. I'm Kristi Oliva, and I'm so glad you are here. Today's topic is instructional design portfolios. I'm going to talk about what you should have in your portfolio, what tools to use, and how long it may take to build a portfolio.

And those things are really good indicators that you would be a great fit for instructional design, you may even be able to use some of those things in your instructional design portfolio. But that isn't all you need. A really big part of an instructional design portfolio is demonstrating that you know how to use the technology and tools in the ID world. It can show your depth of knowledge and adult learning theory, and how you apply that knowledge to building effective learning solutions.

So let's talk about what exactly your portfolio should look like and what it should have in it. Your portfolio does not have to be housed on a website. But I personally think it looks better. And it helps you tell a story with the assets you've built. Building a website is also a valuable way to build another skill that you may not already have. And to learn new technology. If you do choose to house your portfolio on a website, the simpler the better to start. In IDOL courses Academy, we recommend starting simple with a Google site. They are easy, intuitive, and allow you to get something up and running really quickly. Like I'm talking within a couple hours. With that simplicity means that there are limitations on what you can do. It isn't the same as a Squarespace site or WordPress site where there is more functionality and options. But you can always upgrade to one of these options once you are further along in the process.

Okay, so once you decide where to house your portfolio, now you need to put some stuff in it. So what should you include and your portfolio and I do courses Academy where I mentor many teachers just like you, we recommend building what is called an MVP, a minimal Minimum Viable portfolio. In that portfolio, we recommend having one articulate rice course one to two elearning samples built with Articulate Storyline or Adobe Captivate and instructor led training, including a slide deck for a presentation accompanied by a facilitator guide and a Participant Guide. One job aid a beyond video, which is optional, but recommended, and one instructional design document. And this is like a doc that outlines and plans for an instructional design project. It basically describes a business problem you intend to solve and how you intend to solve that problem. Well, that's quite a bit of stuff, isn't it? This MVP is going to take some intentional time to build. Regardless of where you decide to house these assets. Having a breath like the list I just gave you is super important to landing that Id job. Now there are several tools I listed that you need to be using to build the MVP. Why those tools? Well, tools like articulate, rise, Articulate Storyline, and Vyond are all common technologies used in instructional design. I talk more about the various technologies you need to know to become an ID in Episode 12. So go back and listen to that.

Okay, so the good news about building a portfolio like this is that you will be practicing the exact skills you need to become an instructional designer. And what better way to do that than with other teachers and professionals who are also studying instructional design and trying to enter that field. Well, that's what we offer at idle courses got me? We have 1000s of members who are working toward the same goal along with mentors and coach coaches give you guidance and feedback along the way. You do not have to do this alone. Now how long will this portfolio take to build? Well that can vary. It really depends on your time commitment and how long you have in disposable time that you can work towards building this portfolio, it can take anywhere from one month to 12 months. Again, that is up to you. At IDOL Courses Academy, we help you build that professional portfolio, revise your resume, prepare for interviews and give you valuable feedback on what you design. We have a cohort style where people are going through the same steps at the same time attending the same mentor sessions. They form collaborative groups to help each other and you get real time feedback on anything that you post in our network. It's a really valuable tool that can help you get that portfolio to professional level in no time.  Sign up for IDOL courses Academy using my code CLASSROOM100 and get $100 off enrollment today. It's time to take control and make the career change that will change your life. It changed mine. See you next time.

Send your stories or your questions to [email protected] or share them with me on Instagram  @leavingtheclassroom.