Strategies for Success: Scaling Your Impact As a Solo Instructional Technologist and Designer

By Stan Skrabut

Unleash your potential as an instructional technologist with Strategies for Success. This guide offers potent strategies, expert advice, and actionable insights for advancing your career.

• Learn to harness technology's impact on education institutions through streamlined processes and automation.
• Employ data-driven decisions, real-time tracking, and goal-setting techniques for optimal results.
• Enhance your skills in copywriting, video development, and more to adapt to evolving trends.
• Build partnerships with faculty, tailor training, and foster collaboration.
• Embrace time management and prioritize tasks to boost productivity.
• Stay updated on emerging technologies and establish a strong community presence.

Author Stan Skrabut, drawing from decades of experience, empowers you with invaluable wisdom. Transform your role and institution with this trusted companion, paving the way for impactful change. Embark on your journey to instructional technology excellence with Strategies for Success.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stan Skrabut
• Release date: Sep 23, 2023
• ISBN: 9798985553789

Stan Skrabut

Stan Skrabut is a lifelong learner who has spent his career helping people and organizations achieve improved performance. He earned a Doctorate in Education from the University of Wyoming. He specializes in using technology as a force multiplier to achieve greater results with less effort. He lives with his wife and two dogs in Rhode Island. Nomadic in nature, he loves to travel and has lived in Germany, Belgium, Holland, Turkey, and various locations across the United States. His number one passion is helping others achieve their goals.

Book preview

ebook - Strategies for Success

Scaling Your Impact as a Solo Instructional Technologist and Designer

Stan Skrabut, Ed.D.

Copyright © 2023 by Stan Skrabut

All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

Paperback ISBN: 979-8-9855537-7-2

eBook ISBN: 979-8-9855537-8-9

Contents

Introduction

Self - Setting Up Your Career for Success

Team - Setting Your Department Up for Success

Institution - Serving Your Institution

Part 1: Self

1.Job Hunting

2.Personal Brand

3.Personal Work Environment

4.Personal Development

5.Personal Learning Environment

6.Supports

Part 2: Team

7.Team/Department Success

8.Leadership

9.Systems Thinking

10.Planning

11.Time/Project Management

12.Process Improvement

13.Working Out Loud

14.Executing Duties

Part 3: Institution

15.Organizational Culture

16.Faculty

17.Training Faculty

Conclusion

Appendix A - Computer Set Up

Appendix B - Tools and Software Recommendations

Automation

Blog

Calendars and Scheduling

Communication

Courses

Email

E-Newsletters

Knowledge Management

Miscellaneous

Podcasts

Presentations

Project Management

Research

Social Media

Sound

Transcription

Trouble Tickets

Video Development

Writing

Appendix C - Book Recommendations and Resources

Books

Reports

Podcast Recommendations

Notes

Also By

Read to Succeed: The Power of Books to Transform Your Life and Put You on the Path to Success

Evernote: A Success Manual for College Students

80 Ways to Use ChatGPT in the Classroom

Did You Find a Typo?

About the Author

Connect with Stan online:

Acknowledgments

Introduction

New York Governor Cuomo declared a state of emergency and shifted all learning to online formats when the COVID-19 virus spread across the United States and the world in March 2020.

Institutions had approximately two weeks to transition, and colleges experienced varying degrees of success. Instructional technologists and designers were at the forefront, helping faculty members convert hundreds of face-to-face courses to distance learning. This conversion required preparing and uploading content, training faculty members to use learning management systems and other online tools, and instructing them to effectively teach online. The rapid transition was a Band-Aid to ensure an institution’s survival. I believe our successful migration was primarily due to the systems we put in place.

I want to share what I learned and have used to work successfully as an instructional technologist and designer. An instructional technologist collaborates with faculty members to find innovative methods to incorporate technology into a classroom while ensuring faculty and students can effectively use digital tools and resources. Faculty members and instructional designers provide engaging learning opportunities for students. Instructional designers draw on their experiences in learning theory, instructional design, and educational technology to develop instructional materials and courses that cater to the needs of various learners. I have referred to myself as an instructional technologist throughout my career and use this term throughout the book, even though I have served as both an instructional technologist and instructional designer.

My instructional technologist career began in the Air Force. I was an accidental instructional technologist. I led training sections for over half of my career. My responsibilities varied from training for a unit of 60-70 members to more than 800 members spread over 16,000 square miles. The overall goal was the same, but these units required unique solutions. These opportunities sparked a love for delivering instruction, discovering successful learning solutions, and helping others achieve higher performance.

I also loved working with computers. Computers are a force multiplier in the world of instruction. Pursuing a bachelor’s degree in information systems management showed me the power of technology in education because the university was experimenting with online classes, and I was on the bleeding edge. I pursued this degree in the late 1980s and early 1990s when the Air Force began using desktop computers generally and in my career field. My online instruction occurred before learning management systems became common. My classmates and I used email for class transactions and group projects. I also used computers to raise the level of instruction and make ongoing learning as easy for airmen as possible.

My master’s degree in computing technology in education was entirely online. This degree program was a marriage of two worlds I loved—instruction and technology. I learned what an instructional technologist is through my master’s program and realized I wanted to be one.

As a result, I sought an instructional technologist job after retiring from the Air Force. I was fortunate to land a job at a small liberal arts college. I was leaving the comfort of the military for a new world and role, and the role change was unsettling. I was unsure how my Air Force trainer experience would translate to this new culture. Instructional technology was relatively unknown in higher education as a formal role. Higher education was still trying to understand how to best utilize the position. I received very little guidance; there is still little direction in many cases. I was also the institution’s sole instructional technologist. I struggled with impostor syndrome when I first started. I was unsure what I could deliver and how to do it.

You may find yourself in a similar situation. Rest assured, you will find your place at your institution. Continue to learn and then apply that to support your institution. You may have just earned your degree and are looking to put your skills and knowledge into practice. You may be working in higher education or another industry and, due to shifting responsibilities over time, discovered you are now an instructional technologist or designer. Instructional technology and design is a vast and complex field, a field that continues to change through the introduction of new technologies and a better understanding of instructional principles. Formal education or self-directed learning will help you learn quite a bit, but there is much unknown until you start working in the role. You can learn through hard knocks or learn from others. I want to make things easier for you. I want to share what I have learned outside of the classes I took as part of my degrees.

Thanks ever so much for picking up this book. I wrote this book for someone new to instructional technology or instructional design. Learning lessons from others is a valuable mindset I gained from the Air Force. I hope the lessons I have learned over the last 30 years will help you do your job easier and better.

This book is not about the technical aspects of being an instructional technologist, such as course design, learning theories, etc. It is about success as a solo instructional technologist. I have been a solo instructional technologist or part of a small team for most of my career, and I continue to reinvent myself based on my experiences. As a result, I have been able to produce at a high level. This book is a continuity folder. I learned about continuity folders during my time in the Air Force. It is a binder of valuable instructions, resources, and contacts to help our successors successfully carry out their duties.

I aim to share everything I’ve learned over the past 30 years in this outgoing continuity folder—this book. Throughout my career, I have shared my lessons learned as I have worked out loud. I wanted to take a moment to reflect and package my lessons learned into one easy-to-reference resource. I want to help new instructional technologists and designers, specifically those in higher education, work easier and more effectively.

We will talk about many concepts and strategies. I would be lying if I said they were my original thoughts. Rather, I have absorbed the wisdom of a diverse group of individuals on many topics, including productivity, copywriting, leadership, marketing, and much more. I have learned from reading widely, listening to podcasts, watching webinars, attending conferences, and surrounding myself with people smarter than me. Each of these experiences has taught me something valuable. In turn, I want to share those lessons with you. Everything in my ecosystem is interrelated. I will often let you know a more thorough description is coming up in another chapter, or I will remind you of a system part I previously discussed.

This book has three parts:

Self - Setting up your career for success

Team - Setting your department up for success

Institution - Serving your institution

Self - Setting Up Your Career for Success

Your success will depend on many factors; however, success primarily arises from continuous learning and adapting. This book section will examine job hunting, a skill you may need now or in the future. I share my recommendations for your technology needs and the environment you will use to carry out your work. The appendices include a list of hardware and software I use daily and a justification for their selections. You will understand the importance of developing your brand and how that helps others come to know, like, and trust you. I also share strategies for continuous personal development, including setting up a personal learning environment. You will need the help of others even though you may be a solo instructional technologist. We will explore different ways to get the support you need.

Team - Setting Your Department Up for Success

Helping faculty members succeed in their mission to teach students is your primary objective when setting up a department, even as a solo instructional technologist. You must manage multiple projects and troubleshoot issues as they arise. I learned I could do this better when I have systems in place and work out loud. Setting up systems and processes helps complete tasks effectively to support your academic mission. I will share my strategies. We will also discuss process improvement to provide better service for faculty members. Improvement dovetails with planning and setting goals. Your role is to develop initiatives to advance the institution’s mission.

Institution - Serving Your Institution

Your faculty members and institutions are the focus of this last section. We look at organizational culture and your place within your institution. We will focus on your faculty members. I will share lessons learned for working with your faculty members. You will also learn strategies to help faculty members improve their instruction to more successfully achieve their mission of teaching students.

I shared in the appendices my recommendations for hardware and software and recommended reading lists. Taking a deep dive into the various topics I share will help you advance quicker and perform better. Learning from my mentors through reading books is an easy way to expand my knowledge.

We have a lot to cover, and I am eager to start. Let’s begin by focusing on what you need to do to be successful as an individual. Performing at a high level provides the foundation for building effective departmental and institutional service. The building will crumble if the foundation is not solid..

Part 1: Self

Setting Up Your Career for Success

The following chapters focus on tips and strategies to prepare you for success. That success will largely depend on your capacity to grow, develop new skills, and adapt to an ever-changing environment. Every day brings a new set of challenges. Faculty members will expect you to be the expert regardless of your role. What you are required to know will vary based on your job description. My experiences differ from yours. You may have a very niche role working with a select group of faculty members on their courses. Alternatively, you may be a generalist working with all faculty members across an institution. My experience has been as a generalist. There were expectations that I was an expert on all things related to instructional technology and design. This expectation means you must quickly research new tools and become the expert as faculty members adopt them. You must also be able to address the many issues faculty members encounter. You will then have to teach them how to use the new application or solve the problem.

You will be learning continuously throughout your career. Fortunately, you will build on your knowledge and skills even though technologies will change. My first job as an instructional technologist had me setting up a Mac language lab and a Blackboard server. I also learned how to develop dynamic web applications. I then taught extension educators how to use various technologies to teach members of their communities. There was much emphasis on brand awareness. At this time, social media tools were coming on the scene. I helped transition faculty members from one learning management system to Blackboard at my third institution. I also learned about conducting course quality reviews and open education resources. At my current institution, I help them transition to Canvas for a learning management system. At each juncture, I learned more about how to provide better service and support to the faculty.

You will also have to learn how to market your capabilities and services and provide support. You can accelerate acceptance into a community by managing your brand. Get your community to know, like, and trust you as soon as possible so you have the most impact.

We will start by focusing on job hunting tips. Job hunting is essential for those leaving school and trying to secure their first job as an instructional technologist. The tips are also beneficial if looking for new opportunities.

Chapter one

Job Hunting

You will know when to move on in your career. I have served four institutions in higher education. I look for more responsibility or new opportunities each time I start looking for a new job. Continuing to learn and grow is essential, and starting a new position allows you to start fresh and try new approaches. Making changes when everyone is used to doing things a certain way is challenging. Here is what I have learned about advancing as an instructional technologist.

New Chapter

Starting fresh is the nice thing about moving to a new job and institution. You can write a new chapter and apply all the lessons learned, techniques, tools, and concepts that worked at your last place in a new setting. Trying new things after working for a few years is challenging because everyone is used to how things have been. Moving on allows you to try new things.

Change is hard, but you can be a new person at a new place. There is a grace period to try new things and show your worth. You are bringing new ideas to the institution.

Additionally, you can look back and cut loose old baggage; this baggage may be strategies and tactics that did not work.

Moving on is a healthy thing. It also allows you to see a different part of the world and gain new career perspectives.

Be Happy at Your Job

Moving from one institution to another is significant. Do not rush. Two things happen when searching for and applying for jobs. One, you are seeing if you want to work for another group of people and the institution. Two, the institution is trying to determine if you are a good fit for their culture. Do not settle for someplace you do not think you will be happy. So far, I’ve been lucky. Aside from a couple of speed bumps, I have enjoyed myself at the places I have worked. Naturally, there have been reasons I wanted to leave. But overall, I was able to accomplish my mission.

Transition Assistance Program

I have made a system out of job hunting based on steps I first learned when I left the Air Force. I have since improved my system. The Air Force had the Transition Assistance Program (TAP). I did not have to job hunt in the Air Force the same way I had to in the civilian world. TAP helped airmen transition to civilian life. They conducted an excellent course and provided a great resource I will share.

The TAP manual provides instructions, worksheets, and other information, including creating a résumé, writing cover letters, interviewing, conducting post-interview tasks, researching companies, and much more. I have used this manual for over 20 years, and I share this powerful guide with anyone hunting for a job. You can find a link to the manual in appendix B. You will have to translate the military jargon to get to the essence.

The Job of Job Hunting

Looking for a new job is a job in itself, TAP manual authors stress. Setting up a system around the entire job-hunting process will keep you focused and prevent overwhelm. I’ve created a system that allows me to apply for employment with consistent results. I can start and stop the system when I have a need. The system enables me to apply for jobs, get my foot in the door, and secure new employment. I am confident in getting a new job, even at different levels. I advanced from being an instructional technologist to a director. Looking for a new job requires dedication and attention to detail. Let me tell you about my system.

My Job Hunting System

My system has four steps:

Setting up search queries

Reviewing and saving job postings

Applying to each job with an updated cover letter and résumé

Updating tracking spreadsheet

Setting Up Search Queries. I begin by creating saved job search queries. I will search job sites such as Indeed.com or Monster.com for this. I also use sites like HigherEd Jobs and The Chronicle of Higher Education since I have focused on higher education jobs. I set up a query with appropriate location and job title filters. After testing the query and making necessary adjustments, I save the query URL into a jobs folder on my Google Chrome web browser bookmarks menu. Here are some Indeed queries I have used:

http://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=director+%22distance+education%22+%22online+teaching%22&l=&sort=date

http://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=director+%22distance+education%22&l=&sort=date

http://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=director+%22online+teaching%22&l=&sort=date

I have collected 18 unique job queries in my Chrome jobs folder.

Reviewing and Saving Job Postings. Like other systems, I created a shortcut key combination that simultaneously opens all my job queries. I discuss setting up shortcut key combinations in appendix B. I would launch this set of queries and review the postings each Friday while actively job hunting. Naturally, I would delete or change a query not serving my purposes.

I move from tab to tab to look at the latest job listings. I open all interesting job postings into new tabs. I save noteworthy jobs to Evernote (see appendix B) after a quick job posting review by clicking on the Evernote Web Clipper extension button. I repeat the process until I have reviewed all the new jobs and saved the ones I liked. Finding the jobs that interest me and saving them to Evernote only takes half an hour. I have a designated folder in Evernote for all my job descriptions.

Applying to Jobs. Opening the Evernote folder holding all the jobs is the next step. First, I review the position to see if I met all requirements. Next, I update my cover letter and résumé based on what I learned in the job description. Additionally, I review the institution’s website to see if there is anything they are working on where I can lend my support. Next, I archive a copy of each cover letter and résumé for each site. I uniquely name the files with the job title and institution name, such as Academic Director of Online Programs-Johnson_Wales_University-Skrabut_CoverLtr. I use the last updated files as starting points for the latest version. I have two different types of résumés. One is a CV, and the other one is a traditional résumé. I discovered over time institutions have unique requirements. I try to get ahead by having two of the most common résumé types. Save the files to PDF format unless otherwise directed.

Applying is the next step. Many institutions have an automated process and use an online form. Put together a swipe file to make applying faster. A swipe file comes from the marketing world and is a collection of good ideas. My swipe file is a document with