This document summarizes a study that aimed to better understand the collaborative relationship between instructional designers and their clients. The researchers analyzed data from an instructional designer's activity logs and interviews to develop a typology of their projects, time spent, and roles. They identified four main types of activities (design, support, production, non-ID) and seven roles (architect, artist, craftsperson, engineer, manufacturer, counselor, trainer). A client survey found most felt the designer's collaboration and communication skills were effective. The researchers hope to expand the study to more designers and develop a questionnaire based on their findings.

1. Understanding the Collaborative
Relationship between Instructional
Designers and Clients:
A Typology of
Instructional Designer Activities

2. Our study’s goals
 Gain better insight on collaboration and
communication skills between an instructional
designer and clients
 Why? – Several recent studies (e.g., Ritzhaupt &
Martin, 2014;, Sugar, Hoard, Brown, & Daniels, 2012)
indicate that collaboration and communication are
essential ID skills
 Provide a “day in the life” of an instructional designer
– Types of projects
– Amount of time spent
– Specific ID role
 Subsequent goal: Develop a survey for professional
instructional designers

3. How? – Methods
 Design-based research methodology (Richey &
Klein, 2007)
 Instructional designer log entries
– Documented all projects and amount of time spent
 Instructional designer interviews (n=12)
– Elaborated on log entries and corresponding activities
 Instructional designer projects and activities
– Analyzed complexity and type of project
– Analyzed ID role or roles per project
 Client questionnaire responses
– Effectiveness, collaboration and communication skills

4. Setting – UNC School of Government
 Provides training and resources for local
government officials in North Carolina
 In 2013-2014: (35 online classes – 5903 local
government officials – 89 contact hours; 2.5
hours/course); 151 face-to-face classes –
10,104 local government officials – 2902
contact hours (19 hours/course)

5. Data analysis
 Unit of analysis: ID activity
 A total of 111 distinct ID activities
 Constant-comparative/emergent theme
analysis method for analyzing types of ID
activities and ID roles
 Initial independent review and subsequent
consensus review

6. Data analysis
 ID activities: Four iterations – 87 agreements
and 24 disagreements (.78 inter-coder
agreement); 100% consensus after initial
review
 ID roles: Three iterations – 73 agreements and
38 disagreements (.66 inter-coder
agreement); 100% consensus after initial
review

7. Types of ID activities
 Design
– eLearning
– Graphic
– ID planning
– PowerPoint
– Social media
– Webinar
 Support
– Course
– eLearning
– Just-in-time
– LMS
– Social media
– Webinar
 Production
– Audio
– Image
– Video
 Non-ID
– Administrative
– Meetings

8. ID activities examples
 Webinar/eLearning/Social media design
 Webinar/eLearning/Social media support
 ID planning
– Provided instructional design guidance
 Just-in time support
– Hallway consultations
 Production
– Audio, video and image

9. ID activities
2.83 5.42 6.02 8.7
23.33 24.5 29.58 30.08 35.42
48.5
63.84
76.75 80.25
91.09
177.63
200
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0

10. ID activities
42%
2% 11%
45%
Design
Support
Production
Non-ID

11. Types of ID roles
 Hokanson and Miller (2009)
– Architect
– Artist***
– Craftsperson
– Engineer
– Manufacturer
 Sugar and Betrus (2002)
– Artist***
– Counselor
– Problem-solver
– Performer
– User

12. ID roles examples
 Architect and Engineer
– Sees the “big picture” with regards to ID
– Architect (holistic) & Engineer (detailed with
technical emphasis)
 Craftsperson
– Merger of innovation and ID practice
 Artist
– Proponent of creative solutions

13. ID roles examples
 Manufacturer
– Complete actual task; “Boots on the ground”
without any ID input (“Just do it”)
 Counselor
– Empathetic listening towards one’s ID needs
 Trainer
– Traditional role of training faculty and other
stakeholders

14. ID roles
27.33
85.92
121.25
129.26 133.69
164.33
200.93
250
200
150
100
50
0

15. ID roles
23%
19%
16%
14%
15%
10%
3%
Craftsperson
Manufacturer
Artist
Engineer
Architect
Counselor
Trainer

16. Results – Clients
 Overall, 57 clients – 29 responses
(51% return rate)
4
2
13 10
External clients
Faculty
Staff
MPA students

17. Results – Clients
How often did you interact with the instructional designer during
1
1
1
3
8
6
4
1
4
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Once per week
Two-four times per week
Every other week
Monthly
Once every two or three months
Every six months
"Sporadically"
"As needed"
Only once
the past year?

18. Results – Clients
Collaboration skills
18
10
1
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Very
effective
Effective Neither
effective or
ineffective
Communication skills
13
15
1
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Very effective Effective Ineffective

19. Discussion
 Insight into types of ID projects and ID roles that
an instructional designer over a period of time
 Conceptualize ID roles into actual ID practices
 Limitation: Sample of 1 instructional designer
 Expand results to include more instructional
designers; Instructional designer questionnaire
based on results
 Establishing a relationship between an
instructional designer and clients – Factors
involved?

20. QUESTIONS?

21. Contact information
 William Sugar – sugarw@ecu.edu
 Rob Moore – rob@mindofaninnovator.com or
@mind_innovator