ATD’s Capability Model
In this study (North et al., 2021), the authors aimed to identify the capabilities that employers value the most in the field of instructional design market using the Talent Development Capability Model. This model was developed by The Association for Talent Development (ATD, 2020) and includes three primary capabilities:
- Professional capability: knowledge and skills needed to effectively create the processes, systems, and frameworks that foster learning, maximize individual performance, and help develop the capacity and potential of employees.
- Personal capability: interpersonal or soft skills needed to build effective organizational or team culture, trust, and engagement so as to be successful in the business world.
- Organizational capability: knowledge and skills needed to ensure that talent development is a primary mechanism driving organizational performance, productivity, and operational results.
Under each of these core capabilities are several sub-categories that involve various skills and knowledge (see Figure 1 below). For example, within the dimension of developing professional capability, there are eight capabilities, namely learning sciences, instructional design (ID), training delivery and facilitation, technology application, knowledge management, career and leadership development, coaching, and evaluating impact.
Figure 1. ATD’s Talent Development Capability Model
Top Capability Requirements of Instructional Designers
The authors systematically reviewed 100 job posts that included the key word “instructional design” from three widely used job search websites: LinkedIn, Indeed, and HigherEd jobs. Based on the ATD’s Talent Development Capability Model, the authors coded these job posts using the 23 capabilities of the model (see Figure 1). Finally, they identified five top capabilities that were most frequently addressed in these posts: instructional design, training delivery and facilitation, technology application, communication, and collaboration and leadership (see Figure 2). Each of these five capabilities that occurred most frequently in the sampling of job posts target different aspects of ID skills or knowledge as defined by ATD, which is shown in Figure 2 below:
Figure 2. Top 5 Capabilities Identified from 100 Job Posts and Their Definitions
Operationalization of ID Positions
The second part of the study pertains to the operationalization of ID positions. These qualifications or requirements mainly include degree, software, models, and LMS.
- Degree
Within the scope of the study, there were more jobs that required a bachelor’s degree and fewer positions that required a master’s degree or higher in corporate settings. However, in higher education settings, there were more jobs that required a master’s degree or higher and fewer jobs that required a bachelor’s degree.
- Software
Articulate Storyline was mentioned most frequently in the reviewed job descriptions with 36 mentions in the sample of job postings, followed by Adobe Captivate (n = 29), TechSmith Camtasia (n = 21), and Adobe Creative Cloud (n = 11).
- Models
ADDIE was mentioned 15 times in the sample job postings and was the most frequently mentioned ID model. It was followed by the Kirkpatrick model (n = 4).
- LMS
Canvas was mentioned 9 times and was the most frequently mentioned LMS followed by Blackboard (n = 6), Moodle (n = 2), and Cornerstone OnDemand (n = 2). SCORM was mentioned in 13 of the job postings. There were also five postings that stated the requirement of xAPI and two that mentioned learning experience platforms (LXPs).
To cultivate these top capabilities valued by employers, the authors suggested that ID job seekers use opportunities made available by communities focused on Instructional Design, learning or training. For instance, to develop talent delivery and facilitation, ID job seekers may search for volunteer experience to host events in a virtual conference or develop and share their e-learning portfolio on social media for feedback. To develop communication skills, ID job seekers may enhance their visual design skills to ease communication as opposed to using overloaded text.
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References
Association for Talent Development (2020b). Talent development capability model™. https://www.td.org/capability-model/
ATD’s talent development capability model. (2021). Developing Professional Capability. Retrieved from https://tdcapability.org/#/
North, C., Shortt, M., Bowman, M. A., & Akinkuolie, B. (2021). How Instructional Design Is Operationalized in Various Industries for job-Seeking Learning Designers: Engaging the Talent Development Capability Model. TechTrends, 65(5), 713-730. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-021-00636-2