This chapter is based on a keynote address I delivered at the Association for Educational Communications and Technologies (AECT) International Convention on October 22, 2024, in Kansas City, Missouri. The speech has been adapted for this book, maintaining its original themes and ideas while refining the content for a reading audience. I hope it captures the spirit of the event and offers meaningful insights to readers. Through deep canvassing and listening to practitioners’ stories, the chapter highlights how context-specific experiences shape competencies and practices. It advocates for moving beyond Anglocentric and Eurocentric paradigms to embrace inclusive approaches. By reflecting on personal journeys and collective actions, the chapter underscores storytelling as a transformative tool for fostering understanding and innovation in education technology and learning design.
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Romero-Hall, E. (2025). Learning Designers in Context: Examining Practices Across the Global South. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003270591
Enilda Romero-Hall (June 2025) revising the last chapters of the book.
Ruben, a learning designer from Lima, Peru, holds a psychology degree with specializations in clinical and educational psychology from Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia. After starting his career as an instructional designer, he transitioned to learning design consulting. Since 2020, Ruben has worked remotely from Groningen, Netherlands, while pursuing a master’s in organizational psychology. He collaborates with Peruvian organizations serving industries like insurance, real estate, and retail.
I like doing more work on the analysis and design phases. But, sometimes, I get projects in which I am “added” and, many times, that means I will work on the development phase. I feel like a third wheel of the car. This means that I get a job where the first two stages have already been done. So, I get to work on the development of materials, and it is the one that I like the least. When you contract with an organization, you don’t necessarily get the work that you want to do, but the work that they define that has to be done. I do not get to meet with the client and get the opportunity to do a little bit more consulting with them. I don’t have that access to that first meeting between the final customer and the contracting company. Obviously because I’m not in the company! So, I miss the opportunities to do that type of work. The other daily issue is that if I have to contact my contact, the redundancy! The company that hired me has to contact the end customer for any type of information that I need, so that can make the process bureaucratic and therefore slow it down. The processes are not finished in a length of time that are very efficient. On the other hand, one of the benefits is that the one responsible for what has to be done is the company that contracted me, not me. Obviously if I do a bad job, in the long run, even if you don’t meet the final client, the company that contracted me will stop hiring me. But, the effect of an error in the final product is not as direct on me, the contractor. There is less stress!
In his interview, Ruben emphasized the importance of strong analytical skills for learning designers, particularly in distinguishing between human performance needs and learning interventions. He also highlighted creativity as a vital component in crafting engaging and learner-centered materials. Ruben’s experiences underscore the value of adaptability and foundational competencies in delivering impactful and effective learning solutions.
It’s a good question, in terms of instructional design, I have only worked with Peruvian clients. We talked about a while ago, training or in general any educational event is also an act of communication. So, the communication we have in Peru is hardly direct, on the contrary, it is very circular. It takes us [Peruvians] so long to get to the point. Because that’s how it is, even in our literature. We very much take different paths until we get to the point. It is rare then, that in my culture, an email is less than two paragraphs. It is rare! That also affects the way we design training. Sometimes we are wordy. We sometimes do that because in our culture, we do it unconsciously. It is also reinforced because the client agrees with this wordy culture. When we are very straightforward, the client ends up telling us: Hey, something is missing, right? You have to explain more, you have to say more.
Romero-Hall, E. (2025). Learning Designers in Context: Examining Practices Across the Global South. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003270591
Abeo, a learning design professional from Nigeria, transitioned from teaching chemistry and mathematics to educational technology. His role as an academic advisor, where students expressed dissatisfaction with coursework, inspired his career shift. Abeo pursued a master’s in educational technology at the University of Ibadan, securing a position in a multinational organization before graduation due to his expertise and work ethic.
So in terms of culture, in a way I will say culture affects my design. I remember an experience where I had to substitute a voiceover artist for someone with a neutral accent, just because I’m dealing with a global community. So, that is part of the considerations: Who is going to use this course? They are people who are not first users of English. They are not native speakers of English. There are people whose official language is not English. Like for example in Nigeria, if you have gone through the four year university program, you should be able to at least express yourself [in English] and you might not have the perfect diction. But at least you’ll be able to express yourself and understand other people when they speak. But in some other parts of the world, people probably go to school where they don’t even use English as a medium of instruction. So, they are now working and they can do what they’re supposed to do on the job, but they don’t speak English or maybe they just speak very little English. If you speak too much in these e-learning modules, they [trainees] will not really comprehend. So you need to at least make it [the English language] neutral with a very simple choice of words. You have to consider all of those inputs in your design when writing your scripts. In a global environment, we have to respect the place of diversity and include everyone.
This interview emphasizes the importance of mastering the ADDIE framework and project management skills for learning designers in multinational organizations. He highlights the importance of evidence-based practices in learning design. Abeo underscores the need for adaptability and iterative feedback to ensure high-quality instructional design tailored to diverse learner needs.
I will say you have to be in a way flexible, while you are still sticking to the principle of instructional design. We currently work with an agile approach, where as I’m doing this task, the other person is doing that task. We are working all together to ensure we deliver on time. So, if you’re not flexible there’ll be friction. Either with your colleague or with the stakeholder. You just have to, at times, consider other people’s view about what you are creating. You are creating in your mind and in your head. You may feel you’re creating wonders. But when people appraise it and give you feedback, you must actually evaluate it and be flexible. Don’t be rigid. Do not say: I’m an expert, I have a master’s, and that certification. So flexibility is number one Number two: Never sacrifice professionalism all in the name of probably saving costs for your employer.
Romero-Hall, E. (2025). Learning Designers in Context: Examining Practices Across the Global South. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003270591
Design Goodiness 
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