Inside “Learning Designers in Context”: Chapter 14

Ruben as a Contractor

Abstract:

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

Photo by Carlos Ruiz Huaman on Unsplash

Inside “Learning Designers in Context”: Chapter 13

Abeo in a Global Corporation

Abstract:

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

Photo by Samson Ejim on Unsplash

Inside “Learning Designers in Context”: Chapter 12

Kaya in Higher Education

Abstract:

Kaya, a learning design professional in South Africa, works as an instructional design intern at the University of Johannesburg. Formerly a secondary school teacher of life orientation and English, she transitioned to learning design after pursuing a bachelor’s and master’s degree in ICT in education at the same university. Kaya’s passion for computer-based learning drove her career shift.

I decided to do a short course because I realized I need practical experience with regard to instructional design. I needed to have hands-on experience. I registered with the University of Pretoria, because it seemed to be the only university that offered a short course on international design, based on my research. It is further away from where I stay. I would have to drive for an hour to get there, but it was an online course. Fortunately, for me, I would go to work and then after hours I would engage with everything that my classmates were posting online and engage with the activities. I felt it was empowering for me, because it actually exposed me to other tools that I never thought I could use as a teacher. Also, as someone who wants to design learning material for online learning I really enjoyed the course. It was an 8 week course. After completing this course, I decided that I should just resign from my workplace and fully focus on looking for instructional design opportunities.I was looking for an instructional design internship opportunity. I got called to work as an instructional design intern at University of Johannesburg. I actually told them [hiring managers] that I did this course at University of Pretoria, and they liked that. I think it put me at an advantage! That’s how I got the position that I’m in now.

Key takeaways from this interview highlight essential competencies for South African higher education learning designers, including online solution development, collaboration with lecturers and team members, and creativity to adapt content for diverse audiences. Kaya emphasizes translating K-12 teaching experience into learning design practice and notes the importance of proficiency in African languages to engage effectively with course materials in multilingual contexts.

But now, I have to be able to convince people on what works or what cannot work. At the same time, I have to be creative to say, if we can’t do it like this way, we [can] do it in this other way. So, I believe now I have to be more creative. Because I want to present ideas and suggestions that are going to be interesting to people, that are going to wow them. At the same time, I do not want to forget that this is a professional course that I am working on. I am supposed to be professional, I can’t suggest options or develop content in a way that will suit younger children or that will suit secondary students when that is not my audience. As learning designers, you have to ask yourself: What is it that I need to do? The work should be professional, because at the same time, it will represent you as an individual and it will also be representing the institution.

Romero-Hall, E. (2025). Learning Designers in Context: Examining Practices Across the Global South. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003270591

Photo Credit: The Happy Challenge – Nelson Mandela Square, Gauteng