Tips for Working with an Instructional Designer
by Steve Jones, Enerdynamics Instructional Designer
Have you been tasked with being the subject matter expert (SME) for a new training project? Not sure what to expect? Relax, you’re in for a great career experience. You 
get to share your knowledge, contribute to your organization’s success, and help your fellow employees in their careers. Here’s what to expect and some tips for success.
Process
After a Statement of Work is agreed upon, the first step is to write measurable learning objectives. These are clear statements of what students will know or be able to do after the training. Next, a course outline is created. The outline expands the learning objectives into a series of sections and subsections — it’s the framework upon which the course is built. Then the storyboard is created. This document comprises narration text, ideas for graphics and animation, and ideas for interactions. Once the storyboard is finalized, the draft version of the course is built. After rounds of revisions, the course is complete. Your job will be to give feedback and suggestions throughout this process.
Here are some tips to help you navigate the above process.
Tip 1: Communicate
It’s crucial to keep lines of communication open during the project. Make sure that roles in the project are clearly defined and expectations of each are clear. Consider yourself part of a team, so be available to answer any and all questions from the instructional designer. If you have stories to tell about the subject matter, tell them! Such anecdotes can be very helpful to overall learning.
Tip 2: Be concise
One of the toughest things in training is differentiating between knowledge that is crucial for the learner to know (“Need to Know”) and that which is merely “Nice to Know.” We’re not training employees to become subject matter experts; we’re teaching them to do a specific task or helping to expand their general knowledge. The goal here is to bring the learners to the Fountain of Knowledge, not hit them with 20 years of experience in one class. If there is too much extraneous information, the key points will be lost.
Tip 3: Trust your ID
How can you tell the difference between "Need to Know" and "Nice to Know"? You need to trust your instructional designer 
(ID). He or she will know strategies for effective eLearning. For example, the designer may make the learners work for information instead of just giving it to them. But you will need to work together — the designer knows eLearning while you know the subject and the audience. Both are required to produce a quality end product.
Tip 4: Give good feedback
You will give a lot of feedback during the many edit and revision cycles. Be sure that your comments are clear and effective. Point out factual errors and give ideas on how a point can be better explained. But avoid vague comments like “I don’t like this” or “This isn’t right.” Instead explain why you don’t like something and what to do instead. If something is wrong, explain why it’s wrong and how to correct it. Be specific.
These tips will help you become a successful SME and eLearning project team member. We’ve found the eLearning field to be rewarding and challenging and hope you do as well!
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