A Few Instructional Design Resources

I have known about blogging for several years.  I have read a few blogs here and there, blogged "as my cat" a couple of times on MySpace, and even tried to (unsuccessfully) set up an RSS feed.  One thing I never thought of doing was using blogs for my professional development.  How is it that I can be out in cyberspace for hours each day without stumbling upon a blog that's relevant to my profession?  The good news: they're out there.  I have reviewed a few such blogs and will describe them here.

Sasha's e-learning blog
Sasha Scott is a British freelancer specializing in Instructional Design and e-Learning.  His blog is highly focused, showing the reader how to use multimedia to improve the presentation of information.  He takes a simple idea, providing conservation information about five threatened and endangered animals, and shows to to make the information more interactive, absorptive, and entertaining.  In his posting, "Interaction and pictures and stuff: who needs it? - Part I," Sasha outlines the benefits of using graphics with text.  In older posts, he shows the reader how to turn ordinary photos into interactive "carousels" and
"filmstrips."

Instructional Design & Development Blog
This blog is published by the Instructional Design & Development Department of DePaul University.  It includes postings from several writers, including faculty, staff, and students.  One posting that caught my eye was written by Emily Stone.  "I Don't Need a Learning Management System - I Teach Face-to-Face" reveals research showing that students expect their instructors to use the online environment in addition to their face-to-face teaching.  Stone gives examples of what students expect: support from instructors online, relevant web resources, online forums, and electronic class materials.  She goes on to describe some ways to migrate a technologically void course closer to the electronic learning environment.

INSPIRE 2 LEARN
Richard Watson is an Instructional Designer who assists other Instructional Designers and people looking to present content more effectively.  One posting, "Basic Competencies for Instructional Designers," listed a number of KSA's (knowledge, skills, and abilities) that a good Instructional Designer should embody.  He also elicited responses from readers, asking for suggestions on other important skills.  "Nine E-Learning Warning Signs" lists a number of pitfalls to watch out for when designing online learning opportunities.  All these lists left me hungry to learn more, and while he doesn't elaborate much in his blog, he does include resources from time to time.