How Can I Incorporate This Website into My Class Curriculum?
To make this resource even more beneficial to the BYU IP&T program, here are example assignments that IP&T professors can incorporate into their lesson plans. Each assignment helps students explore and learn more about the field using content from the EdTech Careers website. Other educational instituions are also welcome to incorporate these assignments into their course curriculum!
Jump to:
IP&T 520
IP&T 560
IP&T 599R
IP&T 690R
IP&T 520 - Foundations of Instructional Technology
Example Assignment #1: Three Questions about the IDT Field
(This assignment works well at the beginning of the semester.)
  1. Write down your top three questions about the IDT field.
  2. Watch the walk-through video explaining EdTech Careers.
  3. Search for answers to your questions on the EdTech Careers website. (If you cannot find an answer to one or more of their questions on the EdTech Careers website, you can search for answers on other websites.)
  4. Document the answers you find and document new questions that arise during your search.
  5. Share your questions and answers to your class (or in small groups). Share any additional websites that were helpful during your search.

Example Assignment #2: Learn from Alumni Video Interviews
  1. Watch 5 or more interviews form the Alumni Video Interviews page.
  2. Write a 2-page (double spaced) reflection on the following topics:
  • Strategies you learned about how to be an effective student.
  • How you personally can prepare for your career.
  • Thoughts about what type of career you are interested in.

Example Assignment #3: Explore Alumni Profiles
  1. Explore alumni profiles on the the Corporate Profiles, Academic Profiles, and Other Job Sector Profiles pages.
  2. Find the profile of someone who works at a company you're interested in or in a position that you would love to have. (Use the tagged company names on the side of each profile page to help in your search.)
  3. Search on Google or an employment website (e.g., LinkedIn, Indeed) for jobs that are similar to the job in the profile.
  4. Write a 1 to 2-page (double spaced) reflection answering the following questions:
  • Why are you interested in the specific alumni's company or position?
  • What skills are required at that alumni's job?
  • What skills are required at similar jobs that you found during your search?
  • Which skills of these skills do you currently possess and which skills do you need to work on?

Example Assignment #4: Take the ATD Capability Model Self-Assessment
  1. Read the Job Competencies page.
  2. Take the the ATD Capability Model Self-Assessment.
  3. Write a 1 to 2-page (double spaced) reflection about the following topics:
  • ​Your strengths and weaknesses.
  • Things that surprised you from the self-assessment or your results.
  • A specific plan to turn your weaknesses into strengths during your time in the IP&T program.

Example Assignment #5: Careers in Museums
  1. Read the Careers in Museum Learning chapter of the Foundations of Learning and Instructional Design Technology open textbook on EdTech Books.
  2. Watch Designing at the American Museum of Natural History (4:51) and Museum Inside Out: The Exhibition Designer (2:05). These videos can be found on the Job Sectors page.
  3. (OPTIONAL) Watch or skim the Live Q&A with MoMA Exhibition Designers (47:36).
  4. Write a 2 to 3-page (double spaced) reflection answering the following questions:
  • What did you learn about careers in museum learning? (Cite ideas from the chapter or videos.)
  • In what ways are museum learning careers similar to and different from other IDT careers?
  • How is design thinking used in museums?
  • What did you learn from the videos that would be helpful in your career (regardless of whether you are interested in a museum learning career.)

Example Assignment #6: Assessing Job Titles
  1. Read the Job Titles and Responsibilities page.
  2. Separate into small groups. It may be helpful for students interested in corporate careers to be in the same group and for students interested in academic careers to be in the same group.
  3. In your small group, discuss the following questions: Are the job titles on this page representative of job titles in the field? Are any common job titles missing from the lists? Are the job responsibilities on the page accurate and reflective of actual job responsibilities in the field?
  4. As a group, come up with at least 3 job titles within the IDT field that are not included on the lists. Write job descriptions for each job title. Find at least one website (per job title) that can be used as a resource to help others learn more about the job titles' responsibilities.
  5. Present your findings to the class.
IP&T 560 - Instructional Product Development
Example Assignment #1​​​: Create an Instructional Design / eLearning Portfolio
  1. Visit the example portfolio websites on the Example ID and eLearning Portfolios page. Make note what you like about the portfolios that you would like to incorporate in your own eLearning portfolio. 
  2. Read Melissa Milloway's blog post 10 Tips To Help You Build Your eLearning Portfolio.
  3. (OPTIONAL) Explore other resources on the Example ID and eLearning Portfolios page, such Go Design Something: Building Your Job-Winning Portfolio, a free online course by Kristin Anthony, or Dribbble, a design portfolio platform for digital designers.
  4. As a part of the IP&T 560 project to design an Instructional Design / eLearning portfolio, incorporate best practices that you learned from the example portfolio websites and from Melissa Milloway's 10 tips.
  5. When submitting the link to your final portfolio, write a short paragraph explaining how you implemented the best practices.
IP&T 599R - Academic Internship
Many students do not know how to find an internship. Exploring the companies within the Profiles section of the EdTech Careers website is a great place to start. Students searching for an internship may do the following:
  1. Look at the list of tagged companies, schools, and organizations on the Corporate Profiles, Academic Profiles, and Other Job Sector Profiles pages. Find a place that you would like to be an intern. It may also be helpful to use the map of where alumni work on the EdTech Careers homepage. 
  2. Contact the the company (or the alumni who works at the company) to see if there are any available internships.
  3. If an internship opportunity is available, meet with your adviser to ensure the internship will meet the requirements for IP&T 599R. Fill out all required forms.
IP&T 690R - Seminar
Finding enough speakers to present at IP&T seminars can be challenging. Contacting IP&T alumni is a great place to start. The Corporate Profiles, Academic Profiles, and Other Job Sector Profiles pages have profiles of IP&T alumni who are working in the field. Using feedback from past semesters, consider contacting an alumni that you think would provide valuable insights to current IP&T students. Please be respectful and remember that alumni are busy and may not be able to present at seminars.