Course Developers design, produce and develop the necessary instructional materials for training courses. They maintain current course materials as well us modify and improve them as required by instructors and trainees.
They conduct training needs analysis, develop exercises and training scenarios as well as perform assessment of training materials. They make sure that all training objectives are accomplished, and issues are resolved.
Nature of Work
Course Developers are generally responsible for maintaining existing courses, making sure that each of them are revised and improved, based on the recommendation of the instructors and students. They also develop new course modules to be incorporated into existing courses, as well as research, design and implement new ones. They are also involved in determining the training strategy and selecting the appropriate media to be used. They are tasked with designing the general curriculum, defining training objectives and generating mastery tests. To enhance the presentation of courses, they work with graphic artists to create audiovisual and other training aids. They update and modify course contents to reflect any development and changes in the procedures or technology discussed in the course. Course developers also provide technical assistance and support to instructors and students when necessary, train instructors in correctly using the course materials they have developed. They coordinate with research and development and management for planning and designing the contents of training courses and activities. To help in developing courses, they must keep themselves up to date with current training trends and technologies and apply them as needed. In the light of online education trends and technological development, course developers also create online courses, using multimedia authoring tools.
Qualifications
Most employers prefer either a bachelor’s or master’s degree in Instructional Design or any related course. Candidates should be highly analytical and possess creative and intuitive problem-solving ability. They should be able to communicate ideas and concepts clearly and accurately. They should have excellent writing and editing skills, be highly attentive to details and be able to manage time accordingly. They should know how to use computers and software applications such as word processor, database management, and presentation software.