March 15, 2022
Top Tips for Transitioning from Teaching to E-Learning
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March 15, 2022
Top Tips for Transitioning from Teaching to E-Learning
Instructional Designer, E-Learning Developer and Learning Designer
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Top Tips for Transitioning from Teaching to E-Learning

The L&D community and industry has become an attractive prospect for many educators and classroom teachers looking to transition out of teaching. Here are some top tips before you make the leap…

  1. Learn the Theory – Recognise and fill your knowledge gaps

Pedagogy and Andragogy are different and distinct. Learning the main adult learning theories and how they underpin approaches to L&D is the absolute minimum that you’ll need in order to plug your knowledge gaps. Even if you have taught adults before, there will still be gaps in your theoretical knowledge that you need to fill.

  1. Learn the Industry – Recognise that L&D is an adjacent, but different industry

It is not a straight swap from teaching to something like Instructional Design or E-Learning Development. There are many terms in the L&D industry that appear to be interchangeable and depend on the companies using them. Learn these terms and also how the L&D departments sit within different organisations and industries. Get networking on LinkedIn, get stalking your ideal employers and have a look at their job postings.

  1. Learn the Lingo – Do NOT change your job titles on your resume

Many people advise that teaching is basically Instructional Design, and therefore changing your job titles on your resume or LinkedIn profile is OK. It is not OK, and it’s misleading. You can and should, however, frame your educational experience using corporate language. It’s not the hiring managers’ job to translate your resume, do it for them and you’ll see a lot more responses to your applications.

  1. Learn the Tools –

Get comfortable with Storyline, Captivate, Illustrator and the tools you want to use to design learning experiences. The more you can show off your technical abilities with these tools the better. However, do not neglect the other deliverables and learning assets that the L&D industry uses – design documents, storyboards, needs analyses etc are all an important part of the job.

  1. Learn the Marketing – Build a portfolio.

Yes, you will need an up to date portfolio to stand out in a crowded job market. There are loads of blogposts and videos out there that will show you step by step how to build a portfolio, but I would say that it’s a must!

I hope you find this useful!

4 Comments
2022-03-16 16:11:26
2022-03-16 16:11:26

Thanks for this! As someone who has been both teaching classes and developing elearning for some time, it’s nice to know I’m on the right track. I’m looking to go freelance soon, so your article helped me identify a couple of gaps that need addressing first! Great stuff!!

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TheJustChris
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2022-03-16 18:59:31
2022-03-16 18:59:31
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TheJustChris
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Best of luck!!

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TheJustChris
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2022-04-14 12:37:51
2022-04-14 12:37:51
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TheJustChris
's comment

I have also transitioned from classroom teaching back to L&D, and I agree that they are different theories but share many similarities. My experience teaching high school and first year college students is hugely relevant to teaching adults, but corporations don’t always see it. The biggest struggle was figuring out the jargon and translating it on my resume, so I agree that it makes a huge difference when we help hiring managers see the relevance. Thanks for the tips!

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spiras01
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2022-04-15 12:54:14
2022-04-15 12:54:14
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spiras01
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Yes! My background is in 16-19 and I feel that a lot of the adult learning theories are applicable to this age group too.

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