From the Schoolroom to the Workroom

Job Description

For my internship, I was an assistant instructional designer. It was my responsibility to create an Adobe InDesign reference guide, five instructional modules—this included two modules for creating fliers, one for a printable form, one for an interactive PDF form, and one for a brochure— and a detailed scenario for the modules.

Required Qualifications

• Proficient knowledge in the use of Adobe InDesign and Microsoft Word
• Knowledge of Microsoft Style
• Knowledge of style guides for consistent
• Language
• Formatting
• Visual guides
• Technical editing and proofreading skills
• Completion of the Advanced Technical Writing and Document Design courses

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of Adode PhotoShop and Illustrat
• Have read Julie Dirksen’s Design for How People Learn 

New Abilities and Skills

           

New abilities and skills I have gained during this internship was how to create instructional documents. I have created instructions in the past; however, the modules I created during this internship are different because the modules are designed to instill long-term skills that can be applied to other projects in the Document Design course. As part of this internship, I read Julie Dirksen’s Design for How People Learn, which taught me how people organize information, use scenarios to add context and communicate the objective of the modules, scaffold the learning environment, and determine what skills are important for the students to learn. I was aware of some of the information Dirksen presented in her book, but there was also new knowledge that I gained. Susan Krantz, in her article A Newcomer Gains Power, states “Rhetorical expertise involves an awareness of the basic concerns of audience and purpose; successful strategies for invention (e.g., generating ideas by brainstorming, overcoming writer's block); and a facility with language, both written and oral, that allows the rhetor to use strategies for invention and organization to respond appropriately to the intended audience for an intended purpose.” I find this to be true because I had to find  new ways of communicating information to be utilized as learning tools.

Unused Skills

For my internship, I employed all of the skills I acquired during my experiences in the Technical/Professional Writing program. I was apprehensive when asked by Dr. McDaniel if I had any experience using PhotoShop or Illustrator. The experiences I have had with these programs were limited, as I had only used them once in a web development course I had taken; however, due to my limited knowledge, these programs were optional. If I continue to work in design, PhotoShop and Illustrator will become necessary skills for me to acquire.

Differences in Writing for the Classroom and Writing in an Internship

The style of writing I used in my internship varied greatly from the academic writing I did in my coursework. In academic writing, you are informing or persuading an audience by incorporating supporting arguments for your point-of-view. While I did incorporate some forms of rhetoric in my module design, they are purely information with no supporting arguments and I became the sole authoritative voice. This allowed me to have creative freedom with the instructional design and guide the students to achieve the outcome I envisioned. At first, I struggled with the transition from classroom writing to writing for application—and how to incorporate the classroom skills into this new setting. According to Chris Anson and Lee Forsberg, “While certain surface-level writing skills are ‘portable’ across diverse contexts, such skills are less important to making a success transition as a writer coping with the unfamiliar epistemological, social, and organizational characteristics of a new context.” I first had to understand who my audience is, what motivates them, and what would help them remember the skills I was offering. Once I understood these elements, I was able to create a style guide to incorporate visual guides and simple and consistent language.

Writing Context, Work Atmosphere, and Organizational Hierarchy

In her article Understanding the Writing Contexts in Organizations, Linda Driskill states “The ‘subject’ or ‘topic’ is not context-free, but situated, involved in what the members of the organization must know, feel, or believe in order to accomplish their goals.” This is true in the creation of the modules for this internship. These modules did not address all the abilities of InDesign, but established the basic knowledge of the program needed to create common documents—such as fliers, forms, and brochures. I did have creative freedom in the scenario and the outcome designs of the modules; however, the context of the module itself was limited. Its only goal was to instruct the student in the use of InDesign.

The work atmosphere for this internship was relaxed and I was able to work at my own pace. When I completed a module, I would meet with Dr. McDaniel—my internship supervisor—to discuss the module and establish plans for the next one. I was given creative freedom in the designs process; however, Dr. McDaniel and I created guidelines for skills acquired in the modules and this helped to maintain focus in the creation process.

Sources:

Anson, Chris and Forsberg, Lee Moving Beyond the Academic Community

Driskill, Linda  Understanding the Writing Contexts in Organizations

Kratz, Susan A Newcomer Gains Power