Keeping the Learner at the Focal Point: The Use of Needs Assessment and Persona Construction to Develop an Instructional Resource Center For Instructional Designers

Abstract

This design case shares how personas were utilized to create an online career resource center intended to help instructional design students in making informed career decisions. The outcome of this project has helped identify instructional opportunities to improve services currently provided to instructional design students and graduate student members of the Association for Education Communications and Technology (AECT ). By evaluating the mechanisms and supports already in place and contrasting those with the needs of the students who are seeking career guidance, the intent of the project was to bridge the gap between graduate student members’ career needs and the resources available to them within a professional association. We discuss how we gathered information through a needs assessment for the creation of a Career Resource Center to further educate and inform instructional design students of resources for career decision-making.