Skills Requirements:

• UX/UI Design – A great eLearning developer understands not only how to design interfaces but also how to optimize them for various learning environments and devices, ensuring accessibility and responsiveness.
• Screen/Web Design – While graphic design is often used as a catch-all term, great eLearning developers balance the use of rich media with the need for optimized performance across devices and connection speeds.
• Developer Thinking – An effective eLearning developer knows when to ask for coding help or when a no-code solution can achieve the desired outcome. A familiarity with Javascript and HTML enables a great eLearning developer to at least apply (and source) code from online sources to their projects.
• Multimedia Proficiency – As the prefix “Multi” implies, a great eLearning developer needs to be able to edit video and audio. Animation would be a plus but being able to generate and edit motion graphics should be enough. In addition to editing skills, a great eLearning developer excels at organizing multimedia assets and creating detailed storyboards to ensure cohesive and effective learning experiences.
• Familiarity with LMS and LRS technology – As companies often employee an LMS and/or an LRS of some form, A strong understanding of how LMS/LRS systems track learner data, allows the eLearning developer to design experiences that meet both content and reporting needs.
• Problem solving and Troubleshooting – Understanding what causes certain problems generally helps avoid them coming up in the first place. However, due to the nature of eLearning development, issues and bugs may arise. A great eLearning developer should be able to identify where the problem is coming from, even if it isn’t immediately apparent.
• Familiarity with AI – With the rise of AI, anyone not working with AI to some degree is going to become irrelevant, the same is said for eLearning developers. In addition to using tools like ChatGPT for content creation and troubleshooting, the ideal candidate is interested in AI-driven personalized learning experiences.
• Instructional Design thinking – Being able to interpret vague instruction is very important to a successful eLearning developer. Additionally, a great eLearning developer is proficient in interpreting raw content and then articulating that back to stakeholders in some form of storyboard.
• Communication – Being able to discuss ideas, asking relevant questions and probing SMEs are important to a successful eLearning developer. Clear and efficient communication is key, especially when working with cross-functional teams and managing expectations with stakeholders.
• Proficiency in Office – You need to be comfortable with working with tools such as PowerPoint and Word as the main development tool, Articulate Storyline, is very similar at its core to PowerPoint and these skills translate into Articulate Storyline development easily.
• Articulate Storyline familiarity – You need to be able to develop an eLearning course in Articulate Storyline from Storyboard to SCORM wrapped deliverable without needing guidance from senior developers. Having a working knowledge of Storyline should enable a developer to meet IMD’s needs even if they are not immediately familiar with Tin Can and xAPI statements. The ideal candidate, however, is very comfortable with g2enerating custom xAPI statements in Storyline.
• Agile Development Knowledge – Given the project-based nature of eLearning development, knowledge of Agile methodologies (e.g., Scrum or Kanban) may be a useful addition, especially if working with tight timelines.

Education:

• A degree in Multimedia Design – Theoretical design thinking will always enable a designer to design better than their counterparts with just a practical understanding of design.
• Certification in Instructional Design – The foundational understanding of Instructional Design enables the designer to approach UX/UI design with a learning focus.
• Proficiency in Adobe – In a perfect world, a great eLearning developer is Adobe Certified in the full suite, but at the very least, a great eLearning developer has Proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud, particularly in tools like Photoshop, Illustrator.