Frequently Asked Questions
Below are some frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the Instructional Design & Learning SIG.

About the SIG
Following is a sampling of questions we’ve been asked about this SIG.

Why join the IDL SIG?
By joining the IDL SIG, you become part of an active community of instructional designers, all dedicated to improving their skills in designing and developing training, especially in technical fields. From this community, you can learn about:

• SIG activities to help you improve your ID skills
• Current research and theories in ID
• What current thought-leaders are saying about ID
• Tools people use to develop various types of online learning
• Opportunities for expanding your learning through workshops and degree programs
• Other organizations involved in instructional design
• Conferences related to instructional design
• Books and periodicals on instructional design


Do I need a password to join the stcidlsig-l email list?
You do not need a password to join this list. Go to the Communications page and follow the directions to join the discussion group. By joining the group, you can participate in online discussions with other instructional designers as well as be the first to hear about new SIG activities. Welcome!

I'm an STC member, but I didn't select Instructional Design & Learning as one of my SIGs. Can I still join this SIG? How?
You can join or add a SIG at any time of the year. Simply go to

http://www.stc.org/PDF_Files/membershipChangeForm.pdf

and use the SIG sign-up form (PDF) to add this SIG to your membership. Note that if you are already a member of three SIGs, which you chose at the time of joining STC or renewing your membership, the cost is $5.00 to join an additional SIG.

How can I help?
• If you have links to submit for the resources section of this website, send them to Krista Madison, krista.madison@thomson.com.

• If you’d like to be on the SIG Leadership Team <link to officers page> or help on a sub-committee, contact Jane, Smith jemcomm@sedona.net, the SIG Manager. We currently need a Treasurer and an Assistant Manager. We also are always looking for people to help on the newsletter and other sub-committees.

• Contribute a newsletter article

• Recommend a speaker that we could contact for an STC conference session or IDL webinar.

About ID
Instructional design is the practice of designing training in such a way as to improve an individual’s skills on their job. Seasoned instructional designers apply a philosophy of training that is grounded in research results about how adults learn and how best, therefore, to train them to perform their jobs. Instructional designers also follow a specific process in developing courses that ensures that the training content is job-focused, learner-centered, and interactive. If you’d like to learn more about instructional design, you can browse our website to find the many resources, join the online discussion list, and read our quarterly newsletter. You can also let us know how we can help you improve your skills by sending the SIG Manager an email at jemcomm@sedona.net.