XplanaZine

“Susan, the instructional designers are rude and unprofessional to me!” Over the phone, the professor’s voice was tight with outrage. “How ironic,” I thought to myself. The instructional designers constantly complained that this particular professor sent hyper-critical e-mails in response to their work. Even her compliments came across as insincere if not downright rude, said Cassidy*, one of the most experienced instructional designer on the team, with five years of experience with online courses.

What was this all about? I asked myself. Ego? Control? Academic or design standards? The need to be “right”? Perceived “respect”?

Probably all of the above, I told myself.

My first response was to be a peacemaker and to apologize to the subject matter expert on the phone and via e-mail. I hate conflict.

The customer is always right. Right? The subject matter expert is the client – at least that is my first thought.

Now I’m having doubts. Is this really the case? What is really going on? I’d say at least 50 percent of the subject matter experts send e-mails or instructions that the instructional design team finds either offensive, confusing, or simply counter-productive.

I talked to the instructional design team about the situation. Cassidy blew up. “I’m so sick of being treated like I’m doing something bad, when all I’m trying to do is help. I mean, we’re creating all the materials that will turn their content or their syllabus into a learning experience. Why do they have to be so rude?”

Shandra echoed the sentiments and added some more. “You can’t imagine how picky and weird these people can be! I spent a week going back and forth on the graphics – why the size or the formatting was a certain way. Don’t the subject matter experts understand that every person’s browser is different, and it depends on how they have their monitor settings configured?”

“I’m finishing up my dissertation research on internet-facilitated instructional design, and yet I’m treated as though I were an idiot,” said Genni. “Every suggestion I make is shot down – and very rudely, I might add!”

“Well, thanks for maintaining a professional attitude and not expressing these thoughts!” I said, albeit nervously. “We have to try to understand our clients’ feelings and perspectives.”

But do we? Shouldn’t there be a more effective strategy for getting the subject matter experts to understand why instructional designers say and recommend the things they do? Shouldn’t there be more education of instructors so that they understand how to respond to frustration encountered in students, instructional designers, administration, etc.?

We’re in uncharted territory when it comes to developing new approaches to e-courses, companion sites, online course templates, and facilitated e-learning.

Misunderstanding, mistrust, and frustration happen in online course development. Unfortunately, there is very little research on it. Look up articles on the topic and you’re likely to find information on the effectiveness of certain elements in the website, or how to use interactivity as a motivational tool, or to develop teams through collaborative learning. Virtually no one talks about the conflicts that arise between subject matter experts, instructional design teams, and technology implementers.

Here are a few observations based on my experiences. I’m still wondering what the best response to all of the issues might be. Perhaps the best first step is to identify where problems typically crop up.

1—Be patient!! Keep in mind that the subject matter expert has a great deal to contribute. Respect his or her content.

2—Lack of technical skill translates to extreme defensiveness.

3—If you make the subject matter expert (SME) an instructional design expert, 9 times out of 10, you’ll get clashes between the instructional designers and the SMEs.

4—If you make the SME a network or information technology expert, 9 times out of 10, you’ll get clashes between IT and the SMEs. Why? SME suggestions are sometimes not implementable given the constraints of the web server, the course management software, etc.

5—Define the SME’s role in the course development process and make sure that everyone understands it. Set up clear territory boundaries, and make sure that turf protection doesn’t get in the way.

6—Don’t ask the SME to do too much, particularly if you’re not prepared to pay him or her. If you do, expect long delays and unreturned e-mails, punctuated with defensiveness and chunks of unattributed text or articles. If the SME is working in a “work for hire” capacity, make sure that he or she is paid upon completion of milestones. Keep the financial motivation clear.

7—Clearly define the SME’s “deliverables.” This usually breaks down into content areas, as well as an idea of learning objectives – but, don’t hold your breath on that one. Sometimes what a SME calls a learning objective is not one at all – at least according to the instructional design expert.

8—Software, platform incompatibilities, and course management software issues always lead to misunderstandings. Expect them. Have strategies for keeping frustration levels down. Communication and transparency are key. If the server is down – inform people as soon as possible. Apologize, even if the situation arose due to circumstances beyond your control.

9—E-mail is not a “gentle” way to deliver a message. Please keep in mind that people will overreact to perceived negativity, but often will not even register the positive. Try to start each e-mail with a positive comment. Keep it sincere.
After our discussion, I felt absolutely pummeled by the instructional design team. They expressed their frustrations and feelings that no one really understands or appreciates what they do. This is undoubtedly true – the challenge is to improve communication, understanding of roles and talents, and appreciation of the task at hand.