Career Overlap Transition record
RecordMove

Instructional designer to e-learning architect

An instructional designer already meets 42% of what the e-learning architect role asks for. The move turns on 12 required skills not yet in the profile.

Fig. 1 · Skill transfer ESCO v1.2.1 · directional
From instructional designer
42 % overlap
Partial match
To e-learning architect
24 You already bring
12 Still to learn
51 Skills in the target role2
Learning distance Substantial retraining

63.5/ 100

1 How much of what an e-learning architect is expected to do is already part of an instructional designer’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the e-learning architect role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.

Why

Why this move works

An e-learning architect role treats 6 of its required skills as things an instructional designer already does. You would walk in with these on day one.

  • cognitive psychology
  • develop digital educational materials
  • identify training needs
  • instructional design models
  • learning management systems
  • standards for web-based e-learning

What stands in the way is 12 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 24 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An e-learning architect role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of an instructional designer background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area
  • already held standards for web-based e-learning information and communication technologies (icts)
  • already held instructional design models education
  • already held learning management systems business, administration and law
  • already held Absorb (learning management systems) information and communication technologies (icts)
  • already held Brightspace (learning management systems) information and communication technologies (icts)
  • already held Canvas (learning management systems) information and communication technologies (icts)

All 24 carried skills, including the 6 the e-learning architect role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you may need to learn

The 27 missing skills fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.

Skill to pick up Tier
01 communication, collaboration and creativity 3 required, 3 supplementary
  • still to learn design information system required
  • still to learn identify technological needs required
  • still to learn liaise with educational staff required
  • optional, not held provide training on e-learning optional
  • optional, not held advise on teaching methods optional
  • optional, not held apply systemic design thinking optional
02 education 3 required
  • still to learn e-learning required
  • still to learn learning technologies required
  • still to learn curriculum objectives required
03 information skills 2 required
  • still to learn analyse the context of an organisation required
  • still to learn provide cost benefit analysis reports required
04 information and communication technologies (icts) 1 required, 7 supplementary
  • still to learn e-learning software infrastructure required
  • optional, not held CSS optional
  • optional, not held ICT system programming optional
  • optional, not held JSSS optional
  • optional, not held LESS optional
  • optional, not held Sass optional
  • optional, not held human-computer interaction optional
  • optional, not held style sheet languages optional
05 management skills 1 required, 4 supplementary
  • still to learn develop e-learning plan required
  • optional, not held coordinate technological activities optional
  • optional, not held assess employees' capability levels optional
  • optional, not held develop learning curriculum optional
  • optional, not held manage staff optional
06 arts and humanities 1 required
  • still to learn digital game genres required

2 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries an e-learning architect role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 24 skills that carry over
Skill Type
  • already held cognitive psychology knowledge
  • already held develop digital educational materials skill
  • already held identify training needs skill
  • already held instructional design models knowledge
  • already held learning management systems knowledge
  • already held standards for web-based e-learning knowledge
  • already held Absorb (learning management systems) knowledge
  • already held Brightspace (learning management systems) knowledge
  • already held Canvas (learning management systems) knowledge
  • already held Edmodo knowledge
  • already held Engrade knowledge
  • already held Grovo knowledge
  • already held LAMS knowledge
  • already held Litmos knowledge
  • already held Moodle knowledge
  • already held Sakai knowledge
  • already held Schoology knowledge
  • already held Taleo knowledge
  • already held WizIQ knowledge
  • already held augmented reality knowledge
  • already held authoring software knowledge
  • already held conduct content quality assurance skill
  • already held keep up-to-date with training subjects skill
  • already held perform project management skill
The 2 learning areas not shown above
Skill to pick up Tier
07 constructing 1 required
  • still to learn monitor system performance required
08 business, administration and law 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held ICT project management optional
15 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to pick up Tier
  • optional, not held provide training on e-learning optional
  • optional, not held CSS optional
  • optional, not held ICT project management optional
  • optional, not held ICT system programming optional
  • optional, not held JSSS optional
  • optional, not held LESS optional
  • optional, not held Sass optional
  • optional, not held coordinate technological activities optional
  • optional, not held human-computer interaction optional
  • optional, not held advise on teaching methods optional
  • optional, not held apply systemic design thinking optional
  • optional, not held assess employees' capability levels optional
  • optional, not held develop learning curriculum optional
  • optional, not held manage staff optional
  • optional, not held style sheet languages optional
35 held skills the e-learning architect role does not ask for
Skill Type
  • not needed by the target role AJAX knowledge
  • not needed by the target role JavaScript knowledge
  • not needed by the target role apply ICT terminology skill
  • not needed by the target role apply teaching strategies skill
  • not needed by the target role apply tools for content development skill
  • not needed by the target role build business relationships skill
  • not needed by the target role compile content skill
  • not needed by the target role conduct educational activities skill
  • not needed by the target role content development processes knowledge
  • not needed by the target role create SCORM packages skill
  • not needed by the target role create script for artistic production skill
  • not needed by the target role design web-based courses skill
  • not needed by the target role develop creative ideas skill
  • not needed by the target role develop digital content skill
  • not needed by the target role give live presentation skill
  • not needed by the target role identify ICT user needs skill
  • not needed by the target role identify customer requirements skill
  • not needed by the target role instructional strategies knowledge
  • not needed by the target role interactive media knowledge
  • not needed by the target role manage content development projects skill
  • not needed by the target role manage content metadata skill
  • not needed by the target role perform ICT troubleshooting skill
  • not needed by the target role proofread text skill
  • not needed by the target role provide multimedia content skill
  • not needed by the target role provide written content skill
  • not needed by the target role publishing strategy knowledge
  • not needed by the target role structure information skill
  • not needed by the target role task algorithmisation knowledge
  • not needed by the target role teach writing skill
  • not needed by the target role translate requirement concepts into content skill
  • not needed by the target role translate requirements into visual design skill
  • not needed by the target role use different communication channels skill
  • not needed by the target role use markup languages skill
  • not needed by the target role use scripting programming skill
  • not needed by the target role web programming knowledge
13 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to pick up Tier
  • still to learn digital game genres required
  • still to learn e-learning required
  • still to learn e-learning software infrastructure required
  • still to learn learning technologies required
  • still to learn curriculum objectives required
  • optional, not held CSS optional
  • optional, not held ICT project management optional
  • optional, not held ICT system programming optional
  • optional, not held JSSS optional
  • optional, not held LESS optional
  • optional, not held Sass optional
  • optional, not held human-computer interaction optional
  • optional, not held style sheet languages optional
Index

Other moves recorded from instructional designer

Full index of moves from instructional designer

FAQ

Common questions about this move

Can an instructional designer become an e-learning architect?

Yes, and it is a substantial move. An instructional designer already covers 42% of what an e-learning architect is expected to do: 24 skills carry over, 6 of which the e-learning architect role treats as required.

What skills does an instructional designer need to become an e-learning architect?

12 required skills are missing, plus 15 optional ones. They fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is design information system.

How hard is the move from instructional designer to e-learning architect?

Its learning distance is 63.5 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.

Note

How this record was compiled

Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.