The Accidental Instructional Designer: A Resource for Those Transitioning into e-Learning

This just in from Victoria:

"One resource that has been helpful to me as I transition into instructional design is The Accidental Instructional Designer (2nd ed.) by Cammy Bean (I’ve been listening to the audiobook on Spotify during my commute).

What resonated with me immediately is that many instructional designers don’t start out formally trained in ID. They’re often subject matter experts, faculty, or trainers who were simply asked to 'create a course' or 'put something online.' That framing felt familiar, especially coming from higher education, where strong content knowledge doesn’t always translate into intentional instructional design.

Cammy Bean walks through foundational concepts like working with subject matter experts, choosing a design approach, integrating storytelling and interactivity, and thinking more intentionally about assessment and evaluation. What I appreciate most is that the book doesn’t assume you already speak the language of instructional design. It offers core principles while also acknowledging the realities of e-learning in organizations.

Throughout this course, we’ve talked about alignment, analysis, and moving beyond content delivery toward performance improvement and intentional design. This audiobook reinforces that shift. It’s a reminder that good instructional design isn’t just about technologies or tools (like slides), but about thoughtful decisions and instructional methods that support real learning.

For anyone new to the field (or feeling like an 'accidental' instructional designer), I’d definitely recommend it as a practical and approachable starting point."