2.How much do you see these skills changing in the next 3-5 years or 5-10 years?
I do not think that these skills will change much in the next 3-10 years, except for the fact that designers will need to constantly update their skllls in these areas.

3.What are the expectations for elearning professionals with regard to learning management systems and Web 2.0 (e.g., blogs, wikis, social media, etc.)?
I think that some of the expectations for elearning professionals with regard to learning management systems and Web 2.0 is that it is mandatory. All designers should be familiar with LMS programs and what functions and roles that they play.

(Regarding the reference to Michael D.’s suggestion that designers are not using theory and models)

Keep teaching the theories and models! We need them. As a future instructional designer, I do hope that I don’t attend design meetings and start spouting about what it means to be a cognitivist, a behaviorist, or a constructivist. But you can’t stop me from using the knowledge.

In Reiser and Dempsey’s Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology (2007), David Merrill and Brent Wilson write that “the discipline of instructional design involves both science and technology. Science is the pursuit of understanding; technology is the creation of artifacts….The technology of instructional design involves using empirically verified instructional design theory to develop instructional products, designed to enable students to efficiently and effectively acquire desired instructional outcomes” (pp,. 337-338).

I fancy myself to be a novice ‘woodworker’–I dream about it. But to be an effective woodworker, I will need both tools and skills. The same applies in IDT; knowledge of theories and models + technological awareness and practiced skills = effective design of training/teaching materials.

As the technology becomes more and more user-friendly, I agree with Michael’s comment above that we have to be more than a “one trick pony.” We have to bring more to the table than computer skills.

What are the knowledge and skills that elearning professionals need today?

eLearning professionals definitely need to understand the business of their organization or of their clients’. The all important “seat at the table” has to be earned and is probably the #1 indicator of workplace learning success. You need that seat and to play a real part in the discussions involving a project in its early stages. Without this seat … you end up being the tail wagged on a daily basis with short development deadlines and constrained budgets. I think “older school” designers who thought of themselves as enlightened purveyors of learning theory residing behind the green wall ended up being shelved by the larger business and thought of as an impediment to organizational performance … sad. For instance, if a training group is a part of a larger HR or OD Department (which they usually are), I think the IDs need to make a concerted effort to understand the overall human capital strategy of the organization and how they can help this along the implementation cycle. IT has gone through the same metamorphosis over the years moving from the pocket-protector geeks at the end of the hall trained to say “you’re not allowed to do that” to true partners in a business skilled in saying “here’s how IT can help your project succeed.” Big difference … we need to understand this difference and remember that a certain amount of internal marketing is necessary for everyone … including instructional designers.

How much do you see these skills changing in the next 3-5 years or 5-10 years?

Evolving into internal consultants knowledgeable about core business functionality will never stop being important. Organizations are pressured to view all employees by their value to the bottom line. ID has a value but this has to be marketed and customized to fit into existing business processes … ID has to be a seamless value add in the process. Organizations are beginning to grasp the next wave of human capital assessment and design where task-level structures and competencies are analyzed in quite a bit of detail. In short, you cannot be seen as a “one trick pony” and expect to survive … you’ll end up “too expensive” and a candidate for outsourcing. As the threshold of development tools reduce, more and more are able to create online content (noticed I didn’t say eLearning) … is it really that hard to think that a solid learning theory framework to hang this content on would enliven the ability of SMEs to produce higher quality learning? Are we ready to compete with that?

What are the expectations for elearning professionals with regard to learning management systems and Web 2.0 (e.g., blogs, wikis, social media, etc.)?

A lot like the post I had regarding PPT and eLearning, I think that modern instructional designers are developing a wider scope of responsibility and knowledge regarding bigger learning environments. The actual online content becomes just one part of a bigger learning approach. I think once you grasp these bigger environments that include the LMS and all the usual Web 2.0 suspects, you can brand yourself something much larger than just an instructional designer … eLearning professional is a nice title. Learning and Development Consultant is even more common actually. The implication of the job title is an important one in corporate America where IDs were seen as small groups of specialists you went to for a service. Being an internal service is an ENORMOUSLY PROBLEMATIC role to play in an organization. ID should not be equal to the print shop!!! Having the ability to construct larger learning ecosystems allows IDs to play a huge role in not only the training stage of a project but also the ongoing management of the project.

Comprehensive Learning Systems = More value to the Company = Kudos for You = Bigger role = Larger Human Capital Value for you and your team = Job Security = Higher Pay = Seat at the Table = Being seen as a Leader vs. a Service = Nicer office = More people = Bigger budget = More tools and toys = Better product = Better Results = Another Raise …. you get the picture.

If your goal is to be the Chief Learning Officer (CLO), this is your roadmap. CLO = Golden Chalise of Any Workplace Learning Professional. Having a CLO means your organization gets the value of learning and this means you have the ultimate seat at the table.