EME5400: Careers in Instructional Systems & Learning Technologies

Summer 2022

Course Information
A. Instructor
Instructor: Emily Kennelly
Email: ekennelly@fsu.edu
Phone: (850) 644-8685
Office Hours: by appointment; meetings can be scheduled here https://calendly.com/ekennelly

B. Course Information
Course Meeting Location: Online via Canvas

Credit Hours: 1 credit hour (S/U grading)

Prerequisites: None
Term: Summer 2022 | 7 weeks; Summer B

C. Course Description
In this course, students will be introduced to various careers in instructional systems and learning
technologies related fields and the preparation necessary for entering the job market as a graduate of
the FSU ISLT graduate degree program. Instructional activities are planned to inform students on ISLT
related professions, internship opportunities, and resources to help students explore their career goals.

Topical Course Outline:

• Week 1: ISLT Careers
• Week 2: Alumni Panel
• Week 3: Resumes, Cover Letters, and LinkedIn
• Week 4: ePortfolios
• Week 5: Employer Panel
• Week 6: Practice Interviews
• Week 7: ISLT Career Plan Due
See detailed course schedule below in section F.

Required Text:
All course readings are provided in or linked from Canvas

Course Technologies:
This course is taught using the Canvas learning management system. Students need to be able to view
videos, upload assignments, post to discussion boards, and have reliable access to high-speed internet.

D. Course Learning Objectives

The course is designed to inform students about career planning, professionalism, and career
management in the field of instructional systems and learning technologies. At the completion of this
course, student will be able to:
 • Identify various careers in the field of instructional systems and learning technologies
• Locate instructional systems and learning technologies related jobs, employers, and mentors
• Apply knowledge of interviewing best practices
• Create job application materials including a resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn
• Develop an online career portfolio

E. Instructional Methods
The methods of instruction for this course include online lecture, online asynchronous discussion,
outside projects, and readings. In addition, one-to-one consultations with the course instructor and
personnel in the university Career Center are encouraged.

F. Course Schedule

Week Start Date Topic Assignment

1 May 9 Analyze ISLT Careers and Your Goals Graded Discussion 1

2 May 16 Design your Skills & ISLT Experience Beyond Graded Discussion 2
the Classroom (Alumni Panel) Info Interviews

3 May 23 Develop Your Instructional Materials: Graded Discussion 3

Resumes, Cover Letters, and LinkedIn Document Submission
and Peer Critiques
4 May 30 ePortfolios Graded Discussion 4
LinkedIn Connections
5 June 6 Employer Panel Graded Discussion 5
• Let’s Talk About Theory ePortfolio Submission
• Advice for Recent Grads and Peer Critiques
• Top Skills Sought by Employers

6 June 13 Practice Interviews Graded Discussion 6

• Practice with an employer, Career Zoom Mock Interview
Center staff, or your instructor *Employer mock
interviews include a
resume/portfolio critique
7 June 20 Implement & Evaluate: Graded Discussion 7
Share Your ISLT Career Plan with the Class Video Presentation

All assignments are due at the end of the week, or Sunday at 11:59pm (Friday 11:59pm during Week 7)
*This schedule is subject to change as needed.
 Course Policies

G. Assessments / Grading Policy

You will be assessed through various means in this course. The following are brief descriptions of the
assessments used in this course and their percent value. Full descriptions are provided in Canvas.

Assignment Value Brief Description

Info Interviews 15% Students will interview at least two professionals with a
degree in ISLT. Use the Career Center’s Informational
Interviewing guide to learn about best practices for
scheduling an informational interview.
Peer Critiques 20% Students will upload a resume, cover letter, LinkedIn,
and ePortfolio to the discussion board for feedback and
provide a critique to peers. Revisions will be submitted
to the instructor for a final grade and review.
LinkedIn Connections 5% Students will connect with a minimum of 5 classmates
and identify at least one instructional design job, ISLT
alumni, and employer of interest and submit reflection.
Mock Interview 10% Students will participate in a zoom mock interview with
an employer, Career Center staff, or the instructor.
Video Presentation 20% Students will create a video presentation about your
ISLT career goals
Discussion 30% Participation in weekly course discussions. Each week is
worth a possible 5%, with the highest 6 weekly scores
counting toward the final grade.

Weekly Timeline
In this course, the weekly schedule will run from Tuesday to Tuesday at 9:00am (Eastern Standard Time).
This timeframe should give you adequate opportunity to complete your assignments.

Late Assignments
This course has a strict late policy due to the brevity (7 weeks) of the class structure. Assignments,
discussions, and projects submitted after the assigned date/time will not be accepted without approval
of the instructor prior to the submission date or deadline and due to unusual or unforeseen issues. Late
assignments will be graded as a zero. Communicate in advance with the instructor regarding concerns.

Policy on Responding to Students

• Email responses typically within 24 to 48 hours. If it is an emergency please call the instructor.
• Graded assignments typically returned within 1 week after due date

H. Communications/In-Person and Online Etiquette

Discussion Board Guidelines

Graded discussion will be conducted during 7 weeks of the course. You may earn up to 5 points per
week, with your final discussion grade comprised of the highest 6 weeks. Your lowest weekly discussion
grade is dropped. Check the discussion frequently (at least three times per week) and respond
appropriately and on topic. The following factors have been identified as necessary for a good response
in online discussions. Please keep these in mind when composing your posts; posts should:
• Relate to the course material
• Encourages others to respond
• Expand concepts or connects ideas in new ways
• Occur in a reasonable time frame - when the topic is under discussion
• Support a point of view with reasons and evidence
• Well written grammatically and cite quotes, references, and sources
• Be respectful of the ideas of others
• Be sensitive to cultural and ability differences of your peers

To earn full points for a graded discussion, students must post a minimum of 4 substantial posts
throughout the week (Tuesday to Tuesday at 9:00am EST). See discussion expectations in Canvas.

For Email Communication:

Please respond to your instructor’s and peers’ messages within a 24-48 hour period.

Email Tips
• Forward your FSU email account to whatever email account you access most frequently
• Include a brief description in the email subject that describes the purpose of the email
• Use the title your instructor or peer prefers for communication
• Avoid using slang or text type (i.e., no emojis, smiley faces, abbreviations)
• Use correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation
• Include a screenshot or a quick video/audio of your question, if appropriate
• Florida has very broad public records laws. Most written communications to or from
state/university employees and students are public records and available to the public and
media upon request. Your e-mail communications may therefore be subject to public disclosure.

For Employer Communication:

This course will facilitate connections between students and employers in the ISLT field. A high degree
of professionalism is expected in all communications between students and employers. Assignments
that prompt students to connect with employers include the Informational Interview, Zoom Mock
Interview, LinkedIn Connections, and Zoom Employer Panel. Students should consider the following:
• Cancellations or no-shows with an employer or other ISLT professionals are not acceptable.
Every effort should be made to notify the employer, ISLT professional, and instructor in advance
(24 hours minimum) to coordinate rescheduling of your meeting (i.e., mocks, info interviews).
• Thank you notes should be sent to employers or ISLT professionals who meet with you for a
mock interview, info interview, or other career development engagement activity.
• As a class, we will send a thank you note to members of the Alumni and Employer Panels.
• You are encouraged to connect via LinkedIn with Alumni and Employer Panelists; please include
a brief note in your message to connect that details why you would like to connect (e.g., Thank
you for joining my Careers in ISLT course this week. I enjoyed listening to your career story and
would love to connect).