Mentoring Instructional Designers in Higher Education: A Needs Assessment

This session presents the results of a needs assessment summarizing the mentoring needs of instructional design (ID) professionals in higher education. Survey data from 65 IDs yielded 27 discrete mentoring needs that varied by high, medium, and low priorities. Years of career experience, team format, and team size were factors that impacted the mentoring needs of IDs. A statistical analysis revealed communication skills as the highest mentoring need, with scholarly research and publication as the lowest. The mentoring needs of mid-career IDs with 3-7 years of experience significantly differed from their novice and senior colleagues. Since mentorship is an important pathway for enhancing career satisfaction and job commitment, the researchers discuss implications for mentors, mentees, and institutions.