Unit 1

Interview Basic Techniques- Interviewing is a huge source of information for any instructional design project. Having an interview with subject-matter experts shed light on current information and introduce new material about a subject.

• Prepare key questions
• Make initial contact
• Schedule time to meet
• Acquire important information that will help you with your instructional strategy and material
• Analyze
• design
• evaluate

Analysis - Initial interviewing SMEs occurs during the analysis phase of instructional design, after you have fully researched the subject and gathered as much internal company data as possible. During the course of research, you may have formulated your own ideas and theories about the subject and how you envision the path of your instruction, now an interview will help determine if your thoughts are accurate. Interviewing allows you to present these ideas, in the form of questions, to the subject-matter expert who will either substantiate or discount them in response. In either case, you will have gained more knowledge about your subject.

Social - The conversation is about the research needed for your project and is a social experience. Be sociable and take an interest in the person who you are interviewing. Be personable by asking them how their day is going and thanking them for their time. Use good communication skills by talking and listening equally and use empathy of who they are. Be flexible and adaptable to the circumstances as you gain the information you need by perhaps using a different order of gathering information as you planned when the SME can only recall steps a certain way. Humor is to be use appropriately and not at all if the situation does not warrant but can relax an anxious interviewee.

Phases of the Interview

The three phases of the interview process include setting up the interview, planning the interview, and conducting the interview. Developing basic skills for each stage to keep you focused on the content of the interview rather than on the process.

Now to learn more about interviews, read the article called Technical Writing Foundation: Mastering the art of SME interviews. After reading the article, answer the following questions:

• Name 3 basic components in the SME Interview
• Define 2 different types of interviews with SMEs as defined by Maggiani
• Describe the actions following an interview with an SME for follow up and debriefing