Abstract

The work between instructional designers and subject matter experts is a major dimension of the instructional design process. With E learning, this work is more important than ever. The objective of this research is to answer the question: What is the meaning of the experience to work with subject matter experts for instructional designers during instructional design projects. My research is an investigation of lived experience through Husserl's phenomenological tradition. My study concerns the study of meanings and structures of human phenomenon through an eidetic aspect. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with six participants who met the following criteria: have realized an instructional design, speak French fluently, are able to elaborate on their experience and have at least one year of experience as instructional designer. Data analysis, using an adaptation of Giorgi's methodology, to identified six themes: relation definition, professional status, negotiation, professional satisfaction, mediation and emotional dimensions. These six themes regroup fifteen subthemes which describe the meaning of the experience for the instructional designers to work with subject matter experts: A team travel, compulsory, fascinating, planned but unpredictable, with important emotional dimensions, full of dilemma, double bind and conflicts, allowing the instructional designers to realize themselves professionally . The themes and sub themes have been analyzed through the results of empirical research presented in my literature review and through sociopsychological theories. This research proposes recommendations for the instructional designers, the training managers and for further research