Let’s talk instructional design
An example of my instructional design process
I love to showcase the pretty things, I mean who doesn’t? The shiny finished eLearning course with its fancy animations and sleek interactions always looks more appealing than a text heavy storyboard.
But in order to have the polished output, you need solid instructional design.
So let’s talk instructional design…
First of all, what on earth is it?
Simply put, instructional design is the creation of instructional or learning material, which results in the transfer of knowledge, or skills. This learning experience or material, will be developed based on learning theory, needs analysis, audience and more.
In short, creating a piece of learning requires much more than dumping a load of knowledge into a Rise course and calling it a day.
Tell me more…
Instructional design is based around learning theory and models, for this example we will look at it from the viewpoint of andragogy, or adult learning.
You have your theory - the why people learn in the way they do, the psychology if you will. Examples of this include constructivism and cognitivism.
And you have your models or frameworks - these are the step by step processes you can, emphasis on the word can, adopt to support you when designing learning. I’ve emphasised the word can here, as you don’t need to follow them exact, to produce great learning. There’s lots out there such as ADDIE, SAM, Dick and Carey model, you can find one that suits you and the way you prefer to work. Or you could go for a blended approach, I often flit between elements of ADDIE and SAM, creating a SADDIE approach. (okay so the name needs work)
“Imagine this like someone dumping a big bag of scrap materials on your table...they’ve given you the initial materials, but it’s up to you to piece it together.”
Your model or framework will give your process a structure and the theory guides your why - why are you making these decisions. For example, why have you chosen to use a scenario based activity using real-life situations? Well from what we know about constructivism, individuals learn best when engaged in experiences, rather than passively taking in knowledge.
People will come to you as an instructional designer, because they have a need. Usually they have a tonne of knowledge based content and need it pushed into the brains of their staff.
Imagine this like someone dumping a big bag of scrap materials on your table. They ask you to make it into something polished and well put together that solves a specific problem for them. They’ve given you the initial materials, but it’s up to you to piece things together, decide what is necessary and ensure it meets their needs and expectations.
Getting to grips with instructional design is no easy task. It’s a role that requires creativity, agility and attention to detail. But recently, with the increase in individuals transitioning into the industry, I’ve seen a lot of misinformation around instructional design and digital learning development. So let’s do some myth busting!
Myth #1 - Instructional design is the same as digital learning developer (eLearning developer)
No, no, no, no, no. (for fellow Lego Batman fans - please read this in a Batman voice)
They are not the same. Now I’ll preface this by saying, you can do both roles at the same time and to be honest that’s pretty common. There’s lots of ‘umbrella’ roles out there now like learning designer or learning experience designer, which use both skillsets. But when looking at instructional designer (ID) and eLearning developer (ED) as separate roles, they are definitely not the same.
I won’t go into great depths and start comparing skillsets and responsibilities, so here’s a very quick summary as to the differences:
Instructional designer - ID’s are concerned with the development of the learning content. This includes liaising with stakeholders and subject matter experts and to a certain degree engaging in project management. ID’s will need to clued up on adult learning theory, instructional design models and have an understanding of and ability to perform needs analysis, develop personas, produce storyboards, wireframes, scripts and more. As an ID you will need to have a solid understanding of how and why adults learn and use this knowledge to design engaging learning experiences which support retention.
You may provide direction as to the design of the finished piece of learning, but often you will not be involved in the development, particularly in the case of digital learning. It’s also important to note that instructional design is not limited to digital platforms and covers learning across a variety of mediums.
eLearning / digital learning developer - ED’s are the techy ones, the ones who bring the storyboards to life using an authoring tool. Unlike instructional design as a standalone role, an eLearning or digital learning developer will only work across digital platforms. To be an eLearning developer you need to have experience using authoring tools, such as Articulate 360, Adapt, Evolve etc. Don’t worry you don’t need to know all of them, but just being aware of them is good. Knowledge of multimedia design, UX and UI principles, along with accessibility standards are also a must. As an ED you won’t be involved in the writing or designing of the learning content, instead you will use direction provided from the storyboard, along with any graphics, branding or assets, to build the finished eLearning, this means programming interactivity and creating an overall seamless user experience.
“If I see anymore LinkedIn gurus luring transitioning teachers in with promises that they already have all the skills they will need to make six figures, I’m going to go insane. ”
Myth #2 - Teaching and instructional design are the same
Also no. Instructional design for adults or corporate settings can bear some resemblance to pedagogy (aka learning for kids!) and there’s plenty of transferrable skills, but they are not the same.
If I see anymore LinkedIn gurus luring transitioning teachers in with promises that they already have all the skills they will need to make six figures, I’m going to go insane. Because inherently, children and adults learn differently. Also, if there’s some secret to ID’s making six figures please share, because I’m definitely not in on it and I’ve been doing this for 8 years!
You’ve also got to factor in the differences in environment, mindset and motive, between adults and children. The adult brain is wired differently, therefore what motivates us to learn may be different to that of a child. Whilst I do love a ‘well done’ sticker and hungered after the A’s when I was young, as an adult, learning for me is much more satisfying when it’s organic and not forced down my throat. Hence why we see theories such as constructivism applied to adult learning.
So whilst I don’t want to rain on any teachers parade, I do think it’s important to be aware that as a teacher you are unlikely to be able to just ‘step ‘ into an ID role without having to shift your own mindset and knowledge around learning. That doesn’t mean to say teachers don’t have a tonne of transferrable skills which are also vital to an ID role, such as communication, time management, agility etc. It’s more to say, don’t trust anyone guaranteeing you an ID role after you complete their special course made just for teachers, which of course comes with a hefty fee. It’s all a load of rubbish. Speak to real IDs, do some Googling and get yourself clued up on the skills and requirements needed to do the role.
Myth #3 - Gamification is the most effective method of learning
Maybe a bit niche, but I’ve seen a real increase in the popularity of gamification among instructional designers. Now I have no problem with gamification, if used for the right reasons it can be really effective in learning, but not everything needs to be gamified. With the increase in the amount of technology available to us, it can be hard to reign it in, but as ID’s we can’t lose sight of the why.
I have a rule with myself, which is if I cannot explain why I have chosen a specific interaction or method of learning past the reasoning of ‘I just wanted to try it,’ then I need to go back to the drawing board. I have seen some technically and visually incredible examples of gamification recently, but I’ve really struggled to find the why behind it, when I have a modern day Pac Man style game trying to teach me health and safety.
This isn’t an attack on gamification, more so to say that great instructional design isn’t about shoehorning every form of interaction or technology you can, into a piece of learning (we won’t even get into AI). It’s about being able to pinpoint the most effective method of learning to suit the content, audience, outcomes, engagement etc. If that’s gamification then great! But make sure you can justify the why and explain how it supports the learning.
Myth #4 - instructional design is an easy job to get in to
This kind of follows on from the myth around teaching and instructional design, as I feel there has been so much misinformation recently positioning ID as an easy career to get in to and transition to.
There are an abundance of ID and learning design jobs around at the moment, so the work is definitely out there. However, the market is very saturated and have you looked at the job description for a learning designer recently? The skills and responsibilities list gets longer and longer with each new job posting.
Instructional design is a very fun, creative and challenging job and is far from easy. You’ve got to be able to process complex information, often in a subject you may have limited knowledge on. You need to have an understanding of authoring tools and their capabilities. You need excellent communication, both written and verbal. You need a creative and agile mindset. You need to be resilient and be able to take onboard feedback. You need to be able to work to tight deadlines and manage multiple projects at once.
Therefore, although there’s an abundance of ID jobs out there, demonstrating you can successfully do all of the above is no easy feat! My advice? Find your niche. What makes you stand out from other ID’s. For me, it’s my illustration and design background. For others it may be experience in project management, or training delivery for example. If you are a transitioning teacher think about how that will benefit the organisation you are applying for and your ability to perform the ID role.
Myth #5 - you need to follow ADDIE as an ID
If you’re in ID or thinking of transitioning, you probably have heard of ADDIE. ADDIE is a framework / model which can support the design and development of learning material. It stands for Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation. It’s a very popular structure that many IDs follow when developing learning. However, just because it is one of the most popular models doesn’t mean you have to follow it letter by letter, or even at all!
There’s a variety of instructional design models out there, all with different methodologies and steps. Another example is the Dick and Carey model which places heavy focus on analysis, both of the audience and objectives of the learning. Whilst following a similar linear approach to ADDIE, it breaks down the design and analysis stages into smaller chunks, focusing on the development of learning objectives and assessment methods as separate steps.
There may also be times when you need to flex you method based on the client and available time you have. For example, when working in a platform like Articulate Rise, I’ve seen many clients wanting to streamline the design phase. Often jumping straight into development from analysis and working through multiple rounds of feedback, sometimes in the form of Beta, Alpha and Gold revisions. In this case the storyboarding is usually done within the authoring tool and you as the ID work through the content adjusting and deleting where necessary.
As I said at the beginning I love a SADDIE approach. When working in Storyline I almost always storyboard my work, just because amending built interactions and content in Storyline can be such a pain. I usually won’t start building until the storyboard has been signed off. However, I then become more fluid in the build (development stage) and usually go through a couple of rounds of feedback to ensure the client is happy with the end result.
This is where the agility part of being an ID comes in. You know how you work best and should be able to flex your approach to suit the specific project.
And that’s cricket! I hope that was a useful introduction into instructional design and cleared up any myths or assumptions you may have had surrounding instructional design. For a more in-depth look at the role itself check out my Youtube channel and the ‘Let’s talk Instructional Design’ video series. Alternatively visit my portfolio page to see an example of my own ID work.
