What is Instructional Design

1
What is Instructional Design?

• A quick primer on instructional design and why
  you may benefit from it

2
Table of Contents

• What is Instructional Design?
• Why should I care?
• Adults learn much differently than students
• Adult learning principles emphasize applying
  knowledge
• What does an instructional designer do?
• About the Author

3
What is Instructional Design?

• Instructional design is the process of assessing
  the performance shortfalls of a particular
  population and then developing a program to teach
  the needed skills.
• Instructional design emphasizes learning
  objectives and the attainment of skills.
• Good instructional design radically improves the
  retention rate of the new material.

4
Why should I care?

• Much research in last twenty years has shown the
  inadequacy of lecture/presentation teaching
  methods in gaining new knowledge and skills.
• Unless trainees have the opportunity to apply,
  discuss, and synthesize new material, it will be
  forgotten in about a month.
• People vary in the way they learn, and effective
  instruction should accommodate different learning
  styles.
• Instructional design focuses on adult learners.

5
Adults learn much differently than students
Student
Entry Career
Mature Career

• Whats in it for me?
• Just give me the facts.
• Knowledge is possession.
• Knowledge is right or wrong.
• Learning is to get something.

• What do you think I should know?
• How can I better meet others expectations?
• Knowledge is expert advice and opinions.
• Learning is to be something.

• What is important for me to learn and succeed?
• I am responsible for my own learning.
• Knowledge is an interpretation of facts,
  theories, etc., and our own experience.
• Learning improves our life.

Taken from Transformation Learning in Adulthood
by Portnow, Popp, Broderick, Drago-Severson,
and Kegan.
6
Adult Learning principles emphasize applying
knowledge

• Most corporate training programs follow the
  guidelines of adult learning theory, developed by
  Malcolm Knowles and others.
• Adults learn
• by doing training should have heavy emphasis on
  application.
• using practical situations- adults must have a
  use for the information and learn it in that
  context.
• by synthesizing and retaining knowledge through
  discussing and practicing examples.

Adults do not learn well in theoretical, lecture
environments.
7
What does an instructional designer do?

• If required, assesses the needs of the target
  audience.
• Works with client to determine goals and learning
  objectives of a particular program.
• Works with a subject matter or content expert to
  design a program that appeals to a variety of
  learning styles and adult learning preferences.
• Develops materials that aid in retention.
• Helps to implement the program.
• Evaluates the effectiveness of the program.
• Makes improvements and updates when required.