(Or – The Importance of Applying Instructional Design Methodology to Create Business-Focused Learning Content)
If done well, eLearning can be one of the most effective ways to train and support employees, managers, and executives in a corporate environment. With the digital tools and cloud-based Learning Management System (LMS) platforms available today, training content can be created and distributed on an enterprise-wide scale. This means that organizations no longer need to rely solely on often difficult-to-coordinate instructor-led training sessions that may only accommodate a few attendees at a time. Instructor-led training can also be hampered by scheduling conflicts and disparate time zones making it challenging to get instructors and learners together at the same time.
Enterprise-available eLearning training content can be repeatably used by learners without the need to pull trainers – who are often key resources within the organization -away from their primary roles. Learners have flexibility because they can access eLearning content when it fits into their schedule, and more importantly, when the content is most relevant to the task they are performing.
Developing business-focused eLearning content is ever-evolving, and if not done well can miss the mark on hitting training objectives and also fail to fully engage learners.
This is where the principles of instructional design and an instructional design methodology come into the picture.
At its core, instructional design is defined as the practice of creating instructional experiences to help facilitate learning in its most effective form (1). Design, in this sense, is more than a process. It’s a framework of thinking and application that can be embedded in all training interactions and learning content. This includes applying an instructional design model when creating eLearning content.
When an organization invests in eLearning without instructional design principles as a foundation, it can end up spending a lot of money and time on creating ineffective content that does not meet learning objectives and does not engage the learner. Training via any type of delivery format, including eLearning, is only as powerful as learners actually implementing the lessons learned in their work.
It Starts with Strategy – An Instructional Design Model
A strategy is synonymous with a plan of action or a method for performing a task. There are many respected and widely used instructional design models. These models and methodologies provide a framework to develop a cohesive training strategy and targeted training content. All good instructional design models focus on the following activities:
- Setting clear goals
- Defining detailed learner objectives focused on results
- Determining skills and knowledge required to achieve the goals and objectives
- Researching and creating content
- Determining instructional strategies and delivery format
- Conducting learner assessments and determining training effectiveness
A well-planned instructional design strategy can help mitigate one of the key issues related to eLearning: the lack of interpersonal interaction between learner and teacher. An effective instructional design strategy can help you captivate your online learners by leveraging engaging elements like – practice exercises, interactivity, video, simulations, and case studies.
There’s No One-Size-Fits-All
With instructional design, there is no one-size-fits-all. Many valid approaches and methodologies can reach the same objective, which will inspire creativity and innovation in your training content. Content delivery options include case studies, scenario-based learning, learning exploration and discovery (LEAD), and the list goes on. Content delivery options often map well to specific learning topics. For example, guided learning works well with induction training and product training, whereas case studies line up well with safety training, quality training, and compliance training. Of course, you can step outside of these suggestions, which can lead to innovative training results.
But to be clear – I’m not saying that eLearning and digital learning delivery platforms can always replace getting instructors and learners in the same room. Some training is best delivered in an instructor-led format. Applying an instructional design methodology will ensure that you identify instances where person-to-person instructor/learner interaction is the best way to meet your learning objectives and achieve your desired training outcomes. In my knowledge management practice, we regularly use instructor-led training as part of the design process for eLearning content. We find that instructor-led training can help validate and hone the training content and learning objectives before developing eLearning content.
Before you jump into fun and creative activities like building training content using a good instructional design model, it is important to take into consideration factors like audience profiles, learning environments, and constraints of time and cost. Any good ID model will accommodate such things. Once you do the background work, you can focus on the creative aspects of instructional design to develop effective and engaging eLearning programs. And let’s be honest: it’s the creative stuff we all want to get our hands into.
What is your instructional design methodology?
Happy learning!
Jeff
(1) Kurt, S. “Instructional Design Models and Theories,” in Educational Technology, December 9, 2015. Retrieved from educationaltechnology.net/instructional-design-models-and-theories
Jeff Stivers 