The Role of Instructional Design
Instructional design is a synergy of disciplines that create a systematic process for the development of instruction. This process combines best practices in instruction with proven learning theories and often uses technology as its delivery mechanism. Instructional design takes strategies and theories out of the research world and utilizes them in direct and practical ways.
Instructional design focuses its primary attention on the learner. This is distinctly different from traditional classroom teaching and learning of the past, which tended to concentrate on covering content alone. Objectives are built based on the level of the intended target audience. Strategies are designed around the students and what is considered most appropriate for them.
Fundamental Elements of ID
Within a comprehensive and effective instructional design plan, there is a core of elements that should always be found. The following are those elements:
1. Designing for the Learner
For effective teaching, one must specifically design the instruction for the target audience. The instructional designer seeks to understand their students’ individual differences and current level of understanding. They must also understand in what context should the learning take place. Instruction is tailored in such a way that the students will be able to understand the new material and be able to link it with their existing cognitive structures.
2. Instructional Objectives
A list of clear and definable objectives is written. Objectives describe what a student must be able to do or demonstrate in order to show that learning has been accomplished. In order to be effective, objectives must not be general statements but be as exact and specific as possible.
3. Instructional Strategies
An instructional designer selects a set of strategies that will be utilized to teach the subject. The goal is to select those that will be best for the specific learners in order to meet the course objectives.
4. Evaluation Instruments
Precise ways to evaluate the student’s progress are developed. These evaluative tools measure if the teaching objectives have been met and to what degree the student has mastered the material.
5. Instructional Problems and Goals
The designer defines the knowledge gaps to be solved and specifies learning goals.
6. Subject Content
The course content is written and defined specifically listing those components of instruction that will be necessary to meet the learning goals.
7. Create Units and Sequence Content
The designer must chunk the course material into logical, sequential groups. This structure provides a progression for learning in discrete units that help to aid understanding without overwhelming the student.
8. Instructional Message and Development of Instruction
The instructional message is the actual design of the instructional material. It is the physical teaching product.
9. Resources
A listing is made of the types of resources that will be used to help supplement the instruction. Varied resources are considered optimal to maintain attention and interest.
Premises Underlying the Instructional Design Process
Premise 1
Utilize systematic procedures and specificity in creating details for the plan.
One must be precise and systematic in creating the design. The instructional designer gathers the essential nine elements (discussed above) and defines their strategies in an organized fashion with exacting detail.
Premise 2
The ID process starts not at the curriculum development level, but rather at the course development level.
Premise 3
The ID plan is produced as a planning guide for the instructional designer and team, and is usually not seen by the learners.
Premise 4
The plan should make it a priority that the students experience levels of satisfactory achievement.
Premise 5
The content must be accurate in order for the instruction to be successful.
Premise 6
The target audience is considered vitally important and the design plan works towards their individual improvement. The focus is on the learner more so than specific content.
Premise 7
There is no single right path for designing instruction.
Applying the Process to Academic and Training Programs
Instructional design for business tends to have precise requirements. The objective of instruction is to create a return on investment through improvement in job related performance.
Instructional design for the academic world utilizes the same processes but considers different priorities. It’s objective is to create tailored instruction for the individual. This provides stronger engagement of students and keeps their attention and motivation high. The instruction tends to be centered on project-based activities, which focus on active participation in the learning process through authentic environments. Students are encouraged to integrate and demonstrate learning from multiple subjects in order to complete their projects.
References
Morrison, G. R., Ross, S. M., & Kemp, J.E. (2004), Designing Effective Instruction. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons.