What is instructional design? A guide to help you understand the basics
Designing effective learning experiences is no easy feat.
From the complexities of human cognition to the countless variables that need
to be taken into account, designing an effective learning experience can be
challenging for even the most experienced instructional designers. However, by
breaking down what makes up design, and having a basic understanding of how
each discipline contributes to it, you’ll have a much easier time when it comes
time for you to design your next learning experience. Read on for more
information about what instructional design is, its different forms, and
examples of where it has been successfully used in the classroom.
What is instructional design?
Instructional design is the creation of educational
experiences. It is, in essence, the study of how to design learning
experiences. This can include everything from helping students with their
homework and writing papers, to designing training programs, and helping
professors and instructors grade and assess student work. At its core,
instructional design is about trying to help people learn. It’s about creating
experiences that help people understand new concepts and make connections
between topics and ideas. This applies to true learning experiences, like when
a professor wants her students to learn something new and make connections, as
well as training experiences, like when an employee wants to learn something
new and apply what she learns to improve their job performance.
Why is instructional design important?
Instructional design is one of the core disciplines of EEE.
It is crucial to the success of any learning experience because it allows you
to actually create the learning experience itself. This includes planning the
content, structuring the lessons and assignments, and designing the method of
delivery. Because instructional designers plan how and what is to be taught,
they are able to create experiences that are more engaging, interesting, and
applicable to the target audience. This means that learners are more likely to
retain what they’re learning and be able to apply the information to improve
their own lives. Instructional design also has a huge impact on the success of
other disciplines within EEE. From the creation of the visual design to the
creation of the software, these disciplines have an impact on the entire
learning experience.
Graphic and Visual Design
Creating the right visual design is essential to helping
learners make connections between topics and concepts. It’s no surprise that a
visual design that is confusing and hard to understand is not going to help a
learner gain new information. In order for a learner to retain what they’re
learning, they need to be able to visually connect the new information with
their existing knowledge. Visual design, like all other design disciplines,
works with the other disciplines to create the whole learning experience.
Visual design focuses on the look and feel of the experience. This includes the
colours used, the font and text size, the style of the images and
illustrations, and so on.
Software Development and Mobile Apps
While the visual design of an experience helps connect the
information, the software development and mobile app disciplines contribute to
how information is presented. These disciplines include programming,
development, and a range of other related fields that help to create the
software that is used for the experience. Creating software that is easy for
learners to understand and use is essential for creating effective learning
experiences.
Research and Data Analysis
Instructional designers often have a huge amount of data at
their disposal. Research and analysis, paired with data visualization and
design, allow for a deep look into the behaviour of learners and how their
behaviour affects learning. This data can be analysed to create effective
design changes and improve the effectiveness of the experience. Instructional
designers can use research to understand the behaviour of learners and how best
to design the experience around that behaviour. This can mean looking at how
long learners spend on certain activities, how often they skip sections, and
how they tend to learn things. Once you know what you need to design around,
you can use research to understand how learners react to different types of
design. You can also look at how learners react to different colours, images,
and other design elements.
E-learning and Web-based Training
E-learning and Web-based training are increasingly becoming
the go-to method of learning. The ease and accessibility of creating and
accessing these types of experiences has made it one of the most popular ways
to learn. E-learning and Web-based training, like all other disciplines within
EEE, has an impact on the whole learning experience. These disciplines include
programming, development, and design, which have a huge impact on visual design
and the overall experience.
Conclusion
Instructional design is a vital component of any educational
program, no matter how small or large. The right design can help students
understand concepts and ideas more easily, while the wrong design can hinder
their learning and even result in them forgetting what they learned.
Instructional designers use many disciplines to create the right experience for
students. While some fields may seem like they don’t have a direct impact on
design, they do. As you continue your education in EEE and beyond, make sure to
keep these disciplines in mind and see just how important they are to the whole
learning experience.