Instructional Design - What is it?
“Instructional design is the process by which learning products and experiences are designed, developed, and delivered. These learning products include online courses, instructional manuals, video tutorials, learning simulations, etc. Instructional designers are the ‘architects’ of the learning experience and the ‘directors’ of the Instructional Systems Design ISD process.”
In a world full of opportunities and resources, learning design has and will continue to add exorbitantly to our education as a community. Learning design is the combination of creating engaging and pedagogical activities to elevate skillset(s) in those given fields. As a learning designer, the definition seems to be consistently evolving. Understanding the needs of the learner requires the steps of the educator and the designer to align, similarly to the role of a researcher and the role of the content creator. In addition, the learning designer must be open to new developments with various platforms and formats of learning to continue developing with new technologies. Wagner (2011) stated that it is time to think about instructional design more in terms of what it is going to take to give our emerging professionals the strength, acumen, and strategic awareness to take technology-mediated learning to the next level. As learning designers, we strive to create the highest level of education for our learners. This is why explaining the definition of learning design from both the learner's and designer's perspective is paramount.
While technology is most certainly not the role itself, the study of technology will ultimately let learners have a higher level of learning. ITSE Standards state that learning designers must leverage the use of technology to empower learners, protect learners, provide an accessible experience to learners, assess learners, allow technology to reflect pedagogical approaches, and design the most personalized learning experiences feasible. However, the term instructional design and technology (Hokanson & Gibbons, 2014) refers to digital technologies that are electronic devices, systems, and resources. Learning design is a combination of technological and instructional development with appropriate materials surrounded by that instruction.
It seems there are endless possibilities for learning designers to utilize technology. Below, you will find phrases and key words (bolded) to understand my approach to training and pedagogy with technology.
1. Accessibility-forward learning through the mixture of learning theories and learner-centered design to develop engaging modes of technology.
2. Universal design utilizing technological empathy and instruction to implement the highest level of pedagogy possible.
3. The processing of analyzing, designing, developing, implementing, and evaluating instructional materials in coordination with accessible technology.
As an entirety, these key words and phrases communicate that the learning designer is an expert in pedagogical methods and learning theories, aware of disabilities and user’s needs, puts aside all biases and assumptions (learner-centered empathy), and has a high level of technological knowledge to compliment all of those aspects. However, to expand upon each phrase more cumulatively, see the chart below.
The key words in bold (above Graphic 1) are also a key component to comprehending one’s approach to learning design with technology. Words like empathy, universal design, and learner-centered design communicate to one that their approach is to develop learning design by focusing on the learner. Perhaps the learner(s) are all different levels of education on a specific topic. How does the learning designer adapt to this? While it may be difficult to accomplish, the five stages of design would inevitably bring the highest level of use by the learner. By empathizing, defining, ideating, prototyping, and testing, the universal design ultimately improves for all users. Key words like learning theories and the ADDIE method (analyze, design, develop, implement, evaluate) communicate the approach to technology is a pedagogically sound definition. The knowledge to understand various learning theories to best fit the pedagogical pathway for users represents years of research, education, and experience. Words like accessibility-forward represent the approach that learning designers are aware of how to improve accessibility to their learning design. Whether it be to adjust the words read on screen readers, providing a contrasting light for all to read and see more comfortably, or automating captions and keyboard controls for ease of use by the learner. Accessibility is a requirement of all users, whether they have a disability or not.
The provided readings have enabled me to understand the structural meaning behind the definition of learning design. They taught me about the realities of being in the instructional design field, and the depth of accessibilities that we need to accommodate, and notified me about today’s technological standards. Additionally, they have also provided hundreds of other relevant pieces of information (studies and compositions) that I have found fascinating and insightful. As the readings are coming from current professionals and professors in the field, they are relevant to the current populations and needs of learning design.
Learning design should be an inclusive, engaging, and progressive experience. It should allow accessibility to all, including those with less internet bandwidth or a disability (i.e., visual or audible disability). It should be engaging and educationally appropriate for all learners. Visual designs should be centered on the user by understanding the fundamentals of design principles (i.e., Gestalt principles, hierarchical structure, five stages of UX Design, etc). It should feel natural and energizing, much like the growth of a plant. Learning design is the art of instruction and design.
Sources:
Wagner, E. (2011). In Search of the Secret Handshakes of ID. The Journal of Applied Instructional Design, 1(1), 33-37.
Hokanson, B., & Gibbons, A. (2014). Design in educational technology: Design thinking, design process, and the design studio (2014th ed.). Springer.
Novak E, Mulvey BK. Enhancing design thinking in instructional technology students. J Comput Assist Learn 2020. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12470
https://www.class.com/blog/teacher-perspectives-on-the-future-of-online-learning/
https://www.instructionaldesigncentral.com/whatisinstructionaldesign
