Instructional Design at Its Best

Instructional designers create experiences that make learning appealing, efficient and effective. At its best, instructional design consulting involves relevant real-world experiential activities that engage students’ hearts and minds and provide multiple opportunities for the practice of critical new skills.

Instructional programs that truly hit the mark all contain the following ingredients:

• Agreed upon business metrics and objectives
• Clearly stated learning objectives linked to business goals
• Metrics for success based on the learning goals
• Activities that support the specific objectives
• A blend of approaches, including leader-led, web- and computer-based learning
• Post-assessments to measure proficiency, adoption, and performance improvement
• Contributions from subject matter experts

The process follows the so-called ADDIE cycle beginning with Analysis of learning needs, overall Design of the program, Development of the learning materials, Implementation, and Evaluation of the outcome.

From the 1940s when Instructional Design was used to train the military to current days, it has formed the basis for effective adult learning. The latest innovations have centered on rapid instructional design and using e-tools with the opportunities for on-demand learning and collaborative learning through social media. While the delivery media may change, the overall plan and intent of effective instructional design has remained the same.