Design
It is important to start the process of creating a learning event with a design stage. It is indispensable to have a plan to build from, just as you would if you were building a house.
Instructional Design Plan
An Instructional Design plan is the blueprint of your learning event.
Why is it important?
Provides a systematic approach for creating a learning event
Produces a process roadmap and checklist
Sets the Deliver and Analyze phases up for success
My ID Model: Phases
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Personal Perspective
One of the most important activities during my master’s program was to create an instructional design plan. It was a practical way to apply what I have learned, including: putting my teaching philosophy to use, leaning on impactful learning theories, and implementing specific facilitation methods.
As a result of developing this plan, I was able to create my own instructional design model. My approach leverages a few different existing models, including: the Dick, Carey, and Carey model; the Morrison, Ross, Kalman, and Kemp Model; and Merrill's Pebble in the Pond model. The model I developed is a useful tool because it helps me visualize the big picture while giving myself a checklist for the detailed tasks that are needed in order to complete the design.
My ID Model: Steps
Learning Goals, Objectives, & Outcomes
Why are they important?
Goal(s) - sets the direction of the learning event and to organize the detailed learning objectives
Objectives - provides the learner with expected results and helps set expectations for the event
Outcomes - beneficial to compare the planned objectives with the actual outcomes; the difference between these two areas is where assessment analysis occurs: what we wanted to happen vs. what actually happened
(Barkley & Major, 2016, p.16)
Personal Perspective:
"If you don't know where you are and where your learners need to be, you can't figure out how to get them there" (Dirksen, 2016, p. 102). This is a perfect reminder that It is important to ensure that the goals and objectives are clear at the beginning of the process so you have a foundational roadmap and can make the appropriate decisions.
There are several ways to create a good learning objective, but the method I tend to lean on most is the ABCD method (Smaldino et al., 2019):
A - Audience
B - Behavior
C - Condition
D - Degree
Example:
Upon completion (C) of the Beginning Photography Program, the learner (A) will be able to create a photo series (B) with exactly three photographs (D).
Resources:
Learning Objectives are steps that the learners need to take to reach those goals (i.e., what we want to happen).
A Learning Goal is a high level description of what you intend the students to learn.
Learning Outcomes are evidence of learning (i.e., what actually happened).
Ways of Learning
A Way of Learning is a specific categorization of learning, backed by theory and research, that helps match the learning objectives to an appropriate facilitation method. (Davis & Arend, 2013)
Why are they important?
Places the emphasis on learning rather than teaching
Helps the facilitator identify an appropriate facilitation method that matches the learning objectives
Personal Perspective:
I think of a Way of Learning as a lens that I see through in order to make appropriate decisions in regards to the facilitation method. The Way of Learning grid (right) is a useful quick reference guide.
