My Instructional Design Model
As part of a class on instructional design, I developed my own model for the process. One of the things I found most interesting about this is that, like so many things, I had this Really Good Idea of how I wanted a project to go, but when I sat down and really looked at everything that needed to happen, it was far more complicated than simply waving a magic wand to make things happen.
Ultimately, I decided on the image of a puzzle for instructional design. There are a number of components that need to be included:
- Needs analysis, to determine whether the need for the project exists
- Audience analysis, since the audience can influence the best method of delivery
- Identifying goals and objectives, which will give a clear road map of where the design should go
- Activities, to ensure that learners aren't simply staring at a PowerPoint or listening to a lecturer
- Subject matter experts, who will help review the material for content, to ensure that it's all correct
- Assessment, to help gauge a learner's understanding
- Evaluation, to gather learner feedback, to see how well they feel the instruction was delivered.
- Instructional technologists, particularly for computer-based training, who will take the project idea and the storyboards and turn it into an on-demand, online course for learners to access at their leisure
- Stakeholders, the central component, the people for whom the project is being built; their feedback is essential in ensuring that the design matches their vision
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The puzzle in this case, although it probably looks a little odd, generally goes together without a problem. That is not always the case in design, I've found; often, there's a lot of back and forth involved, in order to make sure that the right information is delivered at the right time, in the right way, without creeping too far out of scope. Sometimes some puzzle pieces need to be reshaped in order to make sure that they fit with the project. It's also important to remember that the brilliant design idea you started with might not be the best thing out there, so it's important to be flexible.
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I've included this in my portfolio as a reminder of the complexity and the many moving pieces that go into each and every project. By giving each piece a similar size, it further serves to underscore the idea that each piece of the process is as important as the rest, and devaluing one aspect of the design can have a negative impact on the whole.