Design

Instructional Design

Designing instruction using technology requires the same process as designing any type of instruction. It is useful to review this process to ensure that the use of technology is properly implemented to enhance the learning process.

Step 1 Front end analysis to define audience and unit goals

In designing instruction, it is important to define the intended audience and their skills. When designing online instruction, the audience may be geographically distant and have a diverse variety of skills. The designer should identify the prerequisite skills needed for the instructional unit and make these clear to the potential students.

The intended goals of the instruction need to be defined and clearly communicated to the potential students so that students can make an informed choice about the usefulness of the instruction. The introductory page of this website defines the intended audience and goals for this instructional website.

Step 2 Instructional content analysis

Once the skills of the audience are compared to the intended goals of the unit, the designer can begin to design the content that needs to be delivered to fill the information gap. For audiences with diverse entry skills, additional online materials can be identified or created to compensate for weak or missing skills. This opportunity to offer "mass customization" is a distinct advantage of online learning.

Step 3 Structure and sequencing

The way the information is organized and the order in which the information is presented can be very important to the learning process. Units need to be organized in a way that aids learning. In some cases, this may require learning points to be broken down into smaller understandable components and then combined again into meaningful concepts. Designers can suggest a logical path for students to approach the material by providing a study schedule or sequential links through the lessons.

Another benefit of online learning is the flexibility to allow students to choose alternative paths through the material to suit their own learning styles.

Step 4 Instructional strategies

This step involves deciding how to deliver the necessary information. For example, what types of activities should the learners be involved in. This step often requires the most creativity both in a classroom setting or in an online mode. The pages on types of instructional activities outline many strategies that can be used in online delivery.

Step 5 Choice of media

The designer needs to determine the types of media that will be used to deliver the instruction which could include face-to-face delivery methods, audio or video tapes, print materials, or various online delivery methods. Delivery can involve a variety of media types for different components of the course or students may be given the chance to choose a delivery method that suits their needs. The choice of media may influence the instructional strategies and vice-versa.

Step 6 Assessment of learning

The instructional designer must also decide how and when the learning will be assessed. The tools used to assess traditional learning such as tests, projects, essays etc. can also be used for online learning. Since students have access to vast amounts of information, plagiarism must be discouraged. Randomized test banks and projects requiring application to current work place situations can help to reduce the opportunities for cheating.

The timing and use of formative assessment is also important. Online students need to receive feedback in order to stay motivated and connected to the course. This can be formalized such as the use of progress reports or small quizzes (sample quiz) or can be more informal such as participation in a discussion board (sample discussion board).

Step 7 Evaluation and refinement of the learning process

Pilot testing the instructional unit with a small sample of learners will help to solve any initial problems and allow the opportunity to make early improvements. In addition, the delivery of education via any medium must be constantly evaluated in order to enable continuous improvement. When teachers are unable to observe and chat with students in a classroom, it becomes more important to actively solicit feedback on the design of the learning process. Online questionnaires or discussion forums can be used to collect comments from students in order to improve the course materials and delivery. (sample site evaluation)