Instructional design refers to the creation of lessons, modules, and other instructional materials that will be used to ensure a good learning experience for the learner in the classroom. The process also involves identifying the unique needs of the learners, determining instructional goals and objectives, creating assessment tools, and generating other teaching and learning activities. The end goal of instructional design is to create an environment and nurture an experience that is conducive to the acquisition of skills and knowledge by students.
Here are some of the most important things that you need to know about instructional design.
First, there are many ways to define instructional design. It can be defined as a process since it involves the production of materials and resources based on theories about the learning needs and goals of students. It can also be regarded as a discipline since it is a branch of knowledge that deals with theory and research regarding the best instructional techniques. It can also be considered as a science since a developer instructional design curriculum is one that requires specific details for proper development and implementation. Furthermore, it can be seen as a reality since the entire concept can begin at any level of the entire process.
Second, an instructional designer or content developer is one that does not just write instruction, he also designs it from beginning to end. What this means is that the instructional designer studies how people learn and employs a systematic process in order to create courses, materials, and other resources. The process is centered on the learner such that the output will directly address what students need to know in order to enhance their performance and obtain their goals in the classroom and outside.
Third, instructional design usually starts with planning and analysis, which is where the needs of the learner are identified and assessed. Next comes the design and structure stage where content is made seamless and relevant for the learners. The goal here is to ensure minimal attrition rate and be certain that the learners remain engaged throughout the instructional experienced. Afterwards, the designer will then collaborate with subject matter experts to ensure that the materials are timely and correct. The last step is the implementation and management stage which requires constant communication between all interested parties to ensure that everything goes according to plan.
Finally, an instructional designer is someone who is expected to take on many roles in the future. This means that the instructional designer should be able to keep up with the times and learn skills that will allow him to be an efficient and effective innovator, researcher, and facilitator. This is to ensure that the instructional designer is also able to keep abreast of the changes in the traditional student or learner profile. Students are now coming from a wide range of age groups, work experience levels, and backgrounds. The instructional designer should be able to accommodate all these changes into the design making process to generate more relevant content.