Category: Instructional Design
Learning Theory and Instructional Design Theory
The goal of instructional design is to promote the cognitive and behavioral processes that lead to learning. In order to successfully achieve this goal, instructional designers must consider learning theories when designing and developing instruction. Understanding the strengths and weakness of each learning theory helps the instructional designer optimize their use in an instructional design strategy that appropriately addresses the needs and learning styles of the learners.
Functions and Outputs of the Instructional Designer
The role of the ID professional is equally important in all organizations. Learning is a continuous process. Rapid changes in technology, demographics, and globalization dictate the need for ID. As new skills are required, organizations depend on instructor-led training programs to develop these skills and put them in practice. Today’s economy may not allow all organizations to have a budget for instructor-led programs. However, it is not impossible to provide just-in-time learning to all staff members at the right time of their careers with consistent quality by developing performance support tools, or job aids, following the same ID process. When learning happens, people enjoy their work, are more productive, increase value to customers, and are happier overall.
Job Aids in the Workplace
Job Aids are essential training tools when individuals join an organization one at a time, and it’s economically impracticable to conduct instructor-led training. With Job Aids, the new-hire can virtually train themselves! Job aids are also handy reference tools, so when the new-hire becomes inundated with new information, Job Aids provide a resource for reference rather than having to go back to their mentor or trainer for support.
It is the Human Resource Development (HRD) professional that can identify a performance gap and determine if training
How On-Demand Learning Affects the Workplace Today and Its Future Impact
Organizations today are realizing that instructor-led training may not be enough to meet the demands of rapid changes in demographics, technology, and globalization. According to a report by the Research Institute of America, 33 minutes after completion of a live course, students retain only 58 percent of information covered in instructor-led training courses. Only 33 percent is retained by the second day, and a month later, only 13 percent of the information covered in the course is retained (as cited in Brenner, M., 2008, p. 5).
Job Aids and On-Demand Learning
Job Aids are one of two types of performance support tools, the other being planners. Job Aids benefit organizations in that they are there “just in time” to allow a task or skill to be self-performed. Planners are there when preparing to perform a task and afterwards, when we reflect on our efforts (Rossett & Schafer, 2007, p. 20).
Benefits and Challenges of Long-Tenured Employees
Organizations can benefit from seeking out their long-tenured employees and utilizing their knowledge and experiences as power.
Learner Characteristics and Instructional Design
Two broad categories of human characteristics to consider when designing instruction are individual differences and similarities (Smith & Ragan, 2005). These individual differences result in adult learners having different learning styles, different attitudes and beliefs, and different educational backgrounds. Conversely, adult learners share similarities such as the capability to process information, sensory capabilities (hearing, seeing, touching, tasting, smelling), and the capability to cogitate.
Instructional Strategies for Attitude Change, Motivation, and Interest
Learning strategies are devices employed by learners to assist in the acquisition of knowledge and skills. Instruction should guide the learner in the choice of appropriate learning strategies for particular learning tasks. Facilitating the learning of declarative knowledge, concepts, procedures, principles, problem solving, cognitive, attitudes, and psychomotor skills begins with decisions on what content should be presented, how it should be presented, and in what sequence the instruction should follow (Smith and Ragan, 2005). Ideally, an instructional strategy should be as generative as possible while still offering motivational support for learners.
Micro-Level Instructional Strategies
Strategies for Instruction Leading to Learning Procedures
Instructional designers should carefully perform a task analysis, analyze learners, and the analyze the context when designing instruction to make a determination to facilitate the use of strategies with more direct prompting of learning strategies or more direct and complete instruction. If inhibitors to use of strategies are present (learners have low skill in strategy use, learners are not motivated, learners do not recognize the applicability of the strategy, learners lack awareness of their own cognitive capabilities, learners are unaware of the learning task, learners have no prior content knowledge, etc.) the instructional designer may need to develop a technique to improve them or choose strategies with more direct prompting or instruction that is more direct. A continuing goal of the instructional designer is to apply the different types of instructional strategies to best achieve the different types of learning.