E-learning Agency and Instructional Design
Instructional design (ID) is a field that focuses on creating e-learning experiences and materials that equip users with knowledge and skills.
This field concentrates on the application of systems for the e-learning design of processes, assessment of needs, and the development of e-learning courses.
In workplaces, the field of instructional design focuses on the effective design of curricula using systematic and practical processes.
E-Learning Agency - Instructional Design
Who is an instructional designer?
An instructional designer is a professional that designs and develops e-learning experiences, content, and different forms of materials to enable the acquisition of knowledge and skills by applying systematic methodologies. Instructional designers start working on projects by assessing the needs of the e-learning event.
During this initial needs assessment stage, the instructional designer determines what the target audience already knows and should know with the application of the e-learning solution. They identify the gaps that the e-learning solution should fill.
A core responsibility of instructional designers is also the creation of the course design and the development of all forms of learning resources. These resources include job aids, presentation materials, and participant guides.
It is also the duty of instructional designers to evaluate the quality of e-learning solutions after they have been developed. They evaluate the quality of the solutions to compare what was learned to what was meant to be learned.
The resume and portfolio of instructional designers highlight the important skills and knowledge for the successful design of e-learning initiatives.
The core components of instructional design
Instructional design processes and models differ. Core components make up instructional design. The core components of instructional design agency are design, evaluation, analysis, and development.
Analysis
Instructional design analysis focuses on understanding the basis for the creation of the e-learning solution. The learners' needs are assessed to identify the right solution to develop and whether the proposed solution is most appropriate.
This is the stage where core aspects and features of the solution such as the e-learning objectives, goals, and the delivery method are determined.
Instruction Design - E-learning Agency
Design and development
The design and development phase is where the delivery method is determined and the content of the instructional materials is developed and designed.
The major activities that make the design and development phase include the drafting of lesson plans and curricula as well as the development of the different forms of e-learning instructional materials.
Evaluation
During the evaluation phase, instructional designer agency will evaluate the success of a project. They evaluate whether significant changes in the behavior of the participants occurred and necessary skills were acquired.
The commonly applied evaluation models include:
Brinkerhoff’s Success Case Method
Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels of Training Evaluation
Philips ROI Methodology
Learning-Transfer Evaluation Model (LTEM)
Instructional design models
The Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation (ADDIE) model is no doubt the most commonly applied instructional design model. It is one of the different models that instructional designers apply to create high-quality e-learning solutions.
In recent times, there has particularly been an inclination and push for the application of the agile and iterative ID models such as the Successive Approximation Model (SAM), which was developed by Michael Allen.
Models like SAM focus on the quick creation, review, and revision of learning solutions. The solutions are developed in particularly short design sprints and presented to stakeholders for review and revision until the ideal final product is gotten.
Until stakeholders are satisfied with the learning solution, the instructional designers continue to review and revise, according to the SAM model.
Here is the list of all the models applied in instructional design:
ADDIE
Dick and Carey Model
Cathy Moore’s Action Mapping
Kemp Design Model
SAM (Successive Approximation Model)
Merrill’s First Principles of Instruction
Agile or rapid prototyping
Instructional design prospects
Instructional design models and processes are critical to the development of high-quality solutions to be applied in traditional and digital learning environments.
Organizations and businesses are increasingly embracing flexibility, innovation, and creativity.
This trend is bound to drive the application of agile instructional design models. When it comes to the development of high-quality e-learning solutions, instructional design will always be highly valued.