Wednesday, August 1, 2018

What Makes Good Instructional Design?


Good instructional design needs a good structure or foundation (Cygert, 2015). The structure is the who, what, when, where, and why of the instruction. By using a design process such as the ADDIE Process, designers will make sure to cover all areas that make good instructional design. Instructional designers must know who they are designing for and the required end result. For instruction to be successful it should be learner-centered (Larson & Lockee, 2014). Larson and Lockee state that when the learners’ needs are a priority they will shape all aspects of the design (2014). When the designer has identified the learner, it is time to analyze how the information is delivered. Learners with various levels of knowledge require different types of instruction based on the necessary learning outcomes. Learning outcomes should be viewed from the learners’ perspective (Larson & Lockee, 2014).

The second area of good instructional design is assessment. Assessments should be used to determine the level of understanding acquired by the learner. Assessments should be developed specifically for the instruction and should “restate the learning outcome or elaborate on it” (Larson & Lockee, p. 138, 2014).  Finally, good instructional design uses technology to enhance the learning not hinder it. Larson and Lockee state there are 4 purposes for technology; productivity, to learn from, learn with, and about (2014). The use of technology for productivity is common and the primary way it is used. I feel that by using technology a learner can learn in the most adaptive manner for the learner. Please look at the video and infographic below for more information about the ADDIE Process and instructional design.









Data Walls

I have developed a short and simple training on data walls. This training was developed for third grade teachers at Jemison Elementary School. During the training teachers will use data for students in their class to develop Google Sheets. These Google Sheets will be linked to each other and ultimately linked to a digital data wall. With this data wall the data coach and teachers will discuss instructional needs for students as well as track their progress through the year. My hope is that this visual data will open communication among teachers and allow them to acquire a sense of ownership for all student success. Below is a link to my training presentation.






Additional resources:





Carr, S. (n.d.). Models of Instructional Design [Digital image]. Retrieved July 31, 2018, from https://astd-scwc.wildapricot.org/resources/Pictures/Addie1.png

Dygert, C. (2016, July 28). What Makes For Great Instructional Design? Retrieved from https://elearningindustry.com

Halsey, V. (2015, August 03). Instructional Design Made Easy. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com

Larson, M. B., & Lockee, B. B. (2014). Streamlined ID: A practical guide to instructional design. New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.

Observer-Participant-Leader Record of Activities Based on the CETL Framework

One of my final projects for my Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) degree was to complete an Observer-Participant-Leader (OPL) reco...