Defining Learning/Instructional Design

While I have been in classes for Instructional Design, I have also been working as an Instructional Designer. Working in the field and studying the content has allowed me to really dive in and learn the expectations while simultaneously understanding that the “real world” doesn’t necessarily follow all the practices that are taught in educational settings. So what is learning design? 

How I Define Learning Design

When I am asked what I do, and I inevitably reply with “I am an Instructional Designer”, the next question is always “....what is that?”. It is interesting because I wasn’t aware of Instructional Design or Learning Design until I was working for a company in their Talent Development department and I happened to see someone building material for a training program. 

I usually describe my position as the person who builds the training material for the trainers within my company’s training department. It feels like the most succinct way to describe the complexities of what I do to someone who has no idea what Learning Design or Instructional Design are. It may not be the best way to approach answering the question because now I find myself realizing that I don’t necessarily explain how complex this role really is. 

Learning Design, as shared in the text Foundations of Learning and Instructional Design Technology, “is the entire process of analysis of learning needs and goals and the development of a delivery system to meet those needs,” including the “development of … materials and activities” and the trial and error of ensuring the whole thing works (Wagner, ch. 2). This seems like a closer explanation than the one I previously shared, but it also feels like it lacks the depth the Learning Designers experience. It is all about understanding the learner, being able to problem solve and think critically about the best way to share the specific learning that needs to occur, and then being able to fully build a course, whether online or a facilitated course, that is functional and has valuable KPIs that are measurable and relevant, and then reflect on how to improve the course and do so if necessary. PHEW!

There is so much that goes into Instructional Design and Learning Design it almost makes my head spin. It isn’t just about being great with tools necessary to build eLearnings, or to provide engaging lessons, it is about understanding learning and how others learn effectively and being able to play to those strengths in the designing, building, testing, reiterating, and implementation phases.

What do you mean by Functional and having valuable KPI’s?

When working as a Learning Designer or Instructional Designer, it is important to keep the end in mind. By that I mean, that it is so easy to get lost in the creation of an eLearning that Knowledge Checks are given asking about information that may not be relevant to the objectives, or there is a really amazing technique that a Designer learned that they want to learn to increase learner engagement, but the technique isn’t functioning properly when a learner physically takes the course. 

There are so many things that must be accounted for that it is too easy for a Designer to get lost in their work. A functional course is one that doesn’t have bumps along the road and doesn’t cause unnecessary mental strain on the learner to try to figure out what they need to do. Functional learning means, to me, that the course is intuitive. That it makes sense to get from point A to point B without them having to stop and ask for directions. 

KPIs are something that are a hot topic in the corporate world, and the acronym stands for Key Performance Indicator. Key performance indicators are pieces of data that provide proof that a learner is actually learning and able to reiterate or perform the information learned in an appropriate and acceptable way. Additionally, companies look to KPIs to see how well an eLearning or a facilitator-led course is providing the necessary information that learners need to know. With that being said, it is also important to keep in mind that KPIs are only valuable if they are measurable and relevant. If you are trying to teach someone how to make bread, a good check for understanding would be to ask the ingredients in a recipe, not if the Chef’s coat was yellow. If the learner can provide the recipe, the data will show that the actual material developed to help the learner actually learn has done its job. All we can figure out about the Chef’s coat question is if the learner was looking at the screen.

What about Technology?

Technology plays a huge role in Learning Design. Especially when talking about
eLearnings. Most companies, including mine, utilize computers and technology on a daily basis to simply function. Learning Designers need to not only take into account the vast availability of different learning programs, but also they need to take into account the actual vessel the learning takes place on. 

I think that learning with technology is critical to the Learning Designer’s toolkit. There are so many different ways to incorporate technology into a course, from using a computer, to using games and diving into gamification, or using online forums to enhance learner interactions with one another. The possibilities are truly endless. To stick to a “traditional” handbook and require learning to be done without the assistance of technology is a disservice to the learner and to the institution. 

Takeaways

There may not be a one size fits all or a perfect approach to explaining what Learning Design or Instructional Design are. Each company is different, K-12 schooling is different, Higher education is different, even what we are taught and what the “real world” expects are different. Designers develop their own sense of what is important to them and what they can leave behind. For me, Learning Design and Instructional Design are all about understanding the learner, utilizing the learning environment to my advantage, and building intuitive, functional, and relevant learning that is engaging and memorable.

I chose to use this image of one that I compiled together for the graduation photos I sent out when I graduated with my Master's Degree in Education in 2021. This image represents the essence that I value and include in all of my eLearning and my Learning Design. It is so important to remember, that even if the content is serious, the material itself does not have to be boring and simply words on a screen for a learner to read. Learning should be engaging and enjoyable for the learner, especially if the content is focused on Compliance Courses or material that isn't the most exciting thing to learn about. A designer's job is to create learning experiences that allow the learner to simply learn. If the work is done right, the vast majority of the effort done will go unseen, like the work done to get to this picture, and the learner will only remember the positive and engaging experience of an engaging and exciting learning experience.

References

Wagner, E. (2018). What Is This Thing Called Instructional Design?. In R. E. West, Foundations of Learning and Instructional Design Technology: The Past, Present, and Future of Learning and Instructional Design Technology. EdTech Books. Retrieved from https://edtechbooks.org/lidtfoundations/what_is_instructional_design