Instructional Design Best Practices

December 22, 2015

5 Tips To Improve Your Instructional Design Skills In 30 Days

As the saying goes: “Knowledge is power”. But you have to develop the necessary skill set to use that power effectively. In this article, I'll share 5 tips that can help you improve your Instructional Design skills within 30 days.

by Christopher Pappas

December 21, 2015

Creative Instructional Design: 9 Examples Of Learning Strategies You Can Use And A Free Gift For Instructional Designers!

In September 2015, I had released an eBook on Creative Instructional Design Featuring 7 Learning Strategies You Can Use. The eBook has been designed as a job-aid to Instructional Designers and helps them bridge the gap between theory and application. All the learning strategies shown here can be easily applied on their projects. The 7 strategies featured here are from our online suite of 15 courses for Instructional Designers.

by Asha Pandey

December 19, 2015

Playability Vs Gamification: Do We Really Have To Gamify Everything?

Gamification is considered as a silver bullet for all challenges people face. The problem is that there are not so many really good examples of processes which were positively influenced by gamifying them. Piano Staircase, Speed Zone Lottery, Nike, FitBit – you know them all, as for at least two years they have been used as justification of this idea. But even knowing them (plus some more non-standard ones) you usually end up with PBL: Adding to your gamified process points (P), badges (B), and leaderboards (L) hoping that they will influence people. My question is: Do we really have to gamify everything in order to maintain playability?

by Marek Hyla

December 8, 2015

Compliance Simplified: Using Creative Instructional Design Approaches To Instill The Spirit Of “Why Comply”

“Compliance” is a buzzword used by governments, regulators, and employers for the process of following rules. Compliance rules are in place either to protect business and markets, or to protect individuals by guiding them on how to follow regulations. However, rules can be misunderstood. Therefore, the challenge shifts to identifying what more must be done to ensure that the employers and the employees do comply with regulations.

by Asha Pandey

December 4, 2015

Beyond Routine: Creative Approaches In Instructional Design

While designing instructions we tend to use the same approaches, tools, and techniques. This is completely normal - they are in our comfort zone as training intervention designers, developers, and trainers. We use them because we feel secure, because we consider them as good ones, and because we are convinced that using them we will deliver the promise. The problem is that many times these Instructional Design approaches are not optimal.

by Marek Hyla

November 13, 2015

Pedagogy Vs Andragogy In eLearning: Can You Tell The Difference?

Should you follow the same Instructional Design processes and apply the same learning strategies to all of your eLearning courses, regardless of the age of your audience? Do adults and children learn the same way? Certainly not. In this article, I’ll delve into the debate of Pedagogy vs Andragogy in eLearning clarifying the differences between the two concepts, so that you will be able to understand the respective challenges of each and create highly motivating eLearning projects for both your young and adult learners.

by Christopher Pappas

September 30, 2015

Getting To Know ADDIE: Part 5 - Evaluation

Wow, we’ve come a long way! Now, we are at the end of our journey, and all that is left to us is to examine the final stage of the ADDIE framework - Evaluation.

by Michael Treser

September 19, 2015

The Impact Of Situated Cognition In eLearning

Gathering knowledge is one thing, but being able to apply it in the real world is another. The primary objective of any eLearning course is to give learners the skills and information they need to achieve personal and professional goals. This is why situated cognition is a perfect fit in eLearning strategies. In this article, I will discuss the impact situated cognition has upon online education.

by Christopher Pappas

September 11, 2015

Getting To Know ADDIE: Part 4 - Implementation

The fourth stage of the ADDIE model is Implementation. The beginning of implementation marks the first time the target audience interacts with your course in earnest, the moment of truth, in which the knowledge contained in the course’s materials is absorbed by the learners.

by Michael Treser

September 3, 2015

Getting To Know ADDIE: Part 3 - Development

The development’s stage involves having the format and the plan of the course approved by the higher-ups/clients and getting the Instructional Designers engaged with it. The Instructional Designers will be using content authoring tools to bring the concepts and ideas laid out in the course plan to life. This is where the storyboards, sketches, and detailed descriptions of various course elements you created during the Design stage will come in handy.

by Michael Treser

August 24, 2015

Getting To Know ADDIE: Part 2 - Design

In the previous installment we took our first look at the ADDIE model. We learned its general characteristics, considered its advantages and disadvantages, and also discussed at length the first stage of the ADDIE methodology - Analysis. In this installment we will tell you about Design, the second stage of the ADDIE methodology. All the requisite data is gathered during the analysis stage. Once we have learned what the course’s target audience is, set the goals we aim to achieve, and determined the best way to deliver the information, it is time to set about laying out the structure of the course. This is precisely what happens during the second stage.

by Michael Treser

August 16, 2015

Getting To Know ADDIE: Part 1 - Analysis

Although there are many different models and methodologies for the creation of training materials in the eLearning world, the ADDIE model is, undoubtedly, the most popular of all. If you are a veteran, you certainly know what ADDIE is and how to create in line with that model, and I doubt I will be able to tell you anything you do not already know. However, if you are new to the industry, or simply have not heard the name before, this article will get you up to speed, introducing you to the methodology and showing you how it can help you.

by Michael Treser