DesigningLearning
The expression “content is king” is a familiar one among those who develop courses and programs that support learning and performance. Credible and timely instructional content serves as the bedrock of workplace learning experiences in the life sciences.
A great deal of effort is made toward the validation of information used in educational programs to ensure that it is accurate, current and focused on addressing the development of desired knowledge and skills. However, while such content is an essential component of every learning event, it is only part of the creation of effective learning experiences. The instructional design process transforms such information into instruction, applying proven strategies based on key principles of human learning.
How does this happen? In short, designers make strategic decisions about how content is planned, presented and utilized as part of the overarching learning experience. Such decisions leverage information in creative ways, underpinned by what is known about how people learn.
Want to learn more about the role of instructional design in performance management? Join Barbara Lockee at the LTEN Annual Conference July 28-31 in Aurora, Colo.
At LTEN2025, Lockee will present a related workshop session, “Climbing the Peak to Improved Performance: Essential Principles for Instructional Design.” Visit www.LTENconference.com to learn more about the event’s agenda and to register.
The connection of new information, such as new content, to prior knowledge lays the groundwork for effective learning. This well-documented strategy helps facilitate the cognitive processes that integrate new concepts with what the learner already knows. This approach presumes that designers understand prior knowledge so that instructional activities can be planned to build the bridges between existing and new information.
It is also important to make clear the relevance of educational content. Getting and maintaining learner attention is easier when learners see how the new information will benefit them; in other words, answering the “what’s in it for me?” question. Designers can communicate the relevance of the new information by aligning it with real world application, such as in phrasing of targeted learning outcomes. Developing new knowledge and skills is facilitated when it is evident how the new information addresses a need for the learner.
How learners engage with educational content is another core aspect of the instructional design process. Designers must make decisions about the scope and sequence of the information so that it aligns with the learning goals and outcomes. Too much information can be overwhelming and actually can inhibit learning.
Much has been learned from educational research about how information can be organized and presented to facilitate perception and cognitive processing. Designers can draw from instructional message design principles to make decisions about how much information to present, and in what format, to strengthen the learning experience.
The selection of instructional strategies, or the methods used to engage the learner with the educational content, is the heart of the instructional design process and a defining distinction between information and instruction. Giving learners an opportunity to apply new information and receive feedback about the effectiveness of their efforts serves as a critical step in the learning process.
Strategy choices are influenced by the type of learning outcomes. For example, declarative knowledge, or “knowing about” a concept, can be applied through formative assessment activities such as self-checks or quizzes.
The development of procedural knowledge can be enhanced by providing learners with tasks that require step-by-step application of new information.
Problem-solving skills can be developed through engaging learners in real-world scenarios where new skills and knowledge must be applied toward resolving the presented challenges.
Feedback in response to such applications can help learners gauge their acquisition of new knowledge and skills, with successful learning leading to enhanced motivation.
The assessment phase of instruction is important, not only to determine if learning has occurred, but it also provides another opportunity for learners to engage with instructional content. Like decisions about instructional strategies, selected assessment methods should align with the desired learning outcomes, giving learners the chance to strengthen their knowledge through application and feedback about their performance.
For example, higher level learning outcomes, such as problem-solving skills, are better assessed by opportunities to demonstrate their application of such skills through authentic scenarios or situations they will encounter in their job experiences, as opposed to lower-level measures of understanding, such as multiple-choice tests or recognition activities.
How can we ensure that learners will take newly developed skills and knowledge forward and use them effectively in their work? The pull-through of new information to its successful application in the workplace also requires strategic decision-making on the part of the instructional designer.
The transfer of learning can be bolstered through providing reinforcement activities, job aids to facilitate application of new information and coaching by experienced peers or supervisors. These ongoing supports strengthen retention of instructional content and how it is leveraged toward improved performance.
Effective transfer bridges the gap between training and job performance, enhancing the longterm value of the instructional experience.
The generation of trustworthy and meaningful educational content will remain an essential part of training development, in conjunction with proven strategies that facilitate its acquisition. The design of effective learning programs relies on instructional decisions that meet learners where they are, providing relevant and engaging interactions that help them apply newly acquired knowledge and skills in an ongoing way.
Opportunities for the application in real-world contexts and feedback on early performance reinforce learning and augments its successful use going forward. Content creation does not stand alone from the instructional design process but is an essential aspect of the ecosystem that advances learning and performance.
Barbara B. Lockee, Ph.D., is associate vice provost for faculty affairs and professor of instructional design and technology at Virginia Tech. Email her at lockeebb@vt.edu or connect through www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-lockee-vtech/.
