Instructional design is the systematic process of activities that solve an instructional problem by identifying the instructional goal, conducting a goal analysis, conducting a subordinate skills analysis, identifying entry skills and characteristics, and writing learning outcomes.
An instructional goal is broad learning outcome that can be broken down into specific measurable skills. To identify the instructional goal, you must first define the actual problem through conducting a needs assessment.
Once you have determined the instructional goal, the goal is refined through a goal analysis. This will lead to a statement of what the learner will be able to do. The emphasis is on what learners need to be able to do, rather than on what learners need to know.
The goal analysis is refined into smaller components through a subordinate skills analysis. The subordinate skills analysis ensures that each component is small enough to teach, and shows what information a learner needs prior to learning each component. Verbal information, intellectual skills, psychomotor skills, and attitudes each need a different type of subordinate skills analysis.
With verbal information, conduct a cluster analysis in which you have identified all of the information needed to achieve the goal, to determine the subordinate skills. After identifying the information, organize the information into logical groupings of up to five pieces of information for weaker or younger learners or seven pieces of information for brighter or older learners. Verbal information is important in that it can form the needed knowledge base for higher-level skills.
For intellectual skills, conduct a hierarchical analysis to determine the subordinate skills:
- For each goal analysis step, ask “What must the student know before this skill can be learned?” This creates the first hierarchical level.
- For each first level component, ask the same question. This creates a second hierarchical level.
- Continue this as far as needed.
Subordinate psychomotor skills can be derived through a procedural analysis:
- Specify each activity that must be done for each goal analysis step.
- Ask, “What must the student do or know before this step can be done?”
- Continue this as far as needed.
To determine the subordinate attitude skills, conduct at least one of the following instructional analysis techniques:
- For each goal analysis step, ask “What must the student do when showing this attitude?” The answer is usually a cognitive, intellectual, or psychomotor skill. With this information, you can do the appropriate analysis.
- Ask, “Why should learners show this attitude?” The answer is usually verbal information. You should then do a cluster analysis.
For learning to be effective, and to avoid frustration, the instruction and the learners’ capabilities must match. Design the instruction for the target population, defined as the widest practical range of learners. Determine the learners’ abilities, language level, motivation, interests, and human factors. The end result should determine the entry or basic skills that they must have before the instruction begins.
Learning outcomes, or objectives, are specific, measurable skills that communicate to learners, instructors, and other interested people, what the learners should be able to do after completing the learning. Success occurs when learners achieve the planned outcomes. Learning outcomes form the basis of the subsequent instructional development process.
To write learning outcomes:
- Identify specific behaviours through action verbs. The verb needs to be stated at the highest skill and thinking level that the student will need to do. Use the revised Bloom’s taxonomy as a foundation for selecting verbs.
- Specify the content area after the verb.
- Specify applicable conditions. Identify any tools to be used, information to be supplied, constraints, etc.
- Specify applicable criteria. Identify any desired levels of speed, accuracy, quality, quantity, etc.
- Review each learning outcome to be sure it is complete, clear, and concise.
