ELearning/Course design/Instructional strategies
Establishing an overall approach to be used in the course, and then identifying the specific learning events and activities consistent with your approach.
As we see in Figure 1, the general process of course design begins with determining the course delivery mode or combination of modes. We then decide on the whole course structure (below left) or, alternatively, we can create varying structures for each module (below right). We then establish a fairly standard set of instructional events, and finally determine the specific activity or activities constituting each event. Upon completion of this process, we will then review and likely modify our design to include various support strategies.
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| 1. Alternative instructional strategies |
Delivery mode
Determining the appropriate delivery modality for the course learning objectives, content, learner characteristics, and context. Courses can be delivered live in a face-to-face setting or online using a synchronous conferencing tool, asynchronously online, or through a hybrid combination of two or more modalities.
Course structure
Determining the logic of instruction that forms the basic architecture for the course. We look at the traditional linear model as well as a number of alternatives such as cyclical, problem-centered, dialogue intensive, adaptive, and competency-based approaches. Whatever the structure, content is generally organized into learning units or modules.
Instructional events
Events of instruction take the learner on a path from initiation to completion within the learning module. The makeup of each event will include one of more specific activities, and will vary from module to module. Generally accepted "events" include pre-instructural activities, content acquisition, learner application, assessment, and follow-through activities. Note how this order is linear but may not be in practice, as with cyclical and problem-based structures.
Learning activities
Identifying specific learning activities for each instructional event, and carefully planning them so they can be constructed during course building and implemented during teaching. Alternatively, as specified in some instructional design models, activity prototyping can coincide with their design.
Output: Instructional strategies
When you have established the instructional strategies, you will end with the following outputs:
For the course:
- Course description
- Relevant learner characteristics
- 3-5 course level learning objectives
- Course delivery mode or modes (or by module)
- Course structure (or by module)
For each module:
- Module delivery mode and structure (if appropriate)
- Module guide
- 3-5 module level learning objectives
- Detailed description of pre-instructional activities with prototypes as appropriate
- Detailed description of content presentation/acquisition activities with prototypes as appropriate
- Detailed description of application activities with prototypes as appropriate
- Detailed description of assessment strategy with prototypes as appropriate
- Detailed description of follow-through activities with prototypes as appropriate
Next:
You will consider cognitive, motivational, and technical support strategies and add to or revise the above outputs accordingly.
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