Creating a learning design

Creating a Learning Design is an essential step in the process of building an instructionally sound training program. Specialized knowledge and skill are required to ensure the learning experience is relevant and measurable. Yet many Learning & Development professionals have attained their positions based on subject matter expertise rather than via academic credentials, resulting in a significant knowledge gap when it comes time to design a new learning program.

A Learning Design Tool helps bridge this gap. It should provide a template that formats and set up a logical instructional design document structure that will help guide your work. If you choose wisely there is a tool that also provides cognitive guidance to help ensure that the user builds a sound course design.

The Learning Design Tool you choose should increase productivity, ensure consistency, and ensure that best practices are followed.

A Learning Design Tool with automation generally works in a sequential order to help users work logically and build an instructionally sound design.

A Learning Design Tool that runs within desktop versions of Microsoft 365 Word makes it easy for users to quickly build their comfort level. Then it’s simply a matter of following the process the tool provides, which should go something like this:

Step One

After setting up a new Learning Design document, a first step is to add a summary of your Analysis data and biographical information about your Subject Matter Experts and your Instructional Designers.

Step Two

The next step is to work through an instructional analysis, which should cover:

1. Course Entry Knowledge and Experience requirements
2. Course Goal
3. Learning Objectives

Having a tool that provides both cognitive and practical assistance to add Learning Objectives ensures correctly using the action verbs associated with your learning domain and learning level.

Step Three

Next, you need to address your instructional strategies, which should include:

• a description of how the course content is to be delivered and why this method was selected
• the motivational framework for learner participation, achievement and evaluation from an Adult Learning perspective
• the activities that will be used to assess the learner’s attainment of the objectives
• a description of the strategies that will be used to evaluate the success of the course.

Step Four

Next, it's time to create an outline of your course, which should be based on your learning objectives and learner achievement activities. Add details to the base outline including:

• Subtopics & Timing
• Summaries of the intended instructional activities
• Summaries of the learner achievement activities
• Links to references and resources your course developers will need

Using a tool that allows you to set standard Instructional Activity descriptions ensures that this information in a manner that is consistent with your instructional protocols.

Step Five

Finally, your detailed course outline can be used as the basis for course development.

Using a tool that allows you to extract the outline into PowerPoint or a training document development tool like LeaderGuide Pro literally jumpstarts the development phase.

To Sum Up

Creating a learning design requires specialized knowledge and skills. Even if you are an experienced Instructional Designer, creating a new learning design is hard work. Following a consistent, logical process that is guided by a Learning Design Tool is a best practice. Using a Learning Design Tool that provides both practical and cognitive guidance increases productivity and helps ensure that your design is instructionally sound.