Fundamentals of Instructional Design
Fundamentals of Instructional Design
What you’ll learn
Skills you’ll gain
Designing training that people actually remember, or running a meeting that keeps everyone engaged, can feel like a real challenge. That’s exactly the problem instructional designers solve.
In this course, expert instructional designer Alex Mitts, a former K–12 teacher turned instructional designer (ID), gives you an honest, practical, and often funny look at the role. You’ll learn what IDs really do, how people break into the field, and the process and tools they use to create learning experiences that make a difference.
This course is for anyone curious about becoming an ID, and for trainers, managers, subject matter experts, and team leads who want to bring instructional design principles into the work they already do.
Key concepts you’ll learn
- The ID role: what instructional designers do, the many job titles they work under, and how to read job postings (hint: they’re hunting for unicorns)
- How adults learn: the difference between pedagogy and andragogy, and why adult learners need the “why”
- Design essentials: writing measurable learning objectives, chunking content into bite-size pieces, and connecting training to business results
- The ID process: needs analysis, choosing the right solution, designing and planning, developing deliverables, implementing, and evaluating impact
- The tools of the trade: authoring tools like Articulate Storyline, plus video editing, audio editing, and graphic design basics
- Life on the job: working with subject matter experts (SMEs) and delivering in-person, virtual, and asynchronous training
By the end of this course, you’ll…
- Be able to explain what an instructional designer does and decide whether the career is right for you
- Know how to build your ID skills through self-study, practice, and portfolio projects
- Recognize when training is, and isn’t, the right solution to a problem
- Write learning objectives you can actually measure
- Apply key instructional design methods to your own trainings, meetings, and more, whatever your role
Grab a coffee and get ready for a fun ride through the world of instructional design, with plenty of pop culture references along the way.
Syllabus
Download syllabus-
1
About the job A lot of people have never heard of an instructional designer and have no idea what they do. 2m
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2
Job titles Instructional designers go by many names. 2m
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3
Responsibilities of instructional designers Because you're likely working on many different projects as an instructional designer, knowing what to expect day-to-day is important. 2m
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4
Learning the skills Instructional design is one of many roles where a formal education can be helpful to some, while others do better learning necessary skills on the job. 3m
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Falling into training Most people don't say, "I want to be an instructional designer when I group up!" as children. 2m
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2
Understanding adult learning Although you've likely continued your education well into adulthood, it's likely changed from when you were a kid. 3m
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3
Connecting ID to business While learning on the job and picking up the skills you need to have success is great, what if those skills could cost your company an unfathomable amount of money if you learn it wrong? 2m
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4
Learning for right now Some learners start at the table of contents while others only dive into learning once they have hit a wall after lots of experimentation. 2m
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Setting measurable goals Learning new skills is awesome, but how do you know if you're making a difference? 3m
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Chunking content No one likes wasted time, and attention spans aren't what they used to be. 3m
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But I'm bad at X Getting into instructional design is a long road, and there is a lot to learn. 3m
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Conducting a needs analysis A lot of people try to solve problems or put out figurative fires with training, but is it necessary? 2m
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2
Finding your solution Training comes in many forms, so which form suits your client? 2m
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3
Designing and planning Rome wasn't built in a day, and your training modules certainly won't happen overnight. 2m
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4
Developing the deliverables You have a plan. Now what? After this lesson, you'll be able to explore and explain different methods for the development process of your training. 2m
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5
Implementing the solution It's done! 2m
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6
Evaluating impact So, your course is live, and people have been trained. 3m
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Authoring tools Proficiency in a variety of software is quickly becoming a "must" for instructional designers. 2m
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2
Video editing If a picture is worth 1,000 words, imagine how many words a video is worth. 3m
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3
Audio editing No one likes to watch videos or sit through virtual trainings with audio that sound like it was recorded in a wind tunnel. 2m
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4
Graphic design If you didn't go to art school, don't worry. 2m
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Working with SMEs Let's face it, you can't know EVERYTHING. 2m
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In-person training Although a lot of training can be done digitally, sometimes your clients want that good old-fashioned trainer to deliver their content. 2m
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3
Virtual training The world is going digital, and so is a lot of learning & development -- even if it IS in real time! 2m
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Asynchronous training Sometimes companies need to onboard new employees or distribute knowledge, but they don't always have the time to bring in a trainer to dish out that information. 2m
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Time to design Thanks for watching this course! 1m
Certificate
Certificate of Completion
Awarded upon successful completion of the course.
Instructor
Alex Mitts
Alex makes edutaining content that drives change in organizations. Alex's background in fine arts and media development creates the perfect combination of expertise that allows Alex to successfully design memorable and effective learning experiences. Alex has an MA in Educational Technology and a BA in English literature. He loves working with clients near and far to help them and their teams turn their collective knowledge up to 11!
Alex Mitts
Instructional Designer and Education Technology Consultant
Accreditations
Link to awards
How GoSkills helped Chris
I got the promotion largely because of the skills I could develop, thanks to the GoSkills courses I took. I set aside at least 30 minutes daily to invest in myself and my professional growth. Seeing how much this has helped me become a more efficient employee is a big motivation.
