One of the most crucial subjects in corporate training is instructional design. Businesses must consider the material they will include and how it will be presented as more companies adopt or extend their eLearning efforts.
The learner is at the center of effective instructional design, which focuses on providing them with individualized, intuitive, enjoyable, and engaging experiences anchored in their requirements.
To enable instructional designers to deliver and manage interactive eLearning courses, many platforms, like Inquisiq R4, are available in the market today.
In this article, we’ll discuss five instructional design techniques you or your instructional designer should employ to boost the potency of your online courses.
1. Scenario-Based Learning
Scenario-based learning is a great instructional method that helps to increase learner engagement by putting students in realistic or situational learning situations.
Presenting content in context gives students the chance to learn things they won’t be able to apply to future scenarios in their daily lives. Scenario-based learning is a wonderful eLearning technique for teaching soft skills.
It is a fantastic choice for role-playing scenarios and is frequently used for training that necessitates social interaction, situational awareness, critical thinking, and decision-making.
Additionally, it is a useful tool for introverts who do not especially enjoy acting things out in front of others.
2. Story-Based Learning
It can be difficult for instructional designers to create eLearning materials that keep students interested throughout the course. Having said that, story-based learning in eLearning courses breaks up the monotony.
A captivating, emotional, and perceptive learning experience can be created by using stories to capture your learners’ attention. It contextualizes learning by using engaging aspects, including a compelling narrative, stimulating plots, sympathetic characters, suspense, and a clear message.
3. Microlearning
Microlearning seeks to reinforce previously taught material or to offer just-in-time performance support. Microlearning solves information overload, numerous distractions, and a short attention span.
Detailed teaching is broken up into manageable chunks in this method of learning. Each nugget is typically between three and five minutes long and contains all the content the learners need to finish a task, turn a prospect into a client, or reinforce course topics.
The content is typically packaged as a video or audio file that learners may access on their mobile phones, and each nugget contains a critical takeaway.
Microlearning lessens the cognitive burden and guarantees that learners have access to the needed information at the appropriate moment. This instructional design method presents eLearning material as an interactive video, an infographic, virtual reality or augmented reality, or a checklist or task assistance.
4. Learning Through Exploration And Discovery (LEAD)
This learning technique allows students to study the course at their own pace using a learning “journey” map. On the map, pictures and/or icons are employed as visual cues to indicate learners’ development and the target in front of them.
When learners have the freedom to select their learning path and must be familiar with a range of knowledge (all of which are equally relevant), this approach is particularly effective for onboarding training.
5. Blended Instruction
The phrase “blended learning” refers to a method of instruction that combines traditional instructor-led instruction in a classroom environment with online learning and individual study. The school and business sectors use this instruction method, but the phrase “blended learning” is frequently used in the corporate learning environment.
It is generally acknowledged that blended learning consists of these three essential elements:
- Activities for training are conducted in person by the instructor.
- Online learning resources (including online courses)
- Led by online content and the skills learned during the instructor-led part, structured independent learning.
The mixed approach frequently begins with a greater emphasis on in-person instruction and is followed by more autonomous learning once the fundamental principles have been ingrained.
Conclusion
An instructional design strategy is a special tool to promote the best knowledge transmission for a certain subject. It makes the online medium successful in meeting the demands of learners and facilitates effective resource utilization.
