#learning design example

The design phase in designing instruction is easy if you have done the right amount of analysis.  However, it can be difficult or just not the right strategy at all if you haven’t.  I know it’s not difficult to come up with an instructional strategy relying on your intuition or what you did last time, but anyone can do that.  In order to come up with the best instructional strategy, one that is based on needed results, you must be able to link your strategy to outcomes.

In order to truly understand this, you must first understand the links among the task analysis, performance objectives and measurement strategy. Yes, if you complete your measurement strategy before your instructional strategy, it is not only easier, but your instructional strategy is much more likely to get predictable results, or what statisticians would call predictive validity.

In the previous blog in this series, we talked about analysis. The outcome from the task analysis is main tasks and sub tasks required in order to achieve the instructional goal and a performance objective is key to understanding how to measure the task.  The performance objective should describe each main task in terms of not only what the learner will be required to do, but also how that task must be completed.  If the performance objective is written properly, it is not only obvious what kind of testing instrument should be used, but how it should be constructed. In most cases, this will drive you away from measurement of only knowledge toward measurement of knowledge and performance. In any event, your tests will be tied to needed results and will have greater predictive validity.

The interesting thing about figuring out the best way for someone to learn something is that knowing how you plan on measuring them first makes determining a successful instructional strategy easier and almost guaranteed to be tied to results. The process doesn’t require a lot of time, which makes it practical for all of us with tight deadlines to ensure that our learning gets results on the first try, not on the second or third major revision.

For an example of the critical link among task analysis, performance objectives, measurement strategy and instructional strategy, click on the Resources tab and select Learning Design Example.