Instructional Design for Computer-based learning

Yes you would still use ADDIE or whatever methodology you normally use. You just have the addition of technology concerns in each phase of your model. The difference with eLarning is the detail in creating the user experience.

Designing for a screen is different that designing for ILT. You can make it harder for the learner by poor screen design. Designing a good program flow is different than designing for human interaction in a class. The amount of non-linearity should be targeted to the assumed knowledge level of the learner and the material not to the concern of user boredom or level of computer user ability. The method is the same, the devil is in the details.

Thanks, Enthusiast
I appreciate your answer. I suspected the ISD model would work for online training. I just wanted to ensure I wasn't some kind of dinosaur, missing great new developments in design methods.

Now I can start chasing down those rascally details...

Sure. It's hard to go wrong with the system methodology. You can employ it incorrectly but the method itself is sound. What development tool are you using?

Most people that are new to eLearning have a steep learning curve. Many things are counter intuitive relative to ILT and most IDs are rather non technical, so it requires a lot of new knowledge for some folks. If you can make the transition it is actually a lot of fun.

One problem in the field is that there are lots of "experts" who just make it up as they go along, mislead others with goofy "information", and create some pretty poor eLearning in the process. But there are a lot of really good practitioners who are always willing to help the novice and can cut the learning curve down to size.

Some of the interesting things you may encounter are hard to know from intuition alone. For instance: you want to create a rich interactive experience for your user so you do tons of drag and drop to convey new information. You then test the knowledge gained by using a multiple choice test. You now encounter two problems, first, lower test scores than you would have expected; the learner laid down the information mainly in the parts of the brain connected to psychomotor skills, but they are being forced to retrieve the information using mostly the abstract cognitive portions of the brain at test time. The second problem being the lower test scores are inaccurate because the learners are probably retaining the information but cannot demonstrate it due to your choice of evaluation instrument used vs. learning method.

You are left with the problem of students who have learned but cannot demonstrate it. If you don't know the reason you waste lots of time trying to revise the content when simply changing the form of the testing is all that is necessary.

Good Luck!

I haven't picked a development tool yet--lots more research to do first!

My experience was gained in developing standard classroom-based courses for Air Force officer training in leadership. When I retired in 2003 the AF had just begun to explore the use of technology in the classroom. Their weapons may be cutting-edge, but their training lags a bit (a matter of misplaced priorities, in my opinion).

I'm currently pursuing a masters in Ed Tech via online courses from Northcentral University. I figured being an eLearner will help me be a better designer of eLearning courses.

I agree with the problem of mismatching instruction styles with assessment types. I had the same issues in traditional classrooms when trying to design valid assessments (unfortunately, the AF mandates multiple-choice) for complex learning objectives.

That is interesting that the AF should be so far behind. I did a bit of consulting to the Military in the last half of the 90's and the Army and Navy were going into eLearning in a BIG way. When I was consulting at Ft. Leonard Wood an army 4 star general had just pronounced eLearning as IT. The road outside the main entrance to the base had about two dozen eLearning companies building offices and waiting for the contracts to be handed out!

I helped Raytheon E-Systems set up a group of about 50 to create eLearing for what they called "Big" Navy, whatever the heck that was, in Pensacola Florida. I did do some work for the AF at Gunther Annex and Bolling in D.C. (that was really for the DIA) but neither of those were eLearning projects, just basic ISD.

The one thing about the military is that they come closest to actually writing REAL performance objective. That is anathema to my corporate clients for some reason.


If you need a highly compensated, moderately skilled consultant, let me know!

tryohn,

I'm an eLearning-project-manager-turned-eLearning-developer who uses Michael Allen's "rapid prototyping" approach instead of ADDIE. I've been exposed to it through work with vendors, an ASTD seminar, and further reading of his books.

As a client, I have found that rapid prototyping is a much more immediate way for developers to communicate their ideas to me. As a developer, I find that I get much faster buy-in -- or, more importantly, ideas for changes -- when my clients/bosses are able to really SEE what I'm developing instead of having me describe it to them.

I recommend his "Guide to eLearning" as starter reading; he's also writing a seven-volume library expanding on his ideas. (Two books are already out: Creating Successful E-Learning and Designing Successful E-Learning. Both are fantastic.)

Good luck!

Judy

P.S. I'm also looking for some more formal education in eLearning development. How are you liking Northcentral's classes?