There’s a playground I love taking my children to. It has swings, slides, climbing equipment, a field for running around and benches for me to rest when my children tire me out! It isn’t until the hot sun is beating down on me that I think about the fact that this park needs some shade.
Instructional design, as a creative task, can be a little like this. It’s easy to evaluate what you have, but it’s hard to evaluate what you might be missing. When you have learning objectives, assessments and content, a course can seem complete.
Below is a checklist of additional elements to consider.
- All learning materials are accessible (content pages respect hierarchy, images have alt text, hyperlinks are descriptive, PDFs are properly tagged, etc.).
- Content meets the unique needs of the course’s audience.
- There is a high level of engagement and interactivity (learn-by-doing activities, scenario-based questions, storytelling components, etc.).
- The assessments respond to course learning objectives and reflect any real-world applications.
- There are contact options for learners to troubleshoot technology issues or clarify course components.
- Content reinforces the “why” question inherent in the course: why is this material/assessment relevant?
- There is an introduction and conclusion to each module, initiating and completing the learning.
- Learner support is available (through Intelligent Agents, Awards, Release Conditions for remedial content, etc.).
- Graphic design choices enhance course content.
- Assessments are scaffolded throughout the course so that learners are prepared for any culminating assessments.
- Feedback from previous versions of the course or similar courses has been considered and applied where appropriate.
- Additional learning opportunities are available for learners who want to further pursue their study.
If you have other ideas, please add them in the chat below!
