Design considerations

Instructional design involves the identification of strong learning objectives and the selection of instructional methods to accomplish them. In this chapter, we consider how to write online course objectives that will serve as a foundation for future redesign decisions. Strong learning objectives are observable, measurable, attainable, and specific. They are focused on the needs of our target audience and should fit with our instructional philosophy as reflected by our metaphor. We explore how individual differences, such as demographics, personality, past performance, and expectations can affect learner needs and preferences, which should inform learning objectives and instructional methods. We structure the design process around decisions related to four essential activities that instructional methods should facilitate: the sharing of information, the demonstration of skills, the ways for learners to practice skills, and the means to ensure learning has happened. We concentrate on selecting general methods of instruction, which we will later refine and adapt for online delivery. We walk through the DeSIGN process in detail, determining strong objectives and exploring how to use them in identifying instructional methods. Intersections between these decisions and future redesign considerations are also discussed.