THE TRAINING PROCESS IS LIKE AN ICEBERG (or what is instructional design ?) Recently I was explaining someone that my field of expertise is instructional design, which got me a puzzled look as I often do when I use this terminology. One generally knows about training assessment, training objectives, or training design but not about instructional design. To try and explain what it is, I thought the easiest would be to compare the process of training with an iceberg and then explain the comparison.
The training process is like an iceberg Let us begin by considering the image below to explore the comparison between the iceberg and the training process: Implementation of the training (face to face or distance)
Analysis of the needs, resources, target group.... Development of the training curriculum, content, training tools and materials...
Training design: definition of the objectives, selection of methodologies, contents, ...
Assessment of participant’s satisfaction, their learning, impact of the training of the organization...
In many organizations, institutions or enterprises, the training process is often limited or mainly focused on the implementation phase, i.e the visible part of the iceberg. The other phases, "invisible to the naked eye» are often ignored or dealt with too superficially. However, those will ensure the quality of training, by defining clear learning objectives, consulting with the various stakeholders (participants, experts, facilitators, managers ...), selecting learning methodology (passive vs participatory ..), selecting the learning approach (face to face or distance mode .. .), or defining the assessment strategies. When the process is incomplete, the most common consequences are: i) the content taught was inadequate and therefore the objectives could not be achieved, ii) the learning methodology or the training tools were inadequate and did not permit the acquisition, the retention or the implementation of the knowledge; iii) the learning approach was not suited to the context of participants, iv) the financial department wants to know the impact of training on the organization but it is too late to assess what participants have learned
during the program and to measure how they will apply it to their work ... etc. To continue with the analogy with the iceberg, we can say that the hidden part, when ignored, can be a threat to the the training program which won't have a sound and stable basis. Instructional design gives an overall view of the training process. To use a more conventional definition, let's look at the one proposed by Wikipedia: “Instructional Design is the practice of maximizing the effectiveness, efficiency and appeal of instruction and other learning experiences. The process consists in determining the current state and needs of the learner, defining the end goal of instruction, and creating some "intervention" to assist in the transition. .../... The outcome of this instructional design may be directly observable and scientifically measured or completely hidden and assumed. There are many instructional design models but many are based on the ADDIE model.
The most common model of Instructional Design: ADDIE:
There are different models of instructional design, the most famous being the ADDIE one which has five phases. The first phase consists in analyzing the training situation, the second in designing the training programme, the third in developing training tools and materials, the fourth in implementing the training, and the fifth in assessing and regulating the process. In reality, these phases do not happen in a strictly linear fashion but more or less simultaneously and must be enriched with continuous feedback.
The phases of instructional design 1. The analysis This phase consists in a preliminary analysis of training demand in order to clarify: the training needs that is, the competences that should be acquired during the training; the characteristics of the participants, the resources available and constraints related to the training project
2. The design This phase aims at formalizing the findings of the analysis into a specific training project: Skills are converted into learning objectives. A good educational objective must be stated unambiguously to describe observable result taking into account the conditions of the observation as well as criteria for evaluation of the effect; A careful definition of the learning objectives allows the selection of appropriate contents in order to acquire the required competence; Learning methodology and learning approach are chosen; The training tools are selected (lectures, testing, brainstorming, role playing, simulations, mentoring, coaching, videoconferencing...) as well as the training materials (manual, online courses , tutorials, ...)
3. The development This phase consists in the development of training tools and materials. This phase can be simple or complex whether it requires the revision or adaptation of existing material or the development of tools and materials ranging from exercises, to manuals or the development of an online platform.
4. The implementation This phase is about passing on the information to the learners in ways that are most suitable for the learning to happen successfully. Two types of actions take place during this phase: the facilitation of the training and the pedagogical relationship established in order to ensure the learning; the monitoring of the facilitation phase. Examples: contacts with stakeholders, logistics, monitoring of the attendance, etc..
5. The evaluation This phase aims at evaluating the overall training process in order to regulate it. Evaluation is presented at the end of the model; however it must happen throughout the whole process. According to the program requirements, the evaluation will assess: the satisfaction of the learners; the learning that tool place during the training; the transfer of the newly acquired skills to the field of activity of the learner; the impact of training on the organization of the learner; the return of investment
As a conclusion, instructional design optimizes the training programs and their efficiency. Of course, it require extra resources, such as an instructional designer who can lead and coordinate the process, and it will also require the contribution of various members of the organization. Instructional design is a team process as this is the only way to ensure that all aspects of a training project are analyzed as completely as possible. ________________________________ Text written by Florence Beraud, Specialist in Instruction Design For information, contact Florence.beraud @ gmail.com This text is also available on request in French This file is available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution - Share and Share Alike 3.0 Unported
