Learning Journey to Becoming an Instructional Designer
What is an Instructional Designer (ID) and how do they fit into today's epoch business dynamics?
I have spent 25+ years working in healthcare, and if only I had a dollar for every time someone assumed I was a nurse because I work in healthcare, I might be able to retire early.
When I say I'm an instructional designer, they say, "Oh you're not a nurse!?" Then comes the difficult task of trying to explain what an instructional designer does so I thought making an attempt at explaining it with both an expertly type explanation and in laymen's terms would resonate with my readers.
When reading through the book, Mastering the Instructional Design Process, the experts had a simple explanation for the main role of an instructional designer. They said, "the chief aim of instructional design is to improve employee performance and increase organizational efficiency and effectiveness" (Rothwell et al., 2016, p. 5). This seems simple enough and resonates with me, but I have been working in this space a long time so let's break it down a little further because it may not resonate with you.
An instructional designer takes an analytical and systemic look at a performance or organizational inefficiency and designs a solution to help increase effectiveness and efficiency. These solutions are most commonly a training based solution.
Why should the ID focus on a performance-based training solution?
When designing a solution, the ID needs to consider not just the performance of the solution that should reach the organizational goal(s), but also the performance of the individual's being asked to carry out the tasks. The best training solution in the world will not be effective if the person(s) being asked to carry it out cannot perform it.
There are models that can assist the ID in looking at performance as a whole. Rothwell et al. (2016), suggests the Rummler and Broche Model. Although the model is rather dated, it is still an effective tool. This model looks at organization, process and people and analyzes them against goals, design and management as shown in Figure 1.1. The three levels of performance each have its own needs on goals, design and managements (Rummler's Model, n.d.).
The Dangers of Building the Plane While Flying it...
In my years of experience consulting on the skills gap of organizations, there have been times when the organization made it clear they did not want to take the time to conduct a Training Requirement Analysis (TRA), Task Analysis (TA) or Learner Analysis (LA) process. Actually, in reflecting on this further, I almost always have to convince them to take the time for proper analysis. That ends in having a great learning solution that never really fixes the "real" gap.
Taking the Proper Steps will Lead you to the Top
There are different models and types of analysis available to the instructional designer. The LeaPS model is just one example.
The LeaPS model makes two assumption:
1). There is a skills gap worth closing (assuming the client has done a thorough analysis);
2). The organization supports the project and will collaborate with ID on the project (Instructional Design Course Handbook, 2019) .
The LeaPS model provides a great opportunity to design viable learning solutions if in fact these two assumptions are true.
Let's Talk About the Analysis Tools
TRA begins by looking at the performance gaps in the needs assessment (Instructional Design Course Handbook, 2019). The TRA should include:
a clearly articulated performance gap;
the reason(s) the gap is worth closing;
specific training configurations that will also incorporate the causes of the performance gap (Instructional Design Course Handbook, 2019).
TA is done through a series of interviews with exemplary performers and what their tasks look like. This step is very important and should not be underestimated. It will give credibility to your ability to meet the skills gap with a performance based learning solution.
TA is done by:
using decision tables;
considering inputs, outputs, processes and inquiry to dig deep into actions and reactions;
capturing graphic illustrations that can later provide visual cues to the learner (Instructional Design Course Handbook, 2019).
LA is done to gather and analyze information about the learners. The LA should include:
description of learners;
brief description of the data collected;
description of what you found out about your learners and their environment;
description of what may help/hinder success for the ID team's general awareness (Instructional Design Course Handbook, 2019).
Take the time, plan out the steps to building a COMPLETE plane before you try to fly it!
Puzzle Pieces
Do you know what happens when a piece of the puzzle is missing? You can search for it, spend hours trying to assemble it, but in the end, its still an incomplete picture. That was the lesson I learned from using the needs assessment and interviewing techniques to complete the Training Requirement Analysis (TRA), Learner Analysis (LA) and Task Analysis (TA).
The need assessment was completed by a team outside of my core team. My current core team is working on an ID project for the Idaho Foodbank. When you start out a journey to complete the TRA and LA, this needs assessment is essential in providing much of the information needed. Don't underestimate asking questions like, "As the boss, what is it about this training gap that keeps you up at night?" This type of question can divulge how and what motivates the client is to close this gap. As I reflect on this process, I will share my thoughts on each tool used to aid in the design of the solution to close the client's performance/training gap.
TRA
When an ID first sits with the TRA, it may feel a bit like wanting to build an elaborate Lego Batmobile with rolling wheels and doors that open without having any instructions. I know my first time through a TRA, I felt overwhelmed and wondered what any of it had to do with creating a solution to help fill a performance gap. I asked myself, "why am I filling all this in, I know the answers and how to solve their problems"? Reality is, rather or not I had the answers, this helped document and solidify the plan. It pulled together my thought process and the essential pieces from the need assessment to build possible scenarios to view and meeting the training requirements as a whole.
LA
This is that bright red puzzle piece as depicted in the image above. It, in my opinion, it is the keystone. I really enjoy this part of the process because the ID begins to connect with who the learner is. I feel this is so crucial! If you cannot connect with the diversity that makes up your learner base, you will not ever create the best content for the solution; totally missing the mark. Training should be learner centric! Take the time to work with the client to understand the learner demographic, language preference, age groups, skill level, motivations and any other useful information you can glean from the client about who the learners are and what makes them the keystone puzzle piece.
TA
And then...there is the TA. I cannot overstate taking enough time to methodically think through the tasks that are being asked of the learner. Work closely with the client or subject matter expert (SME) to build this document. Completing the TA is not for the shy or faint of heart as you may often need to ask the client, using many different approaches, the same question repeatedly to understand a process. It is also important to carefully document any processes using images to enhance understanding for the end user. The SME and/or client may not always be easy to work with, but if you can find and remain on common ground for the good of the project it keeps them happy and your reputation in tact. This truly feels like the "figure it out" phase of the process.
All things performance!!!
Let's talk about Performance Requirements (PR), Job Aides (JA) and Performance Assessment Instruments (PAI).
Performance Requirements
All of the tools and instruments that I am discussing in this post come down to the performance of the learner. It's about creating objectives around the performance, the learning around the performance, and the measurement of the performance. The PR targets the outcome of what the learners should know, do, or feel during the learning experience and once it has been completed (Rothwell et al., 2016). These performance requirement goals are essentially performance objectives for the learners. They differ from instructional and organizational goals. Organizational goals are those results that the organization wants to achieve. Instructional goals are not measurable and they are what is the desired results of the instructional component of the training.
The task analysis is one of the primary ways in which the ID takes the tasks identified and converts them into performance objectives. The critical tasks and their cues are identified and documented in the PR where the objectives take shape. The information from the task analysis and the learning analysis are both needed to write performance objectives. In the end, performance objectives should be:
measurable;
clearly written to show what learners should be able to do at the end of the instruction;
how well the learner should be able to do it;
what conditions should exist for the learner to show the performance.
Job Aid
Having worked in the ID space, in a variety of roles, for the last 14+ years, I have created and run across all kinds of job aids. Personally, I have created everything from a pocket-sized job aid with algorithms to checklists that are several pages long. All are effective in their own way; however, the most positive feedback I receive is when the job aid is logical, simple, and visually appealing. If they are overly complicated with extra wording and content that isn’t necessary to the task, learners tend to become overwhelmed or frustrated and turn to supplemental ways of learning the task which may not align with the performance objectives. Job aids are not meant to all encompassing or to serve to replace needed training, they are help reinforce behavior or knowledge that is already familiar to the learner.
Performance Assessment Instrument
Once the performance objectives are created through the use of the performance requirement tool, and job aid is completed, the next immediate step is to create the Performance Assessment Instrument. What is a PAI you ask? Well, I am here to explain what it is and the importance of it. In simple terms, the PAI is a way for someone to observe the learner, to ensure they have achieved the learning or performance objectives (Rothwell et al., 2016). It is an important tool in helping to assess the learner's new knowledge or behavior against the expected knowledge or behavior. It allows a supervisor, or essentially anyone to observe the learner using the job aid and measure it against the objectives.
Rothwell, W. J., Benscoter, G. M., King, M., & King, S. B. (2016). Mastering the instructional design process: a systematic approach. John Wiley & Sons.