The Accidental Instructional Designer

by Cammy Bean (ASTD, 2014)

Interactivity That Counts

The Accidental Instructional Designer is written for practitioners of instructional design. On "interactivity that counts," the author urges designers to curate interactive elements thoughtfully, avoiding clutter and distraction. Instead, feeling, doing, reflecting, and connecting are valuable forms of engagement. Feeling can come from stories that elicit emotion. Doing can be an immersive, game-like exercise right there on the computer screen, emulating an activity where the learner would typically apply their knowledge. A different take on 'doing' is prompting learners to create an off-screen action plan for themselves. Reflection can be a "conversation with yourself." Connecting with other learners can happen through technology such as message boards, but the author encourages real-world interaction too. For example, attending an office hour could be required before the next module unlocks.

Stories That Stick

Delving into storytelling, the author acknowledges that not all stories are equal when it comes to "making things stick." The best stories help learners attend to and remember the relevant content, not just the story or the presenter's style. She shares an example of an online scenario presented through simple text and image slides, followed by multiple-choice questions whose answers shine a light on common misconceptions. I believe the embedded feedback is very important in a case like this, to avoid accidentally leaving people with a reinforced memory of their preconceived misconceptions. A story can make a misconception vivid, and only good feedback ensures the correct idea is what learners carry away. That caution applies to every category of interactivity in the book: each element should earn its place by helping the content stick.

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