Evaluating Instructional Design

According to Brown & Green (2024, p. 6), instructional design is, "the entire process of analysis of learning needs and goals and the development of a delivery system to meet those needs. It includes development of instructional materials and activities; and tryout and evaluation of all instruction and learner activities." When someone is evaluating instructional design, they are not looking at just one piece of work. They should be looking at the entire process that led to the piece of work being created, what was created, and how effective the creation was at reaching the desired outcome. As with all art, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Although beauty is subjective, there are several key factors we can examine to determine if a piece of instructional design is "good" or "bad". The factors we will focus on in this blog post are based on "The Four C's of the Instructional Design Process" from Sharon Bowman's book Training from the Back of the Room!: 65 Ways to Step Aside and Let Them Learn. Those four C's are Connections, Concepts, Concrete Practice, and Conclusions.

The first of the four C's is Connections. Connections refer to the start of a training and how well the learners connect with prior knowledge. Are the learners able to connect what they already know with what they are about to learn? Can the learners see value in the training they are about to receive? This goes back to the thought of a designer having a "Constructivist" approach to their training. As Brown & Green (2024, p. 33) state, "Constructivism refers to the general principle that learners use their prior knowledge to construct a personally meaningful understanding of new content that is the focus of learning.” Step one of creating effective instructional design is ensuring your learners can make connections between what they already know and what you are presenting as new information. These connections will also help learners stay engaged and retain more content.

The second of the four C's is Concepts. Concepts is the direct instruction or presentation section of a training. This is when a presenter should use multiple teaching methods to reach and engage all learners. This is the part of the presentation when new material is taught, so not overwhelming the participant with too much information is also important. According to Shi, Hur, Tang, and Dennen (2023, p. 272), "A class taught by lecture alone would not engage students in active learning or be considered learner-centered. In contrast, by requiring students to participate in ways that help them make meaningful connections with the course content and perhaps also with each other, instructors draw upon learner-centered principles and support active learning."

The third of the four C's is Concrete Practice. Concrete Practice is the step following the presentation of new information where the learner is asked to put their new knowledge into practice. A presenter may ask participants to practice on their devices, review information with a partner, or take part in an activity. This section of a presentation is key in helping new information "stick". If learners are not given a chance to review the material they have learned or use it in a meaningful way, they are more likely to forget it. 

The fourth and final of the C's is Conclusions. Conclusions is the time a presenter uses to close a part of training. This is an important step where learners can share what they've learned with others, assess the presenter and presentation, and set goals to use their new knowledge. Giving the participants a takeaway or resource list is a handy way to encourage them to use what they've learned as soon as possible. A reminder sheet or next steps note can make all the difference in participants putting what they've learned into action.  

Determining whether a presentation that you've taken part in isn't usually that difficult. You just know. When you've been to a boring lecture or training that didn't pertain to you, you knew as soon as you left that the design was poor and your brain immediately dumped all new information. Being able to describe what makes a presentation or training successful is a little more difficult. All instructional designers need to remember that no matter the material or the audience, if you follow the four C's, you will be more likely to have an attentive and engaged audience. Brown & Green (2024, p. 113) echo this sentiment, "Understanding the organization, scope, sequence, events, experiences, and delivery methods helps the instructional designer understand what is necessary to create instruction that is effective for a variety of learners—from the average student to those who require either more support or greater challenges." When a training session is over, your goal is that all participants remember what they've learned and can immediately put it into action.

Look below for a couple of short, but useful videos on effective instructional design.

References:

Bowman, S. L. (2009a). Training from the back of the room!: 65 ways to step aside and let them learn. Pfeiffer. 

Brown, A., & Green, T. (2024). The Essentials of Instructional Design: Connecting Fundamental Principles with Process and Practice. Fifth Edition. New York: Routledge.

Go Interactive Training. (2021). The 4 Cs Instructional Design Steps How to Plan a Workshop. Retrieved July 31, 2024, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJL-nyUu_9g.

Growth Engineering. (2023). What are the Principles of Effective Instructional Design? Retrieved July 31, 2024, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50ZQx9z90BI.

Shi, H., Hur, J., Tang, Y. M., & Dennen, V. P. (2023). Instructional strategies for engaging online learners. Online Learning Journal, 27(4). https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v27i4.4038