Understand the value that a learning designer brings
Educational design is often misunderstood as discipline. At first glance, most people assume that people new to it are simply designing instructions (and who can blame them, it is in the name)! However, educational design is much more than that. It is a strategic, art-like process that can make the difference between quickly forgotten information and genuinely sticking knowledge.
As a longtime education designer, we saw firsthand how a proper educational approach can enhance training initiatives. We found that educational design serves as an important foundation on which successful learning experiences are built. This is to translate raw expertise into an accessible, engaging and effective learning journey.
The gap between experts and learners
A common misconception of corporate training and higher ED is that subject experts (SMEs) can naturally teach expertise effectively. Our experience highlighted some important challenges in this assumption.
Tacit Knowledge Barriers
Experts have gained deep, intuitive understanding through years of experience, and often struggle to clarify explicitly. Viewpoint limitations
They find it difficult to adopt a beginner’s perspective and overlook the basic knowledge gaps and potential learning disabilities. Technology awareness
Most SMEs are not familiar with current learning techniques and methodologies that enhance knowledge transfer. Resource Constraints
There is rarely enough time or bandwidth to develop a truly inclusive learning experience. Teach your aptitude
Effective education/training requires specific skills in patience, empathy and communication that may not align with the strengths of the experts. opportunity cost
The time spent developing learning materials will divert the experts from applying the key experts to the most value-providing experts.
For example, when our team began working on the employment principles course for major financial institutions, we started with a slide of small business rough ideas, policy documents, and PowerPoint presentations. The client wanted to change employment habits among managers, but no actual improvements were seen. After applying the principles of education design, the content was converted into an experience module that emphasized its content. The resulting course forces managers to critically analyze their employment patterns, identify unconscious biases, and implement concrete changes in their approach. result? Actual measurable changes in employment behavior.
What educational designers bring to the table
This is where educational designers appear. Think of them as translators. Incorporate complex expertise into a structured, engaging and effective learning experience. It’s not just about organizing content. Analyse your learning needs, align your goals with your business goals, and create impactful learning strategies.
Our collective year expertise identified that differences between appropriate and exceptional learning projects often depend on both leadership capabilities and SME acceptability for the design process. A successful educational designer has consistently shown:
Clarity of the analysis
It has the ability to distinguish essential content from surrounding information, creating an intensive learning experience targeting specific results. Intellectual courage
A willingness to ask challenging questions, challenge assumptions, and clarify ambiguities that can undermine the effectiveness of learning. Creative imagination
Skills to reconceptualize content through innovative forms and approaches that enhance engagement and retention. Bridging’s perspective
The ability to understand both the learner’s current state of knowledge and the desired final state. Design the appropriate routes between them. Adaptive Intelligence
The ability to translate the ability to grasp complex topics quickly enough, without the need for deep expertise into teaching components. Joint Patience
When working with experts on subjects that may struggle to clarify sustainability and diplomatic knowledge. Strategic alignment
Expertise to secure learning initiatives directly supports the goals and goals of a broader organization.
Why it is important for business success?
While organizations invest heavily in training, many programs cannot provide measurable impacts. A poorly designed learning experience leads to wasted resources, freed employees, and unmet business goals.
Educational design enhances learner engagement by incorporating interactive elements such as quizzes, games, and real-world scenarios. An e-learning program designed using guiding principles can increase retention by 25-60% (D2L). Corporate training programs developed using educational designs have increased employee productivity by up to 40% (discovery learning). These productivity gains translate directly into increased operational efficiency and competitive advantage.
We helped countless learning initiatives fly. In all cases, the role of strong educational design for effective learning could not be denied. The difference between information transfer and true behavioral change is precisely in this disciplined approach to learning design.
Artha Learning Inc
Artha is a full-service learning design company. We partner with organizations to design digital learning initiatives from an education, engagement and technical perspective.
It was originally published on arthalearning.com.
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