At Web Courseworks, technology is the final complement to meticulous, pedagogically-sound instructional design process. In every instance, design, copy, and content decisions are made by qualified eLearning instructional designers working closely with subject matter experts. Once the instructional design process is complete, Flash developers and graphic illustrators do only what they do best: bring these designs to technological fruition. The resulting products are far more than impressive technological objects: from an educational standpoint, they work.

Instructional Design Theory

Many eLearning design firms ascribe to an instructional design model such as ADDIE. While these theoretical instructional design models impress clients, they often incorporate the production process into the instructional design process—a mistake, since a detailed instructional design process recommends different production methodology for differing client needs. Instead, Web Courseworks eLearning instructional designers focus on design, as the means by which production is determined and directed. We ascribe to Bill Horton’s three-step learning process, “Absorb, Do, Connect,” and strive to bring all three activity levels to our learners. Horton’s “Absorb, Do, Connect” hierarchy incorporates Bloom’s Taxonomy, but from a practical, eLearning industry perspective.

		Absorb activities enable motivated learners to obtain crucial, up-to-date information they need to do their jobs or to further their learning. Do activities elevate learning from passive reading and watching to active seeking, selecting, and creating knowledge. Connect activities help learners close the gap between learning and the rest of their lives. — http://www.horton.com/html/portfolioactivities.aspx

Instructional Design Process

1. Establish learning objectives. Usually the client has clear learning objectives in mind when they go looking for eLearning instructional design.
2. Review any existing materials. When the budget is tight, a wise assessment of existing materials is prudent. Appropriate, quality reuse can save the client money.
3. Establish a relationship with subject matter experts (SMEs), and gather additional materials if necessary. Experts insure that content is correct and give us vital information about the learner.
4. With the help of the client and SMEs, write the learner profile. This profile includes the learner’s previous education and learning style, the technological tools available to the learner, the learning environment, and any other important factors.
5. Document the instructional design and technological specifications, including information outline, delivery formats, minimum technological requirements, types and frequency of assessment, and types and frequency if interactivity. This documentation process is instrumental to project success, and serves as a roadmap for consensus with the client throughout the design and development processes.
6. Prepare the descriptive materials which frame production. These materials can include content outlines, textual content, video and audio scripts, and learning object interface mockups. These descriptive materials are approved by the client before production begins.