Instructional Design in Corporate Training: Role of Instructional Designers, Stages of Design, Principles

Editor's Note: Take a look at our featured best practice, Workforce Planning - Implementation Toolkit (Excel workbook). The Workforce Planning Toolkit includes a set of best-practice templates, step-by-step workplans, and maturity diagnostics for any Workforce Planning/Management related project. Please note the above partial preview is ONLY of the Self Assessment Excel Dashboard, referenced in steps 1 and 2 [read more]

Also, if you are interested in becoming an expert on Human Resource Management (HRM), take a look at Flevy's Human Resource Management (HRM) Frameworks offering here. This is a curated collection of best practice frameworks based on the thought leadership of leading consulting firms, academics, and recognized subject matter experts. By learning and applying these concepts, you can you stay ahead of the curve. Full details here.

* * * *

Using instructional design in corporate training is one of the most effective ways to improve employee performance and productivity, yet many business owners overlook the impact it can have on the success of their company.

While many small businesses may be able to get by without formal corporate training programs, larger companies have found that these programs are critical to their continued success.

Instructional design provides structure and guidance, helping employees understand how they should approach their work and what kinds of performance they should expect from themselves, as well as how others should expect them to behave professionally in various situations.

In this article, we will first discuss what instructional design is followed by a discussion on the reasons for investing in it. Then we will move on to the role of instructional designers and follow it by the stages of design. Finally, we will take a look at the principles involved in creating effective eLearning content through instructional design. Let’s begin.

What Is Instructional Design?

Instructional design is the systematic process of designing, developing, and delivering eLearning experiences. It can be applied to increase the effectiveness of a business’s corporate training and overall performance.

Instructional design companies specialize in creating custom eLearning experiences that are tailored to the needs of the client. This process usually begins with an analysis of the learner, their current knowledge and skills, and what they need to be able to do after completing the training. Instructional designers then create goals and learning objectives for the training program.

Once these goals are established, instructional designers select the appropriate delivery method, media, and activities to reach these learning objectives. Instructional design is an important part of corporate training because it helps ensure that employees are receiving the most effective instruction possible.

Why Should Organizations Invest in It?

Many instructional design companies specialize in creating engaging and effective eLearning content. Organizations should invest in availing of the services of instructional design companies because of the following reasons:

• Applying instructional design to corporate training can help improve performance by making the training more engaging and relevant to employees.
• Instructional design can help create custom-tailored learning experiences that meet the specific needs of a company and its employees. This can lead to increased employee engagement and motivation, which can eventually lead to improved company performance.
• It ensures that it becomes more likely for the employees to retain the information they learn and be able to apply it to their work. As a result, companies who invest in instructional design for their corporate training see an overall improvement in performance from their employees.
• Moreover, instructional design can help reduce training costs by making it easier to deliver and manage training content.

What Does an Instructional Designer Do?

An instructional designer is responsible for creating engaging and effective learning experiences that help learners achieve their goals. They do this by analyzing the needs of the learner and designing appropriate content and activities.

Instructional designers also need to be able to use a variety of tools to create their materials, including eLearning authoring tools, graphic design software, and learning management systems. Additionally, they must be able to evaluate the effectiveness of their designs and make necessary revisions. This may involve developing online training course materials, designing instructional activities, and assessing learner progress.

As mentioned above, instructional designers use a variety of tools and strategies to enable learning and development, such as multimedia, simulations, and game-based learning. By applying the principles of instructional design, they can create learning experiences that improve performance.

What Does an Instructional Designer Need to Know?

As an instructional designer, it is important to be aware of different learning theories and how they can be applied to the design of instruction. Additionally, one should have knowledge of adult learning principles and how to apply them when designing training for corporate learners.

Furthermore, it is beneficial to be familiar with different instructional strategies and when to use them. It is also important to know how to use technology to create engaging and effective learning experiences. Finally, it is beneficial to have experience with project management in order to effectively manage the design and development process.

Are There Different Types of Instructional Designers?

As the field of instructional design has grown, so too has the number of different types of instructional designers. Instructional designers come in all shapes and sizes. Some specialize in eLearning, while others focus on more traditional classroom-based training. Others may focus on a specific industry, such as healthcare or finance.

While there are many different types of instructional designers, they can generally be grouped into three categories:

• those who focus on content
• those who focus on learners
• those who focus on technology

Each type of instructional designer brings their own unique skills and perspective to the field, which can help create more effective learning experiences. No matter what their specialty, instructional designers share one common goal: to create learning experiences that help people reach their full potential.

What Are the Different Stages Involved in completing an instructional design project?

The first stage is needs analysis, where you determine what the goals and objectives of the training are. Next is front-end analysis, where you gather information about the corporate learners and the context in which they will be learning.

Then comes design, where you create the instructional materials and activities. The next stage in development is where you create prototypes and test them out.

The final two stages are implementation and evaluation, where you roll out the materials to the corporate learners and then assess how well they met the objectives.

How Much Time Should You Spend on Each Stage?

The amount of time you spend on each stage will vary depending on the eLearning project. That said, it’s important to spend enough time on each stage to ensure a quality final product.

You should generally spend more time on the early stages (planning and analysis) than the later stages (development and delivery). This is because it’s easier to make changes early on before too much work has been done. By spending more time upfront, you can save yourself a lot of time and effort later on.

What Principles Are Involved in Creating Effective eLearning Content?

The principles of instructional design for eLearning are the same as those for any other type of instructional design: aligning learning objectives with content, designing engaging and interactive activities, incorporating formative eLearning assessments, and using technology effectively.

However, there are some additional considerations when designing eLearning content. For example, since corporate learners will be accessing the content online, you need to consider things like web design and navigation.

Plus, you’ll need to think about how to create engaging and effective visuals since they play such a big role in online learning. By following these principles, you can create eLearning content that is both effective and engaging.

Conclusion

Now you know what is the role of instructional design in corporate training and why it can be a great value addition to learning and development. You also understand the role of instructional designers and the various stages of design. Moreover, you can apply the principles of creating effective eLearning content in your corporate training endeavors.

Want to Achieve Excellence in Human Resource Management (HRM)?

Gain the knowledge and develop the expertise to become an expert in Human Resource Management (HRM). Our frameworks are based on the thought leadership of leading consulting firms, academics, and recognized subject matter experts. Click here for full details.

The purpose of Human Resources (HR) is to ensure our organization achieves success through our people. Without the right people in place—at all levels of the organization—we will never be able to execute our Strategy effectively.

This begs the question: Does your organization view HR as a support function or a strategic one? Research shows leading organizations leverage HR as a strategic function, one that both supports and drives the organization's Strategy. In fact, having strong HRM capabilities is a source of Competitive Advantage.

This has never been more true than right now in the Digital Age, as organizations must compete for specialized talent to drive forward their Digital Transformation Strategies. Beyond just hiring and selection, HR also plays the critical role in retaining talent—by keeping people engaged, motivated, and happy.

Learn about our Human Resource Management (HRM) Best Practice Frameworks here.