Getting Started in Instructional Design

This guide tells you which pages to read and in what order. The sequence moves from big-picture process to audience, then to objectives and alignment, then to interaction design.

1. Choose a process#

Pick the design model that fits your project, then read the other for contrast.

1. ADDIE — the standard five-phase framework; best when requirements are stable
2. SAM — iterative and agile; best under time pressure or unclear requirements

2. Define the project#

Before writing a single objective or slide, lock down scope and audience.

1. Project Scope — write the scope statement first; every downstream decision traces back to it
2. Learner Persona — build a composite picture of who you are designing for
3. Learning Context — understand where, when, and how learning will happen

3. Set objectives and align the design#

These three pages work as a cluster. Read them together.

1. Learning Objectives — write measurable outcome statements before touching content
2. Blooms Taxonomy — use the six levels to choose the right verb and set the right cognitive depth
3. Backward Design — work from outcome → evidence → content, in that order
4. Constructive Alignment — verify that objectives, activities, and assessments all target the same level

4. Understand the problem with passive design#

Read this before building any interactions.

1. Tell-and-Test — learn what the dominant (broken) pattern looks like so you can avoid it
2. Active Learning — the principle that replaces it

5. Design interactions with CCAF#

Read the model overview first, then each component in order.

1. CCAF Model — the framework overview; Context → Challenge → Activity → Feedback
2. CCAF — Context — the realistic situation that frames the learning
3. CCAF — Challenge — the task or problem that activates thinking
4. CCAF — Activity — the authentic action the learner takes
5. CCAF — Feedback — the response to the learner’s action
6. Authentic Activity — what makes an activity genuinely authentic

6. Build in assessment#

1. Formative Assessment — checkpoints during the course that surface gaps early
2. Summative Assessment — end-of-course measurement of whether objectives were met
3. Instructional Feedback — how to write feedback that teaches, not just corrects
4. Instructional Challenge — calibrating difficulty to keep learners in the right zone

7. Supporting concepts#

Read these as needed, not necessarily in order.

• E-Learning — the medium itself; constraints and affordances
• E-Learning Team — roles and how they collaborate
• Multimedia Learning — principles for combining text, visuals, and audio
• Instructional Tone — how to write for a learner, not a textbook
• Instructional Boredom — what causes disengagement and how to design against it
• LMS — the platform that hosts and tracks courses
• Spaced Practice — distributing learning over time for better retention
• Microlearning — short, focused learning units
• Gamification — applying game mechanics to learning
• Adaptive Instruction — adjusting difficulty and path based on learner performance
• Discussion Boards — asynchronous peer interaction as a learning tool

Quick reference#