How do you design for different delivery modes?

1 Know your audience

The first step in designing for different delivery modes is to know your audience. You need to understand who your learners are, what their goals and motivations are, what their prior knowledge and skills are, and how they prefer to learn. You can use various methods to gather this information, such as surveys, interviews, pre-assessments, or learner personas. Knowing your audience will help you tailor your content, activities, and feedback to match their needs and expectations.

2 Choose your delivery mode

The next step is to choose your delivery mode, or the combination of modes, that best suits your learning objectives and your audience. There are three main delivery modes: synchronous, asynchronous, and blended. Synchronous delivery means that you and your learners interact in real time, either online or in-person. Asynchronous delivery means that you and your learners access the learning materials and activities at different times, usually online. Blended delivery means that you use a mix of both synchronous and asynchronous methods. Each delivery mode has its advantages and disadvantages, and you need to weigh them carefully before making your decision.

3 Align your content and activities

The third step is to align your content and activities with your delivery mode and your learning objectives. You need to ensure that your content is relevant, clear, and concise, and that it supports your learners' understanding and retention of the key concepts and skills. You also need to ensure that your activities are engaging, interactive, and meaningful, and that they provide your learners with opportunities to practice, apply, and reflect on their learning. Depending on your delivery mode, you may need to use different types of content and activities, such as videos, podcasts, quizzes, discussions, simulations, or projects.

4 Provide feedback and support

The fourth step is to provide feedback and support to your learners throughout the learning process. Feedback and support are essential for enhancing your learners' motivation, confidence, and performance. You need to provide feedback and support that is timely, specific, constructive, and actionable, and that helps your learners monitor their progress and improve their learning outcomes. Depending on your delivery mode, you may need to use different channels and tools to provide feedback and support, such as emails, chats, forums, webinars, or peer reviews.

5 Evaluate and improve

The fifth step is to evaluate and improve your design based on your learners' feedback and data. Evaluation and improvement are crucial for ensuring that your design meets your learning objectives and your learners' needs and preferences. You need to collect and analyze feedback and data from your learners, such as surveys, tests, analytics, or portfolios. You also need to reflect on your own experience and identify what worked well and what could be improved. Based on your findings, you need to make adjustments and refinements to your design to enhance its effectiveness and quality.

6 Keep learning and experimenting

The final step is to keep learning and experimenting with different delivery modes and instructional design principles. Designing for different delivery modes is not a one-time task, but an ongoing process that requires continuous learning and innovation. You need to keep up with the latest trends and best practices in the field, and to explore new ideas and approaches that can enrich your teaching and your learners' learning. You also need to be flexible and adaptable, and to embrace the challenges and opportunities that different delivery modes offer.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?