Taking Ideas to Impact with Innovation and Human-Centered Learning
Priya Sharma
Director & Learning Strategist @ EdWhiz | Creating Meaningful Learning Ecosystems
If you’re in the L&D industry, would you describe your current curriculum as human-centered?
Transcending the stereotyped concept of gamification, human-centered instructional design is orchestrated step by step, in a gradual and laser-focused manner.
People may love playing games, but innovation is at the heart of human-centeredness. The problem arises when you design your instructions first and put learning experiences second.
In this article, I’m putting forward everything you need to know about taking an innovative and human-centered approach to instructional design.
Let us dive in?
Your Human Is at The Epicenter of Design
The concept of human-centered design emerges as a dynamic and engaging approach, placing learners at the epicenter of the course development process. A crucial departure lies in viewing technology not as an endpoint, but rather as a versatile tool in service of e-learning programs.
Central to human-centered instructional design is the imperative for instructional designers to empathize with learners. This involves envisioning themselves as part of the audience to create a personalized and relatable approach.
It's not merely about delivering content; it is about understanding and addressing the unique needs and challenges faced by learners. In this user-focused paradigm, every tool and design choice should serve the ultimate goal of engaging learners effectively.
Four Pillars of Human-Centered Learning
Four key components characterize human-centered learning:
empathy, creativity, consideration of business requirements, and direct engagement with learners.
1.????? Empathy: Genuine concern for learners is paramount in designing instructional strategies. Building empathy involves envisioning oneself as part of the audience. This ensures a personalized and relatable approach.
2.????? Creativity: Solving learners' problems and answering their questions requires creative and engaging approaches. It is about finding innovative ways to enhance the learning experience.
3.????? Business Requirements: While focusing on learners, successful online training should align with broader business objectives. Balancing the needs of both learners and the organization is crucial for effective human-centered instructional design.
4.????? Direct Engagement with Learners: Designing with, not just for, users is a cornerstone of human-centered instructional design. Researching the audience and maintaining regular communication before embarking on a project is essential.
In essence, you should be able to understand your audience, get inspired, and answer the following questions.
Once you’re through that, in the designing of the learning course, the following stages come up.
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Ideation/Innovation Stage: Creative Solutions and Collaboration
The ideation stage follows, encouraging instructional designers to come up with a myriad of creative solutions to address learners' identified problems. This is the brainstorming phase where all ideas are considered, and collaboration within the team is essential for refining these ideas. This stage adopts a "no such thing as a bad idea" approach, fostering an environment where creativity flourishes in order to lead to innovations.
Expanding this part for a bit more detail on innovation;
Prototype Development and Testing
Once a realistic and human-centered idea takes shape, the next step is envisioning a course that addresses and solves learners' issues. Creating a prototype of the product or course is the subsequent step, providing a tangible reference point for testing with the target audience. This prototype can take various forms, from a pen-and-paper sketch to an e-learning course outline or a presentation deck.
Feedback Loop and Continuous Improvement
Constructive feedback from testing the prototype becomes invaluable, offering insights that can inform further refinements. This feedback loop is an integral part of the human-centered design process, with designers encouraged to embrace criticism as a means of continuous improvement. This iterative approach ensures that the final product aligns closely with learners' expectations and needs.
Developing an easy-to-access e-learning course is a critical consideration for human-centered instructional design. Beyond the content itself, factors such as industry requirements, the need for portable materials, and considerations for a global audience come into play. For industries requiring extensive fieldwork, materials should be compatible with tablets and smartphones to provide offline access for remote workers without WiFi.
Peer Reviews: Constructive Evaluation and Modification
Getting peer reviews is a crucial step in the process. It helps involve the entire team to identify missing steps or crucial information. Constructive evaluations are often brutal, and rightly so, because they provide valuable insights for modifications. You have to have a thick skin and open mind through this phase because peer review tends to uncover blind spots and areas that require readjustment. ?
Implementation and Execution
With a tested prototype and collected feedback, the next step is implementation. Knowing the workflow, roles, and having a clear understanding of the course concepts simplifies the execution process. You come to realize that developing the course becomes a seamless task as you’re equipped with the comprehensive groundwork laid during the research, ideation, and prototyping stages.
Considering User Experience
Considering user experience is integral to the success of instructional design. Usability, look, and feel are critical factors that directly impact the overall learning experience. A course may offer valuable content, but if it lacks usability, learners may not have a positive experience. Visual appeal, coupled with positive reviews and organizational credibility, enhances the overall look and feel, making learners more inclined to engage with the content.
Interactive Content for Engagement
Finally, making content interactive becomes a key aspect of human-centered instructional design. Even with excellent content and flow, engagement can wane without a thoughtful design. Developing interactive elements, such as videos with features like image integration and video branching, ensures that learners remain actively involved throughout the course.
Human-centered instructional design is a holistic approach that intertwines the needs of learners with the objectives of the organization. It emphasizes empathy, creativity, and direct engagement with learners, resulting in courses that not only address specific problems but also provide a rich and interactive learning experience.
At EdWhiz , that’s what we spend days working on. And at Learning Dev Academy (LDA) , taking ideas to impact with innovation and human-centered design is what we train our aspiring Instructional Designers in.
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