Revolutionize Instructional Design with Modern Learning Teams

What sets a human-centered instructional designer apart from others? A desire to improve training, learning, and doing through the educational experiences they create. Human-centered IDs lead with heart and understand the beauty of having a diverse audience. They welcome the creative challenge of designing the just-right fit for that audience. This stretching, growing, and iterating process is why I love instructional design. #InstructionalDesign

Starting your journey in Instructional Design? Keep it simple. Focus on three things: Understand your learner, define clear outcomes, and break content into small, meaningful chunks. Add interaction, give quick feedback, and keep everything practical. Frameworks like Bloom's Taxonomy and Cognitive Load Theory can guide you—but real impact comes from clarity and relevance. And remember—while formats are often decided by stakeholders, effective learning design is always in your hands. #InstructionalDesign #eLearning #LearningAndDevelopment #LXD #EdTech #CorporateTraining #InstructionalDesigner #Upskilling #DigitalLearning #ContentDesign #LearningExperience #WorkplaceLearning

One thing I’ve been thinking about lately in Instructional Design: Good content doesn’t guarantee good learning. Design does. You can have accurate information, detailed explanations, and strong visuals — but if the learning experience isn’t intentionally designed, learners will still disengage. Effective instructional design requires more than just content creation. It involves: Defining clear, measurable learning objectives Structuring content to reduce cognitive overload Aligning activities and assessments with outcomes Designing with the learner’s context and needs in mind Whether in K-12 or corporate training, the principle is the same: Learning experiences should be designed, not just delivered. This shift—from “teaching content” to “designing learning”—is what makes instructional design so powerful. #InstructionalDesign #eLearning #LearningAndDevelopment #LXD #AdultLearning #EdTech

Let's talk instructional design! In this video, I will walk you through the ADDIE model using CoachCraft as an example. CoachCraft is my passion project, 18 months is making, hopefully launching soon. I hope you enjoy the content, comment if you have other top tips. Personal learning points using the ADDIE model; ➡️Make sure you invest time in the learning needs analysis, as this will guide the effectiveness of your e-learning. ➡️ Research / refresh your subject knowledge ➡️Set proper learning aims and objectives ➡️Strip your content back ➡️Don't underestimate the time tech-learning will take. You are likely to need to learn new platforms ➡️Think of costs vs ROI, if you want to create an affordable package, you need to think about your nice to have #tech solutions... ➡️Don't design your package live, design things in Word first. ➡️Don't be too eager, only teach what they must know! Keep an eye out for more instructional design tips, I am walking you through my learning using CoachCraft e-learning. #learninganddevelopment #instructionaldesign #ADDIE #sportcoaching #elearning #returnoninvestment

An SME can’t automatically be an Instructional Designer. But an Instructional Designer can become an SME over time. Sounds controversial—but there’s a reason behind it. Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) bring: • Deep domain knowledge • Years of hands-on experience • Strong understanding of processes and systems But knowing something deeply is very different from teaching it effectively. Instructional Design requires: • Structuring content for learning • Applying adult learning principles • Simplifying complex information • Designing for behavior change • Aligning learning with business outcomes That’s a different skill set. This is why when SMEs create training alone, it often becomes: • Information-heavy • Unstructured • Difficult for beginners to follow Now let’s look at the other side. Instructional Designers may not start as SMEs. But over time, through: • Repeated exposure • Deep content analysis • Continuous interaction with SMEs • Working across multiple projects They begin to understand the domain deeply. They may not replace SMEs, but they become strong functional experts in that space. So the difference is: SMEs start with depth in one area. IDs build depth plus the ability to design learning. And that combination is powerful. Because the real value lies not just in knowing, but in making others able to perform. #InstructionalDesign #LearningAndDevelopment #SMEs #WorkplaceLearning #PerformanceEnablement

Many new instructional designers often get confused between Bloom’s Taxonomy and Merrill’s Principles and honestly, I’ve been there too. Here’s a simple way to look at it: Bloom’s Taxonomy helps you define ‘what learners should achieve’ (the outcome). Merrill’s Principles guide you on ‘how to design the learning experience’ (the journey). One focuses on thinking levels. The other focuses on effective teaching. The real magic happens when you don’t choose between them but combine them. Define clear learning objectives using Bloom, and then design meaningful, engaging learning experiences using Merrill. That’s how you unlock the true potential of instructional design. What do you think?🤔 #InstructionalDesign #LearningDesign #Elearning #LXD #Upskilling

It's very interesting to combine the two concepts and apply it. Let's see how it will help curriculum design and the learning outcomes.

I had never heard of Merrill’s Principals, but it looks like a great way to design or give a new spin to curriculum.

Excited to see Merrill’s approach showcased-one of the only other recent times it’s been well-incorporated is with LearnWorlds AI course design platform.

I loved this breakdown so much. It made everything click for me. 😇 When I started in instructional design, I thought I had to pick one framework. Use Bloom OR use Merrill. 🤔 That's not how it works. They're partners, not competitors. Here's what changed for me: → Bloom tells me WHERE learners need to go → Merrill shows me HOW to get them there → Together they create learning that sticks Think of it like building a house: ☑️ Bloom is your blueprint. ☑️ Merrill is your construction method. You need both. The best learning experiences I've designed happened when I stopped treating frameworks like enemies. I started asking better questions: What should learners be able to DO? (Bloom) How can I make the learning real and engaging? (Merrill) That's the sweet spot. That's where transformation happens. 💡 If you're new to instructional design, don't stress about choosing. Learn both. Use both. Watch your designs get better. 👏 What framework combination has worked best for you? Drop a comment below.