As an instructional designer, it is only necessary and proper that one reads about andragogy, multiple intelligence theory, and instructional strategies for engaging different learning styles. It is also incumbent upon an instructional designer to become skilled at writing course goals and objectives, presenting course content, and facilitating the learning process. While knowledge and application of these aforementioned practices allow for an understanding of what effective instructional design is, interdisciplinary study of what constitutes effective design in other design related professions can help to buttress the instructional designer’s understanding of what effective instructional design can be.
In designing buildings, living, and working spaces architects apply numerous design principles. Perhaps three of the most important principles of architectural design are scale, space, and repetition. Scale refers to the size of an object predicated on its relationship to other objects in the surrounding environment. Whether an object is big or small, wide or narrow, or long or short depends on the environment in which that object exists. Space refers to the voids within an architectural mass that are used by people to perform some function. For instance, rooms for eating, sleeping, living, working, and relaxing. As a general rule, a space should convey a mood or feeling that is relative to its implied use. Repetition refers to the recurring use of specific design elements in the same or varying combinations in the process of creating a unified whole. An example of this is taking a single floor plan replicating it multiple times and stacking the replicas one on top of another to create an apartment building.
The architectural design principles of scale, space, and repetition are easily transferable to instructional design. In the context of instructional design, scale refers to the scope of the course being designed. Specifically, determining what content the course will cover and how it will be covered. The environment for determining scale in this framework: what does the learner actually need to know and be able to do upon completion of the course? Space, in the context of instructional design, refers to the arrangement of the room where the learning is to take place. Examples of classroom setup can range from rectangular tables arranged in rows; round tables for groups of four, six, or eight; chairs in a large circle; a common area for large group meetings and breakout modules for small group breakout sessions; areas set up for building models or acting out a drama or a simulation (if applicable). Additionally, use of technology in the manner of computers and audio visual equipment must be accounted for in setting up a classroom. In the end the arrangement of the learning space should be relative to the instructional methods which are being employed. Lastly, in the context of instructional design, repetition refers to presenting the same content in a variety of different ways so that the learners have different ways of accessing and every opportunity to master it.
Outside of architectural design, city planning is another design related profession that can help instructional designers think about effective design. In her classic work, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, Jane Jacobs discusses all of the elements required for creating a thriving metropolis full of energy and vitality. Chief among them is diversity. What does that look like in a well-designed city? Diversity is present when city districts serve more than one function (at least two); different groups of people have a reason to be outdoors at different times of the day (different schedules); and facilities serve different purposes and functions at different times for different groups. Without diversity, a city will cease to thrive. Applying diversity to effective instruction, consider the composition of the course participants. Learners come from different backgrounds and have different job experiences, different life experiences, different philosophies, and different motivations. In creating and designing a course, leveraging the diversity of the learners for the benefit of all participants is a way to make the course thrive.
Design thinking, regardless of the technical discipline from which it emanates, is applicable across domains. What are the principles that you have learned from study and experience that inform your design work?
Thoughts and comments welcome.