"Instructional Design Models" Course

This scenario-based project includes 7 questions that an aspiring instructional designer might have to answer during a job interview. Wind mentions in his article that “an interviewer will want to hear your step-by-step design process, from planning to execution”. In order to be able to give good answers to such questions, an aspiring instructional designer should learn about the processes of the design models that are accepted in the industry (Wind, 2020). As you learn more about them, you can learn more about yourself and what your step-by-step design process is. In addition, you can mix the techniques if it is beneficial for a project. The quality of the final project is the most important part of the design process as it determines the overall quality of the user experience. Oftentimes, even if there is a design model that works particularly well for someone, being flexible and being able to implement some practices that are characteristic of other design models is a great skill.

Savvy designers are capable of choosing the best combination of steps to design a product that successfully serves its purpose. Revising and understanding the differences between the 4 most frequently used design models became an impetus for this project. The user gets a message telling them that they are going to have an interview for their dream job. They can look at the job description, revise the notes listing the basics of each design model (ADDIE, ASSURE, Backwards, and Iterative Design), or jump straight to Zoom. If the user does not read the job description, they will not know that the hiring company prefers the ADDIE model framework. However, opting for reviewing the notes can also give a hint that ADDIE-oriented answers are expected during this particular interview. The goal is not to prioritize the ADDIE model and downplay the other three design models. The ADDIE-oriented interview will help with creating a better assessment and measuring the user’s understanding of the design steps characteristic of the four models.

The project’s target audience includes students learning the subject of instructional design and instructional designers getting ready to enter the job market. The objectives of the given project are:

To revise the design processes of ADDIE, ASSURE, Backwards, and Iterative design models
To help the user understand what framework they prefer
To prepare the user for the questions related to their “step-by-step design processes” of an actual job interview
To help the user determine what areas should be improved in order for them to design better user experiences