Lesson: Instructional Design
Learning pathways
The aim of instructional design is basically to design learning experiences that lead learners to some defined and desired learning outcomes. You can think of it as creating a sign-posted pathway that guides learners from where they are to where they need to be in ways that make the journey as interesting and enjoyable as possible. This is why instructional designers say that they create learning pathways.
Source: http://static.panoramio.com/photos/large/10559885.jpg
Think for a moment about any learning pathways you have travelled before.
- How
easy or difficult was it to follow the pathways and get to the destination?
- Were there obstacles in your path? How did you overcome these? Were overcoming these part of your learning?
- Was there only one pathway or could you choose from different routes?
- How was the pathway presented to you - in a classroom, online, in both a classroom and online?
- Were their any guides (or facilitators) along the way? How
important were they to the journey?
- How did you feel once you had completed the pathway? Do you think you learnt what was intended?
Watch this video from the Commonwealth of Learning which explains things very well.