About Learning Design

What is Learning Design?

Learning Design is a broad field of Instruction that is concerned with the systematic, scientific, and intentional design, development, and delivery of learning experiences with the goal of facilitating the acquisition of knowledge and skills. It considers both the content and delivery of educational materials, as well as the overall learning experience, thereby incorporating instructional theories, models, frameworks, strategies, technologies, and assessment methods to create effective and engaging learning opportunities. Learning Design takes a holistic approach to education and training, recognizing that learning is a complex process that involves many factors beyond just the content, and seeks to bring those elements together into a unified approach to learning.

A brief history of Learning Design

The field of Learning Design has roots in instructional design, which emerged in the middle of the twentieth century, as the world was transitioning towards a post-industrial era.

In previous decades, the industrial revolution had played an influential role in shaping the public education system in response to a need for more skilled labor. And the learning process had started to become a subject of interest by the scientific community with learning theories such as behaviorism and cognitivism gaining prominence.

During World War II, the U.S. armed forces, who needed to look for ways to make training more effective and efficient, started looking at systems engineering as a source of inspiration to inform the design of their training programs. This is within this unique context that instructional design took form — a product of its time.

In an era where mass communication technologies such as film and radio were becoming ubiquitous, early instructional designers were tasked with creating effective and efficient ways of delivering information and training to large groups of people in various formats across vast distances.

Beginning in the late 1970s with the arrival of personal computing and the late 1980s with the rise of the Internet, the field of educational technology gained prominence. Educational technologists became interested in how technology could be used to support and enhance learning as they explored the use of multimedia, simulations, and other interactive technologies to supplement instruction.

In the following decades, the field of Learning Design would start to take shape, as educators and instructional designers would begin to focus more on the individual learner and how to create engaging and effective learning experiences that would go beyond just the delivery of information. To that end, Learning Designers would seek to integrate instructional strategies with advanced technologies, and sound assessment methods to create cohesive and comprehensive approaches to learning.

Today, Learning Design continues to evolve as new technologies and educational theories emerge. Popular trends such as gamification, microlearning, self-learning, mobile experiences, and adaptive learning have quickly become ubiquitous approaches to learning that have transformed learning experiences and changed stakeholders’ expectations towards more mobile, more engaging, and more personalized bite-sized learning. In this context, the focus on learning experiences, learner motivation, engagement, feedback, and assessment remains a central component of the field, and Learning Designers continue to explore new ways of creating effective and innovative learning experiences.

As in previous decades though, the field of Learning Design is set to experience ever more disruption as the relentless pace of technological innovation continues to impact the industry. With exciting new technologies such as VR, AR, and AI serving to enrich the learning experience even further, learning designers can only look forward to even more transformation in the years ahead.

Related fields / sub-fields

Instructional Design

Instructional Design is an older term for learning design which describes the process of creating educational and training programs that aim to deliver educational content with a somewhat (relatively) more limited focus on the learner’s experience. Instructional Designers consider factors such as the audience, goals, and objectives, and use instructional strategies and technologies to create engaging and effective materials. However, with the rise of new technologies making it possible to further enhance the individual learner experience, Instructional Designers evolved into Learning Designers to incorporate more recent approaches to learning and design (see below).

Learning Experience Design

Learning Experience Design is a newer field that takes a more holistic approach to the design of educational and training materials. It goes beyond just the content and focuses on creating a complete experience for the learner, including factors such as motivation, engagement, and assessment. Learning Experience Designers consider not just what is being taught, but how it is being taught and how the learner interacts with the material.

Instructional Systems Design

Instructional Systems Design, on the other hand, is a broader field that focuses on the design and development of any system that is used for instruction, including both traditional and non-traditional materials. This can include online courses, video tutorials, interactive simulations, and more. Instructional Systems Designers focus on the overall structure and organization of the instructional system, including the development of instructional materials and the selection and integration of technology.

In summary, Instructional Design focuses on the content and delivery of educational materials, Learning Experience Design focuses on creating a complete and engaging learning experience for the individual learner, and Instructional Systems Design focuses on the design and development of instructional systems and technology. Together these fields are considered part of Learning Design.

Learning Design Process

(As of 2017)

The process of Learning design typically involves a number of concrete steps:

1. Identify knowledge points such as tasks and skills that need to be known by a target group for a given scenario
2. Look at what needs to be known by the target group to be considered qualified
3. Perform a needs analysis of the target learners and identify knowledge gaps
4. Design learning experiences for target learners based on observed knowledge gaps following learning theories as guiding principles and instructional models as foundational frameworks.
5. Develop Learning Experiences (LX) using various tools and technologies in collaboration with Subject Matter Experts and other professionals in relevant fields. LX may consist of programs, courses, tutorials, documentation, glossaries, and any other materials pertaining to the subject matter that the learners might need to interact with.
6. Implement learning experiences using various tools and technologies
7. Evaluate LX to measure effectiveness and find areas of improvements
8. Deliver (optional): train subject matter experts to use the LXS to achieve learning outcomes
9. Maintain (optional) the final product on an on-going basis to ensure LX stays up to date, relevant, and continues achieving its learning outcomes in the most efficient and optimal way in line with the ever-changing needs of all stakeholders.

Future prospects

In the future, it is expected that Learning  Design will continue to evolve and become more sophisticated in response to increasing complexity and technological progress. LDs will be expected to be capable of using a wide array of technical tools in media editing, data analysis, and software development. They may be asked to assume many roles ranging from graphic designer, video/sound editor, User Experience (UX) developer, software developer, project manager, technical writer, and data scientist to achieve their goals.

It is estimated that the field of Learning Design will continue to see significant growth in the next few decades as companies continue to acknowledge the benefits of the field and embrace new training experiences for both their employees and their end users.

How to become a Learning Designer?

1. Pursue education and training: While there is no single path to entering the field of learning design, many learning designers have backgrounds in instructional design, educational technology, instructional technology, psychology, or related fields. Pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree in one of these areas can provide you with a strong foundation in the theories and principles of learning design.
2. Build up your related skills: While a degree goes a long way towards helping candidates become qualified in the field, certain related skills which may not always be taught in a degree program should not be overlooked. These may include core skills such as project management, and communication as well as other more technical skills including graphic design, multimedia production, user experience design, and software development which can be acquired through training programs, workshops, and online courses.
3. Gain experience: Just  as in most other careers, you need to have earned practical experience in the field before being considered truly qualified. This can be done through internships, volunteer work, or through personal and freelance projects. Look for opportunities to work with experienced learning designers when possible or take on small projects that allow you to develop your skills and build your portfolio.
4. Build your portfolio: A strong portfolio of work is essential to becoming a learning designer. Include samples of your work in your portfolio that demonstrate your design skills and show how you have solved real-world problems.
5. Network: Building a network of contacts in the learning design industry can help you to learn about new opportunities, get feedback on your work, and find mentors to guide your career development. Attend industry conferences, join professional organizations, and participate in online forums and communities to build your network.
6. Stay up to date: The field of learning design is constantly evolving, with new technologies, design trends, and theories emerging all the time. To stay up to date, read industry publications, attend conferences, and participate in continuing education programs.
7. Help and share: Help others and share what you have learned supporting those entering the field and allowing you to gain recognition and exposure in the process.

Sources

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• Taylor, T. (2021, May 12). Top 10 in demand instructional designer skills. eLearning Industry. Retrieved February 16, 2023, from https://elearningindustry.com/instructional-designer-skills-top-10
• What is learning design? [+ career path options]. University of San Diego Online Degrees. (2022, November 15). Retrieved February 16, 2023, from https://onlinedegrees.sandiego.edu/what-is-learning-design/
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• https://www.td.org/what-is-instructional-design