Email to an existing client about Instructional Design...

Hi,

I have an existing client who wanted me to go to site next week to help designing the first in a set of short, relatively simple, 20'ish-slide courses, relatively linear but with some interactivity and builds/layers.

He is very much at the start of his Instructional Design journey, so I wrote him this email.

I thought that the content/model might be of use to someone else when in the same scenario.

Bruce

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Hi.
I do not think, unfortunately, that I am going to be able to join you next week, because xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As these courses are only about 20 slides long maximum, there is, (in my opinion), quite a repeatable structure that you can apply here over the 4 courses we intend to build:
1> Title
2> Introduction
3> Example of WHY they should care - usually how much is spent/wasted or lost doing/not doing task x. This is something that makes them think/realise that this is "real"..
4> Why it is important that they listen to this module, and what will happen at the end of it. WHAT WILL THEY BE EXPECTED TO DO DIFFERENTLY. Objectives are not about "understanding", they are about DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY AND THE DIFFERENCE THAT THEY WILL MAKE TO THE BUSINESS.
5> Then "tell the story" over a few slides, with diagrams to illustrate concepts where possible.
6> Summary and Call to Action

That's all you can really get into 20 or so slides.
Examples are always great - real, tangible examples from within the business that learners will be able to recognise. Examples of the business cost when things go WRONG are also very powerful. You can get people to work through short examples where there is a subtle but fundamental piece missing so that when they get to the end, to a conclusion that is obviously incorrect, they are naturally inquisitive to know the answer, and find out WHY they got the answer they did.

Anyway, I hope these ideas are useful, and that they help guide you next Tuesday.
Please call me to discuss anything that does not make sense or which needs further explanation.

Bruce