Instructional Design Trends: What’s on the Roadmap?

The most effective learning mechanisms have a flow. One topic naturally segues to the next, making the experience as comfortable as it is informative. Often, crafting learning and development programs that function in this manner doesn’t happen by accident. Instead, a clear roadmap serves as a guide, ensuring the entire learning journey moves along efficiently. But, the value of the roadmap doesn’t end there. It is also a critical source of information for the learner. Not only does it outline the included activities, but it also aligns them to a larger goal. This can make a significant difference when it comes to making sure they remain motivated.

Creating a Functional Roadmap

An effective roadmap breaks down the entire learning journey for the student. When they review the blueprint, they can see every step of the process and how they fit together. Additionally, they can see how they all make the primary goal possible, allowing them to visualize the proverbial pot of gold at the end of the learning rainbow. Every student ends up with a holistic view of the learning program thanks to the high-quality roadmap. Further, it can serve as a reminder of not just where they are going, but how far they’ve come as they progress, both of which can be incredibly motivating.

Embracing the Right Design Elements

As you craft a learning journey, you also need to look at engagement. If your learners aren’t engaged as they proceed, their rate of retention may suffer. Similarly, uninspiring content harms motivation, making employees less likely to work through the program to reach the end goal. If you want your roadmap and content to be intriguing, it needs to feature a striking and engaging design. Focus on dividing the entire lesson into digestible chunks, such as by only covering a single topic in each learning unit. Additionally, you need to forgo stylish text for highly readable fonts. Ideally, work to combine images, videos, and snippets of highly legible text to make the entire process visually and intellectually interesting.

Consider a Flexible Roadmap

Often, when people envision a learning roadmap, they picture a rigid set of steps that must be completed. However, since your staff has a mix of prior knowledge and experience, requiring everyone to dedicate the same amount of time to each module isn’t efficient or engaging. AI can be a powerful addition to your L&D program by giving you the ability to craft flexible designs that respect the needs and abilities of each learner. Analytic processes can determine whether an employee has fully grasped the concept or if they need additional time and then adjust the step to accommodate their needs.

Are You Ready to Enhance Your L&D?

If you are ready to enhance your L&D, the knowledgeable instructional design consultants at Clarity Consultants can work directly with your business to create your ideal solution. Contact us to speak with one of our highly skilled consultants about your goals today and see how our flexible services can make forging your perfect learning and development program easier than ever before.