Instructional Design Guidelines Research Articles

Guidelines for instructional design of courses for the development of self-regulated learning for teachers

Self-regulated learning strategies are essential for learning, and to teach learners to use them, teachers must master them. The objective of this study was to identify training priorities for including these strategies in online courses for teachers, and to determine whether opinion influences the use of strategies. The design was non-experimental and cross-sectional, and involved administering the revised Cuestionario de Evaluación de las Estrategias de Aprendizaje de los Estudiantes Universitarios (CEVEAPEU questionnaire) to 285 teachers. The results allow us to differentiate between priority weaknesses, lower-priority weaknesses, and strengths in relation to metacognitive strategies (planning, objectives, self-evaluation, self-regulation, and context). To determine this, a frequency analysis was used, followed by a Mann-Whitney U (for 2-group variables) and Kruskal-Wallis (for 3 groups) test to determine whether opinion influences the use of strategies. Priority weaknesses were identified in the knowledge of objectives and evaluation criteria (planification); the ability to recognise when an exam has been passed (self-evaluation); modifying initial plans, dedicating more effort to difficult subjects, and learning new study techniques (self-regulation); and taking advantage of study time (context control). We concluded that opinions on self-regulated learning influence the use of strategies. Finally, work should be done on the recognition of the importance of self-regulated learning, time management strategies, self-evaluation techniques, flexibility, and self-control.

A framework for designing interactive mobile training course content using augmented reality.

Because mobile technology and the widespread usage of mobile devices have swiftly and radically evolved, several training centers have started to offer mobile training (m-training) via mobile devices. Thus, designing suitable m-training course content for training employees via mobile device applications has become an important professional development issue to allow employees to obtain knowledge and improve their skills in the rapidly changing mobile environment. Previous studies have identified challenges in this domain. One important challenge is that no solid theoretical framework serves as a foundation to provide instructional design guidelines for interactive m-training course content that motivates and attracts trainees to the training process via mobile devices. This study proposes a framework for designing interactive m-training course content using mobile augmented reality (MAR). A mixed-methods approach was adopted. Key elements were extracted from the literature to create an initial framework. Then, the framework was validated by interviewing experts, and it was tested by trainees. This integration led us to evaluate and prove the validity of the proposed framework. The framework follows a systematic approach guided by six key elements and offers a clear instructional design guideline checklist to ensure the design quality of interactive m-training course content. This study contributes to the knowledge by establishing a framework as a theoretical foundation for designing interactive m-training course content. Additionally, it supports the m-training domain by assisting trainers and designers in creating interactive m-training courses to train employees, thus increasing their engagement in m-training. Recommendations for future studies are proposed.

INFOGRÁFICO PARA GESTANTES E ACOMPANHANTES: TECNOLOGIA EDUCACIONAL NO CONTEXTO DO ATENDIMENTO OBSTÉTRICO

ABSTRACT Objective: to describe the process of construction and validation of an educational infographic with guidelines for pregnant women and companions in obstetric care in the context of Covid-19. Method: methodological research based on Instructional System Design guidelines and conducted from January 2021 to March 2022, in the State of Santa Catarina - Brazil, in three moments: scoping review, interviews with nurses from an Obstetric Emergency, and elaboration of educational technology and validation with experts. The analysis was anchored in content analysis with Content Validity Index. Results: the infographic addresses care for the prevention of Covid-19 infection, guidance on the onset of labor, when to seek maternity care, and care during hospitalization of pregnant women. The infographic obtained a Content Validity Index of 83.3%. Conclusion: educational technology was considered adequate for disseminating information and assisting professionals in promoting health and preventing injuries to the obstetric population.

Cognitive Load Theory on Virtual Mathematics Laboratory: Systematic Literature Review

The primary goal of cognitive load theory is to improve the learning of complex cognitive tasks by transforming current scientific knowledge on how cognitive structures and processes are organized into guidelines for instructional design. Cognitive load theory assumes that the bottleneck for acquiring new secondary biological knowledge is the limited working memory capacity. In the ideal situation, the working memory resources required for learning do not exceed the available resources. Despite this, in reality, there will often be a high cognitive load, or even ”overload,” for two reasons. First, dealing with interactive information elements in complex cognition imposes a high intrinsic working memory load. Second, learners also have to use working memory resources for activities that are extraneous to performing and learning tasks, that is, activities that are not productive for learning. Virtual Laboratory is a form of animation that can visualize abstract phenomena or complex experiments in natural laboratories to increase learning activities and develop problem-solving skills. A virtual math laboratory was created to optimize dual coding memory, namely verbal and audio learning. The investigation tracked the approved reporting Items for Systematics Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, illustrating the outcomes of the literature searches and articles selection process. It is used to provide that the selection process is replicable and transparent. We accomplished a computerized bibliometric analysis from 2002-2022 for articles retrieved from the SCOPUS database. Data were collected in July 2022.
 Keywords: cognitive load theory, virtual laboratory, mathematics education

Guidelines and strategies for fostering and enhancing self-directed online learning

ABSTRACT The aim of this article is to provide practical instructional design strategies to foster and enhance learners’ online self-directed learning skills and abilities; especially when accessing massive open online courses (MOOCs) and other forms of open educational resources and OpenCourseWare (OCW). In addition to attempting to understand self-directed online learning, a series of studies was conducted to explore how to motivate learners and enhance students’ self-management and self-monitoring skills in MOOCs. This article offers 15 practical guidelines for fostering learners’ self-directed online learning (SDOL) based on the authors’ past research, including extensive literature reviews, surveys, dozens of MOOC instructor and learner interviews, and many course content analyses. Detailed explanations and examples are provided to help readers understand each of the 15 individual strategies. It is hoped that these instructional design guidelines will be adopted by instructional designers of MOOCs as well as practitioners in their MOOC teaching practices.

The limited use of instructional design guidelines in healthcare simulation scenarios: an expert appraisal

BackgroundSystematic reviews on simulation training effectiveness have pointed to the need to adhere to evidence-based instructional design (ID) guidelines. ID guidelines derive from sound cognitive theories and aim to optimize complex learning (integration of knowledge, skills, and attitudes) and learning transfer (application of acquired knowledge and skills in the workplace). The purpose of this study was to explore adherence to ID guidelines in simulation training programs for dealing with postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), a high-risk situation and the leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide.MethodsA total of 40 raters analyzed simulation training programs as described in 32 articles. The articles were divided into four subsets of seven articles and one subset of four articles. Each subset was judged by seven to ten raters on adherence to ID guidelines. The 5-point Likert score rating scale was based on Merrill’s First Principles of Instruction and included items relating to key ID features categorized into five subscales: authenticity, activation of prior knowledge, demonstration, application, and integration/transfer. The authors searched for articles published in English between January 2007 and March 2017 in PubMed, Eric, and Google Scholar and calculated the mean Likert-scale score, per subscale, and interrater reliability (IRR).ResultsThe mean Likert-scale scores calculated for all subscales were < 3.00. For the number of raters used to judge the papers in this study (varying between 7 and 10), the IRR was found to be excellent for the authenticity and integration/transfer subscales, good-to-excellent for the activation of prior knowledge and application subscales, and fair-to-good for the demonstration subscale.ConclusionThe results demonstrate a paucity of the description of adherence to evidence-based ID guidelines in current simulation trainings for a high-risk situation such as PPH.

Mini-games for entrepreneurship in construction: instructional design and effects of the TYCON game

ABSTRACT Entrepreneurship is crucial for economic growth and employment, but conventional didactical approaches appear ineffective. Effective approaches should include experiential learning from real problems. The serious game under study was developed in the context of entrepreneurship training for construction workers (at European Quality Framework levels 3 to 5). The game offers an immersive scenario with players carrying out authentic tasks in authentic construction business contexts. The article describes important instructional design guidelines applied to assure that tasks and game mechanisms support such more experiential learning. An empirical study (with complete datasets collected from 97 participants across six countries) compared the professional awareness about entrepreneurship before and after gameplay, and analysed computer logging data on game behaviour. We administered a questionnaire after gameplay to inquire about game appreciation. Effective learning from gameplay could indeed be achieved by applying instructional design guidelines. The awareness gain from gameplay was significant (with mean scores on a knowledge test increasing from 45% to 61% correct answers). The games were appreciated (mildly) positive on important game features (flow, authenticity, motivation, usability, learnability and attractiveness). We discuss limitations of the study and recommendations for future research into professional games for awareness raising.

SPARRING: A deliberate practice pedagogy for business education

AbstractMany higher education institutions are calling for more experiential learning to improve learning outcomes and better prepare students for the workplace. The need for enhanced experiential education in business schools, and in the decision sciences, is especially important. However, there is a lack of common practical understanding of how to implement this type of learning in business education. We address this gap using deliberate practice as a conceptual framework. Deliberate practice is a proven training technique for developing high levels of expertise. In spite of growing evidence of its relevance to higher education, two obstacles inhibit its widespread adoption by business educators. First, due to its origins as a one‐on‐one coaching technique, deliberate practice is difficult to apply in traditional university classrooms. Second, because the curriculum must be designed from the start to implement deliberate practice principles, instructional design guidelines are needed to direct the efforts of faculty. To overcome these obstacles, we develop an eight‐step instructional design model called SPARRING that incorporates all deliberate practice principles into one framework. We then discuss 13 pedagogical techniques that instructors can use in and outside of class to implement deliberate practice in business education. Using the SPARRING model, we show that these techniques can deliver an authentic and effective deliberate practice experience. We also discuss the application of the SPARRING model at the program and school levels. At a time of major disruptions in higher education, the SPARRING model offers a new pathway for traditional residential universities interested in teaching real‐world skills valued by employers in a manner not easily replicated by artificial intelligence.

A Qualitative Study of Faculty Responses to Teaching during the Covid-19 Pandemic: Creating a Culture of Support

This study examines the online teaching and learning experience of twenty-one (21) faculty members at a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) research university from the initial campus closure of the university in February 2020 in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic, through the end of Fall 2020 semester. The methodology entailed one-on-one interviews with instructors, reviews of the course materials in the Learning Management System, and the examination of email and videoconferencing exchanges. Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction and the Quality Matters Rubric guidelines for instructional design framed the methodology. This study finds that faculty benefitted from close connections with colleagues and continuous institutional support during the pivot to emergency remote teaching and into a hybrid learning environment. These two factors – collegial connections and university resources – were crucial in sustaining faculty work during the period of this study.

Instructional Design Guidelines for Advancing Self‐Sustaining Online Higher Education in the USA

Instructional Design Guidelines for Advancing Self‐Sustaining Online Higher Education in the USA

SPARRING: A Deliberate Practice Pedagogy for Business Education

Many higher education institutions are calling for more experiential learning to improve learning outcomes and better prepare students for the workplace. The need for enhanced experiential education in business schools, and in the decision sciences, is especially important. However, there is a lack of common practical understanding of how to implement this type of learning in business education. We address this gap using deliberate practice as a conceptual framework. Deliberate practice is a proven training technique for developing high levels of expertise. In spite of growing evidence of its relevance to higher education, two obstacles inhibit its widespread adoption by business educators. First, due to its origins as a one-on-one coaching technique, deliberate practice is difficult to apply in traditional university classrooms. Second, because the curriculum must be designed from the start to implement deliberate practice principles, instructional design guidelines are needed to direct the efforts of faculty. To overcome these obstacles, we develop an eight-step instructional design model called SPARRING that incorporates all deliberate practice principles into one framework. We then discuss 13 pedagogical techniques that instructors can use in and outside of class to implement deliberate practice in business education. Using the SPARRING model, we show that these techniques can deliver an authentic and effective deliberate practice experience. We also discuss the application of the SPARRING model at the program and school levels. At a time of major disruptions in higher education, the SPARRING model offers a new pathway for traditional residential universities interested in teaching real-world skills valued by employers in a manner not easily replicated by artificial intelligence (AI).

Music Cognition and Affect in the Design of Technology-Enhanced Music Lessons

The present study addresses the lack of an instructional design methodology for the integration of technology in music teaching and learning, and explores, within the framework of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK), the importance of affect in instructional design. The study extends the theoretical framework of TPCK to a design framework and proposes a methodology and instructional design guidelines that address both the cognitive and the affective domains of learning. The research has both practical and theoretical significance as it provides teachers with explicit guidance on how to design music lessons based on TPCK principles, and, examines interactions among content, technology, cognition, and affect. Through the 4E perspective, technology and the proposed approach are viewed as agents of a distributed system that can support the embodied minds to develop musical and emotional understanding.

Fostering positive emotions and history knowledge with location-based augmented reality and tour-guide prompts

There is a lack of theory-driven empirical research that evaluates outcomes of location-based augmented reality (AR) applications with the purpose of improving instructional design and use guidelines. The primary aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of two historical reasoning guide protocols, one based on prior research by Harley and colleagues (2016a; the other an extension) while learners used a mobile AR app to learn about history. Learners reported significantly higher levels of enjoyment and curiosity from learning about history than using the app itself, though mean levels were high for both—in contrast to negative emotions. Results suggest that the new and extended historical reasoning guide protocol succeeded in fostering higher levels of knowledge than the former. Findings also revealed that learners reported significantly higher levels of task value after the guided tour compared to their pre-guided-tour responses. Implications and future directions are discussed.

Investigating TPCK through music focusing on affect

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to address the lack of a theoretical framework for the integration of technology in music teaching and learning, and explores, within the framework of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK or TPACK), the importance of affect in instructional design.Design/methodology/approachThe authors reviewed relevant literature related to the fields of music education, instructional design, and technology integration. Accordingly, they developed guidelines for designing technology-enhanced learning for the activities of music composition and listening.FindingsThe authors propose a set of design principles based on the TPCK framework through the subject matter of music focusing on the affective domain, and identify interrelations among musical content, emotions, and technology. The design guidelines were tested in an empirical investigation and the results showed statistically significant differences between the control and the experimental groups in favor of the experimental group.Research limitations/implicationsFurther investigation is necessary to test the effectiveness of the proposed design principles. Including affect in the design process is a complicated and mostly unchartered area, and, thus, further research toward this direction is fully justified.Practical implicationsThe research has practical significance, addressing a gap in the field of music education, as it provides teachers with explicit guidance about how to design music lessons with technology while incorporating affect.Originality/valueThe study extends the theoretical framework of TPCK to a design framework and proposes instructional design guidelines that address both the cognitive and the affective domains of learning, a focus that is currently missing from the existing TPCK or TPACK literature as well as the music education literature.

Perspectivas sobre o uso das diretrizes de desenho instrucional para a simulação na saúde: revisão da literatura

AIMS: This article had two main objectives: to present a brief summary of introductory cognitive concepts on learning and instruction for simulation, including instructional design guidelines; and provide an overview of the current available evidence on the instructional perspectives on healthcare simulation training effectiveness, in particular with regards to simulation formats, fidelity and simulation site.METHODS: We searched for articles at MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, ERIC, LILACS and SciELO databases, using the keywords "instructional design guidelines", "healthcare simulation", "simulation training", "simulation effectiveness", "complex learning", and "transfer of learning". No specific beginning date of publication was specified and last date of search was September 19th 2017. All articles in English and Portuguese were considered for inclusion with no specific exclusion criteria. A few articles were purposefully selected in search of introductory concepts on learning and instruction.RESULTS: Our search retrieved 3196 articles in the different databases. After preliminary title, abstract and content analysis, we selected 56 articles. Additionally, nine traditional articles and one book were included to present the best available evidence, reviews, reflections and critiques on simulation instructional perspectives, resulting in 66 references consulted in detail for this review.CONCLUSIONS: Simulation offers the opportunity for active learning for health professionals by providing a complex learning environment with integration of knowledge, skills and attitudes. With potential impact on the different levels of learning, behavior and results, special attention should be given to the instructional format of the simulation. Among the instructional design guidelines, authenticity stands out as one of the elements of fundamental relevance for learning. Other instructional elements, such as increasing complexity, proper training location, debriefing, self-assessment opportunity, and other forms of assessment, also have positive influence and should be used in planning different simulation instructional designs.

The simulated clinical environment: Cognitive and emotional impact among undergraduates

Context: Simulated clinical immersion (SCI) is used in undergraduate healthcare programs to expose the learner to real-life situations in authentic simulated clinical environments. For novices, the environment in which the simulation occurs can be distracting and stressful, hence potentially compromising learning.Objectives: This study aims to determine whether SCI (with environment) imposes greater extraneous cognitive load and stress on undergraduate pharmacy students than simulated patients (SP) (without environment). It also aims to explore how features of the simulated environment influence students’ perception of learning.Methods: In this mixed-methods study, 143 undergraduate pharmacy students experienced both SCI and SP in a crossover design. After the simulations, participants rated their cognitive load and emotions. Thirty-five students met in focus groups to explore their perception of learning in simulation.Results: Intrinsic and extraneous cognitive load and stress scores in SCI were significantly but modestly higher compared to SP. Qualitative findings reveal that the physical environment in SCI generated more stress and affected students? focus. In SP, students concentrated on clinical reasoning. SCI stimulated a focus on data collection but impeded in-depth problem solving processes.Conclusion: The physical environment in simulation influences what and how students learn. SCI was reported as more cognitively demanding than SP. Our findings emphasize the need for the development of adapted instructional design guidelines in simulation for novices.

Off-task behavior in elementary school children

This paper reports results from a large-scale observational study investigating attention allocation during instructional activities in elementary school students (kindergarten through fourth-grade). In Study 1, 22 classrooms participated while a more diverse sample of 30 classrooms participated in Study 2. This work investigated temporal patterns in children's attention allocation by collecting observational data on children's on- and off-task behaviors at three different time points (i.e., beginning, middle, and end of the school year) [Study 1]. We also investigated whether patterns of attention allocation changed as a function of student characteristics (gender, grade-level, SES), teachers' instructional design choices (instructional format and duration of an instructional activity), and school type (private, parochial, public charter schools) [Studies 1 & 2]. Children's patterns of attention allocation fluctuated over the course of the school year. Female students were found to be more on-task compared to male students. On-task behavior tended to decline as the instructional duration increased. The lowest rates of on-task behavior were observed while children were engaged in whole-group instructional formats. An effect of school type was found with higher proportions of on-task behavior observed in parochial schools. However, the effect of grade-level was equivocal across studies. These findings can begin to form a foundation for the development of research-based guidelines for instructional design aimed to support engagement among students in elementary classrooms.

Análisis de la percepción de estudiantes, docentes y coordinadores sobre la estructura de los OVAS de la Fundación Universitaria Católica del Norte

An exploration is presented on the perception of students, teachers and coordinators of the Fundacion Universitaria Catolica del Norte of the educational materials that are being used in the different programs. The study considered the variables content, learning activities, graphic design of the educational materials and teaching for understanding as the focus under which the institution designs the educational materials; these variables correspond to the salient aspects of an instructional design, which ultimately have a direct impact on learning and skill development. In the analysis process, the preferences of students, teachers and coordinators regarding each one of the variables and the valuation that these actors make of the other components of the OVAS are highlighted; likewise, some tendencies and preferences related to the design of educational materials are perceived. Finally, it is emphasized that the findings presented in this article offer guidelines for instructional design in other educational environments that operate under virtual modality.

Development And Application Of Game-Based Learning Software Combining Role-Playing With Problem-Solving Strategies

With the development of educational technology, game-based learning has been gradually applied to teaching practice. This study is divided into two phases. In phase 1, systematic development process was used to develop a simulation e-learning game combining role-playing with problem-solving strategies called “Instructional Design Guidelines – Gem Quest.” This game aims to enable learners who intend to act as “game-based learning instructional designers” in e-learning industry to apply the instructional design knowledge, procedures, and project management skill they have learned, experience the practical work contexts in workplaces, and further use problem-solving strategies to complete tasks in the game before they engage in such work. This game is divided into 5 stages: raw materials, structure, storyboard, product, and online. Learners played the role as the game-based learning designers in the contexts, and had to interact and communicate with the members of various projects in the contexts to implement the projects. The conditions for stage completion and feedback mechanism of the game were designed according to the actual workplace status. Upon completion of this software, Phase 2 is an empirical study was conducted during course instruction to investigate learners’ technology acceptance and learning effectiveness of application of this game. The participants were a total of 51 sophomores of Department of Multimedia Design in a certain university in the northern Taiwan. The research results showed that, learners’ technology acceptance of this game is above the median, and there is a significant difference in their stage completion and posttest scores.

Costs and benefits of more learner freedom: meta-analyses of exploratory and learner control training methods.

Individual meta-analyses were conducted for six training methods as part of a U.S. Army basic research project. The objective was to identify evidence-based guidelines for the effectiveness of each training method, under different moderating conditions, for cognitive skill transfer in adult learning. Results and implications for two of these training methods, learner control (LC) and exploratory learning (EL), are discussed. LC provides learners with active control over training variables. EL requires learners to discover relationships and interactions between variables. There is mixed evidence on the effectiveness of both LC and EL learning methods on transfer relative to more guided training methods. Cognitive load theory (CLT) provides a basis for predicting that training strategies that manage intrinsic load of a task during training and minimize extraneous load will avail more resources that can be devoted to learning. Meta-analyses were conducted using a Hedges's g analysis of effect sizes. Control conditions with little to no learner freedom were contrasted with treatment conditions manipulating more learner freedom. Overall more LC was no different from training with limited or no learner control, and more EL was less effective than limited or no exploration; however, each can be effective under certain conditions. Both strategies have been more effective for cognitive skill learning than for knowledge recall tasks. LC exhibited more benefit to very near transfer, whereas EL's benefit was to far transfer. Task type, transfer test, and transfer distance moderate the overall transfer cost of more learner freedom. The findings are applicable to the development of instructional design guidelines for the use of LC and EL in adult skill training.