Presentation delivered at Learning Solutions 2016. Sound learning theory underpins much of traditional instructional design (ID) and can greatly improve user experience, but the advent of a need-to-know-now culture is proving the art of innovation can and must work alongside the science of design. The challenge is to balance the needs of your users and the concerns of established IDs against harnessing the originality of developers who may lack a traditional background.

1. Balancing the Art and Design of
Instructional Design
ACHIEVING INSTRUCTIONAL ZEN
Senior Principal, Learning Strategy
Sean Bengry
Accenture

2. I am an Instructional Designer

3. “Danger! Danger!”
Provocative statements made
with Pop-culture references ahead
Google at will

4. Process of
Elimination
Love me
some ID
I’ve got
a problem
Angry
traditional ID

6. What if money
wasn’t a barrier?

7. Hi, I’m an
instructional
designer

8. out of
100
CNN – 2013 Best Jobs in America
http://money.cnn.com/pf/best-jobs/2013/snapshots/76.html?iid=BestJobs_fl_list

9. You can’t design learning
Just in case you didn’t know

10. balance cleansefocus
ACHIEVE INSTRUCTIONAL
You can

11. good looking books

12. To develop a complete mind: Study
the art of science; study the science
of art. Learn how to see.
L E O N A R D O D A V I N C I
“

13. Create a course on the avian life-cycle…
What’s your first topic?

14. eye-candy
broad stroke
emotion
bias
focused lens
science
ARTSCIENCE
innovationevidence

15. I sense a disturbance in the
balance of the force…

16. Design is directed towards human
beings. To design is to solve human
problems by identifying them and
executing the best solution.
I V A N C H E R M A Y E F F
“

17. instructional design thinking

18. staying afloat

19. S T A T E T H E O B V I O U S A L E R T
Instructional Design is
NOT necessary for learning
Instructional Design does
NOT guarantee learning

20. 33215
Top 100 Tools for Learning 2015, C4PLT; Jane Hart
http://c4lpt.co.uk/directory/top-100-tools/

21. Perfor
Sup
Talent
Management
Knowledge
Management
Structured
Learning
Access to
Experts
Social
Networking
And
Collaboration

22. This doesn’t happen when someone
forgets instructional design

23. Would you force graphic design on just text?
Would you force fashion design on a uniform?
Don’t force Instructional Design

24. content
and design*
development
and deployment
practice
and application
*Instructional design is a job ROLE and a set of competencies
THE LE ARNING E XPERIENCE

25. i can never die

26. AVOID
destructional design
too slow
too smart
too techie

27. people, uh,
will find a way (to learn)

28. Done is better than perfect.
S H E R Y L S A N D B E R G
“

29. How much I actually know
How much I think I know (%)
How much I realize
there is to know
Knowledge
Expertise
I know nothing I’m an expert I know nothing
BEGINNER E XP ERTHA ZARD
adapted from Simon Wardley

30. Everything around us is designed on some level. There
are decisions made about both the function and the
form. This does not mean that everything is good
design and that everyone should be a designer
R E N A T A B A R R O S
“

31. It was the best of times,
it was the worst of times
“
C H A R L E S D I C K E N S

32. M A R S H A L L M C L U H A N
We become what we behold. We shape
our tools and then our tools shape us.
“

33. INSTRUCTIO NAL ZEN
find Balance between
the art and science
Focus on the right time to
apply instructional design
Cleanse yourself from
destructional design
a c h i e v i n g

34. I never teach my students.
I only provide the conditions
In which they can learn
A L B E R T E I N S T E I N
“