LLLab Pro is a laboratory for creating new educational approaches and methods for lifelong learning
Designing Instruction for Complex Learning
TESTED
HOW TO WORK WITH TOOLS?
Look at the main concepts and theories.
All tools are grounded in theory and evidence. Armed with the understanding of the main concepts, you will know not only what to do, but also how to do it and why.
All tools are grounded in theory and evidence. Armed with the understanding of the main concepts, you will know not only what to do, but also how to do it and why.
Take action!
Examine target audience, goals, learning outcomes and descriptions of tools. Develop a step-by-step plan to introduce a tool into your practice and identify the metrics which reflect each method's effectiveness.
Examine target audience, goals, learning outcomes and descriptions of tools. Develop a step-by-step plan to introduce a tool into your practice and identify the metrics which reflect each method's effectiveness.
Экспериментируйте!
К каждой методике мы добавили дизайн исследования, то есть вы сами можете оценить ее эффективность и написать нам результаты.
Присоединяйтесь таким образом
К каждой методике мы добавили дизайн исследования, то есть вы сами можете оценить ее эффективность и написать нам результаты.
Присоединяйтесь таким образом
Experiment!
Treat all methods like hypotheses that need to be tested. For every tool we added a design of an experiment and metrics of success, so that you can share your results with us in a feedback form. Join our community!
Treat all methods like hypotheses that need to be tested. For every tool we added a design of an experiment and metrics of success, so that you can share your results with us in a feedback form. Join our community!
1
2
3
Goal and target audience
Listed below is a set of frameworks, intended to help instructional designers to develop learning programs around authentic tasks.
Target audience:
The frameworks will work for:
N.B. Before using the frameworks, we recommend to clearly define target audiences and their needs. Authentic tasks are easier to outline if there is a specific audience with specific job responsibilities or working needs. The suggested set of frameworks would not work for courses targeting a very wide audience (for example, "emotional intelligence for everyone" or "facilitation for teachers, coaches, HR" etc.), because it would be difficult to name authentic tasks that will fit everybody.
Target audience:
- Instructional designers
- Project managers for education
- Trainers
- Teachers
The frameworks will work for:
- Online training programs that help to break into a new career field.
- Soft skills training programs / courses for a narrow target audience (for example, creative thinking for entrepreneurs or emotional intelligence for managers).
- Specific courses within academic programs (bachelor's, master's) targeted at developing particular skills.
N.B. Before using the frameworks, we recommend to clearly define target audiences and their needs. Authentic tasks are easier to outline if there is a specific audience with specific job responsibilities or working needs. The suggested set of frameworks would not work for courses targeting a very wide audience (for example, "emotional intelligence for everyone" or "facilitation for teachers, coaches, HR" etc.), because it would be difficult to name authentic tasks that will fit everybody.
Theoretical Background
A detailed description of the theoretical background can be found in our article — How to design long term educational programs? (in Russian).
Please find the key takeaways listed below:
The proposed frameworks are based on the concept of "complex learning" and Four-Component Instructional Design model (4С/ID by Van Merriënboer).
Complex learning integrates knowledge, skills and attitudes; coordinates qualitatively different constituent skills; and often transfers what was learned in school or training to daily life and work.
4С/ID model belongs to the group of task-centered design models which develop learning activities based on real-life authentic tasks as the driving force for teaching, training, and learning.
Please find the key takeaways listed below:
The proposed frameworks are based on the concept of "complex learning" and Four-Component Instructional Design model (4С/ID by Van Merriënboer).
Complex learning integrates knowledge, skills and attitudes; coordinates qualitatively different constituent skills; and often transfers what was learned in school or training to daily life and work.
4С/ID model belongs to the group of task-centered design models which develop learning activities based on real-life authentic tasks as the driving force for teaching, training, and learning.
The basic assumption of the 4C/ID model is that educational programs can be described in terms of four components:
Proposed frameworks are meant to serve as a preparation stage for the 4C/ID model. Their main focus is to collect and design authentic learning tasks through interviews with subject-matter experts (SMEs).
Frameworks aim to solve the following problems:
- Learning tasks form the backbone of the instructional blueprint and are based on authentic real‐life situations that are encountered in practice because this helps the learner to acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes in an integrated fashion. Learning tasks of equal complexity are grouped together, creating task classes that are sequenced from simple to complex. While working on these tasks, the teacher and the instructional materials provide the necessary support and guidance to help learners to carry out the tasks to completion. In a process of scaffolding, this support and guidance are gradually withdrawn until the learners are able to independently carry out tasks of a certain level of complexity before engaging in more complex tasks (i.e., the next task class). The three other components are logically connected to this backbone of learning tasks.
- Supportive information is often referred to as 'theory' and includes information to develop mental models and cognitive strategies that are necessary to complete the learning tasks. Supportive information aims at non‐recurrent aspects of the task that deal with problem‐solving, reasoning and decision making. It can be presented in the form of lectures, workshops, or study materials and is available for students to study before or while they carry out the learning tasks.
- Procedural information aims at recurrent and procedural aspects and provides step‐by‐step instructions when the learner performs those aspects. It specifies exactly how to perform the routine aspects of the task and is best presented just in time—precisely when learners need it.
- Part‐task practice can be included to provide repeated practice to train routine skills until they can be performed automatically.
Proposed frameworks are meant to serve as a preparation stage for the 4C/ID model. Their main focus is to collect and design authentic learning tasks through interviews with subject-matter experts (SMEs).
Frameworks aim to solve the following problems:
- Instructional designers cannot come up with authentic tasks on their own (and that is normal!). At the same time, it is often challenging for an ID to communicate to the expert what tasks are needed for a course / program.
- Even if ID managed to collect learning tasks from a SME, these tasks often happen to be too simple / difficult for students.
Stage 1.
Subject Matter Mapping
Subject Matter Mapping
The goal of the stage: to conduct an interview with a SME in order to find out the key authentic tasks and their components. By components we mean descriptive characteristics that distinguish one task from another (features of the context, tools application etc).
At this stage, you need to follow five steps:
Expected result: a map of learning tasks accompanied by expert comments.
At this stage, you need to follow five steps:
- Conduct a welcome interview with a SME
- Prepare a template for subject area mapping
- Conduct a series of in-depth interviews to collect learning tasks
- Validate the results with a SME
Expected result: a map of learning tasks accompanied by expert comments.
Step 1. Conduct a welcome interview with a SME
1. Get to know your SMEs.
2. Discuss and document the desired outcomes of the course / programs.
3. Discuss and document your collaboration rules: responsibilities, meetings schedule etc.
4. Discuss and document the desired outcomes of the first meeting.
5. Review the problems of the target audience that you are going to solve through the course:
2. Discuss and document the desired outcomes of the course / programs.
3. Discuss and document your collaboration rules: responsibilities, meetings schedule etc.
4. Discuss and document the desired outcomes of the first meeting.
5. Review the problems of the target audience that you are going to solve through the course:
- What is the main problem of the target audience? Why?
- If you could help your target audience with only one thing, what would it be? Why?
- In your opinion, what is the solution to the problem? Why?
- What professional topic drives you / keeps you awake at night? Why?
- Which professional area are you the most experienced in?
- What do you want to say about it? How can this knowledge help our target audience?
- Why are you interested in this topic?
- What do you think is the most important thing about it?
- What broad work-related task will a person who studied this topic (or both of these topics) be dealing with?
- List 1-3 examples of real projects/products that can come out of solving the task.
- Describe a typical algorithm of tackling these tasks—what steps are involved?
- Talk about the variations of key tasks or primary work tasks that a student may encounter in 3-6 months' time after finishing the course and working closely on the issue.
- Will the steps needed to solve these tasks be different from a typical algorithm? If so, describe the steps.
- To sort the tasks based on their complexity, let's determine the complexity parameters first. In your opinion, what parameters does the topic include? For example, complexity increasing in parallel with growing professionalism or with the ambiguity of problems a specialist has to solve.
- Describe the tasks in more detail based on their increasing complexity. To do that, let's identify components, or labels, which will differentiate one task from another. Examples of labels—finished product, input artefacts, solution tools, input data provided by client.
- Talk about each component in detail: what status can it have (if applicable)? Status is the meaning behind the component, for example, "Tool" component for "Create a landing page" task can have the following statuses: "Automatically building a landing page based on a template by filling in required fields", "Website builder like Tilda", "HTML + CSS".
- Make a list of components for every task on the list.
- What does one need to know to solve every task? Topics, concepts, approaches etc.
- What frame of mind does one need to be in to solve every task listed?
Step 2. Prepare a template for subject matter mapping
Task class (horizontally) is a group of tasks that the target audience face in real-life working conditions.
Component (vertically)—descriptive characteristics that distinguish one task from another. The number of components inherent to a task along with the degree of interaction between those components determines the task's complexity.
Status is the variable of a specific component.
During an interview at the intersection of horizontal and vertical lines you will be writing categories of learning tasks, each representing a version of the task with a particular level of complexity.
Example: learning task "create a landing page". One of the components of this task is a tool used to create a page. Possible statuses of the component: "using special designing platforms", "using WordPress plug-ins", "building a page from scratch through HTML and CSS".
Component (vertically)—descriptive characteristics that distinguish one task from another. The number of components inherent to a task along with the degree of interaction between those components determines the task's complexity.
Status is the variable of a specific component.
During an interview at the intersection of horizontal and vertical lines you will be writing categories of learning tasks, each representing a version of the task with a particular level of complexity.
Example: learning task "create a landing page". One of the components of this task is a tool used to create a page. Possible statuses of the component: "using special designing platforms", "using WordPress plug-ins", "building a page from scratch through HTML and CSS".
Step 3. Conduct a series of in-depth interviews to collect learning tasks
- What is the main task that the target audience will face at work?
- Tell us about a typical algorithm for approaching these tasks – what steps should be taken?
- What kind of outputs / outcomes a person can get when s/he solves a task?
- Let's imagine a recent graduate and a senior employee working with the same task. Will they tackle it similarly or in a different way? Why?
- Let's describe the variants of working tasks based on their complexity. What internal / external factors / components can influence the level of task complexity? The examples of components – outcome, input artefacts, tools etc.
- Let's get into each component: what status can it have (if the category is applicable)?
- Let's now describe the tasks based on their components.
- Let's write down what you need to know in order to solve each task: topics, concepts, approaches.
- Let's write down what attitudes and values you need to have in order to solve each task.
Example: learning task "to facilitate a training". Possible components: "the level of the audience (beginners, intermediate level, advanced)", "inputs from a client (brief, description of the audience, programs of previous training, etc.)". Thus, at the intersection, you can get the following variants for tasks: (1) "conduct a training for intermediate level audience based on clear brief"; (2) conduct a training for advanced level after clarification of client's needs".
In general, completing the framework takes quite a lot of time, so it is best to plan ahead 2-5 in-depth interviews to collect a full range of learning tasks.
Step 4. Validate results with an expert
After the last interview create a final version of the subject matter map and validate it with the expert.
Stage 2.
Formulating tasks
Formulating tasks
The goal of the stage: select the tasks that need to be included into the learning program and create an instructional draft of the course / program.
Main steps:
Main steps:
- Together with the expert, agree upon the main principles for tasks selection (the needs of the audience, time or budget constraints).
- Highlight priority tasks for the course, which will serve as the upper-level blocks of the course: sections, modules, etc. If necessary, conduct additional interviews.
- Develop different variants of the selected tasks based on their complexity level and scope of support provided to students.
Aforementioned types of learning tasks were taken from the 4C/ID model.
The source: Ten Steps to Complex Learning: A Systematic Approach to Four-Component Instructional Design
Expected results: formulated groups of tasks and an outlined draft structure of the course.
Expected results: formulated groups of tasks and an outlined draft structure of the course.
Stage 3.
Designing the program
Designing the program
The goal of the stage: create a curriculum of the course, which will include: groups of tasks and their description (what action is expected from the student), the necessary theory and procedural information (cheat sheets, templates).
Main steps:
Main steps:
- Fill in selected task groups and their description into the template (the 2nd column).
2. Together with the expert determine what knowledge and skills will be required to complete these tasks—this way, we shape the content of lessons / classes.
3. Determine what procedural information (templates, checklists, frameworks) students will need while working on assignments.
4. Write down the names of modules / section / building blocs of the course.
Expected results: finalised course curriculum.
3. Determine what procedural information (templates, checklists, frameworks) students will need while working on assignments.
4. Write down the names of modules / section / building blocs of the course.
Expected results: finalised course curriculum.
Testing frameworks – an overview
We tested the framework within two real working projects:
- Designing a Creative Thinking Course for Entrepreneurs
- Review of the Facilitation Course Curriculum
Designing a Creative Thinking Course for Entrepreneurs
Learning format: video lectures with a successful entrepreneur and assignments to be completed independently.
Input data:
Testing process:
Input data:
- Description of the target audience
- A list of suggested course topics from an expert
- Recorded speeches given by experts on various topics
Testing process:
- Preparing interview questions.
- Explain the learning formats and discuss rules of collaboration.
- Select the course topic from the proposed ones based on their value to the audience and the interest of the expert.
- Collect sample cases that demonstrate the importance of creative thinking for an entrepreneur.
- Highlight the challenges that entrepreneurs will face if lacking creative thinking.
- Collect cases from interviews and other speeches / lectures of the expert.
- Systematize cases and formulate authentic tasks that an entrepreneur can solve with the help of creative thinking.
- Highlight components that can influence the complexity of tasks.
- Create a template in Miro.
- Review the sample framework, clarify the tasks that an entrepreneur can solve with the help of creative thinking.
- Identify the components that can affect the complexity of the tasks. For example, the size of the business and the market.
- Collect and clarify expert's cases that illustrate particular tasks.
- Prioritize and select the tasks that should be covered in the course.
- Clarify tools and approaches that help to develop creative thinking.
- Analyse selected tasks and define the main modules of the course.
- Write down assignments for modules.
- Describe the content of the course modules, insights of the student and cases that need to be explained.
- Summarize the instructional approach of the course in simple words so the expert stays focused.
6. Review of the learning program by an expert—complementing the content and assignments.
7. Updating the program by the ID.
8. Preparing questions to ask an expert while recording video lectures.
9. Recording of the lectures.
10. Creating a final storyboard of the course based on a learning program and video materials.
What worked:
7. Updating the program by the ID.
8. Preparing questions to ask an expert while recording video lectures.
9. Recording of the lectures.
10. Creating a final storyboard of the course based on a learning program and video materials.
What worked:
- The framework helped to match the content of the course to the needs of a specific target audience.
- The framework simplified working with an expert: filling the template together made it easier for the expert to understand the desired result.
- Before the course, the expert gave multiple lectures on creative thinking, however, not once did they mention the list of authentic tasks outlined during the interview. Thus, we can conclude that using the framework allowed the expert to see the topic from a new perspective.
- We were not able to create different variations of practical tasks based on their complexity. Considering the limited volume of the course and its topic, we decided to recommend students to apply the suggested instruments to their business situations right away instead of exploring case studies.
- The framework needs to be adapted for soft skill courses.
- It is better to develop different types of assignments for soft skill courses.
- Interviews with experts need to cover a wider range of questions.
Review of the Facilitation Course Curriculum
Learning format: self-paced video lectures and assignments or optional track with feedback from experts.
Input data:
Input data:
- Description of the target audience
- Existing course curriculum
1. Preparing interview questions and a template for subject matter mapping.
- Explain the framework—what is an authentic task and how it differs from a skill / part of a task.
- Formulate authentic tasks. For example, facilitating a lesson, extracurricular activities, training, strategic sessions, forum (large-scale events).
- Identify the components of the tasks. For example, the level of the target audience, features of group processes, online / offline environment, and so on.
- Select tasks for the course based on time and budget constraints.
- Specify variations of tasks (intersection of tasks and their components) based on their complexity and support provided to students.
As a result, the revised learning program differed from the original variant in the following way:
- More specific target audience. Original learning program targeted a wide range of specialists from different fields (education, business). Introducing authentic tasks goes in direct conflict with "one size fits all" principle.
- Increased students' workload. In the revised program, a student will have to take on the facilitator role in small training sessions at least 3 times during the course. In the original version, this practice was not included.
- Increased need for feedback from the teacher and the group. A program based on authentic tasks can not be implemented in a self-paced mode.
- Bigger budget requirements. More time and resources are needed to develop and run programs based on authentic tasks.
RESEARCH TEAM
Anastasia Engel
Yevgenia Rzaeva
Andrey Melnichenko
mentor
Inessa Abramyan
(participants of the project)
Learning Experience Designer, head of Heutagogy Laboratory in Open European Academy of Economics and Politics
lead of ID center in Yandex.Practicum
ID in Sberbank. Division "Digital learning platforms"
Learning Experience Designer
(participants of the project)
(participants of the
project)
project)
Each team consists of experienced educators and a mentor who keeps the creative process going.
FEEDBACK FORM
We are happy to hear from you