Last week, I was asked to transform seven PowerPoint slide decks into meaningful content that adult humans can comprehend and use.
Although the slides had a reasonable structure and organization, the content was difficult for a layperson like myself to understand. There were unfamiliar concepts and new terms. There were twists and turns, like a good drama, but this wasn’t a screenplay. My client filled the slides with confusing redundancies, covering the same thing in multiple places.
Should I have a panic attack?
Although I considered having a panic attack, I decided against it. I know how to perform an instructional analysis, which is a way to identify the skills and knowledge required to reach a learning goal. This is one of several types of analysis that instructional designers perform.
Sometimes, a simple content outline will do. But when content is complex, I find an instructional analysis helps me clarify it and understand how to organize it—whether it’s for a course, performance support, or something people can just learn on their own.
Video: How to Do an Instructional Analysis
Then, I thought about you and created a video showing how to perform an instructional analysis for a procedure or process in case you need to familiarize yourself with this approach. This instructional analysis comes from the Dick and Carey model (see reference below). Watch the video if you don’t have this method in your toolbox. It could come in handy for many situations.
Secret: Performing an instructional analysis is one of the key ways an instructional designer can learn to work with any type of content without being a subject matter expert.
For a related article, see Why Discovery Should Come Before Analysis.
Reference:
Walter Dick and Lou Carey, The Systematic Design of Instruction. This is an older edition, but much less expensive than the newest one.
Hi Jeff,
No, I have not made that video. So busy. But thanks for the nudge!It helps.
Connie
Nice video. This video ends with the mention of possibly making a new video in which you take your instructional goals and turn them into learning objectives. Did you ever make that video or do you have something similar written up?
Hi Vivek,
Sorry, I do not have a text version. But you can buy the book that I referenced.
Connie
Hi Connie: I wonder if there is a text version available for reference or those who cannot watch the video. Thanks!
Thanks, James. When I have time I’d like to demonstrate other types of instructional analysis. Believe it or not, I used Photoshop to create the video.
Best,
Connie
Thanks for your video on How to Do an Instructional Analysis, Connie. I found it to be straightforward and helpful. One question – what tool did you use to create the video. Thanks!
Hi Katherine,
I’m happy you are enjoying your copy of VLFD. They have run out of print copies in the U.S. and are shipping some in from the U.K. The Kindle version will always be available, of course. Thanks for your kind words.
Best,
Connie
Thanks Connie – just wanted to let you know that I just got my copy of Visual Language for Designers – and I do find that not only does visual language make my courses look great (focusing the eLearner’s attention), it helps me understand how best to deliver the content I am writing. It is well worth having this book on hand! 🙂
Kinda nostalgic, huh? But it works and you can skip any steps that aren’t needed for your own purposes.
Ah, brings back memories. Dick and Carey was the model we had to follow in my ID graduate course. Thanks for the reminder. Of course, as you stated, we still need to wade through (or plow through) all the content, and this is where a lot of time is chewed up. But at least Dick and Carey give us a handle on what to do with it after we’ve waded (or plowed).
Hi Katherine,
So happy you found this to be helpful. It can be overwhelming at times. You aren’t alone! Good luck with your project.
Connie
Thanks Connie – I found this very useful. I was just on the verge of hyperventilating on some course content received from a client and now I know I am not alone and that there is a way to untangle the web 🙂
I was able to fix the audio! Thanks.
Thank you, Jason. And thanks for letting me know about the audio as it didn’t show up on my speakers. Will check on another computer. Hope your ears are okay 🙂
Content was excellent. My only suggestion for improvement would be to clean the audio. There was a thump sound which repeated several times during the presentation. It was a bit distracting.
I want to thank you for all your hard work on this site. It has proven to be a wonderful resource for me on a weekly basis.
Jason