Designing Educational Content Course

Lesson 1 • Instructional Design Models Overview

Surveys ADDIE, SAM, and backward design frameworks. Provides a decision map for selecting the right model per project context.

Lesson 2 • Analysing Your Target Audience

Introduces learner analysis techniques including surveys, interviews, and persona creation. Ensures content relevance and appropriate complexity.

Lesson 3 • How Adults Learn

Covers andragogy, cognitive load theory, and motivation models. Grounds all subsequent design decisions in evidence-based learning science.

Lesson 1 • Translating Research into Design Briefs

Converts needs analysis findings into actionable design briefs with clear parameters. Bridges the gap between analysis and content creation.

Lesson 2 • Identifying Performance Gaps

Distinguishes knowledge, skill, and motivation gaps using root-cause analysis. Prevents designing solutions for the wrong problem.

Lesson 3 • Gathering and Evaluating Source Material

Covers SME interviews, document review, and credibility assessment of sources. Ensures content accuracy and currency before design begins.

Lesson 1 • Aligning Objectives to Bloom's Taxonomy

Maps objectives across cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains. Ensures appropriate challenge levels for each learning outcome.

Lesson 2 • Sequencing Objectives Within a Course

Applies prerequisite mapping and scaffolding to order objectives logically. Prevents learner confusion caused by out-of-sequence content.

Lesson 3 • Anatomy of a Strong Objective

Breaks down the ABCD model: audience, behaviour, condition, and degree. Establishes a repeatable formula for objective writing.

Lesson 1 • Designing Effective Content Flow

Uses narrative arc, advance organisers, and summary techniques to guide learners. Ensures smooth transitions and coherent progression throughout the course.

Lesson 2 • Applying Universal Design Principles

Integrates accessibility and inclusive design into content structure from the start. Ensures all learners can access and engage with the material equally.

Lesson 3 • Building Course and Module Outlines

Creates hierarchical outlines from objectives using a top-down structure. Provides a blueprint that guides all subsequent content development.

Lesson 1 • Principles of Instructional Writing

Covers plain language, active voice, and learner-centred tone for instructional text. Establishes writing standards that improve comprehension and engagement.

Lesson 2 • Editing and Quality Review of Content

Applies instructional editing checklists to review drafts for accuracy, clarity, and alignment. Produces polished content ready for stakeholder review.

Lesson 3 • Writing for Different Content Formats

Adapts writing techniques for video scripts, job aids, e-learning text, and facilitator guides. Ensures format-appropriate communication across all deliverables.

Lesson 1 • Designing Formative Checks for Understanding

Integrates knowledge checks, reflection prompts, and practice activities throughout content. Provides learners with ongoing feedback to self-correct before summative assessment.

Lesson 2 • Writing Effective Test Items

Teaches construction of multiple-choice, true/false, short-answer, and performance items. Ensures each item type measures the intended cognitive level.

Lesson 3 • Assessment Design Fundamentals

Covers validity, reliability, and alignment as core assessment quality criteria. Establishes the standards all assessment items must meet.

Lesson 1 • Integrating Interactive and Digital Tools

Evaluates authoring tools, simulations, and interactive elements for instructional fit. Guides tool selection based on objective type and learner context.

Lesson 2 • Media Selection Frameworks

Applies the media attributes model and cognitive theory of multimedia learning to selection decisions. Prevents mismatched media that increases extraneous cognitive load.

Lesson 3 • Designing Visual and Graphic Elements

Covers visual hierarchy, colour theory, and instructional illustration principles for educational content. Ensures visuals clarify rather than decorate.

Lesson 1 • Analysing and Interpreting Evaluation Results

Applies basic quantitative and qualitative analysis to evaluation data. Translates raw findings into clear, evidence-based improvement recommendations.

Lesson 2 • Evaluation Models and Frameworks

Surveys Kirkpatrick's four levels, Phillips ROI, and formative evaluation models. Provides a framework for selecting the right evaluation approach per project.

Lesson 3 • Collecting Learner and Stakeholder Data

Designs surveys, interviews, and observation protocols to gather evaluation evidence. Ensures data quality and representativeness for valid conclusions.