DevLearn 2018: Introduction to Instructional Design Recap

Alright folks – I’m back from DevLearn 2018, and I’m almost fully recovered, but not quite at 100% just yet. DevLearn was a blast, it was a whirlwind of a week for me, and over the next several days, I’ll be posting recaps for everything I participated in, beginning with the pre-conference certificate workshop that I delivered.

This year was my first time delivering a pre-conference certificate workshop for the E-Learning Guild, so I was incredibly nervous for a few reasons:

1. It was my first time delivering a pre-conference certificate workshop for the E-Learning Guild
2. I typically teach this workshop as an M.Ed graduate course over a full semester
3. This course is available in its entirety at Sprout E-Learning (GO CHECK IT OUT!) and it is nearly 70 lessons, so condensing it into 6.5 hours was daunting

The first thing I have to say is: I had a fantastic group of participants. They were incredibly engaged, despite the boatload of theory I was cramming down their throats, and those who provided feedback were incredibly positive about the workshop and its delivery. They were the best participants I could have had for my first workshop!

I began with some introductions, housekeeping, and an ice breaker. I was SHOCKED when I asked how many people hated ice breakers as much as me and only three people raised their hands. AMEN!

We spent much of the morning discussing the ADDIE framework and Instructional Design models as a lead up to the first big activity: creating your own Instructional Design model. I had each table create a model, based on the things we discussed previously, and then I had them give me a sales pitch, fielding questions as they pitched. Everyone was so engaged in this activity that it went overtime! Look at all of these people working hard to create their models!

After lunch we really hammered through all of the learning theories, as well as doing a deeper dive through each phase of the ADDIE framework, discussing elements contained throughout each. At the end of the day, each group reviewed a self-paced course against an evaluation/QA criteria sheet and we discussed the importance of evaluation, and how, based on all that they learned within the workshop, each course was lacking or succeeding.

Overall, it was a great pre-conference certificate workshop. I was pleasantly surprised with the level of engagement, I believe I converted some folks further into the idea of pursuing a role as an Instructional Designer, and I look forward to receiving the session evaluations so that I can optimize the workshop for its next delivery!

If you’re interested in participating in the full course, Essentials of Instructional Design, it is offered through Sprout E-Learning. It consists of nearly 70 lessons, activities throughout (that you can complete and submit, or not – whatever you prefer), and has been very well-received since launch. Check it out!