As an instructional designer, I am interested in learning science. Instructional designers strive to root their work in learning science, yet many small design choices we make out of habit can be reimagined to enhance engagement. While best practices have become second nature to us, how often do we pause to expand on what we normally do? Sometimes, the things we enhance or build upon seem so trivial that we might question whether they really make a difference. After working on some courses for a newly developed Online Master of Science in Data Science Program, I found myself constantly thinking about the potential impact of a small design decision—crafting thought-provoking questions for learners. Although this is just a small enhancement, it could be a transformative course design element.
Most course design rubrics contain a criterion that reads something like: “The relationship between the instructional materials and the completion of learning activities and assessments is clearly explained.” However, when I conduct course reviews, I often find links to readings and other materials that do not contain descriptive text. In the data science courses I recently partnered with several subject-matter experts (SMEs) to develop, there were a lot of videos that replaced the use of a textbook. A video-based course could look like a long list of links that open short videos, which might not appear very engaging. For some of the videos, I decided to write accompanying text. I found it helpful to list key questions that the video seeks to answer. That way, if the learners read the questions, they might become curious about the answers that would increase their motivation to view the videos. For example, for a video on linear regression, I wrote the two questions: “How can linear regression help identify the relationship between two variables?” and “How can linear regression predict real-world outcomes?” This framing is expected to spark curiosity.
In addition to listing areas of focus in the form of questions, I also tried to prompt the learners to imagine what the concepts being shared might look like in their own context. I asked them to jot down their ideas but didn’t ask them to turn them in. For example, learners were asked to think about a project that would be best suited for the agile project management model. They did not have to submit a response but rather were prompted to think about it as they engaged in content about project management models. Of course, not every learner will follow these given prompts, but the goal is for them to feel like the course is engaging and to provide motivation for those who want to seize opportunities to make the most out of the video content.
I have found that when the instructional designer provides engaging text for links to content and for assessments, the course can read like a story. The learner might have a greater sense of seeing themselves progressing on a linear journey through the subject area. This could increase their competence, which has been long revealed as a basic psychological need essential for human motivation (Ryan, R. M. & Deci, E. L., 2000).
In addition to creating a story-like feel for the course, it is helpful when the text communicates what is important. For example, what concepts covered in a particular set of learning materials will be applied to the course project? Which concepts are essential for the ones that follow? Explaining these things in some detail helps the learners prioritize what they study. It increases their motivation to engage with the learning materials when they know mastery of the content is necessary for the upcoming assessments, and it creates relevancy for the material when they can identify how they will use it in the real world.
It is important that the purpose of the materials and assessments is communicated to learners. When meeting with SMEs, I am often rapidly taking notes because there might be something that they say about the why behind their choice in learning materials that I will be able to communicate to students. Gaining insights about why a particular article or video is chosen for the course is very helpful when it comes to being transparent with students. I record my thoughts in those meetings with SMEs, knowing that I might need to refer to them when I start building out the course. An introductory data science course in the degree program contains videos that cover the fundamentals of some programming languages for those who do not already have experience with them. This information is clearly communicated to learners, so they can choose to skip the material if they already know the basics of those languages. It is important to remember that students do not have the context for the why that the instructor has, and taking the time to communicate the purpose behind learning materials is necessary.
Giving learners an opportunity to try a newly learned concept or skill in a low-stakes way can be helpful for their retention. They might not apply it again until they reach a summative assessment later in the course, but having the opportunity to try it immediately through a practice or other low-stakes type of assignment can increase their feeling of competence as well as their readiness for future assessments and the next set of materials. This, too, will help them see themselves progressing through the story you are helping them create. The formative assessments can be used to prompt learners to answer some of the engaging questions that go with the material, so they have opportunities to occasionally exchange thoughts with their peers as they work through the course.
As I explored ways to make video-based courses more engaging, it was evident that SMEs’ insights were valuable for creating meaningful context for learners. A challenge that instructional designers often face is the lack of text from an SME that would allow them to create engaging link descriptions. Sometimes, even after looking through copious meeting notes, the designer does not find much to draw from when it comes to describing the why behind the learning materials and assessments. When this happens, I have found generative AI tools like ChatGPT to be useful.
By inputting detailed prompts, I generate draft descriptions that can later be refined. The more information I put into the prompt, the better the output. I like to generate ideas from ChatGPT, draft an engaging link description, then send it to the SME for review. I am more likely to get a response from the SME when I give them something to start with (with the help of ChatGPT) than when I ask them to come up with a description on their own. I like to ask ChatGPT to help me turn technical content into questions that learners might ask themselves as they review the learning material. This approach has been a big timesaver, especially when designing courses about subject areas such as data science that I know little about.
Do these small course enhancements matter? I think they do. Let’s design courses that walk learners through an intentional journey, encouraging curiosity and instilling confidence at every step. These elements matter because how students feel about their learning experience impacts their learning a great deal. That is why every learning design choice matters—even the ones that are seemingly small.
Resource
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2020). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation from a self-determination theory perspective: Definitions, theory, practices, and future directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 61, Article 101860. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101860
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