Planning an Instructional Design Project

Introduction

It is critical to address each learner’s specific requirements and challenges in the continuously changing world of education. The goal of this instructional design plan is to address a particular issue or requirement in a learning environment. A clear problem statement, a justification for addressing it, the delivery strategy and learning environment, an outline of instructional activities, their alignment with learning theories and objectives, task consideration, and learner characteristics are all necessary to accomplish this effectively. Moreover, this instructional design project will succeed if it follows Gagne’s 9 Events of Instruction and the ADDIE paradigm.

Problem Statement

This instructional design project seeks to solve the issue of WellCare Health Solutions’ high healthcare professional turnover rate, which results from burnout and discontent with their jobs. Due to the physically demanding requirements of a healthcare job, excessive effort, stress, and misbalance between work and personal life are shared. Many serious consequences will result if the situation is not fixed immediately. First, the organization faces financial strain due to higher training and recruitment expenses due to the high turnover rates. Second, there is a risk to patient safety since burnout and job discontent can lead to lower-quality patient care and more medical errors. Finally, it hurts healthcare personnel’s mental health and morale. To raise the standard of patient care and increase the general performance and retention of healthcare personnel, this issue must be resolved.

Instructional Delivery and Environment

A blended learning strategy will offer the instruction for solving the problem, mixing assisted online components with online, self-paced eLearning modules. This method meets the many demands and features of healthcare professionals by being accessible and flexible (Burhan et al., 2021). Self-paced learning options are offered via online courses, allowing students to gain knowledge and skills conveniently. The group exercises and virtual discussions that are part of the assisted online components encourage cooperative learning and participation.

The learner study revealed that healthcare professionals have a variety of qualities, which the learning environment is designed to support. This setting supports the organization’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion since it gives everyone equal access to educational materials and makes accommodations for people with disabilities. Furthermore, the mixed approach accommodates healthcare workers’ diverse learning styles, including self-paced learners and those who do well in group environments with interaction and collaboration.

Alignment to Learning Objectives

Every educational exercise is in line with particular learning goals:

Examining the onboarding materials and completing a graded test: Showing that you understand the onboarding process.

2. Examining and putting into practice the company’s basic principles: Integrating the mission and core values into their daily work.
3. Examining and contrasting onboarding procedures: Evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of various onboarding procedures.
4. Gathering information three months after standard onboarding: assessing how standardized onboarding affects work satisfaction performance on an individual and team level.

Alignment to Tasks

The tasks indicated in the learner analysis are supported by the instructional activities for the students to complete. One crucial learning need that has been found is understanding the organization’s values and mission, which can be supported by examining and contrasting onboarding methods. In line with the traits and motives of the learners, gathering data three months following standardized onboarding facilitates assessing the effect of training on work satisfaction.

Alignment to Learning Characteristics

The suggested instructional design project’s instructional activities are all thoughtfully created to complement and accommodate the traits of the identified learners. According to Brown and Green (2020), the “Reviewing Onboarding Materials” task satisfies students’ requirements for organized fundamental knowledge by considering their past knowledge and cognitive processes. As part of the constructivist method, the “Studying Company Values and Mission” exercise encourages active learning and builds knowledge through learners’ experiences (Brown & Green, 2020). “Comparing Onboarding Processes” stimulates learners’ critical thinking and evaluation while supporting their cognitive functions and promoting involvement. Because each activity is specifically designed to cater to the distinct qualities of healthcare professionals, it effectively addresses the issue of burnout by supporting their diverse learning styles, cognitive processes, and engagement methods.

Gagne’s 9 Events of Instruction

1. Gain Learners’ Attention: Engaging content, such as real-world examples, thought-provoking questions, or multimedia components like films or interactive exercises, can help achieve this. For example, a movie showing challenging client encounters could draw learners’ attention in a customer service representative training session.
2. Inform Learners of the Objectives: Learners must understand the desired outcomes of the training. The syllabus, instructional content, or course materials should all make explicit the learning objectives. This aids in the understanding of the training’s objectives and benefits by the participants. In a program for developing leaders, students may be told that the goal is to improve their ability to lead and make decisions.
3. Stimulate Recall of Prior Learning: For learning to be effective, learners’ past knowledge must be expanded upon. In such a situation, educators want to motivate students to recollect prior learning and experiences associated with the subject matter. This promotes deeper understanding by assisting students in making connections between newly learned material and their prior knowledge (Gagne’s 9 Events of Instruction, 2023). Before teaching higher concepts, learners in a language learning course could be asked to memorize basic vocabulary.
4. Present the Content: The training material is being presented at this event. Using various techniques, including lectures, readings, activities, multimedia, and interactive tools, instructors should present the subject excitingly and educationally (Center for Instructional Technology and Training, University of Florida). Teachers in software training programs could use a mix of interactive exercises and video tutorials to deliver material.
5. Provide Learning Guidance: Clear directions on how to learn efficiently are necessary for learners. Together with goals and deadlines, this advice outlines expectations for activities, projects, and assessments. According to the University of Florida’s Center for Instructional Technology and Training, it guarantees that students have the resources and framework they need to excel in their educational endeavours. Teachers might offer comprehensive rubrics in project-based courses to help students with each task.
6. Elicit Performance (Practice): Students are encouraged to put what they have learned into practice by this event. Through a variety of activities, including role-play, group projects, and written assignments, learners should have the chance to put their knowledge and skills to use (Gagne’s 9 Events of Instruction, 2023). Learners may practice clinical skills in simulated patient settings as part of a medical training program.
7. Provide Feedback: In order for students to comprehend their development, feedback is essential. Teachers ought to provide helpful criticism on homework, projects, and exams. According to Morrison (2018), this feedback ought to emphasize the things that students did well, where they need to grow, and why certain things are important to learn. Teachers can give thorough feedback on writing tasks in a writing course by using track changes in a document.
8. Assess Performance: Assessments are used to determine if students have grasped the material. These evaluations may be in written assignments, quizzes, exams, or practical assessments, among other formats. When evaluating assignments that do not use traditional question formats, rubrics are an invaluable resource (Morrison, 2018). For instance, lab reports and experiments may be used to evaluate students in a science course.
9. Enhance Retention and Transfer: The purpose of this culminating activity is to make sure that students remember what they have learned and can use it in practical settings. It can be accomplished by letting students connect the course material to their own experiences, fostering small-group discussion, and encouraging introspection about how they will apply what they have learned in the future. During a professional development program, participants may consider how they may use their newly developed leadership abilities at work.

Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction offers a methodical and thorough approach to instructional design. Instructional designers can produce learner-centred, efficient, and captivating training programs that enhance learning outcomes by adhering to these events (Gagne’s 9 Events of Instruction, 2023). Every event has a significant impact on learning, from drawing students’ attention to guaranteeing information retention and practical application throughout time.

Conclusion

At WellCare Health Solutions, the essential issue of burnout and job discontent among healthcare workers is the focus of the instructional design project. The blended learning strategy is designed to meet the various demands and characteristics of healthcare professionals by combining guided online components and online self-paced eLearning. In order to ensure a thorough and efficient approach to tackling the identified problem, the instructional activities align with different learning theories, learning objectives, and tasks specified in the learner analysis. To guarantee a methodical and well-structured approach to instructional design, the project complies with Gagné’s nine teaching events and the ADDIE model.

References

Burhan, N., Othman, B., Gardi, B., Hamza, A., Sorguli, S., Mahmood Aziz, H., Ahmed, S., Sabir, Y., Ali, J., & Anwar, G. (2021). The Role of Training and Development on Organizational Effectiveness. International Journal of Engineering, Business and Management (IJEBM), 5(3), 2456–8678. https://aipublications.com/uploads/issue_files/3IJEBM-MAY20215-TheRole.pdf

Connelly J. & P. Miller (2020). Instructional Design Models and Theories. Advances in Higher Education and Professional Development Book Series, 69–85. IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-1542-6.ch005

‌ Gagne’s 9 Events of Instruction – Center for Instructional Technology and Training – University of Florida. (2023). Ufl.edu. https://citt.ufl.edu/resources/the-learning-process/designing-the-learning-experience/gagnes-9-events-of-instruction/

Morrison, G. R. (2018). Designing Effective Instruction 7th Edition. InstructionalDesign.org. https://www.instructionaldesign.org/books/designing-effective-instruction-7th-edition/