Instructional Design Posts

As professionals in education and instructional design, we often find ourselves at a crossroads, considering new paths that align more closely with our passions and skills. In this blog post, we explore the inspiring journey of Naomi Allen, who tran…

In today's rapidly evolving landscape of learning and development (L&D), the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) has sparked important conversations about the balance between speed and quality. With organizations increasingly turning to AI f…

In today's fast-paced educational environment, the importance of human connection is often overlooked. As educators, we face the challenge of creating engaging and impactful learning experiences that resonate with students. In this blog post, Jackie…

In today’s educational landscape, keeping students engaged in writing can be a challenge, especially in both synchronous and asynchronous learning environments. In this blog post that corresponds with a conversation Jackie had with guest Ruth Douthi…

In the ever-evolving landscape of education and corporate training, understanding how to transform learning into tangible performance is crucial. In episode 122 of the Designing with Love podcast, Dr. Steven Linley, a seasoned learning and developme…

In the latest episode of the Designing with Love podcast, Jackie reconnects with Caroline Amberson, a graduate from the Master of Science in Instructional Design program at Grand Canyon University. Caroline shares her inspiring journey from a novice…

Breaking into instructional design can feel like standing at the edge of a maze made of tools, terms, and templates, but the path clears when you start with a simple truth: design for how people learn, not for what software can do. That framing sits…

Microlearning works best when it is small on purpose and built for a single job moment, not a shrunken course. The heart of the approach is clarity: define one moment where a performer needs help, name one move they should make next, and choose one …

Many teams rush to add points and badges to their training, only to discover that nothing important changes. The reason is simple: mechanics cannot save muddled outcomes. To design gamified learning that actually works, start with a sharp performanc…

Compassionate, human-centered learning design sounds soft until you see what it does to performance. When projects stall, it is rarely because the storyboard was weak or the platform missed a feature; it is because the learning was dropped into an e…

Mobile learning succeeds when content meets the realities of time, attention, and context. The core shift is designing for mobile moments rather than shrinking desktop modules. These are the brief windows in a day—on a bus, in a hallway, between tas…

Staying current in learning and development without burning out is a real challenge. The pace of tools, frameworks, and workplace change is relentless, yet the demand for measurable results only grows. This episode focuses on a practical playbook th…

Emerging technology promises a faster, safer path to real skill, but only when we pair it with clear outcomes, tiny pilots, and simple metrics. In this episode, we explored five areas shaping modern learning design: spatial computing, generative AI …

In a fascinating continuation of the Designing with Love podcast series on dyslexia, host Jackie Pelegrin welcomed back Russell Van Brocklen, a New York State Senate-funded dyslexia researcher, to delve deeper into practical strategies for helping y…

Data-driven design gets thrown around a lot, yet many teams still chase vanity metrics or implement sweeping redesigns that create risk without results. The heart of effective instructional design is clarity: define what success looks like in learne…

Great learning products rarely come from a lone genius; they come from steady loops of clear, respectful feedback that aim at outcomes. When we treat reviews as collaboration instead of confrontation, teams move faster and learners benefit sooner. T…

Karen Nix's journey into instructional design showcases the diverse pathways professionals take into this dynamic field. Starting with a journalism background, Karen found herself drawn to learning and development through an unexpected administrativ…

Projects rarely fail all at once; they slip one small “yes” at a time. That pattern is the heart of scope creep—expanded requirements that outgrow the original plan and drain time, budget, and focus. For instructional designers, it sounds harmless: …

The recent episode of the Designing with Love podcast featuring Dr. Norina Columbaro offers a compelling exploration of modern instructional design practices that focus on performance rather than just creating training materials. As an instructional…

Strong learning starts with strong partnerships, and the most important partnership in corporate training is the one between instructional designers and subject matter experts. When that relationship is grounded in clarity, respect, and a shared des…

Learning experience design often gets framed as a matter of software choices, templates, and timelines, but the work that truly moves learners' lives at a deeper level. The through-line of effective design is not a tool—it’s a point of view. When we…

Great learning design starts with intent, not with widgets. Before adding a single hotspot or video, define what learners should be able to do. Clear, measurable objectives anchor every interactive element to a purpose that matters on the job. Use a…

As instructional designers, we often encounter various learning theories during our education and professional development. However, understanding these theories conceptually and applying them effectively to our design projects are two different cha…

In the ever-evolving landscape of education and training, instructional designers are constantly seeking approaches that create meaningful, lasting learning experiences. Among these approaches, Constructivist Learning theory stands as a powerful fra…