By Georgette El-Darazi
In spite of the wealth of training resources readily available online, finding quality materials that are perfectly suited to the needs of your learners may be difficult. In fact, the best solution may be to create your own instructional materials! However, how can you design instructional materials that are specific and effective?
First thing’s first:
What are instructional materials, anyway?
Instructional materials are various resources that enhance learners’ experiences in their learning environment (Awolaju, 2016), be it face-to-face or online settings. Examples include textbooks, pre-recorded lectures, videos, images, posters, job aids, and charts.
Why are effective instructional materials important?
In any learning environment, effective instructional materials help promote learners’ success (Ajoke, 2017). In some situations, like asynchronous online programs, these materials may be the main component available to learners. In others, learners may be able to ask the facilitator for assistance, but may not receive the help they need the most for learning. Effective instructional materials, on the other hand, are aimed to put the learners in the center of the learning experience and increase their motivation.
Indeed, motivated learners are actively involved in their learning process. Knowing what is expected from them and what to expect from the course, learners can retain more knowledge (Awolaju, 2016). When learners have more autonomy in learning and a higher level of engagement, they are more likely to be invested in learning and demonstrate skill mastery through enhanced performance (Martin & Bolliger, 2018). Thus, effective learning materials are key to achieving the goal of any educational program.
How can you write effective instructional materials?
To maximize a learner’s experience, a variety of instructional materials should be included, such as textbooks, videos, images, graphic organizers, charts, and supplementary readings. There are also a few factors to be taken into consideration when writing instructional materials.
- Structure and Organize your Content
Content should be presented in an organized way. Well-organized content gives learners visual clues on how the course is structured and sets expectations for their own outcomes (Rapanta et al., 2020). In the image below, learners can view all the components the course will cover: the main topic, subtopics, what they will learn, and how mastery will be demonstrated. Seeing a breakdown of the course structure like the example below lets learners understand the process and flow of the course as they move from one topic to the next.
- Make your Content Relevant
Learners engage most with content that appeals to them. “Andragogy theory” discusses the learners’ need to know why they should learn something and how it can apply to their daily life. For this reason, it is important to make your content relevant to your learners, beyond their experience in the course (Rapanta et al., 2020). When developing your materials, think of your audience. Who are they? What is their background? How are you writing specifically for them? How authentic is your content, given all of the above?
- Keep your Learning Objectives in Mind
Learning objectives are statements that indicate what the learner should be able to do by the end of the learning experience (Bralić & Divjak, 2018). If you create your materials with your objectives in mind, you will be better able to determine their complexity and presentation from the outset.
Keep your materials clear, relevant, and easy to access and understand. Add additional explanation or supporting detail where you believe learners will struggle. Create materials that help learners build on the content, from one step to another, to reach the learning objective – that’s the essence of effective training materials!
References
Ajoke, A. R. (2017). The Importance of instructional materials in teaching English as a Second Language. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention, 6(9), 36-44.
Awolaju, B. A. (2016). Instructional materials as correlates of students’ academic performance in Biology in senior secondary schools in Osun State. International Journal of Information and Education Technology, 6(9), 705-709.
Bralić, A., & Divjak, B. (2018). Integrating MOOCs in traditionally taught courses: achieving learning outcomes with blended learning. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 15(1), 1-16.
Martin, F. & Bolliger, D.U. (2018). Engagement matters: Student perceptions on the importance of engagement strategies in the online learning environment. Online Learning, 22(1), 205- 222. doi:10.24059/olj.v22i1.1092
Rapanta, C., Botturi, L., Goodyear, P., Guàrdia, L., & Koole, M. (2020). Online university teaching during and after the Covid-19 crisis: Refocusing teacher presence and learning activity. Postdigital Science and Education, 2(3), 923-945.
About the Writer
Georgette is a candidate for her Master of Arts in Education with Emphasis in Educational Technology and Instructional Design from the University of Balamand. She holds a Bachelors of Arts in Education. Georgette currently focuses on developing learning experiences for K-12 school learners. She enjoys the content creation process and collaborating in a team to create and deliver quality instruction to the international community. Previously, she has also helped deliver training to onboard new members.
Personal website: Georgette El-Darazi | LinkedIn
Fun fact: Georgette loves fun walks out in nature and soaking up the sun!