In general terms, a strategy refers to a systematic plan, which is well though about has to lead towards reaching a goal. In teaching industry, the strategies used to achieve learning goals of a course are known as Instructional Strategies. In today’s times, with the advent of eLearning these Instructional Strategies are being used in designing eLearning content and programs to make both learning and instruction better, and are known as Instructional Design Strategies.
There is not much difference between Instructional Strategies and Instructional Design Strategies, the only one difference is that one set gets implemented in house and the other gets adapted to new scenario. Instructional Design Strategies hold great importance in eLearning as any eLearning program which is not based on good Instructional Design Strategies is not at all considered to be a good one. Therefore, these strategies serve as a solution to all the problems that are faced while designing any eLearning training and learning program.
Any strategy has a sequenced way of execution. It has steps that lead to the desired goal. And an eLearning instructional strategy is a defined plan towards teaching and making students learn a particular topic. Therefore, instructional design strategy too has multiple steps involved. The first step is to set a clear goal, the second is to decide upon the process and actions that should be involved to reach the desired objective. The third step is to research and analyze what all resources, techniques and devices will be required in the process.
Instructional design strategies have helped e-Learning for all the good reasons.
It played the most important role in its industrial boom that is being seen today. If there would have been no Instructional design strategies involved in any of the eLearning programs till date, there would not be a single person knowing about it. In short, it can be said that eLearning content is nothing without the incorporation of instructional design strategies. These strategies are needed to convert simple content into a proper eLearning training program.
We all know that an eLearning based training program does not have human face to it. It means it lacks human interaction of the learner with a physically present instructor. But good instructional design strategies serve this problem a solution by implementing interactive exercises like simulations, role play which enables learners to interact with each other, case studies, and learning games which increase audience excitement and engagement to another level as a whole.
Incorporation of limited textual content with animation, graphics and video clips adds visual appeal to the program and tends to form a connection with learners which helps in tying up learners with the program throughout the process. In this way, even without having a human face to it, an eLearning program does not fall short of audience engagement.
The unique feature of instructional design strategies is that there is no limit for strategies to come in. Because there are hundreds and thousands of instructional designers out there, and hence there will be different strategies coming for just a single topic. Therefore there will be several options to choose from apart from having the advantage of getting hundreds of individual and original ideas from professionals.
In this way, instructional design strategies and eLearning go hand in hand. One is incomplete without the other. And looking at the present scenario of eLearning industry, one can undoubtedly say that there will be no looking back for it. And with instructional design strategies, it will definitely reach higher heights and make the future of education even better than what it is today.