Instructional Design Principles
for Distance Education
Christina Davis
Grand Canyon University
TEC 571
January 16, 2013
from svdef.wordpress.com
Organization and Planning
Careful planning, balancing activities, and
organizing learning must take place well
in advance of scheduled instruction.
from Teaching and Learning at a Distance
from instructionaldesign.org
Dick and Carey model
Brainstorm
 Visual plan of action
 Find and create content
 Create modules

Guiding students to learning

Unit-major division of a course

Module-basis for class discussion and
instruction, usually one week

Topic-lesson or presentation lasting one
class session or discussion thread
Organization
Unit
Module
Topic
Organization
The topic is
part of a larger
module which
is part of a
larger unit.
Communication
Initial and continuous communication as
consistent meaningful dialogue between
instructor and student serves as a basic
principle of online teaching.
From Best Practices for Online Instructors

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Inclusive dates
Topics
Learning outcomes
Required readings
Questions for forum discussion
Due dates
Any other relative information
Weekly Schedules

Instructor
learner

Instructor
learner

Learner
learner
Maintain 2-way communication

Email
◦
◦
◦
◦
1 to 1
1 to several
1 to all
Within groups
Announcements
 Blogs
 Phone

Communication
Interaction

Presentation of
information to
students as well as
the students’
responses
Method
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Lectures
Question and answer,
Brainstorming
activities
Case studies
Interviews
Learner-instructor
Interaction

Instructor provides
opportunities for
group work
Method
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Learner-learner
Cooperative learning
projects
Debates
Role-playing
Forum discussions
Interaction

Students reflect on
and interact with
ideas and concepts
Method
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Learner-content
Individual projects
Homework
assignments
Interviews
Surveys
from dpageek.wordpress.com
Graphic design principles

Because a large part of elearning involves
the learner viewing the screen, it’s critical
that the visual elements you choose
enhance the learning experience.
from 3 Graphic Design Principles for
Instructional Design Success

Use layouts to convey meaning and create
relationships to guide learning
Layout
What is the relationship between
these characters? Is there one?
Does proximity and spacing effect
the interpretation?

Use patterns and repetition to organize
content to give learners visual cues about
how the content fits together
Organize content


Web-users are
used to quickly
scanning for
information
This information
is difficult to
process because
it all runs
together
What does this information mean
to you?

Repetitive
elements such as
the bold headline
and underlined
section headers
help the learner
know how
information is
related
This is easier to process

Chunking the information helps learners
sort the information and understand how
it fits together

Limit information to necessary images
Bells and whistles may actually
impede the learning process
Course development best practices. (2004). Roadmap to Effective Distance Education Instructional Design.
Retrieved from
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CEUQFjAC&url=http%3A%2
F%2Fwww.umsl.edu%2Fservices%2Fctl%2FDEID%2Fdestination11firsttime%2Fbmps.pdf&ei=rXj3UKa6OZ
DdqwGtyYCgCg&usg=AFQjCNF4uwbQQXY5sDGMs7apAL6N_salsw&sig2=5t5Fh7H4t2dSQNTGQJXgZw&bvm=
bv.41018144,d.aWM
Dick and carey model. (2013). Instructional Design.org. Retrieved from
http://www.instructionaldesign.org/models/dick_carey_model.html
Fish, W. W., & Wickersham, L. E. (2009). BEST PRACTICES FOR ONLINE INSTRUCTORS: Reminders. Quarterly
Review Of Distance Education, 10(3), 279-284. Retrieved from
http://ehis.ebscohost.com.library.gcu.edu:2048/ehost/detail?sid=9f91d46f-4627-4059-bf33e619969d49b4%40sessionmgr115&vid=3&hid=101&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#
db=a9h&AN=48074516
Kuhlmann, T. (2008). 3 graphic design principles for instructional design success. Retrieved from
http://www.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/3-graphic-design-principles-for-instructional-design-success/
Principles of online design. (2006). Florida Gulf Coast University Faculty Development and Support. Retrieved
from http://www.fgcu.edu/onlinedesign/mediadev.html
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M, & Zvack, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations
of distance education. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
References