Instructional Design
Know the Audience. Understand the Need.
Develop & Design the Content.
Create the Solution to the Problem.
Bridgerland Technical College
Module for Instructors
Description:​​
A group of graduate students in the Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences masters program developed and designed this module as part of the Instructional Design I course. Shannon Sandau, Cooper Sanders, Lindsey Soffe, and I collaborated to facilitate that work.
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The goal of the module is to teach instructors at Bridgerland Technical College (BTECH) about cognitive load and help them improve their course content. Defining cognitive load, analyzing the role of memory, and providing a specific remedial strategy of chunking all came together to fulfill this purpose.
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The module lives in the Canvas LMS as a part of an Instructor Training course.
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Needs Analysis & Goal​
The primary goal of the module is to improve instructor's knowledge of cognitive load and related topics and provide specific tools to help them develop content which supports their students' progression through and retention of course material.
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The leadership of the Instructional Systems Design Department at BTECH identified this module as a need. Having an understanding of cognitive load is foundational to developing high-quality learning experiences and impacts all curriculum at BTECH. Two group members worked at BTECH and as a team we discussed these needs and the desires of the department leadership.
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Task Analysis​
The following table illustrates the tasks we felt necessary to satisfy the goal of the module.
Learner Analysis
This module is made for instructors at Bridgerland Technical College. As a group we conducted a learner analysis to understand their characteristics and needs. Below is a table outlining characteristics of the current instructors at BTECH.
Instructional Goals & Objectives
With the former analyses in place, we developed the following goal and objectives for the module. We ensured that the objectives were clear and measurable using Bloom's Taxonomy.
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Main Instructional Goal:
Bridgerland instructors will develop a foundational understanding of cognitive load theory, describe how cognitive load impacts student learning and curriculum design, and apply a cognitive load-reducing strategy (chunking) to improve student comprehension and reduce cognitive load.
Objective 1: Define Cognitive Load Theory.
Instructors will be able to:
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Describe cognitive load theory and cognitive load.
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Explain the basic components of the working memory model.
Objective 2: Identify the impacts of cognitive load.
Instructors will be able to:
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Compare and contrast high- and low-cognitive load instructional strategies.
Objective 3: Apply cognitive load-reducing strategies.
Instructors will be able to:
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Explain how to use chunking strategies.
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Implement a low-cognitive-load teaching technique (chunking content) in an existing course.
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​Creating the Module
With the goal and objectives defined, we drafted the module in the Canvas LMS. In this process we had two iterations. After a first draft was complete we received feedback from BTECH stakeholders and then created a second iteration. Below, you will find screenshots of the polished module.
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Module Outline:
​Module Overview:
This page introduces the learner (the instructors) to the module and orients them to the objectives of the module.
Content Page on 'Cognitive Load':
This page introduces the learner to cognitive load. It gives them a brief explanation and provides examples of how cognitive load can be increased or decreased.
Content Page on 'Role of Memory':
This page teaches the learner about memory and how it is connected to cognitive load.
Content Page on 'Chunking a Page':
This page begins the teaching on a specific strategy to reduce cognitive load called "Chunking." It goes over breaking down a page into different sections.
Content Page on 'Chunking Content':
This page continues the teaching on a "Chunking." It goes using different formatting strategies to reduce cognitive load.
Cognitive Load Quiz:
To evaluate the learner's understanding of concepts, we include a formative assessment in the form of a quiz. Below is a screenshot of the quiz instructions, followed by two quiz questions.
Cognitive Load Activity:
To demonstrate proficiency in the concepts, the learner also completes an activity. Within the module is a poorly-constructed page of content which the learner will edit using chunking techniques. The learner will then meet with an Instructional Designer at BTECH and explain the changes he or she made. This allows the Instructional Designer to evaluate if the learner correctly chunked a page and understands how cognitive load affects curriculum.
Cognitive Load Activity Page:
Below is the poorly-constructed page the learners are asked to edit.
In Conclusion
Bridgerland Technical College aims to provide quality learning experiences for its students, helping them succeed in the classroom and later in their careers. As a part of the strategy to do this, BTECH supports its teacher in their development too. As part of the Instructor Training course, this module provides valuable knowledge and insight on cognitive load and related ideas and stratgies to produce and organize better course content. This allows the students grasp and retain key concepts and perform better in their courses and progress faster in education and career pursuits.