Table of Contents:

• Benefits of Integrating Instructional Design in Classroom Teaching
• Implementing Instructional Design in Classroom Teaching
• Multimedia Usage as Education Enhancement
• Gamification for Learning
• Personalized Learning Experiences
• Facilitating Learning Through Technology
• Collaborative Learning Environments

Instructional design isn’t just for training employees. Its principles can be applied to many different learning environments, including classrooms! Using instructional design in the classroom may look different depending on students' ages, though the benefits remain the same. 

With so many students struggling to pay attention in the modern education age, teachers are searching high and low for ways to grab hold of students (educationally speaking) and help them understand concepts. Instructional design principles can lead to improved recall, engagement, and participation. 

With this knowledge, many teachers are studying instructional design to help their students recall while enhancing their skills to boost their career opportunities.

Benefits of Integrating Instructional Design in Classroom Teaching

Classroom teaching can benefit significantly from incorporating instructional design principles into classroom learning experiences. 

Instructional design makes learning more fun. Through learning experiences such as games and competitions, instructional design makes learning more enjoyable for students. And when the process is more satisfying, the information is retained better.

Instructional design makes the material more engaging. Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) engage students in new, better ways than traditional study processes like reading and note-taking. By interacting with the material, students can put their knowledge into practice.

Technology allows students to access learning materials anywhere. One of the critical components of instructional design principles is accessible learning materials. Digital course design is easily translated to classroom teaching, allowing students to access class notes and practice materials.

Implementing Instructional Design in Classroom Teaching

With the benefits of instructional design in mind, implementing its strategies in classroom teaching is natural. Teachers may even be using instructional design principles without knowing it!

As education enhancements, certain instructional design principles, such as multimedia or emerging technologies, work better than traditional learning methods especially for reaching and engaging young learners.

Multimedia Usage as Education Enhancement

One aspect of instructional design is the use of multimedia to encourage learning. Instead of traditional learning media, like written essays and books, new multimedia, like videos, infographics, and animations, can attract attention and encourage students to remember the information better.

• Example: Instead of explaining each step of a science experiment, a teacher may create videos showing the step-by-step process. Students can use the videos at their own pace, and those who learn better with visual cues may find watching the videos easier than reading.

Gamification for Learning

Gamification, or using game-like elements such as leaderboards, simulations, and point systems, facilitates an immersive experience that makes learning enjoyable. Gamification is increasingly popular as an education enhancement, especially for younger students.

• Example: Many teachers use the classic Jeopardy game show format to quiz students on material they’ve been learning in the classroom. This format encourages students to get excited about answering questions, choosing the question difficulty level, and earning points to compete with other students.

Personalized Learning Experiences

Great instructional design focuses on the student and helps them achieve their educational goals through personalized learning experiences. Teachers must target each student's learning preferences to understand each student’s needs. This may mean allowing students to choose the format of their lessons (video vs. writing vs. reading) or giving students options for presenting the knowledge they’ve gained.

• Example: Students at Ross Elementary School in League City, Texas, use personalized learning strategies to impact student learning. Students set their own goals in the classroom and can choose their modules. Classroom learning is no longer rigid, and students feel more engaged in their education when they have options and flexibility.

Facilitating Learning Through Technology

In a post-pandemic education system, schools now build online learning days into their calendars, encouraging students to work independently at home using digital learning tools such as online learning systems.

• Example: Online learning platforms, such as Anthology, offer online learning environments for students in a classroom setting. Teachers can upload class materials, host online quizzes, communicate with students, and various other interactive learning tools here.

Collaborative Learning Environments

There are reasons for group projects: working together encourages students to learn from each other. Message boards, discussion prompts, and chatrooms are digital collaborative learning tools, while partner and small group challenges are in-person tools to encourage group collaboration.

• Example: Teachers may split students into small groups to solve mysteries using a set of clues. Students use group decision-making to follow clues and collaborate on problem-solving skills to consider all angles of the mysteries until a solution is found.

If you’re a teacher or educator who wants to learn more about the world of instructional design and how it improves classroom teaching, consider studying through IDOL Academy! Not only have we helped enhance classroom teaching skills, but we’ve also helped many former educators transition into instructional design as a career. In fact, we’ve helped so many former teachers we even made a podcast about it!

So, what’s the first step in taking your education career to the next level as an instructional designer? Try it out for yourself - even while working full-time - with IDOL On Demand Bootcamp. This flexible, on-your-own series of courses will train you and give you the education you need to get hired by top companies such as Nike, Amazon, Uber, and more. And you can do it all within six months!

It doesn’t matter if you have absolutely no experience. IDOL On Demand Bootcamp will give you a jumpstart into instructional design, starting with the basics and filling a portfolio with real-world work to showcase your knowledge. Get started today!