Services Curriculum Development And Instructional Design

The most essential best practice in curriculum development is the use of a structured and proven development model. Doing so helps ensure best practices will be utilized in the specific sub-tasks that are conducted. We have found the ADDIE (Assess, Design, Develop, Implement, Evaluate) model of curriculum development to be practical to use and effective. Some other best practices in curriculum development are:

• Program objectives need to be well defined and all material must serve those objectives

• Material needs to be aligned with the audience, in terms of expertise, culture, etc.

• People can absorb only a certain amount of information in a given amount of time, so you have to be realistic about what can be achieved in the time you have

• Learning is enhanced when people are engaged - be it physically, intellectually, or emotionally

• Form should follow function, meaning that the design of the the program should support, and if possible mirror, what is being taught

• Content and other errors distract participants and reduce learning, so all materials should be reviewed and edited before they are released

Eliminate"Death by PowerPoint"

Given its rise as the presentation medium of choice in corporate America, some final comments about PowerPoint (and any similar software applications) are warranted. We have nothing inherently against PowerPoint. It is a tool - and like any tool, it can be used or misused. The pitfalls of PowerPoint come from the fact that the technology:

• Causes people to focus on the glamour and glitz of the product features, often at the expense of the message

• Makes it easy to just dump large amounts of information into slides, with little consideration of how it will be delivered or received

• Makes it easy to slip into the practice of just reading off of the screen, rather than having a conversation with the audience and engaging them

Best practices indicate that PowerPoint should be used to enhance, not replace, your message and presentation skills. If you do, your information will be better understood and your audience will greatly appreciate it.

We offer a full range of curriculum development services - covering the gamut from a single session to a multi-faceted program. Although our speciality is developing training and organizational change programs, we can also help with any type of presentation. All of our curriculum development is based on four fundamental principles:

1. Program objectives need to be well defined and all material must serve those objectives

2. Material needs to be aligned with the audience, in terms of expertise, culture, etc.

3. People can absorb only a certain amount of information in a given amount of time - you have to be realistic about what can be achieved in the time you have

4. Learning is enhanced when people are engaged - be it physically, intellectually, or emotionally

With those principles in mind and utilizing the ADDIE (Assess, Design, Develop, Implement, Evaluate) model, our services include:

• Needs assessments

• Content development and review of your course content

• Handouts and other participant materials

• Questions and other conversational tools to engage the audience

• Exercises to enhance the learning and application of the content

• Presentation templates for SMEs

• Instructor guides and other instructor preparation materials

• Feedback and evaluation materials and systems

• Design comprehensive role specific professional development programs that can incorporate internal resources and external vendors

• Program mapping - existing offerings onto processes and skills - and gap analysis

• Feedback and evaluation materials and processes

There can be a myriad of outputs from curriculum development. They include, but are not limited to:

• Course or presentation content in your medium of choice, such as PowerPoint, etc.

• Handouts and other participant materials

• Job aids and other post-session materials to support the learning

• Questions and other conversational tools to engage the audience

• Exercises to enhance the learning and application of the content

• Instructor preparation materials

• Comprehensive role specific professional development programs that incorporate internal resources, our services, or other external vendors

• Feedback and evaluation materials

Evaluation systems

With respect to evaluating training programs, we utilize Kirkpatrick's model. Combining our expertise in testing and measurement with business acumen, we can help you develop evaluation materials and methods for all four levels of evaluation:

• Level 1 Evaluation: Reaction

• How did participants react to the training program?

• Level 2 Evaluation: Learning

• Did participants improve their knowledge, skills, or attitudes as a result of the training?

• Level 3 Evaluation: Transfer (aka Behavior)

• What changes in workplace behavior resulted from the training?

• Level 4 Evaluation: Results

• What organizational benefits resulted from training?

Most organizations only measure Level 1 and 2, but want results at Level 4. To measure Level 4 takes significant organizational support. Therein lies the challenge. Addressing it and effectively developing Level 3 and 4 evaluation systems is as much of an organizational development project as it is a curriculum development one. With our experience in orgnizational development and change management, we can help you design and implement evaluation systems that can demonstrate the business impact of learning and development activities.