10 Design Shifts Every Instructional Designer Needs to Make Right Now

Summary

The presenter argues that e-learning has not kept pace with how people now consume content, find answers, and learn. New tools may speed up production, she says, but instructional design must also change the learning experiences being built. The goal should be to develop learners’ ability to act effectively—not merely expose them to information.

The 10 design shifts

1. Design for transformation, not information

   • Knowing what to do is different from being able to do it under real conditions.
   • Training should build habits, judgment, and quick responses by reflecting the complexity, pressure, and obstacles of learners’ work.
   • Scaffold practice so learners can progress toward handling realistic situations.

2. Offer appropriate challenge, not empty cheerleading

   • The presenter argues that many courses are too easy to hold learners’ attention or build competence.
   • Set challenges at a level learners can meet with effort: hard enough to require thought and create a sense of accomplishment, but appropriate to their ability.
   • Avoid quizzes or activities that can be completed by clicking through without engaging with the problem.

3. Start with behavior, not content

   • When given a large content deck, do not treat it as the course outline by default.
   • First identify:
     • What behavior needs to change?
     • What should learners do before and after training?
     • Why are they not doing it now?
     • What barrier is preventing the desired behavior?
   • Then select the information that helps learners overcome that barrier, rather than trying to include everything that might be relevant.

4. Start with a challenge, not an explanation

   • Let learners attempt a simplified version of the task before presenting instruction.
   • Their attempt helps reveal what they do not yet know; instruction can then address those specific gaps.
   • The presenter likens this to trying to fix something before seeking a how-to video: encountering the problem makes the explanation more relevant and engaging.

5. Act as a curator, not a transcriber

   • Instructional designers should not simply convert subject-matter content into slides or screens.
   • Their expertise is in making information learnable and advocating for a productive learner experience.
   • Tools can help with production, and subject-matter experts know the content; the designer’s role is to make it work for learners.
   • Even when stakeholders resist, designers should make the case for sound learning design.

6. Make training custom to learners’ context

   • Avoid relying on habitual formats or mental templates, even when no formal template is used.
   • Draw on the specific learners, tasks, and real-world challenges involved.
   • Starting from an actual problem should naturally lead to a more tailored experience.

7. Measure competence, not just completion

   • Finishing a module alone does not show that a learner can perform the skill.
   • Build realistic opportunities to demonstrate competence into the course.
   • In that way, even a completion metric can represent meaningful achievement if reaching the end requires showing skill in a scenario.

8. Make interactions purposeful, not performative

   • Clicking merely to keep learners busy—such as a reveal interaction without a learning purpose—is not meaningful engagement.
   • Design interactions that require a decision, include right and wrong choices or degrees of quality, and provide feedback.
   • If a course is built around problems to solve, relevant interactions arise naturally.

9. Make the learner the driver, not the passenger

   • Learners are accustomed to choosing what, when, and how they consume content, while training often gives everyone the same linear path.
   • Provide autonomy by letting learners:
     • Skip material they already know.
     • Get support when they need it.
     • Explore topics in greater depth where needed.
     • Choose a route to the learning objective.

10. Use a design system, not a search engine - Searching Pinterest or template sites for a clever activity is unreliable and may produce ideas that do not fit the learners or context. - Use a trusted methodology for selecting and designing activities. - Understanding why an idea fits helps designers work more efficiently and explain or defend their choices.

The overall lesson is to begin with learners’ desired behaviors and real-world problems, then design practice, guidance, and assessment around developing competence.

Speakers and sources featured

• Mary Jo (also referred to as Marie-Jo in the video’s channel name) is the sole speaking presenter. She identifies herself as a former video-game producer who now helps instructional designers gamify training.
• Examples and references mentioned by the presenter: Doritos, YouTube, Netflix, Spotify, and Pinterest. These are illustrative references, not additional speakers.
• Other sources: The presenter refers generally to neuroscience and subject-matter experts, but no specific researcher, publication, or SME is identified. A brief music outro is heard.