Instructional design supports purposeful learning across education and professional training environments. K–12 education and corporate organizations increasingly rely on instructional designers to align learning experiences with overarching goals. Drawing on expertise in design principles and pedagogy, instructional designers develop optimized learning materials that reflect learner needs, resources and other factors that influence knowledge retention and engagement.
The St. Thomas University (STU) Master of Science (MS) in Instructional Design & Technology online program helps students develop these competencies to prepare them for instructional design roles in educational and training settings. Through studies in instructional design principles, models and methodologies, students learn to create accessible, relevant and engaging materials that promote learning.
What Is Instructional Design and Why Does It Matter?
Instructional design refers to the development of learning materials, activities and digital environments for schools and training programs across different sectors. Using structured processes of analysis, design and development, instructional designers consider different learning preferences, define the goals of learning materials and determine the methods that best support learning.
By developing learning strategies that reflect organizational cultures, learning needs, specific outcomes and other factors, instructional designers make education and training more memorable and engaging for learners. In K–12 settings, instructional design guides curriculum planning, learning technology and support for different learning needs. Instructional design also enhances professional and corporate training by developing training materials and methods that transfer to practical workplace applications, supporting team success in relation to organizational objectives and performance metrics.
Foundational Instructional Design Principles
Instructional design draws from the learning sciences, including behaviorism, cognitive psychology, constructivism, systems theory and design thinking. These perspectives define foundational principles for creating effective learning materials, including:
- A learner-centered design approach: Instructional designers identify learner characteristics such as prior knowledge, motivation, cultural context and digital fluency. They then tailor learning materials to promote engagement and accessibility.
- Clear learning objectives and outcomes alignment: Designers define specific, measurable learning objectives to develop purposeful and applicable content, activities and assessments.
- Assessment and feedback integration: Regular evaluation and timely feedback allow instructional designers to monitor and refine instructional materials based on learner performance.
- Scaffolding and progressive complexity: Instructional materials shift between foundational concepts and more complex content, building learners’ understanding and adapting ideas to different contexts.
Key Instructional Design Models
Instructional design models provide clearly defined frameworks for designing learning materials. With these models, instructional designers use replicable steps to analyze, develop and evaluate learning materials while managing overall scope and outcomes.
The ADDIE model is a widely used framework with defined steps for analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation. Each step builds on the previous one to maintain structure, efficiency and alignment across a project, providing a methodical learning experience that suits large-scale training needs. The Dick and Carey model similarly uses a systematic approach that breaks instructional design into 10 steps to ensure alignment between training and outcomes, thereby supporting large-scale initiatives.
The Successive Approximation Model (SAM) focuses on learning progression rather than perfection, employing quick prototyping, continuous reviewing and fluid refinements. SAM supports projects that benefit from early testing and iterative improvement, such as media-rich online modules.
In practice, instructional designers select and adapt models to different learning needs, organizational goals and available resources. For example, an extensive curriculum redesign for a school district may follow the ADDIE or Dick and Carey models for consistent structure and documentation, while a corporate team that frequently updates software tutorials may favor SAM to enable rapid cycles of design and testing.
Instructional Design Methodologies in Practice
Instructional design methodologies are the different ways that instructional designers apply principles and models during each stage of learning material development. These approaches influence content structure, accessibility and adaptability across different contexts and formats.
Backward design methodologies help shape learning materials by prioritizing their intended outcomes. Instructional designers start by defining learning outcomes and competencies, then develop learning activities and assessments that support these outcomes. Designers also use the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework to promote accessible instruction. They identify and address barriers to learning by offering flexible ways for learners to access and engage with content and demonstrate understanding through assessments, according to their preferences or needs.
Blended and online instructional design approaches emphasize strategic combinations of synchronous and asynchronous activities, collaboration, multimedia content and self-paced study. Designers structure learning modules so that each component contributes to the same outcomes, regardless of delivery.
Depending on the specific context, instructional designers must match the appropriate methodology to learner needs, delivery format and course content. For example, courses that serve learners with accessibility needs often lean on UDL principles, while outcome-focused professional training may rely more on backward design to prioritize measurable performance.
Building Instructional Design Expertise
Instructional designers must have a strong understanding of pedagogical and adult learning theories to match strategies to learners’ characteristics. Graduate programs in instructional design develop a range of competencies through coursework in learning theory, instructional models, assessment design and educational technology, enabling instructional designers to implement impactful design strategies and effectively incorporate elements such as storytelling and problem-based learning.
In addition to developing core skills, many instructional designers also pursue continuing education to keep up with the constantly evolving trends and technologies in their field. Important technical and soft skills for instructional designers include:
- Pedagogical theory: Understanding the behaviorist, cognitivist, constructivist and other learning theories guides decisions about pedagogical practice, feedback and learner autonomy.
- E-learning development: Designers use authoring tools, multimedia software and learning management systems to create modules and assessments that promote engagement in online learning.
- Learning management systems (LMS): Expertise in LMS platforms enables designers to structure courses, manage enrollments, track analytics and integrate assessments and resources in a single environment.
- Design and user experience: Strategic layout, navigation and interaction design help learners move through and maintain focus on learning materials.
- Creativity and storytelling: Creative storytelling helps learners connect abstract ideas to everyday problems or professional scenarios.
- Project management: Designers coordinate timelines, budgets and collaboration to keep instructional design projects organized and aligned with outcomes.
- Communication: Strong communication with subject matter experts, stakeholders and learners supports the accuracy and clarity of learning content.
- Problem-solving: Designers analyze performance gaps, interpret learner data and adjust content or strategies based on ongoing feedback.
Building a Career in Instructional Design and Technology
Advanced instructional design knowledge helps educators, trainers and learning and development professionals develop talent in a wide range of institutions and organizations. With the skills to connect learning science, technology and project management, graduates of a master’s in instructional design program can meet the ongoing demand for experts who create practical and purposeful curricula and professional development programs.
With competencies developed in STU’s MS in Instructional Design and Technology online program, graduates are prepared to enter or advance in the instructional design field and pursue roles such as senior instructional designer, e-learning developer, instructional systems developer or trainer. Learn more about how advanced instructional design skills support your professional growth, and apply to STU’s online MS in Instructional Design and Technology program today.
