{"id":4987,"date":"2025-04-02T07:19:47","date_gmt":"2025-04-02T07:19:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/veethompson.com\/?p=4987"},"modified":"2025-07-25T06:41:49","modified_gmt":"2025-07-25T06:41:49","slug":"instructional-design-principles-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.veethompson.com\/?p=4987","title":{"rendered":"Instructional Design Principles (2025)"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you’re new to instructional design (ID)<\/strong>, welcome. You\u2019ve just joined a world where learning meets psychology, design meets science, and acronyms roam free like wild horses on the open plains. (Hi, ADDIE. Hello, Bloom.)<\/p>\n

But seriously, this field is fascinating. And if you’re anything like me, you probably want the “explain-it-like-I\u2019m-five” version of what makes good instructional design actually effective<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n

So let\u2019s talk principles. Not the scary ones that haunt high schools, but the guiding frameworks that help you design learning experiences that stick. Whether you\u2019re building a workshop, an eLearning module, or a lunch-and-learn for your coworkers, these are the tools in your design satchel.<\/p>\n

What is Instructional Design?<\/h2>\n

Think of instructional designers as the behind-the-scenes directors of learning. We work across industries\u2014higher ed, corporate training, non-profits\u2014anywhere people need to learn something new (ideally without dozing off).<\/p>\n

We pull from psychology, systems theory, design, education…you name it. But the goal\u2019s always the same: help people learn in ways that are effective, efficient, and sometimes even a little fun.<\/p>\n

Want to dive deeper into instructional design? Check out this article.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Illustration

Illustration of a person with a lightbulb above their head (Midjourney, 2025).<\/p><\/div>\n

Learning Science 101<\/h2>\n

Every good design is rooted in the science of how people learn. Here are the three big ones that underpin nearly everything we do:<\/p>\n

Behaviorism<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This one\u2019s all about stimulus and response. Think of it as the Pavlov\u2019s dog of learning theory: you do a thing, and then you get a treat. Or a badge. Or a satisfying \u201cding\u201d when you get a quiz question right.<\/p>\n

In action:<\/strong><\/p>\n