Learning Design vs Instructional Design: Are They Different?
If you are an educator, a trainer, or are involved in educating fields, “instructional design” must be a familiar term to you. But in recent years, the term “learning design” has appeared more frequently. Some even use these 2 terms as synonyms. But wait! Is that true? Or is there a BIG difference between the 2 terms that we have mistakenly understood?
Let’s figure out your own answer through this post as we will get to know the definitions, the similarities, and the differences between learning design vs instructional design.
In this post:
- The solution to make use of both “learning design” vs “instructional design”
- Define “learning design” vs “instructional design”
- Examples of “learning design” vs “instructional design”
- Differentiate “learning design” vs “instructional design”
- How “learning design” vs “instructional design” interfere and affect each other
The solution to make use of both learning design vs instructional design
Before getting to know deeper about these 2 terms, meet ActivePresenter – the comprehensive solution for both learning design vs instructional design.
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Now, let’s dive deeper into the 2 terms!
Define learning design vs instructional design
Instructional design is the process of planning, developing, and implementing instructional materials in a systematic manner to facilitate learning. In other words, it is like creating a roadmap for learning. Instructional design focuses much on how building and conveying instructional strategies aligns with the learning objectives.
Learning design is an approach to creating learning experiences that prioritize the learner’s journey and engagement. It not only aims to improve learning outcomes but also provides learners with enjoyable environments. Learning designers will work closely with teachers, learners, and other stakeholders to create engaging and creative learning environments.
Examples of learning design vs instructional design
| Learning Design | Instructional Design |
| – Designing a collaborative project where students learn through teamwork and problem-solving. – Creating a blended learning environment that combines online and in-person activities. – Developing a simulation that allows learners to apply their knowledge in a realistic scenario. – Designing a learning experience that incorporates emotional engagement. – Designing a learning experience that focuses on learner-centered design. | – Developing a lesson plan with specific learning objectives, activities, and assessments. – Creating a training module that breaks down complex information into manageable chunks. – Designing a quiz to measure student comprehension of a particular topic. – Creating a PowerPoint presentation that follows a strict learning outcome structure. – Creating a course that is heavily focused on the transfer of specific knowledge. |
Differentiate learning design vs instructional design
Understanding the definitions, but many still feel vague to differentiate these 2 terms. So let’s deep dive into some aspects to better grab the differences between “learning design” vs “instructional design”.
| Learning Design | Instructional Design | |
| Focus | On the learner’s journey, ensuring a rich and engaging experience. | On the structured delivery of content to achieve specific learning objectives. |
| Goals | To create an environment where learners are motivated, curious, and invested in their learning | To ensure that learners acquire the necessary knowledge and skills efficiently. |
| Approaches and Methodologies | – Incorporates user-centered design, personas, and scenario-based learning. – Emphasizes iterative testing and feedback to refine the learning experience. | – Follows systematic models and frameworks for instructional development. – Emphasizes a structured, step-by-step process to create instructional materials. |
| Tools and Techniques | Utilizes design thinking, personas, and scenario-based learning to create engaging and relevant experiences. | Employs storyboarding, lesson planning, and assessment development to create structured and effective instructional content. |
| Outcome Measurement | Focus on measuring – learner engagement – satisfaction – long-term retention => Success depends on the overall impact on the learner’s experience. | Focus on measurable learning outcomes and performance improvement. => Success depends on the achievement of specific learning objectives. |
| When to use | – Create an engaging and memorable learning experience – Have a complex or open-ended learning goal – Create a more learner-centered learning experience | – Have specific learning objectives to achieve – Have limited time/resources – Have a well-defined audience |
In brief, while instructional design is more focused on the content and delivery of instruction, learning design is more focused on the overall user experience, including the emotional and motivational aspects of learning.
How learning design vs instructional design affect each other
From the comparison table above, it’s clear that learning design vs instructional design are not alike. Despite some distinguished aspects, both approaches bring back valuable outcomes for creating effective and engaging learning experiences. Therefore, there is a certain overlap between these terms.
It’s obvious that learning design (LD) appears before instructional design (ID) as it goes beyond the development of instructional materials. While applying the LD method, we need to analyze the target audience and related factors that may affect the success of the course. Then, only after getting a hang of what the course should achieve can we draw the course outline. The outline includes any possible instructional materials, activities, gamification, or quizzes.
Coming to the ID phase, specialists take the outline created during LD as well as the information gathered. Based on that data, we create the curriculum, lessons, and so on. Once the ID phase is complete, the materials developed in this phase will be used in the production phase.
So, learning design vs instructional design complement each other, not replacing. While ID is more focused on content and delivery of instruction, LD is more focused on the overall learning experience, including the emotional and motivational aspects of learning. But, each involves different skill sets to achieve distinguished goals. The combination of these 2 approaches will bring back an ultimate outcome. Therefore, skilled learning designers blend instructional design (ID) vs learning design (LD) together, along with interface design, interaction design, and other related fields, to enhance learning experiences and achieve a balance between learning outcomes and learner engagement.
Conclusion
To sum up, understanding the differences between learning design vs instructional design is essential for creating effective educational experiences. By integrating both approaches, educators and training professionals can craft comprehensive and impactful learning experiences that cater to diverse needs and preferences. Of course, those who don’t know how to apply either or both of these will soon be replaced by those who are skillful.
The journey to effective learning is an ongoing adventure, so don’t hesitate trying eLearning tools like ActivePresenter to have a useful and powerful companion to assist you with your designing experience.