When a new task is at hand that we have not encountered
before, we undoubtedly begin to look for instructions or training on how to
complete the task. Sometimes we find the instructions make the task much easier
to complete, while at other times we find ourselves even more lost after trying
to follow the instructions. For our first assignment in our Instructional
Design course, we were asked to find examples in the real world. As I began to
look for examples of instructional design in the real world, I came across two
examples: instructions on how to find the correct elevator in a hospital, and
instructions on how to put a charcoal grill together.
The first example I encountered was a chart in the hospital
that explained how to find the desired elevator. Actually, I should back up
here and start from the beginning. I went into a hospital knowing that I needed
to get to the eleventh floor. My first thought was to find the elevator. There
were signs clearly marking the hallways with arrows pointing to the elevators.
I followed the first set signs I saw and they took me right to the elevators! I
was so excited that I found it so fast! I then went to push the button for the
eleventh floor and found that this particular elevator only went up to the
third floor. I immediately backtracked to the main lobby to look for some sort
of chart or diagram that might help me find the correct elevator and there on
one of the main walls was a huge diagram of the floors and the elevators to use
to get to those floors. I could see very quickly that the purple elevators were
the only ones that went to the eleventh floor. I then looked a little closer at
those signs that I had followed at the beginning and saw that they were also
color coded. I quickly found the purple arrows and was directed to the correct
elevator.
In this first example, the goal of the training was to help
you get to your desired location in the hospital. The diagram displayed a list
of the floors and had the floors color coded based on the elevators which made
this very effective way to guide new patrons like myself through the hospital.
This experience caused me to learn three things right from the beginning.
First, when you are in a new facility, look for a diagram of the building to
help you get to your desired location. Second, the use of colors on the chart
made it very obvious which elevator to use no matter what language you spoke.
But lastly, I will never forget that when I go to this particular hospital, the
elevators to do not all service the same floors and I will look for the diagram
from the beginning!
The second example of instructional design that I found was the
set of instructions to put the new charcoal grill together that I just
purchased. I was pleased to find that the instructions were very easy to
follow. These instructions written step-by-step directions with pictures of
each step along with pictures of the hardware to be used for each step. Each
part was clearly labeled just as it was referenced in the directions. Also, the
hardware was shrink-wrapped to a piece of cardboard labeled with the same
symbol that was used in the pictures.
In the second example, the goal was to assemble a new charcoal
grill. The instruction booklet was well thought out giving step by step
instructions with detailed pictures. This was another very effective way of
providing directions for the user. Once again, I learned three key points from
this experience. First, the added pictures along with the steps made each set
of directions easy to visualize and then carry out. Second, I learned that
labeling parts and then staying consistent with the labels in the directions
will keep confusion at a minimum. Last, I learned that minimizing the amount of
information given in each step allowed for small successes along the way to
help minimize frustration.
As I begin to plan future training sessions, I can see that
instructional design can help improve the quality of the final goal. Including
text, visual descriptions, and labels increases the effectiveness of the
instruction. I look forward to actually
working through the process to increase the level of my trainings that I offer
to the teachers in our school district.
References
Piskurich, G. M. (2006). Rapid instructional design:
Learning ID fast and right. John Wiley & Sons.
