Competencies and Skills for Instructional Designers

by Analysis & Technology, Inc.

(Electronically reprinted by permission of: Analysis &

Technology, Inc. Copyright © 1995.)

1. Perform a needs assessment/analysis

• Develop a needs assessment/analysis plan and

instrument
• Conduct a needs assessment/analysis and collect data
• Identify discrepancies based on analysis of data
collection
• Recommend options that solve the discrepancies

2. Plan and monitor training projects

• Develop a project management plan

• Develop cost-benefit analysis
• Develop budgets and schedules
• Identify resource allocation requirements
• Monitor activities and make appropriate adjustments to
achieve project goals
• Identify constraints that impact budget, schedule,
resource requirements

3. Assess the relevant characteristics of the target

audience

• Select the target audience characteristics that are

appropriate for assessment
• Develop a target audience profile
• Differentiate between the types of learners that will
benefit from the instruction from those who will have
difficulty comprehending the courseware
4. Assess the relevant characteristics of the setting

• Identify relevant resources, constraints, and context of

the development and delivery environments
• Identify how the courseware will be used in the
curriculum
• Evaluate how the setting characteristics may impact
proposed instructional approaches
• State a rationale for the selection of the resources and
constraints of the development and delivery
environments chosen

5. Perform job, task, and/or content analysis

• Analyze the characteristics of a job, task, or body of

knowledge
• Identify appropriate source documentation to support
analysis
• Identify tasks, subtasks, cognitive processes and their
sequential and/or hierarchical relationships
• Comprehend technical content in terms of the entire
course content and individual lessons
• Assess frequency, criticality, difficulty and complexity of
knowledge and skills contained in curricula to
accommodate target audience learning styles
• Identify prerequisite knowledge and skills for tasks,
subtasks, and knowledge

6. Write criterion-referenced, performance-based

objectives

• State an objective in performance terms that reflect the

intent of instruction
• Sequence the objectives to reflect the curriculum
design
 • Describe the relationship between the objectives,
technical content and performance measurement

7. Select instructional media

• Identify instructional media options that address training

needs
• Describe characteristics of instructional media
• Evaluate candidate training system hardware and
software capabilities and limitations
• Conduct a cost-benefit analysis to determine cost-
effectiveness of instructional media options that support
objectives within imposed constraints
• Recommend instructional media that provides utility
and probability across and within each unit of
instruction

8. Recommend instructional strategies

• Discuss learning theories, instructional design

strategies, instructional psychology, and learning styles
appropriate to the curricular objectives
• Describe and provide a rationale for the selection of an
instructional approach
• Design instructional materials that are appropriate to
the ability level of the learners

9. Develop performance measurement instruments

• Develop performance measures: criterion-referenced

achievement tests, questionnaires, interviews,
simulation scenarios, observation checklists,
performance checklists, product checklists
• Identify variables to measure and construct assessment
items appropriate to the associated objective
 • Judge the validity and reliability of instruction based on
statistical results
• State the rationale for using one type of assessment
tool over another

10. Develop training program materials

• Develop media materials that are linked to and within

the hardware/software constraints, are consistent
across and between lessons, and clearly communicate
information
• Develop flowcharts to identify learning events at the
frame specific level using standardized symbology
• Develop storyboards using a template appropriate to
the needs of the project to
• Enter data that clearly communicates what will be
developed and presented to the user
• Select and construct appropriate interactions and user
control techniques
• Write scripts that include: Introductions, body,
transitions, and summary in conversational, active voice
to match comprehension level of target audience
• Consistent use of tense, grammar, terminology that is
interesting and varied
• Use a variety of authoring and/or software applications
packages
• Develop audiovisual display designs that include:
screen layouts and human-machine interfaces
• Develop course support materials and documentation
• Perform debug procedures to identify inconsistencies
and discrepancies
• Understand video production/postproduction
procedures
• Understand the relationship between storyboard
production and courseware production
11. Prepare end-users for implementation of courseware
materials

• Train instructors on how to present courseware to

students
• Provide guidance to users on hardware, software, and
courseware

12. Evaluate instruction, program, and process

• Develop a formative/summative evaluation plan and

conduct the formative/summative evaluation
• Generate specifications for revisions based on
feedback collected during evaluation

13. Demonstrate an ability to grasp technical content

14. Communicate effectively by visual, oral, and written

form with individuals, small group, and in front of large
audiences

15. Interact effectively with other people

• Establish rapport with individuals and groups

• Ask questions, explain information, listen
• Deal with impediments to progress among members of
a group (friction, resistance)

16. Demonstrate good work habits

• Demonstrate organizational skills and time

management abilities
• Demonstrate flexibility and problem solving abilities