Instructional Design Principles Flashcards

What is the primary distinction between formative and summative evaluation in instructional design?

Answer: Formative occurs during development to improve the program; summative measures final outcomes

Formative evaluation improves instruction during design and delivery, while summative evaluation judges overall program effectiveness after completion.

An instructor is designing a course on workplace safety. Which objective is written using proper performance-based language?

Answer: Learners will correctly demonstrate donning PPE within 60 seconds.

Properly written performance objectives include an observable behavior, condition, and measurable criterion — only the third option meets all three.

Which instructional strategy BEST supports transfer of learning to the job?

Answer: Providing realistic practice scenarios that mirror the workplace

Transfer is maximized when practice conditions closely resemble the real performance environment.

In Kirkpatrick's Four-Level Model, Level 2 measures:

Answer: Actual learning — knowledge, skills, or attitude change

Level 2 (Learning) assesses whether participants acquired the intended knowledge, skills, or attitudes during training.

What is 'chunking' in instructional design?

Answer: Breaking content into small, manageable units to reduce cognitive overload

Chunking organizes information into small, related units that align with working memory capacity and reduce cognitive load.

Which component is NOT typically part of a well-written learning objective?

Answer: Instructor biography

Mager's three-part (or four-part) objectives include audience, behavior, condition, and degree — instructor biography is irrelevant to objective writing.

A training designer uses pre-tests to adjust instruction before a course begins. This is an example of:

Answer: Diagnostic assessment

Diagnostic assessments identify learner entry-level knowledge and skills so instruction can be tailored accordingly.