“What is a learning designer's role during the implementation phase of a project?”
“What best practices should learning designers consider during the implementation phase of a project?”
“Who should be involved in the Implementation phase of a project?”
“What common mistakes should learning designers avoid during the implementation phase of a project?”
This lesson is about the role of a learning designer during the implementation phase of a project. It includes information about tasks that might be performed, best practices that should be considered, and common mistakes to avoid. Through this lesson, you should be able to identify the role and responsibilities of a learning designer during the implementation phase.
What is a learning designer's role during the implementation phase of a project?
During the implementation phase of a project, a learning designer typically plays a supporting role in the delivery of a learning program. The specific tasks vary based on the organizational structure, delivery method, project needs, and available resources.
Depending on these factors, designers may be asked to:
Facilitate train-the-trainer sessions: Instructional designers can lead train-the-trainer sessions to provide trainers with a deep understanding of the training content, delivery techniques, and best practices. These sessions can also address common challenges and provide strategies to overcome them.
Conduct training pilots: Conducting a training pilot program involves a structured process to test and refine instructional materials and delivery methods before full-scale implementation. Designers often recruit a small group of representative learners and deliver (or assist trainers in the delivery of) the training. During the pilot, designers observe and gather feedback from participants, instructors, and stakeholders to identify strengths and weaknesses, making necessary revisions and improvements. The iterative nature of piloting allows instructional designers to fine-tune the program, ensuring its effectiveness and alignment with objectives before rolling it out to a larger audience.
Create learner communication plans: In developing a learner communication plan for upcoming trainings, designers establish clear and concise communication channels to inform learners about the training, including email, messaging platforms, or learning management systems. The plan should outline the training objectives, schedule, and expectations to set proper learner expectations. Providing pre-training materials, such as reading materials or preparatory assignments, can help learners come prepared and engaged. During the training, designers should encourage two-way communication, offering opportunities for learners to ask questions and provide feedback. Post-training, designers should follow up with learners to reinforce key concepts, share additional resources, and gather insights to improve future training sessions. Regular updates and reminders throughout the learning journey can help keep learners motivated and on track.
Support live training sessions: Instructional designers are often made available to trainers throughout the training implementation phase, offering assistance, clarifications, and guidance whenever needed. They can also provide feedback on trainers' performance and suggest improvements. In some situations, instructional designers may take an active role in delivering training sessions themselves. They may lead discussions, group activities, and interactive exercises to encourage active learning among participants. They may create a supportive and inclusive learning environment, boosting participation and engagement.
What best practices should learning designers consider during the implementation phase of a project?
During the implementation phase of a project, learning designers should consider the following best practices to ensure the successful execution of the learning experiences:
Clear communication and collaboration: Maintain open and regular communication with stakeholders, subject matter experts, instructional technologists, and other team members involved in the implementation. Collaborate effectively, address concerns, and align expectations to ensure everyone is on the same page.
Iterative improvement: Embrace an iterative approach to continuously improve the learning experiences. Gather feedback from users, trainers, or facilitators and make necessary adjustments based on their input. Regularly review and refine the content and activities to enhance the learning effectiveness.
Technology integration and usability: Ensure seamless integration of the learning experiences into the chosen technology platforms. Test the content across different devices and browsers to ensure compatibility and optimize the user experience. Consider usability principles to make the learning experiences intuitive and easy to navigate.
Accessibility considerations: Test how well learning experiences are accessible to learners with diverse abilities. Adhere to accessibility standards and guidelines, such as providing alternative text for images, captions for videos, and ensuring proper color contrast. Test the content using accessibility tools to identify and address any accessibility issues.
Quality assurance and testing: Implement thorough quality assurance processes to identify and rectify any errors or inconsistencies. Test the learning experiences across different devices, screen sizes, and operating systems. Conduct user testing or pilot studies to gather feedback and validate the effectiveness of the learning experiences.
By following these best practices, learning designers can enhance the implementation of the learning experiences, improve learner engagement and outcomes, and contribute to the overall success of the project.
Who should be involved in the Implementation phase of a project?
During the Implementation phase of a learning project, several key stakeholders should be involved to ensure its success. Here are some of the key individuals and groups who should ideally participate:
Designers are responsible for the overall design and development of the learning experiences. They play a crucial role in implementing the instructional strategies and ensuring that the learning objectives are effectively addressed. During the implementation phase, they provide guidance, support, and expertise to trainers and facilitators.
Trainers/facilitators are directly involved in delivering the learning experiences to the learners. They play a pivotal role in engaging learners, guiding discussions, and facilitating activities. During the implementation phase, trainers receive support and resources from learning designers to effectively deliver the training content.
Learners are the primary audience of the learning experiences. Their active involvement and feedback are invaluable during the implementation phase. In an ideal scenario, involving actual learners during the implementation phase allows for real-world testing of the learning content, activities, and instructional methods. Their feedback helps identify areas for improvement and ensures that the learning experiences meet their needs.
Project managers/coordinators oversee the implementation phase and ensure that it stays on track. They coordinate the efforts of different stakeholders, manage timelines, and monitor progress. Project managers play a crucial role in ensuring effective communication and collaboration among team members.
Subject matter experts (SMEs) provide domain-specific knowledge and expertise during the implementation phase. They collaborate with learning designers to validate the accuracy and relevance of the learning content. SMEs also assist trainers in addressing complex questions or clarifying subject matter concepts.
Evaluation team members are responsible for assessing the effectiveness of the learning experiences during the implementation phase. They design evaluation measures, gather data, and analyze results to determine whether the learning objectives are being achieved. Their feedback helps refine and improve the learning experiences.
IT or technical support personnel may be involved in the implementation phase. They ensure that the necessary technology infrastructure, such as learning management systems or online platforms, is in place and functioning correctly. They provide technical assistance to trainers and learners, addressing any issues that may arise.
What common mistakes should learning designers avoid during the implementation phase of a project?
During the implementation phase of a project, learning designers should be aware of common mistakes and avoid them to ensure the smooth execution of the learning experiences.
Play the video to discover common mistakes to avoid during implementation.
By avoiding these common mistakes, learning designers can enhance the implementation phase, improve learner experiences, and increase the chances of achieving the desired learning outcomes.
Summary and next steps
In the implementation phase of a learning project, designers support the successful delivery of learning programs through various activities such as facilitating train-the-trainer sessions, conducting training pilot sessions, creating learner communication plans, and supporting live training.
Learning designers should consider best practices, including clear communication, iterative improvement, technology integration, accessibility considerations, and quality assurance. Key stakeholders involved in the implementation phase include learning designers, trainers/facilitators, learners/participants, project managers/coordinators, subject matter experts (SMEs), evaluation teams, and IT/technical support personnel.
It is important for learning designers to avoid common mistakes such as lack of communication, insufficient quality assurance, neglecting user feedback, ignoring accessibility considerations, poor integration of technology, and insufficient training and support. By considering these aspects, learning designers can ensure a successful implementation of the learning experiences.
Now that you are familiar with identifying what a learning designer does during the Implementation phase, continue to the next lesson in LXD Factory’s Implement series: Facilitate a train-the-trainer session.
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