A CASE STUDY OF THE INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN PROCESS OF MY SIGNATURE COURSE

Create Effective Curriculum

The goal of this program was to guide aspiring course creators through the basics of instructional design. I developed the MVP over a few months, and I’ll market it as a standalone product. As a bonus, it showcases my instructional design abilities, which is helpful since an NDA prevents me from sharing my previous course development work.

I was solely responsible for every aspect of the project, from concept to completion.

Problem

Many aspiring course creators struggle with designing effective courses. While many resources focus on choosing a topic and marketing, few address how to design a curriculum using instructional design best practices that cater to the way adults learn.

Research

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    Competitive Analysis—Many options focused on choosing a topic for a course, then marketing it to earn six figures fast. They skimmed over the course design.

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    Competitive Analysis—Some options were highly technical and aimed at teaching aspiring instructional designers. They weren't simple enough for amateur course creators.

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    Survey—Primary challenges were creating engaging content and understanding how to design curriculum for adult learners.

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    Survey—Learners want hands-on learning activities and value both video and written instruction.

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    Interviews—Designing effective curriculum takes priority over knowing how to launch and market a course.

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    Persona—Ages 35-55. Wants to create a course related to their field to establish credibility and earn additional income.

Solution

A simple, self-paced course with short, consumable lessons that teach the basics of instructional design with a project-based approach. Templates and future exemplars provide structure for amateur curriculum developers.

FRAMEWORK: ADDIE with Backward Design.

TIMELINE: January launch of MVP is ahead of schedule.

Elements of the Process

Outline Development

  • I used backward design to identify course learning objectives, then module objectives.

  • I conceptualized the major projects, or assessments, by determining how to best measure whether learners achieved the learning objectives.

  • I then developed lesson-level learning objectives and assessments to finish the outline, although it remains flexible during content development.

AI Development

  • During the outline development, I used ChatGPT to assess the scaffolding of the curriculum based on Bloom’s Taxonomy.

  • I also leveraged AI tools to reduce authoring time by 50%—which is helpful but not a magic solution because you still need significant human input.

  • Extensive editing experience helps me ensure accurate content.

Images & Video

  • With my design background, I can develop assets that convey ideas visually and support different learning styles.

  • Leveraging my experience with video production, I recorded myself both as a talking head and presenting screen shares for demonstration videos.

Platforms

  • I use Squarespace for this course after researching and working in numerous learning management systems (LMS). It suits the current needs along with some growth.

  • Many people struggle with the platform choice, and I was no exception. In the end, I chose one suits my needs now and I’ll wait to invest in something more powerful if I need it later.

Evaluate & Iterate

  • I’m leveraging a beta group of students to get feedback before the official launch.

  • I have identified areas students may need additional support so I’ll keep a close eye on that. For example, writing learning objectives is easy to understand intellectually, but challenging in practice.

Retrospective

After every project, I conduct a retrospective—even when I'm the sole contributor. Here are the key challenges I encountered, the changes I’ll consider for future iterations, and, of course, the wins!

Challenges & Changes

  • Flexible deadlines can make the minimum viable product (MVP) feel flexible too, and that impacts progress and scope—especially when it’s your own project. Going forward, I’ll establish firmer benchmarks for my work.

  • Simplifying video production was hard to stick to in version one—I really wanted to do more—but keeping it basic was essential for proof of concept. Holding off on some features now, means I have a ready list of improvements that will enhance learning in version two.

  • Platform selection turned out to be less critical than I originally thought. Moving content to a different platform turned out to be easy so I didn’t need to choose my forever platform—just what worked for today.

  • Learning Objectives can be difficult to write. As the first students progress through the course, I’ll stay in communication with them to see if additional support is needed.

Wins

  • Short, focused lessons allow students to make quick progress without feeling overwhelmed.

  • I successfully avoided scope creep by keeping non-essential topics out of the course. Those subjects can become follow-up micro-courses, which not only provides more learning opportunities for students, but boosts my potential revenue.

  • I’ve arranged for beta students to take the course and provide valuable feedback before the official launch.

Thank you! Let’s connect!

angieodon@gmail.com | 801-671-0862