Tony Earl 'The Art and Craft of Course Design'

CV Tony Earl
Tony Earl worked as an instructional designer at Utrecht University from 1970 to 1990. Before that, he worked for various commercial companies. At Utrecht University, he organised many courses on course design for teachers and was active in educational development projects. Several publications have appeared about his projects. 
In addition, he played an important role in mentoring students in the minor education design. During this period, he used his design approach and the experiences gained from it to write his book The Art and Craft of Course Design. This book has been digitised and is available on the website.

Design Concepts

1.Some Basics

1.1 Introduction

What does a designer of instruction do? What is a design? Where does the micro-level design process begin and end? Is there a special language of design? What is a 'learning experience '? How does a designer know when she or he has success?

1.2. What does a designer of instruction do?

 Oh, what do you do?
'I'm an instructional designer'.
'Oh ...'

I discovered quite a long time ago that the only way to explain to an old aunt, a young daughter or a New York taxi driver what an instructional designer does is to give examples. If I were asked today, 'What does a designer of instruction do?', I would give the following examples from practice. They are taken from different levels of design decision-making.

A medical faculty requires its third-year students to spend five half-days in a general practice and visiting a patient at home. You are a member of the faculty team who has the concrete task of thinking up and making operational a successful 'plan, structure and strategy of instruction' for this encounter with the realities of general practice. You are the team's instructional designer working at the project's micro-level of design (course and lessons).
A new school for laboratory analysts has decided to create a problem-based first-year programme. You are a member of the planning committee who will draw up a blueprint for this programme. You are an instructional designer working at the meso (curriculum) level of design.

You are head of a kindergarten. You are alert to the need to help children at an early age care for the environment of the planet on which we live. You decide to introduce 'Green Peace' projects in every class in your school. You initiate an exchange of ideas with your teaching staff. You have taken the initiative not only as head of the school but also as an instructional designer at the macro (policy-level) design.

A US Government Agency is concerned about the loss of life and injury amongst personnel fighting forest fires. The training department involved assigns you the task of devising a self-instructional programmed text to teach ten standard orders relating to safety:

1. Keep informed on fire weather conditions and forecasts.
2. Know what your fire is doing all the time.
3. Base all actions on current and expected behaviour of fire.
4. Have escape routes for everyone and make them known.
5. Post lookouts when there is possible danger.
6. Be alert, keep calm, think clearly, act decisively.
7. Maintain prompt communications with your men, your boss and adjoining forces.
8. Give clear instructions and be sure that they are understood.
9. Maintain control of your men at all times.

The trainee population is scattered all over the western states of America and Puerto Rico. It is very heterogeneous and includes professional firefighters, forest rangers, volunteer firefighters and student fire watchers. If your product is a success, you will have had success as an instructional designer at the micro (course and lesson) level. We make plans based on policy at the macro level of design decision-making. We turn these plans into 'curriculum statements' at the meso level. We design the 'courses and lessons' called for by the curriculum statements at the micro level. At this level, the instructional designer is confronted with the very specific question, 'What design can I use in this piece of instruction for these students so that they will learn what they need to learn in a meaningful way and in a way that each of them values?'