EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM DESIGN IN FACE-TO-FACE AND ONLINE EDUCATION

Abstract

Educational Program Design or Instructional Design (ID) of traditional face-to-face or online academic courses or entire programs is emerging as a dynamic area of any learning process focused on developing effective learning experiences for students using current technological tools and new pedagogical strategies. The current practice of professional educational program designers demonstrates a high level of complexity and variability. Instructional design models serve as the foundation for all face-to-face or online learning programs and determine the order and access of students and teachers, the learning activities selected, and the level of student interaction with content, teachers, and peers. Therefore, it is important to select the most effective instructional design model that matches the learning strategy. Criteria for selecting the most appropriate model depends on the course/ program objectives, the target learning audience, the iterative process of the model, and the ongoing support/collaboration of all stakeholders. The fundamentals of instructional design include a thorough understanding of various design methods, learning theories, and styles. It is an evolving and adapting field, with new approaches to designing effective and engaging learning experiences constantly being introduced. This paper presents and analyzes some existing instructional design models and offers examples of models for designing and organizing educational programs using digital technologies.