Instructional design books and related fields: our recommendations
The pain of everyone learning about the concept of instructional design is finding a way to dive into the theory with the most up-to-date content. So we decided to pause and recommend a few books to get you started. We don't necessarily endorse everything. I'll also point to some content creators with vast libraries, and I couldn't possibly go through all of it. But from what I've seen, there is a solid foundation on instructional design that we ourselves have drawn on, and we believe you can learn a lot from it too. If you want to know more about instructional design, learning theory and how people learn (and, of course, how to teach), here is an up-to-date selection of books to browse. If you already know the subject well, a few of these books will expand your skills and understanding. We value a diverse background, so some of this content mixes instructional design with management and other fields.
"Make It Stick" by Peter C. Brown
Although this book speaks to teachers and students, instructional designers can learn a lot from it. The authors present the latest research on the best techniques for effective learning and teaching. They also explain why so-called intuitive approaches are often ineffective and inefficient. It addresses a few myths that, although debunked some time ago, remain consistently in popular imagination. Then it covers several attributes involved in learning. It is much more focused on the process of learning itself and on studying on your own, but right at the end there is a guide for instructors with plenty of examples. The middle of the book gets a bit lost when it discusses some theories connected to learning, because it doesn't do a good job of connecting them directly. But in the end, it's an excellent read.
"The Non-Designer's Design Book" by Robin Williams
Some instructional designers tend to ignore the importance of visual design. Some of them truly don't think it matters, while others simply don't think they're capable of doing it. Well, it's a skill. And like any other skill, it can be learned. We'll probably recommend this book to many people for years. It explains complex concepts in an introductory way while being very useful for those without a design background. Even if the terms themselves aren't unfamiliar to anyone who works with websites and design at a basic level, you learn a lot, and it will certainly become a reference book whenever you have a specific question. That's what Robin Williams's book is about. It's a great introduction to the visual side of instructional design. Once you've understood it, you'll see how much more effective your courses become.
"Change by Design" by Tim Brown
We know that collaboration, participation and interaction are what make processes more agile and creative. That's why Design Thinking has also reached the production of online courses, hybrid courses and instructional materials. No wonder: Design Thinking turns need into demand. And what we do today in e-learning is exactly that: identify needs that can generate demands solved through courses, training and online upskilling. Finding viable alternatives in a short time. Making the most of the team's creative potential. Reducing production and implementation time. Showing test results. Promoting validation. This book is a classic within Design Thinking. Tim Brown's approach is essential. We consider it the best place to start.
"Design Thinking na Educação Presencial, a Distância e Corporativa" by Carolina Costa Cavalcanti and Andrea Filatro
This book is available in Portuguese. The success of Design Thinking is winning more and more followers in basic and higher in-person education, in distance learning and in corporate education. The methodology uses design strategies to solve problems in a creative, systemic and collaborative way. The big gain is being able to enable and promote innovation in the education field.
"Design de Aprendizagem com uso de Canvas" by Flora Alves
This book is available in Portuguese. When you work as an online course designer, you operate within a universe of possible methodologies and applications. Here, the author redefines and demystifies Learning Design. She does it visually and directly, using the canvas and applying the Trahentem® Methodology. The Canvas is a practical, visual, collaborative and consistent tool that enables the systematic organization of what is essential to Learning Design. As far as we know, it has won many followers only in Brazil, because it is a visual material. Although my reading found no scientific backing for the methodology, that doesn't make it any less valid. The goal is to speed up the process by dealing only with the elements that are essential and meaningful for learning.
"The Art of Explanation" by Lee LeFever
In this book, he focuses on what it means to explain something to someone. His definition of explanation is describing facts in a way that makes them intelligible. That gives communication a different tone: in the end, we're trying to get the other person to understand our side. There's a touch of persuasion with a hint of understanding. The point isn't necessarily to make the other person agree, but to make them understand your point of view. Often, in the business world, we're trying to get a person to take an action or not to take an action. And that is deeply tied to our ability to explain our side, our concern, motivation and understanding, in a way that makes sense to them. Lee says our goal is to get the person from point A to point D with our explanation. To do that, you need to understand what your point A is. What do they already know? What kind of context and background do they have to understand what I want to explain?
Which books do you recommend?
This is just a short list for those of you who are new to instructional design or looking for recommendations. I'd love to hear your recommendations too!
