Imagine that someone has asked you to build something. They provide you with tools and materials but they haven’t told you what the final product needs to be. What would you do? Where would you start? This is what it would be like to begin instructing a group of learners without a big picture for what you would like them to take away.




When developing curricula and instructional materials, the most important guideline to keep in mind is “everything must be aligned with the learning goals.” Plan backwards.



How are you going to get your learners to the learning goal? This is the guiding question you need to consider as you develop curriculum and decide which instructional materials you are going to use to move them forward.



If you are new to writing learning goals, please read the previous learning path on “Essentials of Instructional Design” . This will provide further content on how to deliver your intended message to your learner's.