Do I need to hire a Learning Experience Designer (LXD)?

If you train employees and/or workers, then yes! We think having at least one Learning Experience Designer (LXD) or Instructional Designer (ID) is crucial. Here are some of the reasons why a qualified, contract learning experience designer is an asset to your team.

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Learning experience designers are experts in learning theories and trends:

They possess deep knowledge of instructional design principles and are skilled with the latest eLearning tools, platforms, and software, ensuring that learning materials are pedagogically sound and are structured effectively to maximize performance outcomes.

Learning experience designers are masters of enhancing learner engagement:

LXDs are adept in creating personalized learning experiences that cater to the specific needs and preferences of learners. By utilizing their expertise in creating interactive and multimedia content, they can significantly increase engagement, motivation, and retention.

Learning experience designers create learner-centered content while aligning with objectives:

They ensure learning materials are easy to understand and memorable. They can identify the important knowledge and skills that need to be learned and structure content to meet objectives.

Learning experience designers constantly evaluate and improve training programs:

LXDs have the necessary skills to conduct formative and summative evaluations to assess the effectiveness of the training program, gather feedback from learners and stakeholders, and make necessary improvements to optimize learning outcomes.

What’s the difference between a Learning Experience Designer (LXD) and an Instructional Designer (ID)?

Both Learning Experience Designers and Instructional Designers have a background in learning theory and take a goal-oriented, tactical approach. However, they focus on slightly different things during design and development.

Learning Experience Designers apply cognitive psychology and user experience design principles to strategically outline, design, write, and/or develop a learning journey.

Instructional Designers apply instructional design models and principles to systematically outline, design, write, and/or develop courses and curricula.

For example, imagine that you want to create a self-paced microlearning curriculum. Both the LXD and the ID will start by defining your learning goals and objectives. Instructional design consulting services will help you create a series of eLearning modules and assessments. A learning experience designer will help you create realistic scenarios and practice activities; or a mixture of eLearning, videos, scenarios, job aids, games, and/or simulations.

The simplest way to represent LXD and ID is that the former has a creative mindset with a design approach, while the latter has an analytical mindset with a scientific approach. For this reason, LXD is learner-centric and focuses on doing rather than knowing.

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Here’s how a learning experience designer improves the effectiveness of your training program:

A learning experience designer plays a crucial role in enhancing the effectiveness of corporate training programs. They apply their expertise in instructional design, technology, and adult learning principles to create engaging and impactful learning experiences.

Applying Learning Theories

They apply their expertise in learning theories to structure, sequence, and design effective training materials, enhancing the learning experience and improving knowledge retention. LXDs understand and implement design thinking to connect all identified components of learning and performance management using training tools and methodologies. LXDs constantly brainstorm different ideas, designs, and prototypes that can be improved through iteration.

Enhance Accessibility & Compliance

They are aware of accessibility and Section 508 compliance requirements, ensuring that the learning experiences are designed to accommodate sensory, physical, and cognitive impairments and meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). LXDs will often provide learners with access to support resources, such as discussion forums, mentorship, and help desks, and follow best practices in inclusive design.

Leverage Impact with Multimedia & Technology

They are well-versed in choosing the right multimedia elements, such as videos, graphics, games, gamification, virtual reality (VR), and interactive modules to leverage impact. LXDs use various training modalities to increase engagement, such as simulations, game-based learning, and scenario-based assessments, making the training interesting for the learners and not distracting them with technology.

Assess, Improve, Motivate Learners

Learning experience designers believe in using formative and summative assessments like quizzes, interactive checkpoints, and comprehensive evaluations to measure effectiveness, monitor learner progress, provide feedback, and effectively prompt learners’ mastery of the material in a learner-centric environment. Their iterative design and data-driven insights go a long way toward ensuring comprehensive and sustainable learning initiatives.

By incorporating these specialized nuances, a learning experience designer significantly enhances the effectiveness of corporate training programs, leading to better learner engagement, improved knowledge retention, and, ultimately, greater organizational performance.

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Accessibility & 508 Compliance

Accessibility should inform the design of every training project. It means designing learning experiences so that differently-abled employees can understand all aspects of the training course, including audio, visual elements, interactions, content, and more. Fully accessible courses accommodate sensory, physical, and cognitive impairments. Instructional designers should be aware of accessibility and Section 508 compliance requirements so that they can design a curriculum that supports their learning audience.

A person typing on a keyboard on a desk.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

The WCAG provides guidelines for making web content more accessible to people with disabilities. Instructional designers should be familiar with these guidelines and incorporate them into their design process.

Section 508 of the Workforce Rehabilitation Act

This act outlines the minimum levels of accessibility for people with sensory, physical, and cognitive disabilities. It applies to anything created by a federal agency or its contractors, but many organizations choose to follow these guidelines voluntarily.

A book with the title learning accessibility.

508 Compliance Checklist

There are various checklists and resources available to help instructional designers ensure their courses are 508 compliant. These checklists cover best practices for accessibility and usability.

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