July 16, 2023
Instructional Design in the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Space
Today I will review some Instructional Design & Technology blogs that I find useful in my work as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion practitioner.
Use of Micro-Learnings to Maximize Training Engagement in Corporate America
I have long understood the value proposition of micro-learnings in my work as a DEI practitioner. This is mainly because the subject matter we deliver as Learning and Design Professionals in the DEI space is replete with concepts that cause audiences to ponder the topics more deeply, which requires valuable mental energy devotion, and time investment.
Through conscious self-reflection and cognitive awareness, learners in the DEI space have the critical insights they need to understand why DEI is important and activate behaviors that are indicative of learning and transformative growth.
The Micro-learning format is also necessary for Corporate America due to time constraints. The application of learning or previously acquired knowledge in Corporations is critical, so the more quickly Instructional Design and Technology professionals can relay relevant information in less time, the better. Micro-learnings contribute to bottom-line performance by targeting specific job-relevant skills and providing a basis for continuous learning and knowledge acquisition over time. This amplifies learning over baseline measures and creates highly competent and skilled workers, thereby ensuring the organization's competitive advantage (Eduardo Salas, Scott I. Tannenbaum,& Kimberly A. Smith-Jentsch, 2012).
Micro-learnings are also more likely to yield high retention rates of acquired knowledge, given the 'bite-sized' truncated nature of the content delivered in such modalities. When there is too much information, people become overwhelmed and frustrated because their memory loads are overtaxed. By employing the use of micro-learnings, however, memory loads can grasp relevant information and retain such knowledge throughout post-test intervals, such as 6 months beyond training or longer (Major & Calandrino, 2018).
Embedding Dynamic Graphic Design into Learning Content to Fascinate Audiences
Graphic Design is a "visually captivating and impactful manner," with which to relay content in the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion space that may be difficult to grasp.
Graphic designers employ the use of visual imagery to convey concepts to audiences and make learning come alive. The goal of a graphic designer in developing instructional content should be to reach every learner, so the better the designer knows their audience, the better the relay of information through graphic imagery will be. This means understanding the educational background, age ranges, and other aspects of your audience so that the colors you use, as well as other elements and visual styles, all have the capacity to maximize learning and engagement through fascination.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion constructs are often elusive and vague to learners because they carry different meanings in different contexts or when presented by different trainers. In such instances, graphic design and imagery can be used to amplify written content with visuals, animations, and other infographics to provide examples and depict visual models that help learners grasp the contextually-specific definitions of complex constructs.
Here is an example that is often used to convey the distinctions between equality, equity, and justice in the DEI space:
Many experts have critiqued this visual depiction of the distinction between equity, equality, and justice because it uses the height of the people shown as the primary foundation for the decision to embed an equity or justice lens to remove systemic barriers. However, because height is immutable, and knowledge, learning, and intelligence are not, the argument stands that the visual is inaccurate because it is inapplicable in every context or across every application.
Here's the explanation from the authors of the article that I found to be very insightful (Kuttner, 2016):
The problem with the graphic has to do with where the
initial inequity is located. In the graphic, some people need more
support to see over the fence because they are shorter, an
issue inherent to the people themselves. That’s fine if we’re
talking about height, but if this is supposed to be a metaphor for
other inequities, it becomes problematic. For instance, if we
return to the school funding example, this image implies that
students in low-income Communities of Color and other
marginalized communities need more resources in their schools
because they are inherently less academically capable. They (or
their families, or their communities) are metaphorically “shorter”
and need more support. But that is not why the so-called
“achievement gap” exists. As many have argued, it should
actually be termed the “opportunity gap” because the problem is
not in the abilities of students, but in the disparate opportunities
they are afforded. It is rooted in a history of oppression, from
colonization and slavery to “separate but equal” and redlining. It
is sustained by systemic racism and the country’s ever-growing
economic inequality.
Use of Infographics to Transform Complex Concepts into Understandable Imagery
Infographics are a way to convey complex models and schemas from an understandable perspective.
I was recently tasked with developing a Strategic Implementation Plan for DEI throughout all of our Sector. In so doing, I understood that such a complex undertaking would require fervent monitoring and evaluation, as well as regular reporting periods that engaged key stakeholders throughout the process.
Here is the infographic that I leveraged using PowerPoint software:
By highlighting the top 5 high-level themes of the Plan I proposed and executed upon, the above infographic simplified the message I sought to convey exponentially.
Message clarity is critical in DEI strategy design and execution. This is true in other critiques of the above-listed graphic as well, such as the concept that the people depicted are standing outside of the barrier and not within it. The author then goes on to provide a better graphic that has broader application than the one I posted above (Kuttner, 2016):
"Well, if we began with the metaphor of the fence, this would require making clear that the reason some people have more difficulty seeing than others is not because of their height, but because of the context around them. Below is a sketch of this idea. In this image, some people are standing on lower ground (a metaphor for historical oppression) and are trying to see over a higher fence, a metaphor for present-day systems of oppression. (I also put a hole in the fence, made by the person on the right, to symbolize the creative and often subversive ways that people find to work around systems and get some of what they need.)," (Kuttner, 2016).
"However, I still don’t love this new version, because nothing is being done here to address the real problem: the fence. So I drew this third image for fun. Though by this point it’s losing a lot of the original images nice simplicity," (Kuttner, 2016).
This is very helpful. In fact, Kuttner goes on to invite submissions of people's own graphics that make better distinctions than the original version. Such a challenging way to request that people reflect on and make their own meaning from the constructs they learn is a critical aspect of learning in the DEI space - understanding.
Many would argue that the only way to demonstrate understanding is by applying knowledge, or "doing." Such "active" engagement with learned subject matter causes retention of information to skyrocket (Saaris, 2017).
That is all of my critique for now.
Let's remember that DEI is a marathon, not a sprint. We are the voice of transformation, agents of change. Let us carry this sense of collective agency with us throughout our journeys.
All the best,
Dr. Ayanna R. Cummings
References
Major, A., & Calandrino, T. (2018). Beyond Chunking: Micro-learning Secrets for Effective Online Design. FDLA Journal, 3(13), 1-5. Available at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/fdla-Journal/vol3/iss1/13.
Saaris, N. (2017). The Benefits of Deeper Learning: Retention, Transfer and Motivation.
Retrieved from: https://www.activelylearn.com/post/the-benefits-of-deeper-learning-retention-transfer-and-motivation
Salas, E., Tannenbaum, S. I., Kraiger, K., & Smith-Jentsch, K. A. (2012). The Science of Training and Development in Organizations: What Matters in Practice. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST, 13(2), 74–101. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100612436661
Kuttner, P. (2016). The problem with that equity vs. equality graphic you’re using. Cultural Organizing, October 29, 2016. Retrieved from: https://archive.ph/nybbK