As an instructional designer, what are the best books that you can refer to? How do you consider them to be the best?
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Here are my quick tips to the above questions:
1. Basics
In order to successfully practice any subject, you need to have a complete understanding of its basics. The basics of a subject are its foundational concepts which can be identified and acknowledged to be excellent in that field. Thus, pick up the book which has a strong base for basic learning.
2. Easy readers
Opt for easy readers. Easy readers, are just the way they sound – easy to read and with minimal amount of distraction.
3. Lots of real examples
Look for books that connect theory to practice. The best books provide real-world examples to help you understand how instructional design strategies work in practical scenarios.
Well, if you’re looking for some good books on Instructional Design, here’s my Top 10.
| S. No. | Name of the book | Author | Essence of the book |
| 1 | e-Learning and the Science of Instruction | Ruth Clark and Richard Mayer | Guidelines and essential information for selecting, developing and designing effective e-learning courses |
| 2 | Michael Allen’s Guide to E-Learning | Michael Allen | Practical Guidelines to create powerful e-learning-based performance solutions |
| 3 | Gadgets, Games & Gizmos for Learning | Karl Kapp | Describes how gadgets, games and gizmos can be used to train the new generation workforce |
| 4 | The Conditions of Learning and Theory of Instruction | Robert Gagne | Includes nine instructional events along with their cognitive processes and applications. |
| 5 | Training Complex Cognitive Skills | Jeroen J.G. van Merrienboer | Describes the 4C/ID model which presents guidelines and heuristics for developing training programs for complex cognitive skills |
| 6 | The First Principles of Instruction | M.David Merrill | A set of prescriptive principles on Instructional Design |
| 7 | The Design of Everyday Things | Donald Norman | Contains the cognitive aspects of design, examples of good and bad design and some simple rules to improve the usage of diverse objects |
| 8 | e-Learning by Design | William Horton | Practical guidance to design effective e-learning also includes lots of real-world examples and case studies. |
| 9 | What Every Manager Should Know About Training | Robert Mager | Guidelines to reap the benefits of using training and performance improvement resources |
| 10 | The Non-Designers Design Book | Robin Williams | Includes the basic principles that govern good design |
These books will help you strengthen your foundation in instructional design programs and gain insights into applying them practically.
Apart from my Top 10, there are a good number of books for Instructional Design, each making its own contribution to the world of e-learning design and development. Which one is your favorite? Do share your thoughts on this.
