Designing for learners

So this week we had the first group project due. My group was supposed to have three people, but only two of us seem to care. John and I decided to divide the 7 questions between the two of us. He took the last four and I did the first three. Our timing was not the best this week as we ran up against the deadline due to scheduling conflicts and being busy. We accomplished our mission and in the future I think we will try to schedule things further in advance since we know it is just the two of us.

The other issue to consider this week was:

Aside from learning styles and preferences, what else should we take into account regarding learners or our audience in designing instruction?

When I design instruction, I consider the skill or knowledge level of my audience first. I need to know whether to start with the basics or get right into the meat of the lesson. I also consider my ultimate goal. Am I teaching material for a future test? Is this just supplemental material? Is it just a "fun" lesson that relates to the theme? A good instructor has to ask themselves many questions when designing instruction. The best material is worthless when it is delivered in an ineffective manner.