The Writing Competency

“When instructional writing is done well, it has the power to reduce cognitive load, increase memory retention, and increase content engagement. It’s a catalyst for learning, not a blocker.”

– Andrew Debell, author and instructional designer

Strong writing skills are important in instructional design. I spend at least 50% of my time on each ID project outlining, structuring, and revising my writing – and that doesn’t include time spent on client-requested revisions. In fact, some sources cite that writing comprises 80% of the average time spent on an instructional design project (https://tinyurl.com/yunbrthk). That’s huge!

Figure 3.1 – The Four Competencies Model

In this chapter, we’ll review:

• What writing for ID means and how to do it
• A case study that highlights some common writing-for-ID pitfalls
• Some practical tips and additional resources you...