Agile for Instructional Designers: Iterative Project Management to Achieve Results

by Megan Torrance

Discover Agile for Better Instructional Design

To serve business needs amid greater volatility and uncertainty in the workplace, learning and development professionals need project management methods that can keep up. Enter Agile.

Popular in the software development space as an approach to project management, Agile when applied to instructional design provides a framework for adapting to change as it happens and for delivering the content most needed by learners. Agile for Instructional Designers proposes using Agile methodology to manage training projects and highlights where traditional linear processes have failed the business and the end users.

Recognizing that software development and instructional design have different needs and outcomes, author Megan Torrance developed the LLAMA™ methodology. Her approach adapts the common phases of ADDIE to incorporate the incremental, iterative nature of Agile projects. It allows learners to test and evaluate which features or design functions work before they’re finalized. It also offers a way to accommodate inevitable mid-project modifications pushed by stakeholders, subject matter experts, or organizational leaders.

With templates for goal alignment, learner personas, scope definition, estimating, planning, and iterative development, Agile for Instructional Designers is the resource you need to embrace change in learning and development.

Genres: Nonfiction, Design

203 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 27, 2019

Reviews

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

For work, easy to follow and make connections to "real life". Will not change much day-to-day, but this book makes it easier to understand how the project management teams work and how to adapt as an instructional designer so we speak the same language, at the very least.

[Hillary Shepley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a work-related read and a bit outside my usual picks. I initially took a three-day Agile Project Management certification course through the same company that wrote this book, as my organization prepares to shift toward an Agile approach for IT projects. Even after the course, I still had questions—especially about how Agile would realistically work for my small instructional design team with a busy project pipeline this year. That’s what led me to pick up this book, and I’m really glad I did.

The book includes real-world examples and visuals that make the concepts easier to understand, along with more in-depth explanations that helped answer many of my lingering questions. It does a great job breaking down what Agile is and, more importantly, how it can be adapted for a typical instructional design team.

It also sparked some valuable conversations with my team about how we can make this approach work for us and address some of our initial concerns. Since we’re not a traditional design team—we tend to wear a lot of hats—there will definitely need to be some customization. But overall, this book made Agile feel far less intimidating and gave me a clearer starting point for moving forward.

[Avi Poje · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve been trying to wrap my head around practicing Agile in the trading work that I do with my team of two training specialists. I think we probably could make it work. However, we’re not pure instructional designers. We’re teaching instructional led training classes; we’re administering an intranet; we’re updating procedures; we’re involved in system testing. There are so many functions that aren’t in the same area that I wonder how it would help to be agile. Or is it possible that it just doesn’t work for some teams with certain workloads?

Software developers, marketing, project management, and now instructional design are abuzz with agile methodology. After reading this book, I’m still not convinced that it’s a good fit for my humble department.

The book itself was written well. It was the best explanation of agile with instructional design/L&D I’ve seen yet.

[Stan Skrabut · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was recently reviewing books published by ATD Press, and I happened upon Agile for Instructional Designers: Iterative Project Management to Achieve Results by Megan Torrance. I am glad I did. It is a very practical book. It is a book I would certainly recommend to other instructional technologists and designers. This is a book I would require for a graduate-level course I was teaching. Read more

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid book. The best parts of it are pulled from other texts, so I appreciate the exposure. There were some good nuggets, but nothing revolutionary. Her approach to making the ADDIE model agile is really just a repackaging of the Successive Approximation Model (SAM) with more contemporary references. I think this book will be most useful for project managers and instructional designers working in training development firms. Much of the client-facing focus may be lost on those building training in-house for an organization or generating direct-to-consumer training.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great starting place for IDs who want to improve how they manage projects. There are some wonderful tools and examples shared and while not revolutionary I think there is much to be valued here.

I found Torrance's guidance on estimating and project sizing to be really helpful, and providing the framework of when to use User Stories and Action Mapping for projects was great too. I recommend this book to IDs who want to do more than pump out elearnings and take thier projects and careers to new levels.

[Geo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great! Having been through lots of Agile training and certification programs in the past I was familiar with Agile in a few different, but rather abstract capacities. Having worked in eLearning for over a decade, I’ve always seen the benefits of Agile with more traditional ADDIE loops but until reading this book I hadn’t seen anyone take the time to articulate its synergies. I loved how Torrance got to the point using clear, language. She understands that an ISD is BUSY! This is a must have handbook for any ISD working in eLearning.

[JL Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

My organization is still relying heavily on the ADDIE waterfall methodology for training development. I lead an experimentation team that has adopted the LLAMA methodology. I loved this book and how it manages to demonstrate that ADDIE steps can be used in an agile way. Although not everything it contains applies to my environment, this book (and the multiple post its I’ve added) will stay on the corner of my desk for quick reference.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

As other reviewers mentioned, nothing revolutionary. However, offers a great playbook to help guide how you think about managing projects in your organization. I always appreciate books of this nature that have actionable ideas and not just high level concepts.

[Ryan Panzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A practical, approachable, and fun look at how to build training experiences more effectively.

[Adrienne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disappointed with this book as I was expecting to learn of a new strategy. A better book to learn about agile and scrum is definitely Sutherland's initial scrum book.

[Mark Cunningham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating pertains specifically to its professional relevancy.

[Dr. Stephanie Douglass · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read, follow, and apply. Great examples of how to implement Agile and LLAMA. It doesn't talk over your head.

[McKenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very useful book full of practical strategies for implementing an approach to your L&D team. Some practice exercises/activities at the end of each chapter would have elevated it even further.

[Ian Crook · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good solid primer on implementing an agile methodology for the learning field.

[Mandy May · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helps show how to plan and work with others to create effective instructional design.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to follow and with lots of great applicable examples

[John A. Smoot Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent introduction to what Agile is and how it works.