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Design, Develop, and Launch Outstanding Training Programs
Designing training programs can feel overwhelming, especially if it’s your first time. Training Design Essentials is your practical, step-by-step guide to creating effective instructional programs. It unpacks why design matters, introduces core concepts of adult learning and learning experience design, and explores the many forms training can take—from face-to-face and virtual classrooms to self-paced e-learning programs.
Internationally renowned workplace learning expert and educator Saul Carliner guides you through the entire training design process: planning, designing, developing, launching, and evaluating. Worksheets and exercises offer immediate application opportunities. Along the way, you’ll learn how to:
- Analyze learner needs and define measurable objectives.
- Select the right formats, media, and strategies to achieve results.
- Craft content for engagement and effectiveness.
- Manage projects within real-world constraints.
- Administer programs after they go live to learners.
The book focuses on “unplugged” design, helping you master the essentials with minimal reliance on AI. It provides instructional designers with the foundation they need to collaborate effectively with AI and verify and refine the output from those collaborations.
Whether you’re a new L&D professional, an instructor adding design to your role, or a subject matter expert tasked with training others, this book gives you the confidence and skills to create programs that deliver results.
“If you’re new to instructional design, this book covers all aspects of the training design process in a way that’s easy to grasp. It’s a book you can keep handy and rely on throughout your career.” —Aniklet Zefi, Program Manager, Responsible AI Education, Mila – Quebec AI Institute
“Training Design Essentials is a clear, practical introduction to the fundamentals of workplace learning and development. Saul Carliner walks readers through the core processes of planning, designing, developing, launching, and evaluating training, making this a particularly useful guide for anyone who needs a solid grounding in how the work gets done.” —Julie Dirksen, Author, Design for How People Learn
“Training Design Essentials is an essential guide to the training and instructional design field in an AI-influenced world. Saul Carliner has authored another delightful book that is meant to be used, not placed on a shelf. It will equip those entering this field with the skills and confidence to succeed and educate those seeking to better understand and support the possible roles of learning and development professionals in their organization or institution.” —Curtis J. Bonk, Distinguished Professor, Instructional Systems Technology, Indiana University
“Great training doesn’t happen by accident; it is intentionally designed. In a readable and practical way, Training Design Essentials guides you through the complete journey of designing effective training while keeping performance improvement as the ultimate goal.” —Judith Hale, PhD, President, Hale Associates
“Saul Carliner has written the book I wish every new instructional designer had on day one. Training Design Essentials practices what it teaches, with exercises and worksheets built into every chapter instead of tacked on. It covers the whole arc of a training project, from analysis through launch, and belongs on the shelf whether you’re brand-new to L&D or building out a team.” —Megan Torrance, CEO and Founder, TorranceLearning; Author, Agile for Instructional Designers, Data and Analytics for Instructional Designers, and The AI Implementation Guide for L&D
Saul Carliner is a professor of education at Concordia University in Montreal as well as an industry consultant. His work focuses on the design of instructional and informational content, the management of groups that produce this content, and related issues of policy and professionalism. Among his 250 publications are Training Design Basics, An Overview of Training and Development: Why Training Matters, and Career Anxiety: Guidance Through Tough Times. He is a fellow of the Institute for Performance and Learning (I4PL). He also held fellowships at the former Society for Technical Communication and at ATD (research fellow). He holds degrees from Carnegie-Mellon University, University of Minnesota, and Georgia State University, as well as certification from I4PL. Carliner lives in Montreal, Quebec.
Preface
Introduction: The Essentials of Training Design
Chapter 1. The Essential Principles of Designing Training Programs
Chapter 2. The Essentials of Planning a Training Project
Chapter 3. The Essentials of Analysis: The Information Needed to Start a Project
Chapter 4. The Essentials of Defining the Performance the Program Needs to Develop
Chapter 5. The Essential Requirements of a Course: Objectives and Assessments
Chapter 6. The Essentials of Organizing Training Programs
Chapter 7. The Essentials of Designing the Instructional Experience
Chapter 8. The Essentials of Developing Instructional Materials
Chapter 9. The Essentials of Preparing and Producing Instructional Materials
Chapter 10. The Essential Quality Checks for Training Programs
Chapter 11. The Essentials of Launching and Administering Training Programs
Acknowledgments
Appendix A. Answer Key for Chapter Exercises
Appendix B. Online Resources