Choosing the right instructional design strategy is as important as using an instructional design strategy. A strategy is chosen after taking some considerations into account. These considerations include:
The most basic differentiation is between children (pedagogy) and adults (andragogy), with adult learning being self-directed rather than assisted.
Other differences to be considered in training:
From a pedagogical standpoint, certain subjects require a lot of practice (e.g. Mathematics), while there are others that require other skills such as listening (e.g. Music), or observation and validation (e.g. Science).
In a corporate setting, the instructional design strategy must be based on the course category (e.g. soft skills, technical skills, business/leadership development skills, selling skills).
Learning can take place anywhere. Online learning can take place at a work station, while travelling, on several types of devices, or even in a computer lab. Learning can also take place collaboratively or alone (self-learning).
Some of the important parameters include time, cost, and technical specifications. When working under the strict confinements of time, cost, and technical specifications, these parameters become ‘constraints,’ and designers are forced to restrain themselves to the use of only some strategies.