3 types of instructional design on the example of an egg cooking recipe

1. Manual.

“Add salt to the water, boil for 8 minutes, immerse in cold water,” that’s all—a simple sequence of steps.

Manual is the simplest, cheapest, and, unfortunately, the most common type of educational program. Yes, the automatic repetition of actions can lead to something, but any deviation will cause difficulties.

2. Manual with context.

Now imagine this recipe: “During cooking, the shell may crack, and the protein will leak out. To avoid this, add salt to the water. The salt will make the protein curdle.”

The context is added, it is explained why it is necessary to do things in that specific way. This is very important because it provides tools for working with real-life situations.

3. Abstraction.

In fact, this is a context twisted to the maximum. For example: “Salt will make the protein curdle. That is why in the old days, people bandaged purulent wounds with bandages soaked in saltwater.” Two completely different phenomena are taken, and a comparison is made based on a common abstract form.

This type is not always appropriate, but it can ignite the student with unexpected facts and comparisons.