Stop Testing, Start Designing: The Power of Authentic Projects

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Discover why an instructional design professor replaced exams with a semester-long capstone project to prepare students for real-world career success.

Let’s be honest: in most higher education courses, students "prove" they’ve learned something by reading a chapter and bubbling in an exam. While that might help them memorize a definition or two, it rarely prepares them for the messy, complex realities of professional practice.

In my Foundations of Instructional Design (EDIN-623) course, I’ve decided to scrap the typical midterm and final exams in favor of something more meaningful. My goal isn’t just for students to learn about the field; it’s for them to become instructional designers.

Moving from "Knowing" to "Doing"

Instructional design is an applied discipline. In the "real world," professionals aren't asked to define a model; they are expected to analyze problems, collaborate with stakeholders, and produce actual materials.

To bridge this gap, I’ve built the course around a semester-long capstone project that functions as a lived experience rather than an abstract framework. We use the ADDIE model (Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, Evaluate) as our roadmap, giving students a scaffolded experience that mirrors the work they will actually do in the field.

The Blueprint: How the Project Works

We break the semester into five interconnected parts, each designed to build a specific professional competency:

• Designers as Project Managers: We start with timelines. Because instructional designers are frequently project managers, students have to identify their own tasks, dependencies, and deadlines. This builds accountability and planning skills essential for any professional environment.


• Research with a Purpose: Students pick a specific model or theory (like SAM, Backward Design, ARCS, or Bloom’s Taxonomy) and dive deep. They write a research paper that ensures their later hands-on work is grounded in theoretical and scholarly foundations.


• The Power of the Map: Before anyone touches a piece of software, they create a course map. This acts as a blueprint to ensure constructive alignment (meaning the objectives, activities, and assessments actually work together).


• Building the Thing: This is where it gets real. Students use Articulate Rise 360 to develop a mini e-learning lesson. For many, this is the most transformative phase as it’s where abstract concepts finally become tangible artifacts.


• The Feedback Loop: No designer works in a vacuum. Students participate in peer reviews to learn the art of giving and receiving constructive critique. At the conclusion of the project, students self-reflect to evaluate their growth, identify strengths and areas for improvement, and connect feedback to their evolving design practice.

Why This Matters for Your Career

This shift from passive consumption to active creation pays off in ways an exam never could. By the end of the term, students haven't just earned a grade; they’ve developed:

• A stronger professional identity and the confidence to handle complex projects.
• Tangible artifacts (like their Rise 360 course) that they can actually show off in job interviews or portfolios.
• An understanding that design is about intentional decisions, not just following a template.

Ultimately, I believe learning is at its best when it is active, reflective, and meaningful. My students leave the course not just knowing more about instructional design, but capable of doing the work.