My philosophy of learning design is driven by the three keywords listed above:
Engaging
Engagement is key because the more interactive and involved you can get the learner in the material, the more likely the knowledge will stick. This includes opportunities for the learners to make personal connections and engage in experiential opportunities.
Informative
The whole point of teaching is to impart knowledge, thus, a learning designer must utilize instructional best practices to ensure that learning opportunities result in actual learning of information. As the world and learners change, so will these best practices. Thus, a learning designer must also be a learner, staying up-to-date with the latest theories and models.
Applicable
The best courses occur in the context of real-world experiences and opportunities. Learning designers should always be asking “why?” Why are we teaching this? Why are the learners participating in this course? Then, drawing from those answers, ensure that the course content and experiences plainly and logically create learning opportunities that are meaningful to the student.