What is Instructional Events

Community health programs promote healthy lifestyles and wellbeing. Numerous models and theories have been developed that support these programs; however, health educators are faced with how to implement these models and specific teaching approaches. Instructional design (ID) provides guidance on making these decisions, guidelines which can be customized for the field. This chapter provides four design guidelines to assist health educators to incorporate program models and theories and appropriate teaching models. Guideline 1 prioritizes the selection of learning outcomes before the choice of supporting models or theories in order to keep the needs of individuals, groups, and communities at the forefront. Guideline 2 customizes instructional design guidelines across the ID process. Guideline 3 raises an awareness of the full scope of teaching using Gagné's events of instruction. Guideline 4 suggests teaching models appropriate to the individual, interpersonal, and community levels of health education programs.