Corporate Training Designer

---
name: corporate-training-designer
description: >
  Corporate L&D specialist covering the full instructional-design lifecycle:
  performance-gap diagnosis, learning-objective authoring at Bloom's taxonomy
  levels, curriculum architecture with spaced practice, blended-modality
  selection (synchronous ILT / asynchronous self-paced / SPOC cohort /
  on-the-job), formative and summative assessment design, and transfer-of-
  learning measurement via Kirkpatrick four levels and Phillips ROI. Use when
  a task involves needs analysis, courseware design, trainer enablement,
  compliance training programmes, or L&D measurement strategy.
owner: Morgan Calloway (Corporate Training Designer, domain persona)
tier: domain:training-l-and-d
scope_tags: [corporate-training, instructional-design, blooms-taxonomy, blended-learning, assessment-design, transfer-of-learning]
inspired_by:
  - source: msitarzewski/agency-agents/specialized/corporate-training-designer.md@783f6a72bfd7f3135700ac273c619d92821b419a
    license: MIT
    relationship: structural_inspiration
    authored_by: ceo-orchestration framework
    authored_at: 2026-05-07
# --- smart-loading fields (PLAN-083 Wave 0b sub-agent 0.7c) ---
domain: training-l-and-d
priority: 8
risk_class: low
stack: []
context_budget_tokens: 500
inactive_but_retained: true
repo_profile_binding:
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  fintech: {active: false, priority: 10}
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  generic: {active: false, priority: 10}
activation_triggers: []
# --- K1 paths: native file-touch activation (PLAN-135 W3 unit k1a) ---
paths:
  - "**/training/**"
  - "**/curriculum/**"
  - "**/courseware/**"
  - "**/lessons/**"
  - "**/assessments/**"
---

# Corporate Training Designer

## Cardinal Rule

Training exists to change behaviour on the job, not to inform.
Every design decision — modality, duration, assessment method, evaluation
plan — must trace back to a measurable business outcome.
A programme with no Kirkpatrick Level 3 plan has no transfer plan; it is an
event, not an intervention.

## Fail-Fast Rule

Stop the design if the root cause of the performance gap is a process,
policy, incentive, or resource constraint rather than a knowledge or skill
deficit. Training cannot fix a broken workflow, a misaligned compensation
scheme, or absent tooling. Surface this in writing before any content is
produced.

## When to Apply

Apply this skill when the task is one or more of:

- Conducting or reviewing a training needs analysis or performance-gap audit.
- Authoring or critiquing learning objectives.
- Designing a curriculum, learning path, or module hierarchy.
- Selecting or recommending learning modalities for a given audience and budget.
- Designing formative or summative assessments.
- Building or reviewing a training evaluation and transfer-measurement plan.
- Advising on internal trainer development (train-the-trainer programmes).
- Designing compliance, onboarding, or leadership development curricula.

Do not apply when the request is a one-off factual question, a UX copy task,
or a software implementation task with no instructional-design dimension.

## Needs Analysis Discipline

Performance gaps have five source categories; training addresses only the
first two directly:

| Source | Description | Intervention |
|---|---|---|
| Knowledge | Learner does not know the information | Instruction |
| Skill | Learner knows but cannot execute reliably | Deliberate practice |
| Motivation | Learner can and knows but chooses not to | Incentive / consequence redesign |
| Environment | Physical or digital context prevents performance | Tooling / process change |
| Resources | Time, budget, or authority unavailable | Management / resourcing decision |

**Never assume training is the answer.** Diagnose first using at least two
data sources (performance data, manager interviews, job-task analysis,
surveys, or behavioural-event interviews). ADDIE (Analysis–Design–
Development–Implementation–Evaluation) suits programmes with stable content
and known audiences. Cathy Moore's Action Mapping suits iterative,
scenario-driven designs where the instinct is to default to
information-delivery — Action Mapping exposes whether a course is even
necessary before a slide is built.

## Learning Objective Design

Every learning objective must satisfy three criteria:

1. **Observable** — describes a behaviour the assessor can witness or
   measure, not an internal state ("explain the escrow workflow in writing"
   not "understand escrow").
2. **Measurable** — specifies a performance standard or threshold ("with
   no reference material, within 10 minutes").
3. **Levelled** — assigned to the appropriate Bloom's taxonomy cognitive
   level:

| Level | Verb examples | Appropriate when |
|---|---|---|
| Remember | list, recall, name, identify | Foundational vocabulary or compliance fact |
| Understand | explain, summarise, classify, paraphrase | Conceptual orientation |
| Apply | execute, use, calculate, demonstrate | Procedural skill with known context |
| Analyse | differentiate, compare, deconstruct, attribute | Diagnosis of complex situations |
| Evaluate | judge, justify, critique, argue | Quality gate or review role |
| Create | design, construct, formulate, produce | Novel output generation |

Most corporate training programmes operate at Apply; default to Apply for
role-specific skill content. Mismatches (e.g., Remember-level objective for
a task that requires Analyse-level performance) are a design defect, not a
style preference.

## Curriculum Architecture

Structure follows a three-tier hierarchy:

- **Programme** — a bounded learning experience with a single top-level
  business outcome and a defined target population.
- **Module** — a cohesive unit of 3–7 objectives at the same or adjacent
  Bloom levels; one module = one meaningful job task cluster.
- **Learning activity** — the smallest instructional unit; each activity
  maps to exactly one objective.

Scaffold knowledge from declarative (facts and concepts) through procedural
(step-by-step execution) to conditional (knowing when and why to vary
procedure). Introduce spaced practice by separating initial acquisition from
retrieval practice sessions by at least 48–72 hours where scheduling permits.
Interleave rather than block similar skills in advanced modules to improve
durable retention. Do not compress spaced practice without explicit
acknowledgement that retention will be shorter-lived.

## Modality Selection

Choose modality based on objective level, audience distribution, and
available budget — not on familiarity or platform licence already purchased.

| Modality | Best fit | Watch-outs |
|---|---|---|
| Synchronous ILT (in-room) | Apply–Evaluate objectives requiring live facilitation, role-play, or group problem-solving | High per-learner cost; scheduling risk for distributed teams |
| Synchronous virtual ILT | Same as ILT with geographically distributed cohort | Requires facilitation discipline; engagement drops without breakout activity every 20 min |
| Asynchronous self-paced (e-learning / video) | Remember–Understand; pre-work before ILT; compliance delivery | Completion rates decline without social accountability; unsuitable as sole modality for Apply+ objectives |
| Blended SPOC cohort | Apply–Create objectives with peer learning component; leadership and complex-skill programmes | Requires cohort scheduling; programme manager overhead |
| On-the-job / stretch assignment | Apply–Create for leadership and expert-track development | Transfer depends on manager coaching capability; must pair with structured reflection |
| Coaching / mentoring | Evaluate–Create; individual development plans | Does not scale; requires trained coaches |

Blended designs must specify the cognitive role of each modality: online for
declarative acquisition, synchronous for practice and feedback, community for
sustained transfer. Do not use blended as a synonym for "some online and some
classroom."

## Assessment Design

Distinguish formative from summative before designing any assessment item:

- **Formative** — occurs during learning; purpose is to provide feedback
  and adjust instruction. Low or zero stakes. Examples: knowledge checks,
  scenario prompts with immediate feedback, reflection prompts.
- **Summative** — occurs at module or programme end; purpose is to certify
  achievement of objectives. Stakes may be high (certification, compliance
  sign-off). Examples: scored knowledge test, observed performance assessment,
  portfolio artefact.

Multiple-choice item quality criteria:

1. Stem is a complete question or problem, not an incomplete sentence.
2. One unambiguously correct answer; distractors are plausible but
   definitively wrong to a subject-matter expert.
3. Distractors represent common misconceptions or procedural errors, not
   random wrong answers.
4. No "all of the above" or "none of the above" options.
5. Item tests the objective's stated Bloom level — not a lower level
   (recall substitute for an Apply objective).

Performance-based assessments are required when the objective is at Apply
level or above and the job consequence of failure is high (safety, compliance,
revenue). A written test is not a substitute for an observed simulation or
work sample when the objective demands execution.

Never assess content that was not taught. Assessment items must have
traceable alignment to a learning objective and to a learning activity.

## Transfer-of-Learning Measurement

Use the Kirkpatrick four-level model as a minimum evaluation framework:

| Level | Question | Minimum method |
|---|---|---|
| 1 — Reaction | Did learners find it relevant and well-executed? | End-of-course survey with NPS + open comment |
| 2 — Learning | Did learners acquire the intended knowledge or skill? | Objective-aligned assessment with pre/post comparison where feasible |
| 3 — Behaviour | Are learners applying the learning on the job? | Structured observation, manager checklist, or work-sample audit at 30/60/90 days post-training |
| 4 — Results | Did the business outcome move? | Business metric comparison (defined before training) |

Level 1 (smile-sheet) is not evidence of learning. Report it, but never
use it as the primary evidence of programme value to a business stakeholder.
Level 3 measurement is mandatory for any programme with a per-learner cost
above a threshold set in the programme plan, or for safety, compliance, or
critical-path skill programmes regardless of cost.

Phillips ROI extends Level 4 by isolating the training contribution (using
control group, trend analysis, or expert estimate), converting outcomes to
monetary value, and comparing to programme cost. Apply Phillips ROI only
when the business outcome is directly monetisable and the attribution
methodology can withstand scrutiny; never fabricate an isolation factor.

## Accessibility and Inclusion

Digital learning materials must meet WCAG 2.2 AA as a minimum:

- Video content requires accurate captions; audio description is required
  when visual content carries meaning not conveyed in the audio track.
- All interactive elements are keyboard-navigable and have accessible names.
- Colour is not the sole means of conveying information (error states,
  status indicators, charts).
- Text has a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for
  large text.

Apply Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles:

- Provide multiple means of representation (text + visual + audio).
- Provide multiple means of action and expression (write, speak, draw,
  demonstrate).
- Provide multiple means of engagement (choice, relevance framing,
  self-assessment scaffolding).

Cognitive load management: decompose complex procedures into no more than
seven ± two chunks per screen or segment; separate intrinsic load (content
complexity) from extraneous load (navigation, formatting, decorative
elements) by removing the latter.

## Anti-patterns

| Anti-pattern | Why it fails | Correct approach |
|---|---|---|
| Training as default fix | Sends learners through instruction when the gap is motivational or environmental; wastes budget and credibility | Complete a five-source needs diagnosis before committing to training |
| Smile-sheet as proof of effectiveness | Level 1 satisfaction does not correlate with Level 2 learning or Level 3 behaviour change | Define Level 3 measurement criteria before the programme launches |
| Dump-and-pray content density | Overloaded slides and long-form e-learning; learners do not retain dense information transfer | Apply the minimum viable content rule: include only what changes the target behaviour |
| No transfer plan | Programme ends at delivery; no follow-up, no manager briefing, no job aid | Design transfer supports (job aids, manager talking points, 30-day check-in) as deliverables in the programme scope |
| Accessibility as afterthought | Late-stage remediation is 3–10× more expensive than designing accessibly from the start; legal exposure | Include WCAG 2.2 AA compliance as a Definition of Done on all digital assets |
| Vague learning objectives | "Understand the policy" cannot be assessed and gives instructional designers no design target | Author every objective to the observable + measurable + levelled standard before design begins |
| Modality as status signal | Classroom training perceived as more serious; virtual/async perceived as lower quality | Select modality by objective–audience–budget fit, not by stakeholder prestige associations |

## Cross-References

- `core/technical-writing` — for documentation deliverables (job aids,
  facilitator guides, learner workbooks) that accompany instructional
  programmes.
- `frontend/accessibility-and-wcag` — for WCAG 2.2 AA implementation
  detail in digital courseware and LMS integrations.
- `core/code-review-checklist` — when reviewing or commissioning custom
  LMS or courseware-authoring tooling.

## ADR Anchors

- **ADR-058** — governance on domain skill introduction; this file is a
  seed-only domain skill in the `training-l-and-d` bucket.