Formulating a Targeted Educational Message

2. Designing a Targeted Educational Message

An effective educational message in digital learning content is not merely informative – it is pedagogically designed, aligned with clearly defined learning outcomes, the needs of the target audience, and the principles of good instructional communication.

This approach is known in the international literature as Instructional Message Design (IMD). According to Bishop (2013), IMD emerged at the intersection of communication theories and learning theories, with the aim of designing educational messages that do more than convey information—they actively support the learning process. Behaviourist models emphasised feedback (reward or punishment) as the key component of a message, while cognitive models focused on facilitating the learner’s information processing. Contemporary constructivist and social perspectives highlight that messages should stimulate interaction, reflection, and collaboration among students.

In other words, designing a targeted educational message aligned with IMD principles means that the teacher does not simply create textual or visual instructions, but strategically crafts communication that guides the student toward the intended learning outcomes, reduces cognitive load, and increases engagement.