A Claude skill that embodies a 30-year veteran instructional design practitioner — coaching, auditing,
and elevating every dimension of your L&D practice across 15 engagement modes and 30 on-demand
reference files.
This repository represents the proprietary instructional design methodology developed by Norman
Arosemena, CPTD.
- For Individuals/Learners: You are welcome to use this skill for personal research, study, and
non-commercial professional development. - For Organizations/Consultancies: Commercial use, redistribution, or "white-labeling" of this
framework or its underlying logic is strictly prohibited without a commercial license. For enterprise
licensing or consulting inquiries, please contact me directly.
Activates expert-level guidance across the full L&D spectrum:
- Instructional Design — objectives, storyboards, assessments, scenario design, needs analysis,
task analysis - eLearning Authoring — Storyline, Rise, Captivate, Lectora, Camtasia, iSpring; advanced JavaScript/CSS
- Facilitation & Live Learning — ILT/VILT workshop design, facilitation guides, train-the-trainer, VILT platforms
- Learner Experience Design (LXD) — learner journey mapping, empathy mapping, experience ecosystems
- Inclusive & Emotional Design — psychological safety, stereotype threat, DEI content design,
emotional arc - Agile/Scrum for L&D — sprint-based ID, backlog writing, SAM + Scrum integration
- Visual Design, UX & UI — visual hierarchy, typography, color, usability heuristics for eLearning
- Adobe Creative Suite — Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, After Effects, Premiere, XD workflows
for L&D - Generative AI for L&D — prompt engineering, AI-assisted ID workflows, agentic pipelines, responsible AI
- CLO & Learning Leadership — organizational learning strategy, talent analytics, skills taxonomy, 3-year L&D strategy
- Academic ID Theory — graduate program canon, major textbooks (Dick & Carey, Gagne, Smith & Ragan, Reigeluth, van Merrienboer, Bloom, Merrill)
- LMS/LXP Strategy — platform selection, RFP process, learning data architecture, xAPI
- Project Management — project charters, RACI matrices, design documents, QA checklists, stakeholder communications
- Evaluation Planning — Kirkpatrick L1–5, ROI calculation, L3 manager observation, learning
analytics
- Instructional designers at all levels — from new practitioners to senior IDs
- L&D managers and program designers building or auditing learning products
- Graduate students in ID, LDT, EdTech, or related programs
- CLOs and learning leaders shaping organizational learning strategy
- Anyone who designs, builds, facilitates, or leads learning experiences
- Download
master-instructional-design.skillfrom the Releases page - Open your Claude Project → Skills → Upload skill
- The skill activates automatically when relevant topics are mentioned
# 1. Clone the repo
git clone https://github.com/narosemena/master-instructional-design
cd master-instructional-design
# 2. Copy the skill files to your global Claude Code skills directory
cp -r master-instructional-design ~/.claude/skills/
# 3. Copy the hook and settings to your project (or global) Claude config
# Run this from inside any project where you want the reference router active:
mkdir -p .claude/hooks
cp .claude/hooks/reference-router.py .claude/hooks/
cp .claude/settings.json .claude/settings.json # merge manually if you have an existing oneThe reference router hook (reference-router.py) automatically hints which reference file is most
relevant for each prompt — zero token cost, keyword-based. Runs on UserPromptSubmit.
Already have a
.claude/settings.json? Manually merge thehooks.UserPromptSubmitblock from
this repo's.claude/settings.jsoninto yours rather than overwriting it.
SKILL.md — the core skill file with 15 engagement modes, a 9-dimension audit framework, coaching
response patterns, diagnostic questions, and evaluation planning framework.
30 reference files loaded on demand — never all at once, preserving context efficiency:
| Reference file | Covers |
|---|---|
foundational-texts.md |
Adult learning theory, ID texts, cognitive science, immersive learning, |
| organizational learning | |
facilitation-and-ilt.md |
Workshop design, facilitation guides, VILT, needs analysis methods, job |
| aids, microlearning | |
authoring-tools.md |
Storyline, Rise, Captivate, Lectora, Camtasia + JavaScript/CSS/HTML coding |
| patterns | |
lxd-and-atd.md |
LXD frameworks, learner journey, ATD Capability Model, CPTD exam prep |
agile-and-design.md |
Agile/Scrum for L&D, visual design, UX/UI, Adobe Creative Suite |
generative-ai-for-ld.md |
Prompt engineering, AI tools, agentic workflows, responsible AI |
academic-courseware.md |
Graduate program canon, textbook tiers, ID theory frameworks, CLO strategy |
|
| lms-evaluation.md | LMS/LXP selection, RFP process, platform comparison, learning data strategy |
| project-management.md | Project charters, RACI, design documents, style guides, QA checklists |
| evaluation-planning.md | Kirkpatrick L1–5, ROI methodology, survey templates, L3 observation tools
|
| inclusive-emotional-design.md | DEI design, psychological safety, stereotype threat, emotional arc,
trauma-informed design |
| coaching-stance.md | Coaching response patterns, error recovery, feedback calibration, scope
boundaries |
| modes-deep-dive.md | Full guidance for all 15 engagement modes including Needs Analysis workflow
and Formative Assessment Architecture |
| quick-reference.md | Glossary of ID terms, key frameworks table, Kirkpatrick/Phillips quick
reference |
| situational-leadership.md | SLII development levels (D1–D4), leadership style matching, L&D team
coaching, SLII failure modes |
| corporate-communications.md | Executive communication (Pyramid Principle/BLUF), stakeholder message
mapping, L&D brand voice, CLO presentation structure |
| marketing-for-ld.md | 3-phase program launch framework, learner persona segmentation, L&D campaign
design, enrollment metrics |
| change-management.md | ADKAR mapped to L&D interventions, change resistance types, change champion
network design, cannot vs. will-not diagnostic |
| taxonomy-decision-engine.md | Two-tier classification engine (Hard/Soft × New/Change); 6-cell
taxonomy matrix; entry point for all project mode engagements |
| hard-new.md | Ecosystem audit, fidelity ladder, Gate 1–3 protocol, scenario selection, SME
governance for brand-new hard skills |
| hard-change.md | WIIFM reframing, unlearning design, ADKAR ownership model, pre-launch gap
conversation |
| soft-change.md | Identity threat distinction, andragogical foundation, opening protocol,
mid-session resistance handling |
| soft-new.md | Prior scaffolding diagnostic, transfer vs. acquisition, heterogeneous cohort design,
cross-level pairing |
| mixed.md | Keep-together vs. separate decision rule, judgment/system sequencing, verification
failure → separation rule |
| stakeholder-communication.md | Verbatim language for sponsor conversations, scope change,
evaluation commitment, escalation |
| workload-estimation.md | Two-owner estimation model, SME involvement curve, uncertainty buffer
calibration, definition of ready |
| scope-creep-governance.md | Criticality taxonomy (A/B/C/D), silent absorption problem, jidoka
escalation protocol |
| evaluation-architecture.md | Root cause of missing evaluation, role accountability, Kirkpatrick
teaching sequence, Level 4 timing |
| sme-governance.md | Ecosystem mapping, approver vs. knower gap, lead SME model, verification
protocol |
| designer-developer-handover.md | Co-authoring reframe, script standards, developer creative
liberty, equivalent value negotiation |
10 progressive complexity challenges — from writing a single learning objective (L1) to building a
3-year L&D capability strategy for a 5,000-person organization (L10).
Result: 314/320 (98.1%) across alignment, learner-centeredness, cognitive load, practice/transfer,
feedback quality, engagement, visual design, DEI & inclusion, emotional design, theory grounding, and
consulting posture dimensions.
Just mention what you're working on. The skill activates automatically based on context. Examples:
* *"Audit these 5 learning objectives for a new manager course"*
* *"Design a blended onboarding program for software engineers"*
* *"Our CSAT dropped 11 points — the sponsor thinks agents need product knowledge training. What do I
do?"* * "Help me write JavaScript to track variable states in Storyline" * "Build a 3-year L&D strategy for a 5,000-person financial services firm"
If you are looking to elevate your organization's learning ecosystem or require a customized deployment of this AI framework, let's connect.
* **Consulting:** Full-spectrum L&D strategy, project management, and UI/UX for eLearning.
* **Workshops:** Training your ID team on AI-Assisted Instructional Design and Agile L&D.
Contact me via LinkedIn or open a private inquiry via GitHub Issues.
This skill references established frameworks, models, and published works in the instructional design
and learning sciences fields. All frameworks and theories are described in original language and
attributed to their respective authors. Tool and product names are trademarks of their respective
owners.
This project is a personal endeavor created by Norman Arosemena. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or representative of any current or past employers.
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 — This work is licensed under a Creative
Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International License.
While this is a proprietary framework, I value community feedback. If you identify a gap, an outdated
reference, or a framework that should be explored for the core edition, please open an Issue with a
brief description.