The document discusses the Six Thinking Hats method for instructional design. It represents six different types or directions of thinking with different colored hats: white for facts, black for problems, red for intuition, green for creativity, yellow for benefits, and blue for process management. For each hat, it provides examples of how an instructional designer could apply that type of thinking to analyzing content, assessing risks, generating ideas, justifying approaches, and planning the project workflow. The overall process encourages exploring all perspectives at once to make balanced, well-informed decisions.

1. Instructional Design
The 6 Thinking Hats

2. Six Thinking Hats is a flexible
and easy-to-use
thinking process

3. It encourages Parallel
Thinking, where everyone
explores all sides of an issue at
the same time

4. Each of the Six Thinking Hats
represents a differentdirection
or type of thinking, which is
identified by a color

5. WHITE HAT THINKING
Data, facts, information known or
needed

6. INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN &
THE WHITE HAT
Focus on the input content. Identify what
information is available, what is needed,
and what information is missing

7. APPLYING THE PROCESS
Go through all the content and cross reference
it with the course outline given by the client

8. APPLYING THE PROCESS
Go through all the content and cross reference
it with the course outline given by the client
When in doubt raise a flag right away and ask
the client for additional information

9. BLACK HAT THINKING
Difficulties, potential problems.
Why something may not work

10. INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN &
THE BLACK HAT
Think critically, complete a thorough
risk assessment, and identify
‘worst-case scenarios’

11. APPLYING THE PROCESS
Conduct a thorough risk assessment considering project
timelines, budgets, scope of development

12. APPLYING THE PROCESS
Conduct a thorough risk assessment considering project
timelines, budgets, scope of development
Document your observations

13. RED HAT THINKING
Feelings, hunches, gut instinct,
and intuition

14. INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN &
THE RED HAT
Express your gut feelings about the instructional
approach that you believe should be taken

15. APPLYING THE PROCESS
Decide the best approach depending on the
type of content (and your instinct)

16. APPLYING THE PROCESS
Decide the best approach depending on the
type of content (and your instinct)
Don’t try to justify yourself.
Just go all out

17. GREEN HAT THINKING
Creativity – possibilities,
alternatives, solutions, new ideas

18. INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN &
THE GREEN HAT
Move forward; seek new ideas and modify
your existing ideas if required

19. APPLYING THE PROCESS
Bounce off new ideas,
this will help you find potential
flaws in your approach

20. APPLYING THE PROCESS
Bounce off new ideas,
this will help you find potntial
flaws in your approach

21. APPLYING THE PROCESS
Bounce off new ideas,
this will help you find potential
flaws in your approach
Go back to the drawing board
and come back with alternatives

22. YELLOW HAT THINKING
Values and benefits.
Why something may work

23. INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN &
APPLYING THE PROCESS
THE YELLOW HAT
Focus on the input content. Identifydown
Justify your approach by listing what
information is available, what is needed,your
its benefits and why you think and
what information is missing.
approach will work

24. APPLYING THE PROCESS
Have a clear idea of the benefits

25. APPLYING THE PROCESS
Have a clear idea of the benefits
Finalize the approach

26. BLUE HAT THINKING
Manage the thinking
process, focus, next steps, action
plans

27. INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN &
THE BLUE HAT
Summarize your thoughts and conclude by
formulating a plan of action.
List out next steps and
assign responsibility centers

28. APPLYING THE PROCESS
Create a project plan, allocate
the most suitable
resources, set project
milestones and clearly assign
centers of responsibility
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