Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology
Chapter 1 - What Field Did You Say You Were In?
Notes
- Most frequently called "instructional technology."
- Instructional technology was viewed as media, later viewed as process.
- Instructional Technology is the theory and practice of design, development, utilization, management, and evaluation of processes and resources for learning. Instructional Technology: The Definitions and Domains of the Field (Seels & Rickey, 1994).
- Theory Practice - Development, Design, Evaluation, Management, Utilization
- Educational technology is the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using, and managing appropriate technological processes and resources. (Januszewski's unpublished AECT work. n. p.)
Response
I really liked Januszewski's definition, but prefer to leave the technology part out because my business is education, with or without technology. Sometimes the most appropriate process and resource is technology, sometimes it's role-playing with other students, and sometimes it's the students using hands-on manipulatives. While there are ways to role play or handle manipulatives involving technology, when you have a teachable moment, you don't always have the ability to find the perfect tech resource before the moment passes.
My take on the definition would be: Educational technology is the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using, and managing appropriate technological processes and resources.
"Study" above involves the "analysis of learning and performance problems" as stated in the text's definition on page 7. This seems to be the largest part of what we are doing these days. We teach, assess, re-teach or expand.
Chapter 2 - What is Instructional Design?
Notes
- Instructional design is consistent and reliable development of education and training programs.
- ADDIE - Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, Evaluate (revise between all steps)
- Instructional design should be: learner centered (don't assume a teacher is even needed), goal oriented, focused on meaningful performance, assume outcomes can be measured in a reliable and valid way, empirical, iterative, and self-correcting, typically a team effort.
Dick, Carey, and Carey model of instructional design from: http://www.ied.edu.hk/apfslt/v10_issue2/koksal/koksal5.htm
Response
How the characteristics of instructional design fit in my work environment:
- Learner centered - The only focuses are the 20 or so learners.
- Goal oriented - Focused on students becoming educated and well rounded citizens (who can fulfill the student expectations based on the TEKS)
- Focused on meaningful performance - Problem solving applicable to real life emphasized.
- Assume outcomes can be measured in a reliable and valid way - Continual assessment, BOY, MOY, TAKS, EOY benchmarks.
- Empirical, iterative, and self-correcting - Continual assessment feeds small group interventions. MOY feeds additional tutoring interventions.
- Typically a team effort - Grade levels plan and problem solve together.
My version of the Dick, Carey, and Carey model of instructional design:
When I was certified as a teacher, my classes taught that teaching is an art and a science. The art seems to be disappearing. As we are given precise curriculum, instructional strategies, and instructional materials, and written up when we deviate, the art is disappearing. Are the students getting a better quality of education? Is the product we're creating better? quicker? cheaper? As much as I love statistical process control, I have to wonder what the mass production of cookie-cutter graduates and loss of the art of teaching is going to cost us.
Chapter 3 - A History of Instructional Design and Technology
Notes
- Potential of radio, films, and television "as common as the book and powerful in their effect on learning and teaching."
- Instructional television of the 50's was short lived due to "mediocre instructional quality" (I read this as "not entertaining enough").
- Computers began to appear in schools in the 80's.
- Cycles of new tech and impact seem to show that the tech never impacts instruction as significantly as it is hyped.
- 60's - formative evaluation with Skinner's articles
- 70's - boom in instructional design models
- 80's - instructional design seemed to have little impact on schools
- 90's - job-performance education
Response
In the "real world" technology is used for current events, communication, and entertainment. In education, technology is generally used to supplement book or teacher led instruction. In the future I would like to see K-12 education include more self-directed research and time for children to explore what they are interested in learning. In Higher Education and Adult Education, I would like to see teaching methods more tailored to the student needs. For example, as a person working on an MLIS, I believe it would be more beneficial for me to be able to take a grant-writing course than HIED 595.
Certain segments of the K-12 education population would be receptive to blogging. It could be the equivalent of a science notebook or reading response log, just in a digital format that is more easily accessible to peers. Kindergarten teachers could create digital portfolios of their students' writing and students could use a stylus on an iPad instead of crayons and paper. E-books could replace textbooks, library books, and the chaos of the locker. For the middle grades, assignments, submission of completed homework, assessments, and parent conferences could all be done digitally, if the digital divide can be overcome. It all comes down to resources.
