Chapter 18 – Instructional Design in Business and Industry
Types of training to executive:
- educational
- technical
Instructional design:
- analyzing human performance problems
- identifying problems
- considering multiple solutions
What is the nature of Instructional Design in Corporate Settings?
- Sole Designer – Project Manager/Media producer
- Team Member Leader – often found in large scale environments and typically virtual environments
- External Designer/Consultant – hired to produce a product
I think all 3 have their virtues. A Sole Designer has complete control and full insight on company policies. Team Member Leaders work in complex projects usually with other Instructional Designers, there is plenty of room for growth and learning in this kind of setting. External Designers have the flexibility of working in multiple types of projects and different companies throughout the world. Consultants are not limited to exclusive work for one company.
What are the constraints in Instructional Design?
- Contextual – time and resources availabe
- Locus of control – controlling events that affect them
- Tools and techniques implemented – instructional design models
Some designer related constraints:
- Perceived necessity – understanding the constraints imposed by the client and be willing to educate client and team to understand clients needs
- Theoretical perspectives – designers own beliefs as to how people learn influences the design of a product
- Expertise – roughly achieved with 10 years of experience in the field
Trends in Design and Development:
- Cross cultural training – defined by learner cultural factors
- Societal cultural factors – the way problems are solved
- Learner cultural factors – how the design is implemented
- Cross-cultural workforce – environmental analysis
How do you achieve Better, Faster and Cheaper Designs?
Rapid Prototyping – Paper based or rigged path design
- Technology Based Training Delivery – usually helps understand collaborative or self studies
- Advanced Evaluation Techniques – training to learn and evaluate transfer of knowledge
- Designer as a Researcher – helps keep the designer up to date with new design trends in the field, such as designer blogs like Web Designer Depot
Chapter 19 – Instructional Design Opportunities in Military Education and Training Environments
I found this chapter to be one of the most interesting ones in the book, specially since Instructional Design was born during the 1930′s-1940′s for quick WWII training environments.
Some military issues to consider:
- Funding – low and high tech models are recommended and keeping within budget is of outmost importance since these are limited government funds
- Delivery Environment – training represents a large portion of the day to day activities in the military. Also making sure that instructions can be delivered in all kinds of environments is essential. Ranging from a training classroom to the actual field
- Advanced Distributed Learning – providing distributed learning environments at a global scale with Life Long Learning in mind
- Future Trends to consider – international responsibilities and new technologies
- Jointness – remember that fighting and teamwork happens in a combined force in military settings (you aren’t designing for an individual, but for a large group of people in multiple learning environments)
Particular attention has to be devoted to the content generated in these kind of instructional technologies for it can mean the difference between life and death for military personnel.
Chapter 20 – Performance, Instruction, and Technology in Health Care Education
Instructional Methods in Health Care Education:
- training as a form of simulation
- traditional to problem based curriculum learning
- detailed evaluation of performance
Similar to the Military Design Models, Health Care Education is responsible for the care of individuals, meaning the importance of accurate diagnosis and treatment that can mean the difference between the life and death of a patient.
A great example of instructional design in Public Health can be seen with The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland. In particular with the Center for Communications Program.
The Center for Communications Program aims to change:
- Social and behavior change communication
- Knowledge Management
- Training
- Strategic advocacy
- Research and Evaluation
A large team of Instructional Designers and SME (Subject Matter Experts) set out to identify problems in Public Health and create the necessary instructional design using the ADDIE model.
They usually design for various media including:
- Paper, pamphlets, posters, books, comic books
- Radio, Television Dramas, Games
- Cellphones, websites, videos
Chapter 21 – Instructional Designers and P-12 Technology Integration
Good P-12 teaching focuses first on teaching, then on technology. The authors caution not to rely on technology.
A great example is when an overhead projector doesn’t work in class. If the instructor is prepared with an alternate lesson plan, or paper resources then he or she can quickly bounce back from a technical glitch.
Technology Integration in the educational system is usually a contract with the school system.
3 types of Instructional Design Development:
- System – large scale development for the development of curriculum (hardware/software systems used for instruction)
- Product – computer based learning tutorials
- Classroom – teacher led instruction (learning by doing)
Classroom Model – ASSURE (effective instruction):
- Analyze your learner
- State standards and objectives (Standardized tests)
- Select strategies (always rely on several strategies for instruction)
- Utilize media (appropriate media that is relevant to the learning experience)
- Require learner participation (engaging students by active participation)
- Evaluate and revise (iteration, helps the lessons grow, also helps eliminate unsuccessful instruction
NTeQ Model – Integrating Technology for iQuiry (problem based lessons focused on student use of technology)
basing problems on real data as opposed to simulation helps learners identify with the material thus the lessons becoming transformative
The authors mention the importance of analyzing, evaluating and creating products that reflect the learning
Technology Integration of 21st Century Skills:
- 21st Century Content – global awareness
- Learning and thinking skills – thinking, communication, collaboration, information literacy
- Life skills – leadership and ethics
The modern classroom has to seamlessly integrate all these competencies into the curriculum, thus connecting the student to the world and the world to the student.
Chapter 22 – 5 University Roles for Designers from 3 Nations
A look at Australia, Japan and the United States.
Junko Nemoto, former Assistant Professor, Kumamoto University (Japan)
He talks about the importance of having several experts in the Instructional Design field:
- Information Technology
- Educational Policy
- Intellectual Property
He believes that having good educational support in education and informational technologies is essential. He also mentions the importance of learning and growing for teachers working with Master and Doctoral students.
Jacquie McDonald, Instructional Designer (Associate Professor), University of Southern Queensland (Australia)
Her focus is on Academic Distance Education and the Government Health Training sector.
She works with websites that teach design. She also helps faculty with distance learning and instructional design process.
She mentions the Australian teaching model places emphasis on student centered learning as well as life-long learning and work integrated learning.
As an Instructional Designer she applies theory to course design, implementation and evaluation.
Brenda Litchfield, Faculty Development, University of South Alabama, United States of America
She mentions that as an Instructional Designer you will be well prepared to design, develop and implement instruction for faculty in higher education and in any learning faculties.
The idea of designing instruction for multiple learning faculties really appeals to me. The possibilities for growth are endless.
She goes on to say how Instructional Designers can help:
- improve teaching and evaluation skills
- plan and deliver orientation
- provide workshops in technology skills
- negotiation skills
- presentation skills
Peter Albion, Associated Professor, University of Southern Queensland, Australia
When referring to Instructional Design he says that teaching should reflect recent and current developments in the field.
A strong focus should be placed on doing research and helping others with research. This helps you keep up to date in the field and actively growing in further Instructional Design ideas.
He also mentions the importance of providing service to faculty, the university and the professional community of educators at large.
Group work is what fosters learning environments.
Jack Dempsey, Full Professor, University of South Alabama, United States
He talks about how tenure is a plateau not a summit. He’s very concerned with the role many professor take after achieving tenure.
I have a musician friend that plays principle bassoon in an orchestra. He was telling me that musicians in the orchestra that have tenure tend to be really difficult and weary of new learning mechanisms. Interestingly enough, my friend has tenure and he’s constantly pushing himself forward to learn new and innovative techniques. His hunger for knowledge hasn’t been trumped by conformity.
Jack Dempsey mentions the importance of revising, creating and innovating for teachers.
He also suggests that instructional designers learn to explain what they do to people in common terms, to find a mentor for further growth and to develop good rapport with faculty members throughout other colleges and fields.
A good designer is never satisfied with their final design. Learning is a life-long process. We must strive to help each other grow as people and as learners.
