Trending: Instructional Design

This week we look at the research behind instructional design (ID).  What are the trends, implications, and recommendations.  Now I know you are thinking instructional design trending?  Maybe not trending like Taylor Swift and her feud with Kanye West, but in a world where education is rapidly changing instructional design trends are sky rocketing.

ID a key component of education  

The common goal that ties education across subject areas is the outcome.  The outcome no matter the subject is always the same to present material to an audience, form achievable goals, and at the end of the educational experience have the audience walk away with the goals met.  With the increasing number of delivery methods available to instructors today a shift in the ID models must occur.

Research from shows that we may need to use a variety of ID models, or a revision of current models to achieve our instructional goals.  "As the number and diversity of ID practices grows, implicit doubts regarding the reliability, validity, and usefulness of OD models suggest the need for methodological guidance that would help to generate ID models that are relevant and appropriate to the ever-changing design challenges in our world."(Lee,J.,Jang,S. 2014) That sticking to one model instead of using a combination of models may not present desirable outcomes depending on the instructional setting and audience.  That perhaps there needs to be room to take a detour and that even though it may take you a few miles out of the way the straight path may not always be the best path.

Technology

"Inclusive and accessible education should aspire to include all learners. Mobile learning appears

to have the potential to do that. SMS and MMS technologies offer excellent opportunities to open

up education to many who have long been excluded from it. This effort, however, will involve

the development of creative techniques for relatively simple technologies and the design of

universally accessible educational materials for them."(Elias, T. 2011)

As the study above from Elias states the technology is available, and allowing for avenues for education that weren't there 10 years ago.  We have to be able to see the potential of online learning and how we can incorporate current technology to reach our students.

Educators must be able to evolve and adapt when looking at ID.  With the increasing number of students choosing a non-traditional setting for education research shows that taking the ADDIE model and adjusting it a blended course can bring about educational growth for students.  Online learning is not going away and we have to be able to adapt the current ID models to fit a technology driven world.  

Watch this video about how technology is incorporated in the 1st and 2nd grade.  Kids know more about technology than an adult at a young age and we must find ways to take advantage of this and use it in ID to enhance learning.

Also, here is an article regarding the use of technology in education in the 21st century.  

http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/every-learner/6776

Learner Driven

One concept that was evident throughout the research is that education has become learner driven.  Online and blended learning environments are allowing for individualized instructional models that meet the needs of all learners.  It is no longer acceptable to teach to one type of learners, educators must use ID so that each student is presented and assessed on the information in a way that is individualized to their specific needs.  Although time consuming for the designer a structure that allows students to move at their own pace, interpret and be assessed on material in a variety of ways will lead to greater success and achievement of goals and outcomes.  

So what does all this mean?  Research shows that we have to look at our audience.  We must be willing to get a little lost and take the detour, knowing that by not taking just the straight path, i.e. one ID we are allowing for growth and greater design that will reap great benefits when applied to our courses.  Don't be afraid to take that detour, don't look back, but yet evolve and adapt because when you combine the best that ID has to offer the road trip is fun and successful for everyone!

References:

Elias, T. (2011, February). Universal Instructional Design Principles for Mobile Learning. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 12(2), 1-15.

Lee, J., & Jang, S. (2014). A methodological framework for instructional design model development: Critical dimensions and synthesized procedures. Education Tech Research Dev Educational Technology Research and Development, 62(6), 743-765. doi:10.1007/s11423-014-9352-7