Instructional+Design+Theory+and+You

The reading assignments in this course are drawn from current research literature and emerging theory on how people learn. I assume that you have basic knowledge of instructional design, but just in case you don't, here is a quick way to get the gist of the theory.

=Introduction to Instructional Design*=


 * The information below is from the recommended text "Instructional-Design Theories and Models Volume III, edited by Charles M. Reigeluth and Alison A. Carr-Chelman; published in 2009 by Routledge, NY., particularly Chapters One and Two. Please make sure you go over this information carefully. You will note that the principles described here guided the design and content of this course, and guide the design process that we will engage in during the semester.

I//nstructional theory is about helping people learn better//, and it describes a variety of instruction methods as well as when to use and to not use, these methods. Although instructional design has been around for many years, in this course we focus on instructional theories that have emerged for the Information Age.

//**Instruction is defined as anything that is done to facilitate learning**//. Instructional Design Theory is considered by many to include:
 * What the instruction should be like; instructional event design theory
 * What the process of gathering information for making decisions about instruction should be like; instructional analysis
 * What the process of creating the instructional plans should be like; instructional planning
 * What the process of creating the instructional sources should be like; instructional building
 * What the process for implementation should be like; instructional implementation
 * What the process for evaluating (summative and formative) the instruction should be like; instructional evaluation

Categories of Instructional Situations

 * Values of instruction
 * learning goals
 * criteria
 * methods
 * power--who has it?
 * Conditions of instruction
 * nature of the content
 * the learner
 * the learning environment
 * the instructional constraints

Questions raised by the categories of instructional situations
The categories above imply questions that are useful to instructional designers that help them analyze an instructional situation and select the appropriate methods.

===Questions about Instructional Situations===
 * What are the valued learning goals or outcomes of the instruction?
 * What are the priorities in the instruction?
 * Which methods are most valued in the instructional content?
 * How should power be distributed among those in the instructional interaction?
 * How is the nature of the content likely to influence the selection of instructional methods?
 * How is the nature of the learner likely to influence the selection of instructional methods?
 * How is the instructional environment likely to influence the selection of instructional methods?
 * How are the instructional development constraints or limitations likely to influence the selection of instructional methods?

===Questions about Instructional Methods===


 * What instructional approach should be used?
 * What variable instructional components are most appropriate within that approach?
 * How should instruction be sequenced?

This set of questions take the form of working documents in this course, to guide our instructional design projects--see the Addie Model for a graphic representation.

**First Principles of Instruction**
M. David Merrill developed a set of first principles of inst ruction that further explicate the vision of instructional design; to distill a set of interrelated prescriptive instructional design principles. The four principles form a four-phase cycle of instruction, and embedded within that cycle is a cycle of structure-guidance-coaching-reflection.



Demonstration Principle

 * Instruction should provide a demonstration of the skill consistent with the type of component skill: kinds-of (concept classification such as category naming), how-to (demonstration), and what-happens (focus learner on sequence of events).
 * Instruction should provide guidance that relates the demonstration to generalities.
 * Instruction should engage learners in peer discussion and peer demonstration.
 * Instruction should allow learners to observe the demonstration through media that are appropriate to the content.

Application Principle

 * Instruction should have the learner apply learning consistent with the type of component skill: kinds-of, how-to, and what-happens
 * Instruction should provide intrinsic or corrective feedback.
 * Instruction should provide coaching, which should be gradually withdrawn to enhance application.
 * Instruction should engage learners in peer collaboration.

Task-Centered Prinicple

 * Instruction should use a task-centered instructional strategy.
 * Instruction should use a progression of increasingly complex whole tasks.

Activation Principle

 * Instruction should activate relevant cognitive structures in learners by having them recall, describe, or demonstrate relevant prior knowledge or experience.
 * Instruction should have learners share previous experiences with each other.
 * Instruction should have learners recall or acquire a structure for organizing new knowledge.

Integration Principle

 * Instruction should integrate new knowledge into learners' cognitive structures by having them reflect on, discuss, or defend new knowledge and skills.
 * Instruction should engage learners in peer critique.
 * Instruction should have learners create, invent, or explore personal ways to use their new knowledge or skill.
 * Instruction should have learners publicly demonstrate their new knowledge or skill.

I always find this clip from an Abbott and Costello movie is very humbling--reminds me of how difficult it is to really bring learners to understanding!

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