Week 1: Defining the Field

The first three chapters of your book define the IDT (Instructional Design and Technology) field and provide a history of how it has evolved over time. In you blog for this week, reflect on the following:

1. How do the definitions in the first chapter compare to your own definition of instructional or educational technology? 

I had not really thought about it much but I guess my definition was similar to the interim definitions the book discussed where the field was really “the media” or equipment/technology used to promote learning.  I did not see the instructional design aspect of instructional design and technology (ID&T).  Also I did not know about the intricate process, from start to finish, of instructional design.  The definition of educational technology was foreign to me. 

What experiences or other influences have shaped your definition?

Technology that I have used has mostly been an instrument to show the curriculum.  For example, I have used computers, ELMO’s, overhead projectors,  Interwrite pads, and software like Powerpoint to show curriculum.   Also, back in the 90’s at McKinney High School, we had a criterion-referenced machine that we used for TAAS courses.  If a student passed the pretest, he could test over the objective.  If he passed according to the machine, he could go to the next objective and start the process all over again.  Students could self-pace through the curriculum.

How has your definition changed from examining the definitions in the first chapter of this book?

I can now see the intertwining of instructional design and technology as an in-depth process including analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation that improves learning and performance.  There is also a revision process that moves back and forth along the continuum of the aforementioned steps, making the path of creation a nonlinear one.  This path is not really different from the process used to create curriculum without technology which I guess is an aspect of instructional design.  The hardware and software, or technology, is only one side of instructional design and technology.  I am also now aware that instructional design is used in instructional and non-instructional situations, in education and in the workplace.  I now know that systematic design methods are often used by people in the industry.  And finally, I see that good instructional design is student-oriented, goal oriented, focused on meaningful performance, can be accurately measured, is empirical, iterative, and self-correcting, and is usually a team effort.  My definition was lacking.         

2. Next, think of a lesson or unit of instruction that you have developed. Or if you haven’t ever taught or developed instruction, think of one that you have received. How does that lesson adhere or fail to adhere to the six characteristics of instructional design?

Last year, our Geometry team created a lesson for finding the distance on a coordinate plane.  There are two methods:  using the distance formula or using the Pythagorean theorem.  The distance formula uses two coordinate points to find the distance between the points on a coordinate plane.  For years, we had noticed how students had a hard time putting the correct coordinates into the formula so we created a pair activity to help them.  We had them cut out pre-designed numbers and place them into two coordinate points below an enlarged distance formula.  The first student would then slide the numbers into the correct locations in the formula and the second student would use the calculator to calculate the distance between the two points.  The student with the calculator could also help the student sliding the numbers.  Then after showing them the answer, the students would switch places on the next problem.

We started out the lesson with a powerpoint showing the numbers actually moving from their coordinate locations into the distance formula.  This was the method we used in the past where we only showed them how.  However, even with the nice powerpoint, with color and movement, many students were unable to do what seemed an easy task.  However, the simple hands-on activity proved beneficial to students trying the task. 

Our lesson fulfilled most of the characteristics of instructional design.  The activity was student-centered as they were able to help each other with the tactile process.  Our team’s goal was to find an activity that would simplify a process that had caused problems in the past.  Our previous lesson was only marginally student-centered with the bells and whistles powerpoint.  And previous to the powerpoint, we just showed them how to use the distance formula on the board, or on an ELMO.  I believe students were enabled to have meaningful performance with the simple activity.  The following quiz showed vast improvement over the previous year.  We were not able to measure in a reliable and valid way because we didn’t have exact results from last year.  However, all of teachers agreed that the scores were better, on the quiz and following test, than last year based on our empirical evidence.  More students were able to perform the task easily than in previous years.  Our lesson was iterative and self-correcting in the sense that our team revised a problematic process over a several year period until we came up with the right formula for success.  We have a great team, and definitely worked together to improve this assignment.  Even though we have failed many times in the past to find the answer to curricular problems, we succeeded on this lesson. 

How would you redesign it to better adhere to the six characteristics?

I think the best way to improve instructional design, in this case, would be to keep exact records so that we can make comparisons in the future.  This is a task that we have already started.  I think that we followed the other characteristics fairly well. 

3. In the 3^rd chapter, Reiser distinguishes instructional media from instructional design, excluding teachers, chalkboards, and textbooks from the definition of instructional media.

Why?

From what I read, Reiser did not exclude teachers, chalkboards, and textbooks from the definition of instructional media.  The author of the book seemed to be in favor of including teachers, chalkboards, and textbooks but for the sake of describing the history of media, the author decided to exclude the “big three.”  I’m not sure how to answer since Reiser didn’t seem to exclude them from the definition of media.   

Would you consider teachers, chalkboards, and textbooks instructional media?

I would consider chalkboards and textbooks instructional media since they are inanimate tools to enhance instruction.  However for me, teachers don’t fall into the category of pure media since they have a mind and are capable of moving past the behavioristic tendencies of an automated device.  Teachers, can think, judge, change positions, and the results can be different for each situation.  I know I state the obvious.  Teachers do not fit the definition of “physical means” for media.  The cognitive changes the equation.

Is the purpose of instructional design to incorporate media into instruction?

Instructional design does not always incorporate media into instruction.  The areas of media and instructional design overlap but are not mutually inclusive.  There are areas of instructional design that are used without media.  The process of instructional design has been traced back to World War II.  Psychologists and educators were employed to help create training materials for the military.  An example of how instructional design is not always used with media can be shown by the problem of high failure rates in a particular flight training program during World War II.  Instructional designers created a pretest to grade the psychomotor and perceptual skills of potential candidates.  This test helped to improve results for candidates entering the flight program.  The test was an example of instructional design without the use of media.