What is Instructional Design?

At the end of my first semester, I need to change my definition of Instructional Design (ID). Now I put more emphasis on teaching instead of on computers. But the focus on teaching isn't on the teacher but on the students. If instruction doesn't work for the students, then it isn't worth it. (I wonder what public schools would be like if they used only instruction centered on the students.)

My lastest defintion of Instructional Design:

Instructional Design is creating/building/designing curriculum/instruction using principles that ensure the curriculum works for the students.

Instructional Design (ID) begins with an analysis of the situation--what is the problem? Can instruction fix it? Then ID analizes the students to make the best decisions on the kind of instruction and delivery. Before finishing the instruction, designers must test it with students and then revise. After students use the instruction, designers must test it again to make sure the instruction solved the problem. These principles (analysis, design, revision, testing) and processes that could make any project successful.

That's my definition for now. I'm sure it will change again with each successive semester and that's what I'm looking forward to.

The Reason for the Seasons

I survived this semester because I had two awesome partners: Brenda and Claudia. I want to thank them for their good ideas, hard work, funny comments, flexibility, and Saturday meetings. I needed their teaching experience because some parts of instructional design are more familiar to them because they have teaching experience.

Our final project was "The Reason for the Seasons." We made a week's worth of lesson plans about teaching sixth graders why Earth has seasons. It was a lot of work! But it was a worthwhile project. One memorable part were the subskills analysis: sitting at my computer at night and thinking about all the bits of information about seasons. Another memorable part was the formative evaluation: seeing the plan in action and getting honest feedback about it. I realized that my opinion about the lessons was not the same as the opinion of my target audience. It was helpful to know what my audience thought and then change our instruction.

As we looked at our finished project, I was proud to see all the work we did over the semester. Doing the project probably expanded my opinion of IDET more than anything else this semester.

Business Meeting

My office is working on a new product so we had a meeting about it. My manager has a degree in Instructional Technology. He directed the meeting just like an instructional designer would. He asked all the big questions:

What is the product?
What is the need for this product?
What are our goals?
What is the content?
What are the risks?
How do we know we have accomplished our goals?

In a sense the produce will instruct people. I enjoyed seeing a real meeting discuss IDET principles. (So it does happen in real life!)

More Lessons Learned

Some general bits of wisdom I realized while doing our final project:

1. Ask a lot of questions
2. Give yourself plenty of time
3. Carefully choose wording for objectives
4. Criteria and conditions are important to measure behaviors
5. My thoughts are not the students' thoughts, nor my biases their biases

6. Backing up all my work is important--especially with old computers--thanks Claudia!

7. Evaluations can be fun (Is it really going to work?)

8. The Three R's: Review, Rewind, Revise

9. Even graphs take a while to make

10. The textbook does know what it's talking about

11. The Three E's: Evaluate Learners, Evaluate During, Evaluate After (they really are important and do work)

A Different Trip

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, my family and I went to upstate New York. Since I have been learning to evaluate instruction, I couldn't help evaluating the airline's safety instruction. Most of the time I ignore the flight attendants when they talk about the emergency exits. This time I wanted to watch them and see if their instruction would live up the criteria I have learned in IDET.

The verbal instructions were clear--even young children could understand them. The only word that children may not understand is "turbulence." The entry behaviors were low--the flight attendants tell people how to use a seat belt. I suppose they do this in case someone has never used those kind of seat belts, or has never been on an airplane and will panic. The icons all over the plane (no smoking, seat belt signs, exits) are helpful for international fliers and children. Two criticisms: the "job aid" or safety packet has some unclear pictures and people sitting in the back of the plane may not be able to see the flight attendants as they demonstrate seat belt usage. On the whole, however, the airline's instruction is simple and keeps the passengers safe during normal flights. Hopefully no one will have to transfer the instruction to an actual emergency.

A nonexample of safety instruction is the scene from "It's a Mad, Mad World," when the Colonel jabbers more than teaches the two men who to land their plane. "You'll make it men, I have confidence in you."