Defining the Field
Reflecting on the definitions given in “Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology” is frightening to me. If we cannot give a concise description of what we do for a living, what will our job description look like? Having worked in the business world for the last 20 years, through more than one economic downturn, the idea of having an ethereal job description is not appealing. Generally if the management doesn’t know exactly what you do, or how you are accountable, you can start packing up your office. The other concern I have, is that if you become a catch all, or someone who answers the phones, helps people design relevant technological instruction, fixes computers, empties trash and whatever else is needed in a particular day, you will work yourself to death.
I hate to pay disrespect to my chosen occupation, because I believe in it deeply, but is all this verbosity really necessary to describe what it is that we do? All these definitions and bickering over a pure definition raises many questions for me. Are we so self-important that we really can’t put in layman’s terms what it is that we do? Are we so egotistical that we have become one of those, “I could tell you but then I would have to kill you.”[1] people? Do we really need “9 pages of tables” and an additional “nine chapters (more than 120 pages)”[2] in a description? This sounds more like a detailed instruction manual to me.
Of course I realize that the field has an ever growing number of facets. Reading the Reiser text has given me great insight into where we started and what we have become. Having an understanding of media, data, and instructional design are greatly important. In the end, aren’t we still in the business of education? I think my definition of Instructional Design and Technology will be more simplistic. Similar to a 30 second “elevator speech” like a salesmen uses when he or she accidently, on purpose, jumps into an elevator with a C.E.O.
So here is my stab at a 30 second definition:
Hi, my name is Mark Fake. I work in the field of Instructional Design and Technology. My goal is to educate people in the most efficient and effective means possible. I start by assessing the learner’s particular needs and the skills they need to attain. Then I match those needs with the best available technology for instruction. Once I have this information, I design a comprehensive instructional plan around it. The technologies I use are in constant evolution and are as varied as a pencil is to a computer, or software to an interactive whiteboard. Tomorrow my tools will change, but my mission to educate will be the same.
Dick, Carey and Carey Model of Instructional Design
The Internet and the Worldwide Web
The use of the internet and world wide web seems to be growing exponentially in the realm of education. One of the trends that I see having a great effect is the on-line storage of documents, spreadsheets, presentations and movies. We now have the ability to access our tutorial movies, or works in progress from any online computer. Collaborative efforts are just the beginning. Students will be able to access their work at home. There should never be an excuse like, “the dog ate my homework”. Teachers should be able to join user groups of students and monitor projects as they evolve. There are ways for us to check the work of individuals in collaborative efforts. Many applications aid in constructivist approaches to learning. Higher order thinking can be checked.
We can now look up virtually any subject on YouTube or e-How and find tutorials on how to master just about anything. Those of us who know how to find the resources can learn everything from astronomy to how to change a light bulb on a 2005 Mazda. The information on the web never ceases to amaze me.How is this all going to affect the classroom you might ask? Students should be able research and create a variety of on-line content. They will use applications such as Google Docs to create content and then post it on their instructors sites or blogs. Teachers will be able to join unique user groups and collaborate with students instead of just lecture. The students will find the interactive “work” more appealing to them as a real world application. They should identify with on-line work more than sitting through boring lectures. WebQuests and a variety of other teaching tools may be used to keep students engaged and happy in their work. Word processing programs will help students with legibility, spelling and grammar. This will give students the self-esteem to create more pertinent work.
No comments:
Post a Comment