What is Instructional Design Technology?

Everyone learns something at one point or another. If you are like me, at one point or even now you do not know what instructional design is. Learning is a continuous process that can be improved, based on learning sciences, technology, and best practices. Imagine you want to cook an exotic meal for your family but you have never done that before. The first thing you do is learn how to cook it before you get the ingredients. You can go old school and find a cookbook, or you can look up a recipe online, or if you are like me, you can look up a video on that recipe. However, you do not go for any cookbook, online recipe, or video. You look for one that suits your needs and has clear instructions making it easy to follow. In short, you look for a well-designed cookbook, online recipe, or video.

A well-designed lesson is similar to a well-designed cookbook, recipe, or video. Various components were probably considered when the recipe video or cookbook was being developed. The developer asked themselves questions like who will be the users, what will they need to know and how can I present this information best. An instructional designer asks such questions and applies learning sciences, best practices, and technology to solve an instructional problem. They analyze the learner, design and then develop content, then implement it, while at the same time evaluating each step. Instructional designers work in various departments and capacities. Instructional design is essential in learning because when skillfully implemented, it can lead to effective and efficient means to meet the learning goals established (Rowland & DiVasto, 2013).

References

Rowland, G., & DiVasto, T. (2013). Instructional design and powerful learning.

Performance Improvement Quarterly, 26(2), 9-42. https://doi.org/10.1002/piq.21141

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