Section 1: Defining the Field

Evolving Definitions of Instructional Design and Technology

Created by Muammer Aktas

As I researched each of the Instructional Technology definitions, it was very interesting to see how Instructional Technology has been defined over the years. I realized that the field of Instructional Technology is constantly being redesigned and redefined. New ideas and innovations affect the practices of individuals in the field, changing, often broadening, the scope of their work.

According to Dempsey and Reiser (2007), the earlier definitions focused on instructional media. With the introduction of educational films, the “visual instruction” movement began.With advances in sound recordings, motion pictures with sound and radio broadcasting, the focus of the field shifted from visual instruction to “audiovisual instruction”.

Beginning in the 1950s, the instructional technology viewed as a process. A number of leaders in the field started discussing instructional technology as being a process. Finn(1960) indicated that instructional technology should be viewed as a way of looking at instructional problems and examining feasible solutions to those problems.

The five domains of instructional technology. 
Source: From Instructional Technology: The Definitions and Domains

of the Field(p.10),by B.B. Seels and R.C.Richey,1994,Washington, DC

The 1994 definition was beyond viewing instructional technology as a process. The field is described in terms of five domains---design,development,utilization, management, and evaluation.

This definition moves in some other new directions and revisits some old ones.This definition describes the field in terms of theory and practice, emphasizing the notion that the field of instructional technology is not only an area of practice, but also an area of research and study.



Gradually a transition occurred that the focus of instructional technology from media to being a systematic process. This shift in the definition showed that education now, moving attention to learning instead of just instruction.  As the definitions for the instructional technology field evolved through time and technological advancements, I believe there will be new definitions for the instructional design in the future.

Since the definitions made by professionals of the instructional technology changed through time, my own definition of instructional technology has evolved along my years in education.

Student Centered Learning in Distance Education.
From Simonson et al, 2006,p.202

During the first years of my teaching, teacher-centered learning style was essential for me in the classroom. I was using my prior knowledge and experience to deliver my instructions. Students were passive learners, they were just listening the lectures, and were taking notes when necessary. When I finished lecturing, I was assigning them assignments that related to subject. I was assessing their performance by just grading their assignments. There was no group working.
I used technology to create instructional materials, such as presentations, vector graphics. Earlier years, my goal was to teach my students a computer program, or a technology tool.

Today, Student-Centered Learning model is essential for me. As I am using technology as a learning tool, and enhance the teaching and learning in classroom. For example: In my Desktop Publishing class, we use a very cool program called "Adobe Illustrator". We use Adobe Illustrator program to design vector graphics, such as cartoon characters, 3D vector graphics, etc. for desktop publishing projects.

Student Centered Learning in Distance Education.
From Simonson et al, 2006,p.202

Adobe  llustrator program is one of the technology tools that we use in the classroom. Then, we use another program called "Adobe InDesign" to organize text and graphics to create desktop publishing works, such as posters, flyers, brochures, magazines, newspapers, books, etc.
I am also implementing group working, and peer learning techniques in my class. By using this learning style, I am helping my students to discover their own learning styles, to understand their motivation, to acquire effective study skills that will be valuable throughout their lives.

Now I can see how my emphasis on instructional technology evolved through time and experiences.

My definition of instructional technology would be something like:

Educational Technology is an art of identifying learning problems, and the design, development, implementation, evaluation, and management of the technological processes and resources to enhance learning and performance in the learning environment.

I believe that I will redesign and redefine my current definition in the future to create more effective learning environments for my students.

How does that lesson adhere or fail to adhere to the six characteristics of instructional design?

Click here to view a sample lesson plan from my computer class.

My instructional design is;
Learner centered, because it begins by determining who the learners are, what the individual learner already knows, and what the learner needs to learn; it is able to adjust throughout the lesson if needed, and ends by evaluating if the learner was successful about project.

Goal oriented, the goals have been identified in the first section of the instructional design.

The instructional design focuses on meaningful performance. the learner is expected to be able to perform or apply the new knowledge, rather than recall it. I expect my high school students to conduct  research about state project, and create a PowerPoint presentation with this new information.

Outcomes can be measured in a reliable and valid way. The learner shows the evidence of learning through actual performance. Minimum requirements are clearly described in the Assessments section.

Empirical, iterative, self-correcting,  the data is continually collected from the effort of the learners through observations, and then analyzed. If any revision is needed, teacher guides and helps learner to success.

Team effort, in my school there are two computer teachers. As a computer department, we have meetings every two weeks. In these meetings, we combine our knowledge and skills to create the instructional design for subject content for the courses.

Reiser distinguishes instructional media from instructional design, excluding teachers, chalkboards, and textbooks from the definition of instructional media.

In 3rd chapter, Reiser (2001) defines instructional media as the “physical means, other than the teacher, chalkboard, and textbook, via which instruction is presented to learners” (p. 18). Reiser excluded teachers, chalkboard, and textbooks from the definition of instructional media to clearly describe the history of media. Before the twentieth century, three primary means that the teacher, the chalkboard, and the textbook have been categorized separately from other media.
First decade of the twentieth century, school museums came into existence.The materials housed in school museums were viewed as supplementary curriculum materials. Most educators have viewed instructional media as supplementary means of presenting instruction. In contrast, teachers and textbooks are generally viewed as the primary means of presenting instruction, and teachers are usually given the authority to decide what other instructional media they will employ.(p.18)

Over the years, instructional media has been evolved, new technologies and inventions adopted to instructional technology. My point of view is that, the chalkboard shouldn't be excluded from the definition of instructional media now. Smart boards, monitors, projectors, etc. have been introduced, and adopted to instructional technology. For me, the chalkboard is an instructional media, and I consider it during the design phase if I want to use it.
Teacher and textbook are still essential for instructional technology. In learning process, we still need teacher to guide us. Without a teacher, learning will be difficult, and will take a long long time.
Textbook is still most important teaching tool because it can determine what will be taught and how it will be taught. Textbook remains major resource in schools and colleges, even in distance education.
To me, teacher and textbook are still primary means in instructional technology.
Instructional design is the systematic process by which instructional materials are designed, developed, and delivered. In design phase, we decide which instructional media we want to use. However some instructions may not require the instructional media. If we assume instructional design as a teacher, instructional media will be a tool for teacher to use to develop/deliver instruction.