In instruction there is always something that needs to be displayed. Little wonder that in some form or other media utilization is a given. But questions arise. "Is development meant to fit within media capabilities?" "Or are media to be selected because of their capabilities to meet development needs?" When in the…

This is the first in a series of two articles examining the current status of instructional design (ID) scholarship and theory in four different cultures or traditions. In this article, the focus is on, first, ID models based on traditional behavioral theories of learning and, second, on models based on cognitive science and the learning sciences.…

Reviews four different approaches to evaluation--decision-oriented, applied research, value-oriented, and systems-oriented--and suggests how each may be applied to the evaluation of instructional programs. Nine references are listed. (Author/CHC)

Discusses the historical development of "hard" and "soft" systems thinking traditions and examines how these traditions have been understood and applied in the field of instructional development. Proposes the need for a synthesis of the two traditions in planning, implementing, and evaluating instructional programs. (AEF)

Summarizes a discussion by the authors of this special issue that took place after the five instructional designers created lesson plans for the same design task. Highlights include the specified content's convergent effect on the designs; design philosophies; things that surprised the designers; and their favorable responses. (AEF)