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…

The authors analyzed all research articles published between 2002 and 2011 in the international journal "Instructional Science," with a goal to provide an understanding of the type of research being published in this journal, major contributing authors, and the most-cited publications of this time period. They examined research…

Some in the field of educational technology have called for offering bachelor's degrees. Unfortunately, the literature base only provides guidance on designing, developing, and delivering master's and doctoral degree programs. This article, in distinction, focuses on the design of a bachelor's degree program by focusing on the perceptions of…

Profitable creative ideas can emerge from within virtually any phase of the instructional design and development process. However, the design of user interactions is perhaps where learners can most directly experience the benefits of such ideas. In this article, the authors discuss principles of learner interaction as found in the instructional…

The learner-centered paradigm of education requires very different roles for technology, as well as for teachers and students, compared with the teacher-centered paradigm. Rather than almost exclusively serving the teacher for teaching, technology primarily serves the student for learning. It does so through four major roles: (1) keeping records…

Educational technologists may advance the state of the field by increasing capacity to develop software tools and instructional applications. Presently, few academic programs in educational technology require even a single computer programming course. Further, the educational technologists who develop software generally work independently or in…

Through ongoing rapid-fire changes in the nature of communications, the social, professional, and political landscapes of our time are rapidly transforming. But the prevailing paradigm in most schools and school systems is a relic of the industrial revolution. Schools and school systems must adopt a new paradigm for learning if they are to remain…

Given that there is no universal way to measure implementation fidelity, instructional designers developing instructional innovations may find themselves faced with the challenge of determining the extent to which teachers' implementation of an instructional model is faithful. This article contends that a faithful implementation is one in…

In light of considerable debate centering on the value of higher education and its effect on student preparation for the world of work, this article describes new methods employed in teaching an introductory professional course and the outcomes of its initial offerings. This case study supports research indicating that problem-based learning is an…

In an asynchronous forum responding to a prompt positing that ADDIE (analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation) might be used in teaching instructional design (ID) as a safety net for designers without native talent, instructors and practitioners of ID revealed mixed perspectives on the role of ADDIE in design. Critical theory…

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.…

This article describes instructional theory that supports post-industrial education and training systems--ones that are customized and learner-centered, in which student progress is based on learning rather than time. The author discusses the importance of problem-based instruction (PBI), identifies some problems with PBI, overviews an…

Everything old is new again. In a recent "Point of View" editorial commentary in "Educational Technology," Richard E. Clark revisits the now-famous media-effects debate with a focus on serious games. Clark argues that serious games have little to offer that improves upon traditional methods. This article responds to those claims. While Clark's…

Novice teachers encounter a variety of challenges and uncertainties, not limited to classroom management, cultural diversity, subject matter expertise, integrating technology, and instructional design. The act of planning, both physically and mentally, is a way to diminish these uncertainties. The purpose of this article is to suggest a design…

Discusses and explains relationships between performance technology and instructional development. Highlights include a concept analysis of performance technology; types of evaluation; instructional development as a subset of performance technology; front-end analysis; sample performance technology interventions; and differences between…