This book, written by authors representing 12 countries and five continents, is a collection of international perspectives on distance learning and distance learning implementations in higher education. The perspectives are presented in the form of practical case studies of distance learning implementations, research studies on teaching and…

This paper describes the design and development of an instructional planner for an intelligent tutoring system for cardiovascular physiology that assists medical students to learn the causal relationships between the parameters of the circulatory system, to understand how a negative feedback system works, and to solve problems involving…

This study presents several analyses of doctoral dissertation research completed by students in instructional design and technology (ID&T) programs from 1977 through 1988: (1) the number of dissertations completed during each of the 12 years; (2) the 46 U.S. institutions at which the research was done and the number of doctoral degrees in ID&T…

This document consists of a number of figures and diagrams suitable for overhead transparencies that illustrate and elaborate on the prnciples of failure-oriented training (a model for improving the effectiveness of instructional analysis). By adding a few simple steps to analysis, the resulting training will be closer to the idealized tutor:…

A survey was conducted of more than 300 instructional developers, asking which books they would recommend for a variety of different uses. To assist them, a listing of 139 instructional development books taken from a recent journal article was included with the survey. Participants, who represented a diverse but highly-experienced group, were…

Reviewed is the development and evaluation of the instructional quality inventory (IQI), a systematic methodology for reviewing the three major products of the Instructional Systems Design process--objectives, test items, and instruction--before conducting student tryouts. The empirically based instructional design support system aids developers…

Questionnaires were mailed to 138 students in 55 communities in British Columbia, Alberta, and the Yukon, who had enrolled from their homes in an introductory psychology distance education course; 92 responses were received. In addition to an integrated, open learning course package in print form, students could also watch a weekly one-hour live…

The Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning-Revised (Dial-R) Test, the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT), and the Motor-Free Visual Perception Test (MFVPT) were used for kindergarten screening in three rural schools in Texas. Teachers in the schools requested a handbook that would help them interpret test scores and plan…

Based on the hypothesis that teachers possessing extensive and coherent knowledge structures are the most effective teachers, this paper explores the use of a modified ordered tree (OT) technique for measuring teachers' knowledge structures. Two questions are posed: (1) Can a modified OT technique be used to measure teachers' knowledge structures?…

The Purdue Academic Learning Opportunity Systems (PALOS), a state-wide program based at Purdue University, was established to provide an administrative structure to enhance the education of Indiana adult residents. The PALOS Mathematics program was designed to increase mathematics achievement levels for selected Indiana populations. The initial…

This report describes the activities of the Distance Education Committee (DEC), an initiative sponsored by TVOntario (TVO) from February 1987 to April 1988. The three major goals of the initiative were: (1) to encourage the development of distance education in Ontario by providing an opportunity for adult education institutions and organizations…

The collaborative consultancy role proposed for the educational technologist requires moving beyond the linear model of the systematic approach. Instructional developers need to operate on the conceptual level, to see themselves as problem solvers within a dynamic system in which there are no straight paths, but instead, many paths and many…

This document describes an instructional analysis technique believed to be an expedient and effective alternative to the Gagne-Briggs model because, among other reasons, it is easier to teach to novice trainers. The technique is in use in the U.S. Marine Corps. The document consists of the following: an overview of the different kinds of analysis…

The common theme uniting this collection of six essays is the deceiving simplicity of teaching. Their underlying purpose is to uncover the complexity of the craft as embodied in the two dominant outlooks on educational thought and practice: the "mimetic" and the "transformative." Discussions are presented on five crucial issues: (1) on knowing how…

This chapter discusses the foundations of instructional development and analyzes the development of various models, paradigms, archetypes, and themata used to describe instructional development. Two key strands in the literature of instructional development--instructional efficiency ("doing the right things") and instructional…