Instructional Design & Tech

The field of instructional design is a field in which I am venturing for the very first time. I believe that one of the major challenges in instructional design is fitting in the appropriate learning theories into instructional designs to achieve desired results. The importance of instructional design in the teaching learning process cannot be over emphasized. In the article Instructional Design and Learning Theory, Brenda Mergel bring out the theories of learning and lays them down side by side with the approaches to instruction which include Individually Prescribed Instruction (IPI), Program for Learning in Accordance with Needs (PLAN), Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI) etc. http://etad.usask.ca/802papers/mergel/brenda.htm
https://odadvocate.wordpress.com/2015/10/26/its-as-easy-as-addie-slideshare-infographic/ presents the Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement and Evaluate (ADDIE) Model as a great starting point for instructional designers. The stage of analysis looks at the problem, audience best method of delivery and the time line. The following are examined under design: objectives, order of delivery methods and the nature of materials. Development examines content, technology to be used and testing. The stage of implementation seeks to answer three questions: who trains the curriculum, when and where will the learners be trained and are the resources available. The last stage evaluates the understanding of the learners and the performance of the trainer. The different stages of this model were quite simple to understand and present a true starting point especially for novices in the field of instructional design.
The last blog I read http://wordpress.com/read/post/id/94088474/344 x-rays what it means to be an instructional designer. It describes instructional designers as teacher, editors, detectives, researchers, data scientists and data visualizers. I find this very interesting because it gives me a wider perspective on who an instructional designer is. As instructional designers these roles cannot work in isolation. Together they add quality to the functions we play as professionals and as such I find this blog very relevant.