According to Robert A. Rieser and John V. Dempsey of Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology (2007), the earliest definitions of instructional media started during the early 1900s.[i] The earliest definitions focused on the delivery of instruction through visual materials. Then, as the century progressed to audiovisual technology, the definition was extended to include those materials. As society develops and technology evolves, the way many view the definition of instructional technology has also changed with society. According to Reiser and Dempsey (2007), it was around the 1960’s that the learning process and design was added to the definition. They also added the element of performance improvement into the way they define instructional design and technology. Using technology is no longer just used to deliver a lesson, now it is more complex. Students need to create and apply skills they have learned. One of the movements in education currently is the 21st Century Learning Standards. As an educator, this is addressed at many staff development sessions. The goal is to enable students to be successful in the 21st century and that correlates with the concept of educational technology. Therefore, this author would mention the 21st century learner into the current definition. Twenty-first century learning focuses on technology, application, creating, analyzing, etc. To define instructional design and technology from a 21st century educator perspective: Instructional design and technology involves the process of planning, delivering, managing, and evaluation of skills that enable students to become 21st century learners by creating, thinking critically, and applying the acquired skills.
Part of the process of implementing instructional design is creating a design model. By analyzing the Dick, Carey and Carey model of instruction design, there are a few adjustments that could be implemented to use in an elementary school classroom (Reiser and Dempsey, 2007). See figure 2 for instructional model. The model design follows the six characteristics of instructional design (Reiser and Dempsey, 2007). The model is learner centered and has students collaborating as a team. In addition to the six characteristics, the model follows this author’s definition of instructional design and technology. The model contains a planning phase that needs to include setting goals and set learner centered objectives. In the design, one must deliver instruction and mange team work. Students need to be assessed of what they create (their application and analyzing of learning objectives). During the assessment, data will be evaluated to determine success of acquired skills. In the center of the instructional design is analyzing instruction. During the entire process instruction must be analyzed to make sure objectives are being met and if there are adjustments that need to be made.
As stated, using technology in the classroom is a big movement currently in education. One must be able to identify what is considered technology in today’s society. Based on the history of technological innovations for instruction the ideals of what technological is has changed over the past century. The technology started with school museums and visual instruction. Then, it progressed to radio and film. As the 20th century progressed, there were experiments of instructional television and finally during the second half of the 20th century, the introduction of computers entered the education (Reiser and Dempsey, 2007). As each new technological innovation is introduced, it takes time to implement an instructional design that is effective using that innovation. Educators need to be trained on effective usage. Data should be collected about its effectiveness in education. Love this quote from Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology “As a new medium enters the educational scene, there is a great deal of initial interest and much enthusiasm about the effects it is likely to have on instructional practices” (Reiser and Dempsey, 2007). In other words, with each new innovation, designers are so enthusiastic to start using it in the classroom and there is a large demand for its use. As in the past innovations, that initial interest eventually is replaced with something newer and more effective.
What does this mean for the future of education (K-12, Higher, and Adult Education)? Well, based on the patterns of the past, educators will continue to be enthusiastic over the latest technological innovation and implement them into the classroom. However, unlike the past, the current technology in use (computer, internet, etc.) will not fade out. The new technology is imbedded in our culture, jobs, and education. The 21st century learner must practice using these technologies. Students can interact on wikis and classroom forums. Students can work as a team to collaborate on a project. They can communicate with the teacher or professor. Students can submit work online and produce products using the technology. Through the use of the current technology, computers, students can become active learners rather than passive. Despite the fading trends of the past, the current technology being used will only enhance the instructional design to enable students to become productive members of society in the 21st century.
[i] Reiser, R. A., & Dempsey, J. V. (2007). Trends and issues in instructional design and technology. (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.
