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Are you a teacher who wants to know the best ways
to integrate technology into the classroom?
Are you interested in learning how to design and
develop multimedia training for the business world?
Do you want to study how the latest technologies
can enhance learning?
If so, instructional design
is the field you're looking for!
What Is Instructional Design?
The field of Instructional Design (ID) lies at the
intersection of three disciplines: Education, Psychology,
and Communication. It first began during World War
II when the military needed to develop effective training
for large numbers of soldiers in order to save lives
and equipment. The military wanted a way to ensure
consistent, effective training for its soldiers so
it turned to experts in education, psychology, and
communication. By drawing from the known body of established
research and theory in these disciplines, experts developed
a model for ensuring effective training and learning,
regardless of discipline, learners or environment.
- From psychology, they drew the
best of what is known about how humans learn and
develop, such as cognition, behaviorism, and constructivism.
- From communications, they drew
from all that is known about message design and communication,
such as readability, screen and page design.
- From education, they pulled from
all that is known about how people learn in formal
and informal settings, such as instructional strategies,
objectives and assessment.
Instructional design grew out of this process, and
today there are at least 40 different ID models used
in education, corporate and government settings. All
models share the same underlying process of Analysis,
Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation,
also known as the ADDIE process.
What is an Instructional Design & Technology Degree?
The University of North Dakota's Instructional
Design & Technology (IDT) online program prepares
you for service in education, business, government
and industry by teaching you how to enhance instruction
and learning through the use of technology. IDT is
where humans and technology intersect to promote learning
or human performance. With UND's online IDT program
you will:
- Study the latest technology and its uses for teaching
and learning.
- Use a process that is part science and part art
to develop effective instruction, whether that is
for the corporate training room or the public school
classroom.
- Analyze, design, develop, implement and evaluate
technology-based instruction that is effective and
reflects sound ID principles.
- Develop computer-based instruction, multimedia,
web-based instruction, video-based instruction, and
even simulations and games for learning.
- Design learning for anyone, any time, on any topic,
and in any format.
Should I Become an Instructional Designer?
Instructional designers (IDers) come from all disciplines
and domains. There are no undergraduate degrees in
ID so you can enter the field without having a pre-required
undergraduate major. If you have a background in education,
psychology, communications, or technology you will
recognize much of what you already have learned since
the work you will do as an IDer is rooted in these
areas.
More importantly, you should consider the skills and
dispositions required of instructional designers. If
you are interested in ID, you should:
- Enjoy the process of writing, as a large portion
of what you will do in ID is the creation of design
documents and instructional materials.
- Be interested in many subject areas, as you will
be regularly called upon to develop instruction in
a wide variety of areas by working with subject-matter
experts in different domains.
- Possess creativity, as the development of effective
training and instruction requires as much creativity
as science.
- Like working with people to solve problems and
improve human performance and experience.
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