10.1: Introduction
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Instructional design is a systematic, repetitive process of activities aimed at creating a solution for an instructional problem. In this chapter we describe the instructional design process, and provide details and practical guidelines for completing the process. You will also learn how to conduct a needs assessment and a learner analysis. This chapter also introduces a revised Bloom’s taxonomy (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001).
The steps in the instructional design process are shown in Figure 10.1. These steps, which are similar to other models, are adapted from Dick and Carey’s (1990) model. Note that this chapter only covers the steps through to “Write learning outcomes”. The subsequent steps, shown in Figure 10.1, are covered in other chapters of this book.
One danger in the instructional design process is that it can go on forever. Each step is a checkpoint, and must be signed off with the general knowledge that the results are acceptable enough to continue in the project. However, subsequent evaluation feedback may indicate a need to make changes in previously signed-off steps. These changes are sometimes the result of not putting the necessary time and resources into each step the first time.
This model represents an ideal situation. However, cost and time constraints will sometimes force you to make modifications. How safe such modifications as omitting or minimizing steps are will depend on the actual problem being solved, the information that is available, and your intuition or experience.
For some courses, the systematic instructional design process can take hundreds of hours of development time. Factors such as the course’s complexity, the course management system used, the availability of resources such as instructor notes, the team members’ experience, team dynamics, and whether suitable design specifications exist, can all affect how much time is required.