Key Points of Interest
Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology is the main textbook of this week. It contains a number of interesting points and evaluations. The authors introduce many perspectives on how to apply and develop instructional design and technology. Some key points and associated questions will be discussed in this paper to analyze my level of interest and readiness to continue researching the education field.
One of the key issues of this week’s reading that surprises me and helps understand the essence of instructional design is the history of instructional design. Reiser (2018) states that the roots of instructional purposes can be traced during the first decade of the 20th century, explaining the role of museums, the development of magic lanterns, and the application of sound recordings and sound motion pictures. The historical aspect interests me because it helps get general ideas about the essence of instructional design technology. I would like to research further on this topic from the point of view of theoretical frameworks developed by people from different epochs.
Another critical issue is the role of instructional design in e-learning. Dempsey and van Eck (2018) underline that despite the well-defined characteristics of an e-learning environment, traditional instructional design models remain cumbersome. Such a variety of features impresses and surprises me, proving the uniqueness of the chosen topic. E-learning cannot exist without instructions because people are not always ready to make independent decisions. At the same time, many students want to be free in their learning activities and education decisions. Therefore, it is obligatory to find a balance between what is required for students and educators in terms of e-learning, and what is desirable from the same perspective. This type of education promotes an opportunity to interact synchronously and asynchronously depending on the needs of students (Dempsey & van Eck, 2018). Learners’ interaction may be developed personally or within the frames of a learning management system. I have to continue researching this field and discovering the role of educators in e-learning.
Finally, I cannot neglect the connection between social media and instructional design. Education is the field where social media determines certain rules and means through which the content should be delivered. I am surprised that many instructional designers are still challenged by the necessity to use social media in a formal learning context (Dennen, 2018). A variety of social media tools and their educational uses impress me. I improve my knowledge on how Facebook or Twitter can be used from a purely educational purpose to share resources, discuss topics, and enable communication. To help people learn and teach, I have to improve my research on this topic, paying more attention to personal experience and interactions between teachers and students.
In general, all the chosen points of technology and instructional design history, as well as e-learning and social media through the prism of instructional design, are proved as interesting and motivating topics for discussion. Many questions and research projects can be developed around them. It is expected that this knowledge of educational technology may stimulate either students or educators.
References
Dempsey, J. V., & van Eck, R. N. (2018). E-learning and instructional design. In R. A. Reiser & J. V. Dempsey (Eds.), Trends and issues in instructional design and technology (4th ed.) (pp. 229-236). New York, NY: Pearson.
Dennen, V. P. (2018). Social media and instructional design. In R. A. Reiser & J. V. Dempsey (Eds.), Trends and issues in instructional design and technology (4th ed.) (pp. 237-242). New York, NY: Pearson.
Reiser, R. A. (2018). A history of instructional design and technology. In R. A. Reiser & J. V. Dempsey (Eds.), Trends and issues in instructional design and technology (4th ed.) (pp. 8-21). New York, NY: Pearson.