Question

several trends and issues that are specifically relevant to the field of instructional design and technology.

Answer 1

The Instructional Design & Technology (IDT) emphasis focuses on development of the knowledge and skills necessary for the implementation and management of instructional design and development projects in a variety of settings. This emphasis provides opportunities to develop expertise in a wide range of instructional technologies and associated best practices. Applied skills, psychological foundations of learning, visual communication, and instructional design are central to this emphasis, which leads to jobs with titles such as Instructional Designer, Developer, and Trainer . IDT focuses on the design, creation, use, and evaluation of multimedia learning experiences in a variety of rewarding professional contexts. It is a rapidly growing field with an increasing need for highly trained graduates with skills to design, implement, and evaluate multimedia learning materials.

Instructional design is the process by which learning resources and experiences are developed, created and delivered. Also known as instructional systems design (ISD), this discipline follows a multi-step approach that aims to effectively design successful curricula. It is common to use the terms instructional design, instructional technology, learning experience design and instructional systems design interchangeably. This multitude of designations reveals how important these models have become during the last decades.

Even though instructional design is historically and traditionally rooted in cognitive and behavioral psychology and goes back to the 1950s. The most current branch of instructional design focuses on how to integrate technology, the internet and human-computer interaction in state-of-the-art methods of designing and delivering education.

In short, instructional design is the process by which learning products and experiences are designed, developed, and delivered. These learning products include online courses, instructional manuals, video tutorials, learning simulations, etc. Instructional designers are the 'architects' of the learning experience and the 'directors' of the Instructional Systems Design ISD process. The terms instructional design, instructional technology, learning experience (LX) design, curriculum design, and instructional systems design (ISD), are sometimes used interchangeably.

There are many instructional design models, and most follow five-stage system of assessing needs, designing a process, developing materials, rolling them out and then evaluating its effectiveness. This is called the ADDIE procedure, as an acronym for its different phases: analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation.

Trends and issues that are specifically relevant to the field of instructional design and technology are as follows.

1. AR AND VR

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) have been making waves in the learning and development (L&D) arena for some time. The technologies make learning interactive, creating digital spaces and representations of items or situations that can allow employees to gain knowledge by doing instead of merely reading or listening. AR and VR can increase engagement dramatically. Plus, as the technologies become more commonplace, the cost of the devices ends up more reasonable.

2. BITE-SIZED LEARNING

L&D is taking cues from social media, creating learning modules that are smaller and more focused. Since people are used to gathering information in small chunks, this allows your training programs to mimic other real-world experiences, making them feel more familiar. Plus, when you use bite-sized learning, training can easily fit into the busiest of schedules. If an employee can go through a section in less time than it takes to finish a cup of coffee, they will be more likely to complete the program in a reasonable amount of time.

3. VIDEOS

Another impact of social media on L&D is the increased use of video. Videos achieve higher engagement rates than written or pictures, making it more likely that your employees will stay focused.

Lets focus on how your videos are designed. Keep them short and highly targeted on one point similar to the bite-sized learning approach and try to make the content delivery fun and energetic.

4. APPS

The vast majority of professionals have access to a smartphone, whether it is their own device or one provided by the company. When you make your L&D program app-accessible, you empower your staff by allowing them to learn no matter where the day may take them. While this doesn’t mean you need to fully abandon computer or web-based training, making sure that much of your program is compatible with mobile devices is wise. By creating an app for your workers, you centralize all of the information and make tracking their progress easier. Also, You can make your videos, written content, and even podcasts accessible directly through the app. This increases the overall efficiency of your program, ensuring that your employees can get what they need in just a few taps or swipes.

5. Mobile Learning

The classroom is no longer limited to the four walls of a physical classroom. As more and more users flock to the internet for their learning needs, instructor-led virtual classrooms are significantly gaining ground. With mobile devices integrated into curriculums to push learning apps, networking activities, and even games, students can work together and stay engaged no matter where they’re located.

6. Personalized Learning

Artificial intelligence is becoming more and more ingrained in our daily lives. From smart assistants like Siri and Alexa to Google’s smart replies and nudging reminders, from social media friend recommendations to personalized upselling and cross-selling when shopping online, personalization through AI is fast becoming the norm. In the field of education, adaptive learning through technology delivers customized learning experiences that address specific student needs through real-time feedback, the student’s knowledge level, performance, demographics, preferences, etc.

The instructional design and technology approach is changing due to the fast evolving learning technologies. The virtual classroom requires new instructional design strategies. All the above trends come together to create a completely new learning experience. It’s important for instructional designers, teachers, and students to follow the new trends closely in order to stay on top

The Benefit of Instructional Design & Technology

Instructional design and Technology is cost effective, given that it ensures students learn efficiently by creating high quality learning materials that take into account the strengths and weaknesses of students. These materials are also focused and customized to address the specific needs of educators.