ETEC 561 Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology. Taught by Dr. Larkin

            

    1.   How do the definitions in the first chapter compare to your own definition of instructional or educational technology?  What experiences or other influences have shaped your definition?  How has your definition changed from examining the definitions in the first chapter of this book?

The definitions in the first chapter, does not compare with my own definition of instructional or educational technology.  The definitions change, as they focus in the learning process.  As mentioned in our textbook; many individuals, they equate the field of instructional technology and the field of instructional media.  They focus their attention on different aspects of it.

My definition of instructional technology:  the means to improve the education and the human performance in the workplace.

           What experiences or other influences have shaped your definition?

           
           Experiences with the field of technology in my own life, from having a 
        calculator, when I was a 1st grader, to the technology of today.  
        A calculator, which instrument was considered a cheating tool!  
        A cheating tool, yes.  Our teacher used to say to us; "use your brain to
        figure it out!"  We have android phones, pad and apple computers to say 
        the least.  My teachers, all of them, would consider them a crime, ruins our
        brains, as they used to say.  What I see; these our tools to make me think
        harder.  The tools are not good without good brains, let's hope we have 
        good brains to make instructional and educational technology work for the
        best of all of us.  Human performance is to the max or is it not...... not
        yet. 

       How has your definition changed from examining the definitions
       in the first chapter of this book?
       
       The people and the process of using technology and delivering, the new 
       new emphasis on improving performance for personal life and the 
       non-instructional solutions to some performance problems. 
                          

    2.  Next, think of a lesson or unit of instruction that you have developed.   
         Or if you   haven’t even taught or developed instruction, think of one 
         that you have received.  How does that lesson adhere or fail to adhere 
         to the six characteristics of instructional design?  
         How would you redesign it to better adhere to the six characteristics.

I am thinking of the 1^st year of my entry to the educational field in the United States.  The students with low academic performance, low reading performance, or nor reading performance, were many.  No solution to the problem.  After evaluating programs with no success, the Scottish Rite Hospital came to the rescue.   With a program which fit all the six characteristics of instructional design.  Reading the characteristics now, that is what came to mind immediately.  Other came to mind after this one but the Scottish Rite Hospital was clearly the first.

Their instruction was centered to the specific students, with an obvious goal oriented, meaningful performance, the outcomes were proven to be meaningful because they were using it at the hospital, and the instructional design was empirical and of course team effort.  They had made the instruction themselves.   Doctors who were focusing on the brain, and mostly on the dyslexic student’s brain, they made the instructional program.  The only thought of how they placed the program together, with such a powerful will to have dyslexic student able to read, came to mind immediately.  Hours of work and team effort.  They designed this program themselves.   Greatest characteristic of instructional design and purpose does not exist in my mind.

How would you redesign it to better adhere to the six characteristics?

I believe that there is not any redesign in mind.  The program works and has given dyslexic students the ability to read.  The program is done methodically, with precision, meticulous and with great team effort.

 

One other thing which comes to mind may be the instructors in the program look outdated.   

A small price to pay, when we see the performance every day in our classrooms. 

3.    In the 3^rd chapter, Reiser distinguishes instructional media                from instructional design, excluding teachers, chalkboards, 
       and textbooks from the definition of instructional media.               Why?  Would you consider teachers, chalkboards, and 
       textbooks instructional media? Is the purpose of instructional        design to incorporate media into instruction?

       Reiser is genius, he picks on the learners interest.  Only needed to do
       this to adhere to the new instruction, not interested in the old.  
       Teachers are supposed to be included, they are the ones who help the 
       instructional media, who help to adhere to the six characteristics.

Would you consider teachers, chalkboards, and textbooks instructional media?

They are fulfilling the characteristics of instructional design.  A teacher makes the technology, and the educational technology worth it.  I believe, without a teacher who is capable of working with the technology, we have no instructional nor educational technology.  Without a human the technology is not able to function correctly.

Is the purpose of instructional design to incorporate media into instruction?

 Both can co-exist for all students, one is a compliment to the other, or not...  We do not know.  We are focusing on the student, and the way the student learns.  We as educators, should have the ability to provide all students with any instruction needed.  It is not one fitting for all.  Each student learns different.  If we focus on the student, the way of student learning, then we can incorporate every method needed for our students to succeed.  Each one learns different.

INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN

 

ETEC 561 Instructional Design