Instructional Technology

Learning is the maturation of an individual or a collective group with a permanence that can be displayed and demonstrated to others. Educational instruction today involves educators and students in a whole new aspect. Educators are constantly striving to manifest the true definition of learning in each of their students. In order to be most effective as an educator there is a strong need for structure and consistency. Students need to learn information to function in their educational careers with the ultimate responsibilities being in the hands of the educators. Instruction is important and can determine the amount of information a student can retain. Style and innovation makes teachers effective and learners more susceptible to the subject matter. This is where instructional design plays a major part.

Instructional design is the systematic approach evaluating the students’ needs, the design of instructional material and evaluating the method in which the material is taught. The instructional design process is one that is on going and constantly evolving to the needs of the students and the teachers. As educators we must consistently make ourselves aware of the situations and the resources as they become available to us. We must constantly ask ourselves, “am I using the right resources to meet this need, can I effectively utilize this resource and is the subject matter appropriate for what the student needs to know?”

Instructional design consists of models and theories that have helped challenge educators today. The one main model that educators have used is the ADDIE Model. This stands for analysis, design, develop, implementation and evaluation. The ADDIE model is the spine of most models that are used today. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADDIE_Model

In the analysis phase the teacher will develop understanding for where the student stands academically. This phase is important because it allows the educator to become familiar with the prior levels of knowledge the student has been exposed to. This is critical phase because it helps the student just as much as the educator to determine the prior knowledge obtained. The design phase is for the educator to complete the analysis step and design a system that will cater to the needs of the students and their individual educational goals. The following phase is the implementation phase. This phase basically allows the educators to monitor and see if their design is as effective as they intended it to be. This can be considered the presentation, lecture, overhead presentation, podcasting or the main event where information is transferred.

The final phase is the evaluation phase which is not always favorable among the students. This phase is critical because it allows the educator to see exactly what the learner obtained during the lesson. This can help the educator better prepare for the following lesson and make improvements on the presentation. Not all students learn in the same manner so this is something educators can use to help students in the future.

If I were to develop my own instructional model it would be most inline with ADDIE model. I would allow the students to work together because in my experience peer review and evaluation is essential. It helps students to be able to function among their peers and it helps with social skills. I have found that students can sometimes learn best from one another than from an adult. Allowing them to work among their peers will give them a sense of security and the desire to know their subject.

References
Keller, J.M. (1983). Motivational design of instruction. In C.M. Reigeluh (Ed.). Instructional design theories and models: An overview of their current status. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Riser, R.A., & Dempsey, J.V. (2002). Trends and issues in instructional design and technology. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Merrill Prentice Hall.