Instructional+Design+Theory

At the beginning of instructional technology can be traced back as far as the ancient Greeks. The word technology came from the word Greek technologia which means systematic treatment or craft. In the early history, the most influential of instructional design was Edward L. Thorndike. Thorndike performed pioneering work on educational measurement an the design of educational media. World War II gave a boost to the field of instructional design which made many educational researchers helped to advance systematic efforts to design instructions. In the 1950 and 1960's, B.F. Skinner's theory of operant conditioning was one of the dominant viewers on instructional design. Another theorist, Robert Gagne and other cognitive scientists helped brought more cognitive orientation to instructional design. The federal government provided support for research and development for instructional design because it was widely used and studied. Also instructional design degree program were developed in colleges. The models of instructions were developed and tested by many theorists and many educators were also influenced (Newby et al., 2000, p.247). Instructional design theory is a theory that offers explicit guidance on how to better people learn and develop. There are different kinds of learning and development that includes cognitive, emotional, social, physical, and spiritual. One of the instructional design theory is called “Theory One” which foster cognitive learning. The instructions provides clear information, thoughtful practice, informative feedback, and strong intrinsic or extrinsic motivations. Instructional design theory is design-oriented rather than descriptions oriented (Reigeluth, 1999, p.5). According to Reigeluth (1999) states that being design oriented makes a theory more directly useful to educators because it provides guidance on how to achieve their goals. For theory one's goal is to enhance learning for any performance we want to teach. The first step to design instruction is task analysis that determines what should be taught. Task analysis is a process of analyzing and articulates the types of learning which you expect the learners to know how to perform. Task analysis provides the intellectual foundation and guides the process by articulating the goal for the design process (Jonassen, Tessmer & Hannum, 1999, p.3). The ADDIE model (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation) includes needs analysis, task analysis, learner analysis, context or environmental analysis. All of these forms of analysis are to define who the learners are, what they need to know, how they should perform, what skill they need to develop and how the context may affect the design and learning processes (Jonassen et al, 1999, p. 7). Some of the instructional tools used that aid in instructional design are methods, techniques, and activities. Instructional methods includes cooperative learning, discovery, problem solving, instructional games, simulation, discussion, drill and practice, tutorial, demonstration, and presentation. Instructional techniques includes focusing questions, highlighting, analogies, mnemonics, imagery, concept maps, embedded questions, feedback, case studies and role playing. Instructional activities includes motivation, orientation, information, application and evaluation (Newby, Stepich, Lehman & Russell, 2000, p. 16).