Instructional Design

1903 - Ivan Pavlov discovers Classical Conditioning Theory, while conducting research on the digestive system of dogs. Later classical conditioning theory was applied to humans by John B. Watson. Check the Instructional Design Models and Theories: Classical Conditioning article and presentation to find more.

What follows is not just a simple trip down the history of instructional design, its models and theories. Each of the following 33 instructional design milestones has been chosen not only for its importance in the field of learning, but also for its impact for future generations, research and various related disciplines, such as psychology, sociology, anthropology, demography, and even biology and physiology.

From instructional design history to instructional systems design at this post you will find 5 awesome instructional design infographics!

Several professionals are involved in the instructional design field. However, do you know the full range of what an instructional designer does? A large group of ASU Instructional Designers and Technologists were asked to tell about the work they do! 

The information processing capacity of learners is limited, so it's important that designers take this into account when creating eLearning courses. This article briefly discusses cognitive load theory and provides 5 ways to help reduce cognitive load  that will help learners process information more effectively. 

We often hear about the debate of how Subject Matter Experts meddle with Instructional Strategies and how Instructional Designers do not have the freedom to develop their own product. In this debate we often forget about the target audience, and finally end up creating something for the Subject Matter Experts. This article talks about how sticking to the Instructional Design basics would help satisfy both the Subject Matter Experts and the target audience.

Mayes and de Freitas (2004) state that the use of technology can be used to achieve better learning outcomes, more effective assessments or a more cost effective way of bringing learning environments to students; and that  reforming practice requires transformation of the understanding of the principles. So what are the pedagogical principles behind “e” learning?

“Myth: 82% thought that teaching children in their preferred learning style could improve learning outcomes. This approach is commonly justified in terms of brain function, despite educational and scientific evidence demonstrating that the learning-style approach is not helpful (Kratzig & Arbuthnott 2006).” Check The Myth of Learning Styles article and infographic to find more!

Employees deal with large amounts of information every day. They likely check email, social media, and RSS feeds daily, as well as take in everything happening on the job. It’s easy to burn out with so much to take in. Avoiding information overload is helpful in personal life and is also an important consideration in elearning courses.

My interest in exploring the potential of mobile apps for performance support took me to the domain of Instructional Design. The objective of the Instructional Design Wizard app is to help instructional designers with just-in-time, just-enough (JIT-JE) knowledge to learn/perform confidently while on the job.

Single Sourcing Design Strategy Series 3: A Centralized Knowledge Repository Model and the structure of the Reusable Information Object (RIO) and the Reusable Activity Object(RAO).

One of the main concepts that leads to successful e-Learning course design is Information Chunking. But what is chunking? Why is it embedded in the world of instructional design? And what kind of chunking strategies can an instructional designer use to enhance learning?