The Philosophy of Using 
Instructional Design
in Technology

    The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines Information Technology as the technology involving the development, maintenance, and use of computer systems, software, and networks for the processing and distribution of data. To drill down into the definition of information technology, "technology" itself is defined as something that is created to solve a problem. IT is the creation of devices used to help convey information from one party to another. At its very basic level, IT and the derivatives of it are designed to instruct others how to solve a problem. Instructional design is the creation of materials, specifically technology to assist in education. 

    

    I am at the junction of Instructional Design & Technology and Information Technology. Where the two fields have traditionally been separate and not closely associated, I intend on proving how the two work in conjunction with each other and would benefit each other greatly. 

    IT specialist are typically not known for communication skills. They are known as the nerdy guys or gals behind the computer. They are seen as antisocial with the exception of an occasional conversation about Star Wars and the like. The person in IT has revolutionary ideas that could change education and is not able to communicate the idea thoroughly.

  

    Conversely, teachers are built to communicate. They stand in front of students day after day and communicate knowledge to impart said knowledge to the next generation. They dissect a complex social dynamic and are able to diffuse complicated situations with students. The teacher many times has to "make due" with technology and the means provided in the classroom.

    My philosophy on IDT is that the pragmatic ideology of IT and the educational methodologies are married to generate a system of systematic technology education for educators. This isn't to say that I would expect every teacher to become a computer scientist. I would propose that educators have a working knowledge of the provided technology available to the school system and work hand in hand with IT professionals to ensure every measure of understanding is met. There are several IDT theories to support this approach to education. 

    I lean heavily into the coherence principle. Having struggled with distractions my entire life, I try to make that easier on whoever I'm teaching. I know how hard it can be to try to learn something and not be able to because of over stimulation from extraneous information. 

    I see more learner-learner interaction with adults due to their proximity when working in the same office. Many times they will go to someone else in the same office before they come to an SME to ask for help. 

    I have a different perspective of IDT than most educators. I educate others to use technology. When I use Bates' model I want to understand what the adult learner sees as their cost. Mainly, it is their time working doing their real job. Our college is organized in such a way it allows me to instruct people on how a process works as they need it. I enjoy working closely with instructors to ensure they have all of the tools they need to effectively teach their class. Much of the time as an IT professional I am able to improve the instructors teaching ability by showing them a shortcut or giving them more insight to the technology they are using. 

    Technology has improved education exponentially over the years. Technology and the concept of IDT has been around since the only way to communicate were stories passed down through generations and drawings on rocks. Many times we don't think about it like that because the "theory" of IDT only started to be realized in the 1960s and grew in popularity through the 80s and 90s. 

    Taking a deeper look at human history, we realize that IDT is part of who we are. We as humans have something we want to learn. We try different tactics to learn what needs to be learned and then take that information and how we learned it and teach that to someone else. Today it is the buzzword "meta". Not the company formally known as Facebook but, as Merriam-Webster puts it, showing or suggesting an explicit awareness of itself or oneself as a member of its category : cleverly self-referential. The class and program that this assignment is for is a perfect example. The program is teaching people how to teach people how to teach. 

    My philosophy is to take the meta that is IDT and use it in applying learning strategies to the world of IT. I have already been somewhat successful in some small ways. I would like to see it realized on a large scale. My next step is educating my fellow IT staff on the benefits of the practices of IDT.   

References:

Bates, A. W. (2015).  Choosing and using media in education: the SECTIONS model. In Teaching in a Digital Age. (8.1 - 8.10). 

Bates, A.W. (2015).  Appendix 2: Questions to guide media selection and use. In Teaching in a Digital Age. (S-S). 

Mayer, R.E., (2017). Using multimedia for e-learning.  (Links to an external site.)Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 33(5), 403-423. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12197 

Mayer, R. E., [University of Kentucky College of Arts & Sciences]. (2017, Oct. 13). Designing multimedia instruction to maximize learning: Online and beyond. [Video file]. 

Moore, Michael. (1989).Three Types of Interaction. (Links to an external site.)American Journal of Distance Education. 3. 1-7. 10.1080/08923648909526659. (MO2)

[LearnTech Northhampton]. (2016, June, 29). A practical guide to Mayer's multimedia principles. [Video file].

Information Technology. 2022. In Merriam-Webster.com.
Retrieved Feb 2, 2022, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Information Technology

meta. 2022. In Merriam-Webster.com.

Retrieved Feb 2, 2022, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meta