ID: An Art or a Science?
The explanation of Instructional Design (ID) that I resonated most defines it as (Botturi, 2003) the process through which an educator finds the best teaching methods for learners in a context, obtain a specific goal. Scientific method is explained as Science Buddies (n.d.) a process for experimentation that is used to explore observations and answer questions. In that ID is very close to scientific method as a process and hence I agree that this is a science. For both are iterative processes that start with a question, then a hypothesis, move to experimentation and then finally draw conclusions. But it does not stop here. The conclusions form the step from which one can move to the next question and resulting hypothesis. The process goes on and on.
The objective is, as defined by (Seel, Lehmann, Blumschien, & Podolskiy, 2017) creating an environment to bring the learner from not being able to accomplish certain tasks to being able to accomplish those tasks. The steps followed are scientific. However (Botturi, 2003) it need not be linear or finite. The steps followed can be quite recursive.
Teachers typically use, intuitively or logically, the 5 steps of ADDIE (Botturi, 2003, pp.13) defined as Analyze - Design - Develop - Implement – Evaluate. I would add after evaluate, iterate, for the work of the teacher is never ending. For example, in a class where I want to expose students to working in collaborative set ups to do math, I would design and develop learning experiences, implement and evaluate. Based on the response I would design the next steps. However as soon as the class is well settled into collaboration, I would add some other element to the design based on my analyses of the needs of the students. Even for collaborative set ups, despite the design of the learning activities, I might iterate the situation from group to group.
Hence, here, going by staying connected to the context and exercising freedom to move beyond the organized way of designing the instructions (Science) ID is also an art form for me. For each time I exercise creative freedom, I personalize the process of ID to my own individual way and for the identity of the group before me. As teaching is a human to human connect, while the science helps to have some clear steps of work, the art allows for freedom of expressing one’s own self in the situation.
References:
1. Botturi, L. (2003). Instructional Design & Learning Technology Standard. ICeF – Quadernidell’Istituto, 9. Retrieved from https://doc.rero.ch/record/5154/files/1_icefq09.pdf
2. Science Buddies (n.d.). What is the scientific method? Retrieved from https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/science-fair/steps-of-the-scientific-method.
3. Seel, N. M., Lehmann, T., Blumschien, P., & Podolskiy, O. A. (2017). Instructional design for learning: Theoretical foundations. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/books/edition/Instructional_Design_for_Learning/UmCwDgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover
The objective is, as defined by (Seel, Lehmann, Blumschien, & Podolskiy, 2017) creating an environment to bring the learner from not being able to accomplish certain tasks to being able to accomplish those tasks. The steps followed are scientific. However (Botturi, 2003) it need not be linear or finite. The steps followed can be quite recursive.
Teachers typically use, intuitively or logically, the 5 steps of ADDIE (Botturi, 2003, pp.13) defined as Analyze - Design - Develop - Implement – Evaluate. I would add after evaluate, iterate, for the work of the teacher is never ending. For example, in a class where I want to expose students to working in collaborative set ups to do math, I would design and develop learning experiences, implement and evaluate. Based on the response I would design the next steps. However as soon as the class is well settled into collaboration, I would add some other element to the design based on my analyses of the needs of the students. Even for collaborative set ups, despite the design of the learning activities, I might iterate the situation from group to group.
Hence, here, going by staying connected to the context and exercising freedom to move beyond the organized way of designing the instructions (Science) ID is also an art form for me. For each time I exercise creative freedom, I personalize the process of ID to my own individual way and for the identity of the group before me. As teaching is a human to human connect, while the science helps to have some clear steps of work, the art allows for freedom of expressing one’s own self in the situation.
References:
1. Botturi, L. (2003). Instructional Design & Learning Technology Standard. ICeF – Quadernidell’Istituto, 9. Retrieved from https://doc.rero.ch/record/5154/files/1_icefq09.pdf
2. Science Buddies (n.d.). What is the scientific method? Retrieved from https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/science-fair/steps-of-the-scientific-method.
3. Seel, N. M., Lehmann, T., Blumschien, P., & Podolskiy, O. A. (2017). Instructional design for learning: Theoretical foundations. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/books/edition/Instructional_Design_for_Learning/UmCwDgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover
Comments