The way I look at it...the term "instructional design" is that this one avenue is the only one I have worked with that actually incorporates all of the aspects of each of those terms. I've done all of the above in my life (take a peek at my resume). Granted, some of my experience has happened through Work Study jobs and part-time work while studying as an undergrad. Then, the education experience came via the "back door", because I did not have formal teacher training. I started out as a tutor and then worked into vocational education because of work experience and technical training. Still though, I have been able to apply prior knowledge to each and every position I have held and I have massaged and molded that application of knowledge into viable forms of useful information for my "students". I use the term "student" loosely, because I have worked with various types of learners in the past. I might even use the term "information consumer" because the broad meaning of this term fits the kind of audience I want to impact the most.
The teacher as journalist...
So, how is a teacher like a broadcast journalist you ask? Think about their ultimate goal...to inform. The teacher actually has a little deeper goal...to help students apply what they've learned. Either way, these two professionals have the ability to make a much larger impact upon the information consumer with the medium they choose to convey the information. By adding certain other variables to that information, such as a well-placed graphic, or a few seconds of video portraying that information, these professionals draw in a larger portion of their audience. The final trick is when the audience takes that new information and applies it to their own life experiences.
Oh there are so many ways to explain instructional design...
A Network Story
Here's a story to explain one aspect: I was a Cisco Network Academy student in 1999. Actually, I was one of the work force of teachers chosen to attend the boot camps to learn about the program and then teach what I had learned to high school students. To preface this story...I was coming from virtually no network experience whatsoever. I had no idea how a network actually worked. So, imagine sitting in a classroom with several other instructors who all came from various experiences -- all of them having had prior network experiences. Then add to that the fact that the instructor of these bootcamps was a horrible sketch artist, never employed the use of video, or photos in his presentations and yet always spoke about various network devices and how they all connected together through a wiring closet. My mind was swimming in wires.
It wasn't until we took a tour of an actual network that I finally, finally realized that a wiring closet was an actual room that housed several metal racks, all with rectangular shaped devices (much like our home cable boxes) that were all wired to one another like a daisy chain. It wasn't until that tour that I finally understood everything my instructor was telling me and that wasn't until the last week of an all-day, 5 days-a-week, 4-week course. Yes, if you have not figured it out, I am a visual learner. I don't understand things until I see them in use. Better yet, for me, is to actually get my hands on something and learn how to use it...over and over again.
Good teachers
The good teacher would have done more in class to alleviate potential student confusion. A survey of students at the beginning of the course would have revealed my complete lack of network experience as compared to my classmates. More visuals would have helped. And actually having these devices spread out on a lab table somewhere at the start of the course would have done wonders. If the instructor had shown us how to connect a few of the devices from the start and then asked us to repeat those connections under supervision, then with the application of the learning, later concepts like IP addressing and routing protocols would have made more sense.
Good journalists
A good journalist also employs visuals into the information that they convey. Audio versions of the text help to drive home the ideas and facts that are being shared. Audio with the right kind of inflection and emotion also conveys the information appropriately. Producing video of certain actions taking place will drive home the points being made. And reducing this information into easily digestible chunks (approximately 5 minutes) maintains audience attention.
Instructional design as art
The "art" of instructional design is knowing how to employ the right amount of the available authoring tools (text, audio, video/visuals) not just to convey information to the audience, but to help the audience apply it to their daily lives.
I will apologize now for my lack of graphics to portray the information. One thing I am not is a graphic artist. I can do stick people, but that's as far as I get. In the future, I will employ the use of audio in my blog posts, because it adds to the information being conveyed. I may also include photos that I might take, or stock photos available on Microsoft's website, as well as Microsoft's clip art. And whenever useful, a short video every now and then will help me to properly convey the information.
The teacher as journalist...
So, how is a teacher like a broadcast journalist you ask? Think about their ultimate goal...to inform. The teacher actually has a little deeper goal...to help students apply what they've learned. Either way, these two professionals have the ability to make a much larger impact upon the information consumer with the medium they choose to convey the information. By adding certain other variables to that information, such as a well-placed graphic, or a few seconds of video portraying that information, these professionals draw in a larger portion of their audience. The final trick is when the audience takes that new information and applies it to their own life experiences.
Oh there are so many ways to explain instructional design...
A Network Story
Here's a story to explain one aspect: I was a Cisco Network Academy student in 1999. Actually, I was one of the work force of teachers chosen to attend the boot camps to learn about the program and then teach what I had learned to high school students. To preface this story...I was coming from virtually no network experience whatsoever. I had no idea how a network actually worked. So, imagine sitting in a classroom with several other instructors who all came from various experiences -- all of them having had prior network experiences. Then add to that the fact that the instructor of these bootcamps was a horrible sketch artist, never employed the use of video, or photos in his presentations and yet always spoke about various network devices and how they all connected together through a wiring closet. My mind was swimming in wires.
It wasn't until we took a tour of an actual network that I finally, finally realized that a wiring closet was an actual room that housed several metal racks, all with rectangular shaped devices (much like our home cable boxes) that were all wired to one another like a daisy chain. It wasn't until that tour that I finally understood everything my instructor was telling me and that wasn't until the last week of an all-day, 5 days-a-week, 4-week course. Yes, if you have not figured it out, I am a visual learner. I don't understand things until I see them in use. Better yet, for me, is to actually get my hands on something and learn how to use it...over and over again.
Good teachers
The good teacher would have done more in class to alleviate potential student confusion. A survey of students at the beginning of the course would have revealed my complete lack of network experience as compared to my classmates. More visuals would have helped. And actually having these devices spread out on a lab table somewhere at the start of the course would have done wonders. If the instructor had shown us how to connect a few of the devices from the start and then asked us to repeat those connections under supervision, then with the application of the learning, later concepts like IP addressing and routing protocols would have made more sense.
Good journalists
A good journalist also employs visuals into the information that they convey. Audio versions of the text help to drive home the ideas and facts that are being shared. Audio with the right kind of inflection and emotion also conveys the information appropriately. Producing video of certain actions taking place will drive home the points being made. And reducing this information into easily digestible chunks (approximately 5 minutes) maintains audience attention.
Instructional design as art
The "art" of instructional design is knowing how to employ the right amount of the available authoring tools (text, audio, video/visuals) not just to convey information to the audience, but to help the audience apply it to their daily lives.
I will apologize now for my lack of graphics to portray the information. One thing I am not is a graphic artist. I can do stick people, but that's as far as I get. In the future, I will employ the use of audio in my blog posts, because it adds to the information being conveyed. I may also include photos that I might take, or stock photos available on Microsoft's website, as well as Microsoft's clip art. And whenever useful, a short video every now and then will help me to properly convey the information.
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