instructional Design & Technology
Key Figures in IDT
Banner image: “A Row of Philosophers” by Lawrence OP – https://www.flickr.com/photos/35409814@N00/2640312948
Robert M. Gagné
Primarily concerned with instruction and how what is known about learning can be systematically related to the design of instruction. He proposed a integrated and comprehensive theory of instruction that is based primarily on two foundations: cognitive information processing theory and his own observations of effective teachers in the classroom. (Reiser and Dempsey, 2018)
Gagné’s “conditions of learning” are internal and external conditions. Internal conditions pertain to conditions prior to the introduction of new information to the learner, and external conditions stimulus presented by the instructor and the behavior elicited from such. There are two simple steps to implementing Gagné’s theory: stating outcomes and organizing events. First, Gagné theory states the desired results. These results can be classified into five different categories: intellectual skills, cognitive strategies, verbal information, attitudes, and motor skills.
Appropriately organizing Gagné’s “Events of Instruction” is the second step in his approach. There are nine instructional events: (see image to the right)
(https://educationlibrary.org/gagnes-nine-events-of-instruction/)
Jerome Bruner
A psychologist and educational theorist, Bruner’s ideas on constructivism and the role of scaffolding in learning have been influential in shaping instructional design practices.
Jerome Bruner was a leader of the Cognitive Revolution (pdf) that ended the reign of behaviorism in American psychological research and put cognition at the center of the field.
Bruner’s explorations of learning and cognitive development have changed the field, and his enthusiastic support of cross-disciplinary research fostered the work of many colleagues and students. According to his colleague Roger Brown, “Bruner had the gift of providing rare intellectual stimulus, but also the rarer gift of giving colleagues the sense that problems of great antiquity were on the verge of solution by the group there assembled that very afternoon.” – https://psychology.fas.harvard.edu/people/jerome-bruner
He is known as the Father of the Behavioral Objectives movement.
The 8 year study plan by Ralph Tyler was a major milestone in specifying general objectives for education, and behavioral objectives were being shaped. The study was designed in response to postwar pressures to revise the prevailing college prep high school curriculum in order to meet the needs of increasing numbers of students. The study confirmed that objectives could be clarified if written in terms of student behaviors.
Formative evaluation was used for the first time during the study. (http://faculty.coe.uh.edu/smcneil/cuin6373/idhistory/1930.html)
Lev Vygotsky
Lev Vygotsky was a Russian psychologist and education theorist whose work has influenced modern instructional design. Vygotsky proposed the influential theory of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), which suggests that learning occurs most effectively when learners are provided with tasks that are just beyond their current capabilities but still within their reach with the help of supportive guidance. He also believed that social interaction and collaboration play a crucial role in learning and development. Vygotsky’s ideas emphasize the importance of active learning, scaffolding, and the social aspect of learning. As a result, instructional designers can incorporate Vygotsky’s theories to develop effective learning environments and online courses that promote interaction, collaboration among learners, and scaffolding to help learners achieve their learning goals.