Introduction to the Instructional Design Process (Morrison, Ross & Kemp, 2007)

Morrison, Ross & Kemp asked a question at the very beginning of the chapter after an introduction: “What will you say to this group that will help ensure your longevity with the company?” I would answer to that question like “I’m going to provide you more efficient, and more effective way to earn money in a less time”.

The aim of the instructional design is to facilitate learning and teaching. In addition to this we can use instructional design to improve the quality of the lesson. As an English teacher, I think that kind of change will be a revolution: to narrow the lesson duration and improve the quality. In order to do this change, the masters of instructional design should unite and form a brand new, evolvable system. Thus the thing that we call “learning” will be more active, more influential, easier, and less time-consuming.

        As a teacher, I think learning the details of the instructional design process is important in terms of to ease teaching. By details, I mean “how to present text, design, deliver a lecture and prepare a test”. These components will also improve the quality of the lesson.

The article also speaks of the fields that we can use Instructional Design. Moreover, there are some basic statements that might help us to comprehend the ID process and perform it correctly.

Assessing Needs to Identify Instructional Goals (Dick & Carey, 2001)

                In the second chapter, Dick and Carey mention the significance of needs assessment process in order to achieve the instructional goals like “skills, knowledge, and attitudes”. Designers mostly focus on the acquisitions at the end of the course. The acquisitions also take place in our yearly plans (guess what? I’m a teacher J) and they are like “students will be able to take notes while listening.

                The problem, the solution and the instructional goal have to be crystal clear. The authors stated some questions for the clear goals (p.23). As the authors said “identify the problem” and find solutions about them is not an easy task. This is where our lesson about. We, as learners, have to find a problem and try to identify a solution, too. We should emphasize the acquisition part which is the main goal of instructional design.

Chapter 1: Introduction to Instructional Design (Dick & Carey, 2001)

                The first chapter starts with a traditional instructional process which contains only learners, textbooks and the instructors. To teach the students already existing content in their textbook was the duty of the teacher. According to this, training the teacher would be enough to raise the learning.

                However, the modern appearance of the instructional process includes learners, instructional materials, instructor, and learning environment. It is more systematic. In the chapter, we also have a chance to find the answer to a question: What is a system? In a system, every single unit reckons upon each other. Every unit of the system (materials, instructor, learner, environment) is related to each other. The failure of one means the hitch of the whole. The instructional system evolves whenever something goes wrong, it automatically starts to look for a solution that can make itself better. For example, if a student has a problem with the present perfect tense and s/he doesn’t understand the way the instructor taught, then a new way should be found. But on the contrary, I believe the system should change continuously. The process should improve progressively without needing a failure in order to change.

                In the “Components of the Systems Approach Model” part, Dick and Carey explain us the instructional system design step by step. I think this part is to ease our understanding of the whole concept. However, like the authors said, if you are a novice, you will understand the system better when “you begin to use” it. So the first chapter crayons the aims, the utility of the instructional process and why should we use the systems approach.