Instructional Design & Development (ID&D)

The core of instructional systems are the design and development domains of the field. These are the areas that have established our field. This component of my Portfolio is organized around the five common phases of most instructional design models: analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation (a.k.a. ADDIE). Use the IDD submenu to explore my work (papers, concept maps, projects) classified under each phase.

The concept map below represents my view of instructional systems design (ISD) as it impacts the learner. For further detail about this concept map, see ISD Position Paper [pdf]. The concepts of education and a few other concepts in the diagram are explained below. (A systems view of ISD utilizes many of the same componenets and is addressed in other areas on my Portfolio.)

What is the relationship between education, instruction, training, and teaching?

Education

According to Smith & Ragan (1999), education is a broad concept that describes all experiences in which people learn.

Many of these experiences are unplanned, incidental, and informal...in other words, unintentional, which is what distinguishes education from instruction.

Instruction is a part of education because all instruction consists of experiences leading to learning. By contrast, not all education is instruction since many experiences that lead to learning are not specifically developed and implemented to ensure attainment of particular learning goals.

Instruction

Instruction is the intentional facilitation of learning toward identified learning goals.

Driscoll (1994) states instruction is the deliberate arrangement of learning conditions to promote the attainment of some intended goal (learning outcome).

Instruction can be used distinct from related terms such as education, training, and teaching.

Many educational experiences are unplanned, incidental, and informal...in other words, unintentional, which is what distinguishes education from instruction.

Instruction is a part of education because all instruction consists of experiences leading to learning. By contrast, not all education is instruction since many experiences that lead to learning are not specifically developed and implemented to ensure attainment of particular learning goals.

Instruction includes all learning experiences in which the instructional support is carried out by teaching or other forms of mediation.

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Training

Training is the term to refer to those instructional experiences that are focused on individuals acquiring very specific knowledge, skills, or abilities that they will normally apply almost immediately. The immediacy of application is what distinguishes training.

Training often refers to the learning experiences directed toward preparing learners with specific on-the-job skills, most commonly in settings such as business, military, and government.

Not all instruction can be considered training.

Teaching

Teaching and instruction are the most interchangeable terms. Smith and Ragan (1999) define teaching to refer to those learning experiences that are facilitated by a human being (not video, TV, textbook, or computer based program), a real live teacher.

Instruction however, includes all learning experiences in which the instructional support is carried out by teaching or other forms of mediation.

In some cases, teaching is considered instruction, and in others it will be more like a general education experience, but without the focus that typifies instruction.

 

Domains of Instructional Technology

Seels and Richey (1994) defined these domains in their book, Instructional Technology: Definition and Domains of the Field.