Instructional Design or Design Alchemy?

Abstract

Chapters 3 and 4 focused on the research that led to the emergence of the Design Alchemy framework and the importance of learning theories to the way we practise design. Given this background, this chapter examines how Design Alchemy fits and aligns within instructional design, a practice which has been adopted extensively as a de facto for the design, development and implementation of learning and teaching resources and environments. It is important to note that this chapter is not about instructional design; rather it is a presentation of selected aspects of the instructional design tradition to illustrate the ways in which it informs and aligns with Design Alchemy. To assess this alignment, the chapter introduces the foundations and traditions of instructional design, followed by an examination of three different design models, including an alternative design strategy which presents a link between instructional design and learning design (see Chap. 6). Despite the extensive use of instructional design, the practice has generated both critique and challenge which are raised in the final section of this chapter. This analysis demonstrates how Design Alchemy aligns with the traditions of instructional design and yet offers an alternative to best meet the needs of contemporary learning and teaching.