Revisiting “Beyond Instructional Design”

Abstract

The original reason for challenging the concept of “instructional design” is that while the underpinning theory tends to hold true (that good design will enable learning), the practice I had observed too often focused on content (subject-matter) (re)organisation rather than the learner, learning and knowledge application. This challenge aimed to debate whether a system that emerged from formal, classroom, military training was consistent with contemporary organic and personal environments of social computer-based and online education. Over the nine years since the article (Sims, 2006) was published, much has changed in the opportunities we have for learning and my thinking has also evolved, resulting in a learning design approach titled Design Alchemy (Sims, 2014). For those involved in “designing for the learner,” Design Alchemy demonstrates that the design of learning environments can be effectively and efficiently produced without explicit or initial reference to subject-matter; instead, a design focused on alignment of learning outcomes, learning activities and assessment is sufficient to create a course and in itself will define the necessary subject-matter resources.