Training the instructional development specialist to work in unfamiliar content areas

Abstract

Most ID practitioners face the challenge of designing instruction in a content area about which they have little personal knowledge. To obtain a rudimentary understanding of the content, some peruse texts and journals and others interview experts in the field. But little is known (or at least published) about the specific techniques developers employ to gain an understanding of unfamiliar content or ways to teach such skills to ID graduate students. This article explores the ID skill of comprehending unfamiliar, specialized, and sophisticated subject matter by first noting the nature and characteristics of disciplines and knowledge. Second, self-reports of experienced developers are presented, particularly from those who employ the interview approach to gather information. Finally, the relatively new field of ethnography is examined for heuristics that may be helpful to developers who interview clients for information about content areas.