Instructional Design Course Research Articles

Teacher and technologist beliefs about educational technology

This study investigated perceptions of teachers and educational technologists about the following areas: instructional design, cooperative learning, learner control, school reform, computers and media, and implementation of a key practice in each area in their teaching. Subjects were 477 individuals representing four respondent groups: educational technology faculty, educational technology graduate students, K-8 teachers, and 9–12 teachers. Data were collected using a 30-item, five-choice Likert-type questionnaire containing five items per topic area. Significant differences between groups were found on 16 items, with an overall total of 32 significant between-group differences. Nineteen of the 32 differences were between K-8 teachers and either the educational technology faculty or the graduate students. K-8 teachers had significantly more positive perceptions than one or both of the educational technology groups on all five of the cooperative learning items and on three of the five learner control items. The results suggest approaches that educational technologists can use in teaching instructional design courses and in designing instructional programs for the schools.

A model for instructional design case materials

A conceptual model for focused, fictional instructional design and development case materials is presented in this article. The author suggests that the scarcity of suitable case materials for use in instructional design and development courses may be due to the lack of a suitable model for their construction. After presenting a definition of the case method of instruction and an overview of the use of case studies in other fields, the author identifies types of case materials and provides a description and rationale for the use of fictional case materials in instructional design courses. A model consisting of five steps or parts is outlined, with a description of each part included. An abbreviated, sample case study is also included. The author concludes with a call for the establishment of an Instructional Design Case Materials Clearinghouse.

Hindsight

A program for retraining secondary teachers to teach computer science is described. The program is based on a model that included three laboratory-based computer science courses and an instructional design course emphasizing critical thinking. Participants met once a week for three hours for 15 weeks. They received three graduate credits per course if they completed all four courses. Participants did quite well on an independent exam, administered by the School District of Philadelphia, to qualify as a computer science teacher at the secondary school level. Aspects of the retraining program that were considered successful as well as those aspects that could be changed to improve the retraining program are discussed.