Week 6 - Chapter 3 Response

Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology
Chapter 3: A History of Instructional Design and Technology

As indicated in this chapter, today there is some optimism that the Internet and the World Wide Web will have a major influence on the way instruction is presented to learners. Based on what you know about these technological innovations, and what you read about the history of instructional films, television, and the computer, indicate whether you think the Internet and Web will have a major impact in one or more of the following areas:
a. Educational programs at grades K-12
b. Higher education (community colleges, colleges, and universities)
c. Adult education (in businesses, government, and/or the military)

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To our students, and to most educational staff, the Internet and the World Wide Web are exciting places to explore, experience, and participate in. However, it takes more than excitement, as demonstrated with technological innovations in the past (as presented in Chapter 2), to actually promote these tools in ways that actually make a difference. The Internet and the Web can and will make a difference on all levels, from K-12 schools to higher education, and on to greater parts of society, including business, government, and the military, if they are apart of sound instructional practices and programs, accurately simulate concrete and real-world issues and problems, and continue to be relatively low cost and widely accessible.

The Internet and Web will create more in-depth and meaningful opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds because it can and will create a common ground of experience for people with a wide variety of backgrounds and abilities. If we are to create common experiences in which students and professionals can learn and grow, their use must be rooted in practices and programs that use “systematic instructional design procedures” (p. 18). No matter if there is a teacher or the student is self-lead and self-taught, the development of any program that uses the Internet or the Web to educate must be made in such a way that all aspects of the learning process are addressed. How many of us have sat in classrooms and/or professional development sessions where instructional media, such as the Internet, are used as an alternate to or in addition to a basic lecture format, in which the instructor just talks, talks, and talks some more? If this is all we expect out of the Internet and Web, then that is all we will get. However, if the creators of educational experiences that incorporate the Internet and the Web (teachers, military instructors, business consultants, etc.) are well versed in the systematic approach of the instructional design process, we can be assured that these tools will not only be useful, but necessary, in our growth as learners and successful participants and contributors of an ever expanding society.

When planning activities for my students, I am constantly thinking about, and trying to incorporate, activities that are meaningful and applicable to the world in which they live. If used in the right manner, the Internet and the Web are often vital parts of these experiences. As seen with past technological media, especially the introduction of film, television, and the personal computer, the Internet and Web’s “ability to present concepts in a concrete manner” (p.19) and with a “degree of realism” (p. 19) allows students to take classroom knowledge and apply it successfully to the concerns and issues that are present in their own, very personal lives. I can only imagine the time and effort I would have exhausted in creating the experiences I presently create for my students if I were teaching 10 or 20 years ago without the Internet and Web. I can only hope that the teachable moments the Internet and Web afford us now will only get better and better with time.

In my realization of the extent to which I incorporate instructional media into the everyday activities of my classroom, such as the Internet and Web, I also can’t forget those students, families, school districts, and communities (local, state, and federal) that still do not have access to these technologies. The Internet and Web can only continue to influence instruction and learning if they continue to be more and more accessible to all people. However, it seems that, as society recognizes its important role, there is a continual push to provide Internet and Web access to all people in as many communities as possible. In thinking of this, an article discussing “The Green Machine,” an inexpensive, internet accessible laptop computer, comes to mind. The Green Machine was being produced so that poor communities in remote places of the world could have access to the same materials the “rest of the world” had. Now, does this mean that technology is welcome in all societies and communities around the world? Maybe not, but with its ever growing use, the Internet and Web can and will continue to play a dominant role in creating successful educational opportunities that enhance the world around us.