Recently a colleague asked which of my degrees was in instructional design. Learning that I do not have a degree in instructional design, she stated well you talk the language. It’s not that I speak the language—in fact, it is quite the opposite. For media producers the goal is communication. We create media messages. And good producers excel at delivering that message from sender to receiver via a channel while mitigating the noise in between. Communication is the heart of learning. Knowing how, when, and where to convey a message is key.
ID is about method and process. It is about applying a specific set of learning techniques or theories to information. One of those methods is backwards design where the designer decides on the wanted outcome and then builds a lesson accordingly. Another takes a systems approach. Even others see instructional design as a cycle continually reinventing instruction to make it effective. But learning is not necessarily about information reorganization and repetition. It is not about every student arriving at exactly the same place. There are many ways of knowing. Learning is internalizing information so that it impacts future thoughts, actions, and experiences.
I have many colleagues who are great teachers. Instructional design is part of their DNA. It is as natural to them as breathing. They understand Bloom and Maslow. They excel at organizing the flow of interaction and discussion in the classroom. They choose appropriate content and assessments for the course. As a student, I love studying with these teachers.
Great teachers don’t come to me seeking instructional design. They come to me for help in crafting their message and integrating technology into their teaching. They come to me to capture a digital version of their teaching skills. In the digital realm combining technology, identity, and pedagogy is powerful. I like to think of them as a triangle with each side building on the other. All three can stand alone, but they are much stronger together with a broad solid base and a sharply focused apex. So call me. Let's "triangulate", er, communicate.
