Reflecting on Instructional Design

>In your own words, explain why it is important for instructional designers to be able to describe and explain the philosophical foundations and theoretical bases of the field.

I believe it is important for instructional designers to be able to describe and explain the philosophical foundations and theoretical bases of this field because this is a problem-solving process that cannot be described step-by-step. Designers must be aware of multiple theories and be well-rounded in their models in order to be better problem-solvers and have more examples of steps they can take within the design process. The field of instructional design and technology (also known as instructional technology) encompasses the analysis of learning and performance problems, and the design, development, implementation, evaluation and management of instructional and non-instructional processes and resources intended to improve learning and performance in a variety of settings, particularly educational institutions and the workplace (Reiser & Dempsey, 2012). 

>How has your thinking about education and designing instruction changed?

I feel that my thinking about education and designing instruction had in fact changed in this short amount of time due to my learning progress made through our readings as well as conducting my own research. I think the main way  is that now I reflect more on the creation and design part of instructional technology , as opposed to before I would be solely concerned with what the technology was and trying to use it, not how it was created and designed. In the instructional design process, there are a lot of factors that should be taken into consideration. These factors are closely related and affect each other to a certain extent. These factors should be organized in the instructional design steps. For example, if the goals and objectives are not chosen, specified or written properly, then the next and other steps will contain some problems because of the inappropriate and incomplete items in the previous step. In the instructional design, the steps are all interrelated with each other. It is very important to order the steps in a way that will be logical and in relation with other steps ( Isman, 2011).

Instructional Designers: Food for Thought

References 

Isman, A. (2011). Instructional Design in Education: New Model. Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology - TOJET, 10(1), 136–142. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ926562

Reiser, R. A., & Dempsey, J. V. (Eds.). (2012). Trends and issues in instructional design and technology (p. 408). Boston: Pearson.