Looking Out...

My first encounters with instructional design and technology lead me to realize how significant the field of IDT is to the 21st century --- especially in the areas of education and T&D (training and development). The unique aspects of IDT are that you're required to be creative (as in exercise your brain) and a "solution scavenger." I do not have a background in the Fine Arts however, I can turn out some kind of results as long as the tools are within reach. I probably will not be dead on the target but I my whole point is that I am not afraid to try it out and continue until I succeed. This is how I feel about IDT. There is no limit put on your creativity or the solutions you uncover. Therefore, I would like to discover where I fit into the field of IDT. I understand that IDT is not all about putting fancy fonts on a page with a nice color scheme. IDT is so much more. In the video clip below, one of the founders of IDT talks about the overall purpose of the field.

VALID and RELIABLE Instructional Designs

IDT specialists make a deliberate effort to keep all components of a lesson related to learning objectives and goals. For example, visuals and audio are a reflection of the text just as the text is a reflection of what learners see and hear. IDT specialists hold themselves accountable for creating effective learning environments and practice exercises. They also gather feedback for the purposes of improving their instructional methods/products or adding to their knowledge base.

IDT specialists strive to create unique instructional designs to serve specific learning objectives. They even adjust their work and seek resources to get as close to evidence of a transfer of training as they can.

Caught Up in the System

As I was reading the class text book, I stumbled upon how instructional designers and technologist should be familiar with systems. IDT specialists put themselves at a greater advantage when they 1. acknowledge the existence of systems 2. have the ability to understand systems and 3. know how to create systems. Systems seem to be designed to establish organization, order, and procedures.

I took a moment to think about my involvement in systems and the types of systems that have an impact on my life. For example, I fall into a system when I do laundry. From my thinking, I realized that some systems work for me and some systems do not work for me. I have difficulty adjusting in certain systems. In those cases where I do not align myself with the system, I seek an alternative system that is more compatible.