The field of instructional technology has traditionally involved a unique blend of theory and practice. This blend is most obvious in developmental research, those studies that involve the production of knowledge with the ultimate aim of improving the processes of instructional design, development, and evaluation. Such research is based on either situation-specific problem solving or generalized inquiry procedures. Developmental research, as opposed to simple instructional development, has been defined as “the systematic study of designing, developing and evaluating instructional programs, processes and products that must meet the criteria of internal consistency and effectiveness” (Seels & Richey, 1994, p. 127). In its simplest form, developmental research can be either

Developmental research: studies of instructional design and development

(2000). Can it Make a Difference? Technology and the Social Studies. Theory & Research in Social Education: Vol. 28, No. 4, pp. 493-501.

Can it Make a Difference? Technology and the Social Studies

This is a report of a developmental research study that aimed to construct and validate an instructional design (ID) model that incorporates the theory and practice of multiple intelligences (MI). The study consisted of three phases. In phase one, the theoretical foundations of multiple Intelligences and ID were examined to guide the development of such model. In phase two the model components were determined and an initial model was constructed. In phase three, the model was reviewed and validated by experts in the field of ID through a three-round Delphi study. The result was a revised and validated Multiple Intelligences Design Model. This paper presents the decision-making processes and procedures used in model development, and provides a frame- work for the internal validation of ID models using expert review procedures.

/pdf/id-model-construction-and-validation-a-multiple-qpo2fftwub.pdf

ID model construction and validation: a multiple intelligences case

Most of the currently available instructional design models were conceptualized to develop instructional solutions to needs and requirements that remain relatively stable over time. Faced with the problem of designing a knowledge management (KM) system that needed to accommodate continuously changing requirements over its fielded lifetime, we developed a new design model that is based on a living-systems approach. In this article, we briefly review currently available instructional systems design models and describe this new model and the mechanisms it contains for accommodating change and growth. We illustrate the application of the phases of the model (analyze initial requirements, design the information architecture, develop the information design, develop the interaction design, implement the Web-based system, and conduct a developmental evaluation of the system) in the development of a KM system with living-system features.

https://steinhardtapps.es.its.nyu.edu/create/courses/2174/reading/ETRD_Plass_Salisbury_2002.pdf

A Living-Systems Design Model for Web-based Knowledge Management Systems

In 1996, The Ministry of Education of the Province of Quebec authorized a plan to support the integration of new information technologies and communications (NTIC) in its schools. An expenditure of $318 million dollars was announced for the purchase and upgrade of hardware and software. In response to this initiative, The Concordia University Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance (CSLP) approached the Quebec schoolboards, proposing partnerships between them and the Centre to facilitate the integration of these technologies into pedagogical practices. This article describes a needs assessment performed by the university in two Quebec elementary schools. The collected data revealed that teachers are currently using computers primarily for word processing and to prepare report cards. While they are somewhat dissatisfied with previous professional development, they are still highly interested in receiving training on how to better incorporate technology into their pedagogical practices. General rec...

A Case Study of Needs Assessment in Teacher In-Service Development

Needs assessments are traditionally based on an optimals-actuals deficiency model that is utilized before instruction is implemented However, in some cases an existing training program may be reassessed to determine what training needs still exist These situations could benefit from an excess-based model, where the assessment effort is designed to identify instructional excesses as well as deficiencies This article explains the theory and procedures for an innovative needs reassessment approach, the CODE system The article also provides some empirical data on the potential value of the CODE process for decisions about the reallocation of instructional resources in existing training programs Two exploratory studies were conducted that provide evidence of the validity of the CODE system: (a) a needs reassessment of a corporate training program, and (b) a medical training program reassessment

Daniel McCann

Papers

Reassessing training programs: A model for identifying training excesses and deficiencies