Major disciplines that influenced ID

What are the major disciplines that influence professional practice in ID?

1)Systems Thinking
2)Learning Theory
3)Communications and Communications Theory
4)Technology

Systems thinking - Instructional designers believe that the use of systematic design procedures make instruction more effective, efficient and relevant than less rigorous approaches to planning instruction. A variety of systematic instructional design processes has the core elements of analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation to ensure congruence among goals, strategies and evaluation and the effectiveness of resulting instruction.

Learning Theory - Depending on the learners and situation, different learning theories may apply. The function of ID is more of an application of theory, rather than a theory itself. We must allow circumstances surrounding the learning situation to help us decide which approach to learning is most appropriate. It is necessary to realize that some learning problems require highly prescriptive solutions, whereas others are more suited to learner control of the environment. A behavioral approach can effectively facilitate mastery of the content of a profession. Cognitive strategies are useful in teaching problem solving tactics where defined facts and rules are applied in unfamiliar situations and constructivist strategies are especially suited to ill-defined problems through reflection in action.

Communications & Communication Theory - Wilbur Schramm’s communications model featured the concept of feedback as integral to the communications process. As did Aristotle, Schramm noted that communication always required three elements, the sender, the content, and the receiver. This conversation is a two way iterative process that recurs until the sender is assured that the receiver understood the intended message. Schramm also noted that the sender and recipients prior experience with the content and the media had an effect on how the message was encoded and decoded.( Schramm 1971). Schramm’s communication model became one of the most widely referenced communication theories in ID research. This led to the development of Instructional design that integrated feedback throughout the learning process.(Smith& Ragan 1993).

Technology -There has never been an age in which the practical applications of science have applied so large a portion of talent and enterprise of the community, as in present. Technology included the scientific investigation and the systematic application of scientific knowledge to the process of commodity production.

Strong ties and parallels between industrial technology and educational technology were established early in this century (Finn 1957; Heinich 1984). The predecessors of educational technology borrowed terminology and images from industrial technology.