Week 4: Trends & Issues in IDT

Similarities and Differences--Health Care Education, P-12 Technology Integration, & Post-Secondary Education

 

I found many similarities in IDT trends and issues between the health care industry, P-12 technology integration, and the roles of instructional designers in university settings. The trend in all three of these contexts is toward problem-based learning (PBL). In health care education, a 1986 report called for using technology information systems for problem solving, keeping physicians current, and to create lifelong learning. P-12 education saw the development of the NTeQ model for technology integration in 1998, which is problem-based and deals with student use of technology as a tool. The university instructional designers mentioned using IDT to change teaching methods toward more problem-based approaches in distance learning courses. All three areas faced similar issues, too, such as the importance of research, although this was probably most vital in the health care arena, where it makes technology even more important. Research has been slower in P-12 tech integration, and one of the Australian university designers stated that funding priorities have shifted from research to teaching and learning in that country. The issues of professionalism and service to the professional community are common to all three of these contexts. Health care education has the added issues of risk and sensory perception in designing instruction for students, necessitating the need for life-like simulations and multimedia lessons for instruction and practice.

I expected the P-12 technology integration context to be the most like my own work situation, when comparing mine to these three, since it’s more of an apple-to-apple comparison, but was a little surprised that the others share so many trends and issues. My district has not overtly pushed PBL, though some workshops I have attended have those leanings. I have seen some IDT trends in professional development workshops, also. 

Global Trends and Issues
How and can we prepare our youth to address the problems of living in a world with 9 billion people when the earth’s resources cannot sustain that many?

This is a question I discuss with my freshmen in World Geography, and an overarching concept that is spiraled throughout the course. I think the answer lies in creating problem solvers, and students absolutely must have practice in lessons that promote problem-solving. They need to learn about global efforts toward sustainability, and to carry out efforts of their own to find solutions in simulated cases. Since technology is changing so quickly, it makes sense that it would fit with preparing students for changes that we can't really anticipate. Related to this question, I have shown a video called "Did You Know?" about technological shift in education at the beginning of the year in geography classes, and it makes an impact on the kids. It has been around since 2006, but if you've never seen it, it is entertaining and well worth your time to check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1LiJuUGpyY

  by Karl Fisch and Scott McLeod

Does our current education system, curriculum, and instructional practices help learners foster the complex problem-solving skills necessary to tackle these issues? 

I think we are moving in the right direction to tackle these issues in this country, but we have a lot of work to do to before most classrooms in most schools will fit that bill. In my experience, the trend toward higher stakes testing has hurt the progress of producing more higher order thinking. Teachers are so focused on covering the material for the test that more time-consuming, but engaging activities are eliminated. I've reached the conclusion that projects and student-centered activities are what help students make connections and grasp the important concepts of the subject.

Are there methods and practices used in European and Asian countries that we should use here in the US? Why or why not? 

I love the tradition from Japan of sharing the wisdom of older teachers with younger ones in creating subject-area-specific instructional design (p. 242). Though it has been practiced for decades, it seems on target for IDT that uses technology for enhancing the curriculum. I was surprised at how negative the depiction of IDT in Europe was, and that it has a "skills and credibility gap" (p. 252). It sounds like the U.S. has been more successful, at least in gaining support and credibility for technology integration and good IDT.

Reiser, R. A. & Dempsey, J. V. (2012). Trends and issues in instructional design and technology, 3rd ed. Boston: Pearson.