In chapter 1 of Designing Effective Instruction the Instructional Design process is introduced. As they questioned different people about their starting point, I looked back on my previous course and asked myself the same question. My response was that I started with the subject matter of growing butterflies, and then decided age group, and content. I can also see how you would start at other points. A teacher of a specific subject would start at what he must teach, whereas a grade specific teacher may start with development levels of student or required content level.
The text is a proponent of a nonlinear design process. I would think that would be the most effective method when a number of different people are involved in the design process. Personally I suspect that I would over time develop a preferred order that worked for me and I felt comfortable with.
In many ways the IEPs I write seem like part of the ID process. An IEP looks at learner characteristics and present skill levels. It then determines objectives to be learned and touches on instructional strategies and evaluation methods-including success or failure criteria. This of course only takes into account one student but many of the processes are similar.
I found Reiser's "History of Instructional Media" to be interesting. I had not realized how far back media was first thought to revolutionize education. Despite all of the new technology education continues to depend on teachers. I notice even in this class that text and instructor are the primary means of delivery. We may have online sessions but there is still a very obvious instructor presence. I think that there will continue to be a need for teachers directing courses because so many people do not have the self-discipline to direct themselves to a successful completion of the class.
Cheryl Briggs Sept. 11, 2001