This assessment of the status of research on instructional development (ID) discusses such conceptual problems as the confusion between ID and instructional design, reviews previous research, and proposes a framework for future ID research. Decision-oriented issues discussed within this framework include: (1) administrative and policy issues of ID…

A study of citations in instructional development (ID) periodical literature identifies invisible colleges--groups linked by common ideas or approaches--in the ID field. Although ID literature as a whole was weakly based on previous work, this study found eight invisible colleges and 10 authors who dominate the literature. (MBR)

Discussed is the research method of "didactic engineering" and the potential theoretical problems of putting research findings into practical use as teaching methods in mathematics classrooms. Cited is the possible incompatibility between the theoretical principles of experimental methods and teachers' conceptions. (MDH)

Discusses the potential role of case study experimentation in relation to efforts to improve knowledge of dynamic environmental systems. Also outlines a case study method developed by the authors and discusses specific uses and applications of case studies for instructional purposes. (JN)

Describes a case study which used the Agency for Instructional Television instructional development model to develop a television series on economics. Findings show how the model guided the series, its advantages, and its strengths and limitations, and identifies discrepancies between ideal use of instructional development and actual application.…

This examination of the topic of research in educational technology addresses four major areas: (1) why research is conducted in this area and the characteristics of that research; (2) the types of research questions that should or should not be addressed; (3) the most appropriate methodologies for finding answers to research questions; and (4)…

Discusses possibilities for joint instructional design projects between academic researchers and corporate sponsors in the private sector. Corporate training strategies are explained, research strategies are suggested that are currently in use at one corporation, Advanced Systems Inc., and guidelines are given for improving communication in joint…

Theorists, researchers, and practitioners should be problem solvers, and need to integrate research findings within practical models. Given a defined instructional problem, the recommendation of an appropriate solution should be based on the realization that only prescriptive design theory emphasizes methods and presentation specifications, and…

Distinguishes between assumptions underlying naturalistic inquiry and experimentalism; summarizes the consequent methodologies, data analysis techniques and characteristic results associated with naturalistic inquiry; describes naturalistic study of a large-scale instructional development program; presents study results and their characteristics…

This study compared media selection decisions novice instructional developers make when using an intuitive selection approach versus Reiser and Gagne's formal selection procedure. Formal selection procedure use results in media selection choices matching those of experienced developers, and more selection factors are considered when novices…

Current issues in educational communications and technology are addressed in this collection of 48 papers, in which research reports predominate. Topics discussed include factors related to the learner, e.g., field dependence/independence, learning strategies, information processing, spatial ability, cognitive style, and cognitive strategies.…

A review of the literature reveals little evidence that classroom decision making is an important component in teaching effectiveness. Studies investigating decision making before (preactive) and during (interactive) instruction indicate that teachers are preoccupied with activity flow and procedural concerns rather than with increasing student…

This paper draws heavily on quantitative synthesis of empirical research on teaching, and for comparison, related influences on learning, such as the student's motivation, home environment, and exposure to television. The first section explains the techniques of explicit search and selection of evidence and the statistical evaluation and summary…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between graduate education in educational psychology and instructional design programs in view of the common interest of the two disciplines in certain content areas. Program administrators (chairpersons) of instructional design and technology programs at 22 institutions with doctoral…

Current issues in educational communications and technology are addressed in this collection of 31 papers, in which research reports predominate. Topics discussed include factors related to the learner, e.g., aptitude, recall, computer anxiety, field dependence/independence, reading ability, learning strategies, and cognitive style. Presentation…