Research has shown that when Merrill's First Principles of Instruction are used as part of an instructional strategy, student learning increases. Several articles describe these principles of instruction, including specific methods for implementing this theory. However, because teachers and designers often have little time to design instruction,…

The first of three articles presenting a framework for teaching subject-matter disciplines in light of the potentials of computers considers the computer as a metaphor. Topics addressed include the state of knowledge in the disciplines, parallels between the computer and disciplinary knowledge, and implications for curriculum design. (20…

Provides an overview of the use of models in instructional design. Highlights include a definition of the term model; types of models, including conceptual, procedural, mathematical, and prescriptive; procedures for model development; classification of models in the literature; and alternative techniques for model validation. (Contains 38…

Explains postmodernism and discusses the role of postmodernism as it relates to educational technology and various paradigms for educational technology. Highlights include the systems approach to instructional design and the relationship between the psychological paradigm of constructivism and the aesthetic paradigm of poststructuralism. (15…

Current strengths and weaknesses of instructional system design are summarized and the future of instructional design is discussed in areas of educational technology and futurism, changes in instructional design models, new research, and future changes in practice settings. Nineteen references are provided. (EJS)

Reviews the current status of instructional design models and discusses the implications of trends in education, training, and society that are likely to influence instructional design in the 1980s. Five references are appended. (Author/LLS)

Discussion of learning how to solve problems focuses on instructional design models and how students construct their knowledge and learn skills. Topics discussed include conceptual knowledge; procedural knowledge and skills; knowledge representation; causal knowledge; types of knowledge and relevant skills; knowledge acquisition; prediction and…

Discusses modern educational technology, including postmodernism; deconstruction; the Shannon-Weaver Model for telecommunication apparatus and the epistemology of educational technology; the systems approach; and possible demands of postmodern educational technology, including technoscience, instructional design issues, and cultural aspects.…

Discusses personality and attitudinal attributes that are significantly related to teachers' positive computer-oriented attitudes. The role of teachers in computer-assisted instruction is considered, use of the Eysenck personality model is described, and a tentative personality model of a typical teacher who is more positive toward computer usage…

Describes and compares various assumptions of instructional design and of constructivism, some of which have been raised in other articles in this issue. Topics discussed include instructional design theory; instructional systems theory; mental models; categories of knowledge; knowledge representation; instructional strategies; collaborative…

Discusses the meaning of change, purposes and models for measuring it, matching models to purposes and types of data, and using more than one model to measure change. Twenty-one references are listed. (Author/MBR)

Discusses teachers' use of systematic instructional design practices; describes fundamental components of instructional design; explains a teacher planning inventory; and reports on a study of junior and senior high school teachers that examined their use of instructional design practices in their planning routines. (Contains 21 references.) (LRW)

Discussion of the growing use of computer-mediated communication (CMC) in education focuses on an intrapersonal communication model based on the cognitive experience of the individual. Four types of experiential learning that can be applied to CMC are explained: (1) response learning; (2) situation learning; (3) transsituation learning; and (4)…

Presents an instructional development model that incorporates formative evaluation techniques, and explores the possible application of the model in developing computer-assisted instruction courseware. Advantages and disadvantages of this approach are identified and implications for research on formative evaluation are discussed. (31 references)…

Outlines problems faced by software publishers in providing instructionally valid computer assisted instruction. A research design undertaken by Edu-Ware Services, Inc., directed at measuring instructional validity and utility of software offered to institutions and consumers, is described noting tests, evaluation, data submission and reduction,…