In instruction there is always something that needs to be displayed. Little wonder that in some form or other media utilization is a given. But questions arise. "Is development meant to fit within media capabilities?" "Or are media to be selected because of their capabilities to meet development needs?" When in the…

A prescription favored in this article calls for the joint use of "learning maps" and "instructional maps." Why then the "Vs." in the title? Simply put, it is a rhetorical device. It calls attention to a key difference between the two. This article explicates the difference. It also informs how alone and in…

The design of online learning environments is a complicated process because it entails the use of technological tools to mediate the various forms of interaction situated in the learning process. One possible way to help reduce such complication inherent in various forms of interaction is to look at design as a problem-solving activity. This means…

The author notes: "A personal anecdote is an apt opening to this article. An assignment I once had called for assessing texts in a pre-med curriculum. In reviewing a calculus text, a subject in which I had no expertise then or now, I had trouble following an "explanation." I was able to identify where and why the text let me down.…

Games, play, and learning have a long and embedded history that outdates digital games by many years. However, video games, computing, and technology have significant and historically documented diversity issues, which privilege whites and males as content producers, computing and gaming experts, and STEM learners and employees. Many aspects of…

Susan M. Fulgham and Michael F. Shaughnessy, Contributing Editors for this journal, present their interview with Marcia C. Linn, Professor of Development and Cognition, specializing in education in mathematics, science, and technology, in the Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Berkeley. Linn is currently investigating…

The field of instructional design does not collect and share actual completed instructional designs and designers' reflections on the creation of those designs as an integral, widespread aspect of its practice. This article defines the instructional design case as a means of knowledge building. It lays out the components of instructional design…

Instructional design models have been criticized for being too inflexible and taking too long to follow to be useful in today's fast-paced environment. As a result, some have rejected instructional design. This article offers an alternative view of instructional design as flexible and able to be accomplished in much shorter time periods than…

Given that there is no universal way to measure implementation fidelity, instructional designers developing instructional innovations may find themselves faced with the challenge of determining the extent to which teachers' implementation of an instructional model is faithful. This article contends that a faithful implementation is one in…

The integration of game playing with online education has recently become one of the most discussed issues in the e-learning field for its potentially positive impact on the development of related industries and on the social lives of young people. In this article, the authors propose a set of design considerations to assist game-based learning…

Profitable creative ideas can emerge from within virtually any phase of the instructional design and development process. However, the design of user interactions is perhaps where learners can most directly experience the benefits of such ideas. In this article, the authors discuss principles of learner interaction as found in the instructional…

Student achievement does not depend solely on teacher competence. Students' own behavior, their motivation to achieve, and their attitudes toward others around them all contribute. These variables create conditions--an environment--that either favors or disfavors achievement. They can dictate the amount of time a teacher has to devote to…

Most classrooms in the U.S. are composed of students with different learning styles and experiences as well as different achievement levels (Ferguson, 2001). Personalized learning is a unique way of students' learning determined by their own learning style, pace, and needs. Focusing on individual differences, personalized instruction aims to…

Formal design studies are increasing our insight into design processes, including those of instructional design. Lessons are being learned from other design fields, and new techniques and concepts can be imported as they are demonstrated effective. The purpose of this article is to introduce a design concept--the "operational principle"--for…

In an asynchronous forum responding to a prompt positing that ADDIE (analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation) might be used in teaching instructional design (ID) as a safety net for designers without native talent, instructors and practitioners of ID revealed mixed perspectives on the role of ADDIE in design. Critical theory…