There are inevitable challenges standing in the way of the success of any approach to Instructional Design. Some are being faced up to. Some are not. Not least among them is the absence of empirically established principles undergirding Instructional Design prescriptions. The challenge it poses is to their reliability and validity. Nothing that…

This article takes a contrarian position: an "instructional design" or "teacher training" model, because of the sheer number of its interconnected parameters, is too complex to assess or to compare with other models. Models may not be the way to go just yet. This article recommends instead prior experimental research on limited…

Instructional design can be more effective if it is as fixedly dedicated to the accommodation of individual differences as it currently is to the accommodation of subject matters. That is the hypothesis. A menu of accommodation options is provided that is applicable at each of three stages of instructional development or administration: before,…

Providing a research-validated, evidence-based framework for designing effective distance learning experiences and environments is a current challenge to those interested in using this technology effectively with adolescents. This article offers the Learner-Centered Psychological Principles (LCPs) developed and disseminated by the American…

Description of a program designed to provide an environment that is adaptive to individual differences, combining the advantages of a structured curriculum for basic skills development and an open learning environment for personal and social development. (Author)

Briefly reviews the literature on instructional interactions and introduces the Mega Interactive Model of Instruction, the variable dimensions of which are instructor, learner, instruction/content/context, and time. (RAO)

The author argues that "to answer certain research questions the individual student (rather than the classroom) is the proper unit of analysis." Appended are approximately 38 references. (Author/AK)

Discusses factors that contribute to powerful learning experiences based on the results of two studies that examined diverse groups and more coherent groups of individuals. Topics include the highly individual nature of learning; problems that can create for instructional designers; relevance of learning to life and/or work; active learning; and…

Discussion of situated learning focuses on classroom instruction. Topics addressed include individual uniqueness; a knowledge community, including the process of knowledge acquisition; situated instruction, including the role of the teacher; authentic activity, including teacher-student interaction; and implications for educational technology. (26…

Discusses cognitive style (the degree to which perception is influenced by environmental variables) and cognitive control (which focuses on the regulation of perception by the ego). Concepts addressed include field dependence-independence, field articulation, conceptual style, cognitive tempo, intrusive information, focal attention, and…

Discusses four alternative ways to look at television's effects on the viewer rather than the simplistic model of television as the input and the viewer's reaction as output: types of television and their educational applications; characteristics that determine programing, forces shaping program development, and the individual's reception of…

Discusses the growth of educational institutions and the need for new paradigms of learning to keep pace with change. Topics include context; communication; the use and adoption of different technologies; shared knowledge; and the personal nature of the learning experience. (LRW)

This article proposes three guidelines for mobile technology design that address the needs and goals of teachers who are considered mainstream with regard to technology use. Devices should be easy to learn and use, focused on the curriculum, and instruction-friendly. Only if the three guidelines are followed by hardware and software developers…