Decision making is the most common kind of problem solving. It is also an important component skill in other more ill-structured and complex kinds of problem solving, including policy problems and design problems. There are different kinds of decisions, including choices, acceptances, evaluations, and constructions. After describing the centrality…

The purpose of this paper is to familiarize instructional designers and researchers with a useful design and research paradigm known as "Ask Systems." Ask Systems are interrogative interfaces to information and learning environments that model conversations with a skilled, reflective practitioner (Schon, The reflective practitioner, "1983") or…

Are there different kinds of design problems? Jonassen (2011) argued that problems vary in terms of structuredness, complexity, and context. On the structuredness and complexity continua, design problems tend to be the most ill-structured and complex. Brown and Chandrasekaran suggest that design problems may vary along a continuum from…

Learning in complex and ill-structured knowledge domains requires accommodation of multiple perspectives embedded in authentic activities and the reconciliation of those perspectives with personal beliefs resulting in conceptual change. Cognitive flexibility hypertext systems support that process by enabling learners to explore authentic cases…

Defines instructional strategies and instructional tactics in the context of an iterative design model, distinguishes instructional tactics as methods of implementing instructional strategies, discusses instructional strategies versus learning strategies, and gives examples of how to select instructional tactics for educational and corporate…

The field of instructional design has traditionally treated concepts as discrete learning outcomes. Theoretically, learning concepts requires correctly isolating and applying attributes of specific objects into their correct categories. Similarity views of concept learning are unable to account for all of the rules governing concept formation,…

Discusses the use of hypertext as an instructional tool and compares hypertext instruction with traditional instructional formats. Instructional design guidelines for hypertext are presented that focus on learner control, multiuser management, user interface, knowledge organization, and content representation. Limitations of learner control as an…

Examines the differences between instructional strategies and instructional tactics as part of the instructional systems design (ISD) process. Instructional strategies and learning strategies are discussed, learning outcomes are described, and a decision tree is presented to help designers select appropriate instructional tactics. (36 references)…

Compares hypertext with instructional design and development principles and processes. Theoretical foundations for hypertext are discussed, including knowledge acquisition, schema theory, and active structural networks; mapping instructional designs onto hypertext is explained; and hypertext systems are described both as instructional design…

In this paper, the author presents his arguments to Fox's premise that functional contextualism has an implications for designing instruction. Fox argues that functional contextualism is an alternative to constructivism because constructivism has not empirically demonstrated its effectiveness. However, the author finds this assertion troubling for…

Diagrams showing the components of structural knowledge and the theoretical basis for structural knowledge introduce four tables presenting information on: (1) implicit strategies for conveying cognitive structure, including content/structures signalling (Meyer), frames/slots (Armbruster and Anderson), and Elaboration Theory (Reigeluth and…

Noting that automation has had an impact on virtually every manufacturing and information operation in the world, including instructional design (ID), this paper suggests three basic metaphors for automating instructional design activities: (1) computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) systems; (2) expert system advisor systems; and (3)…

The strongly positivist beliefs on which traditional conceptions of instructional design (ID) are based derive from Aristotelian logic and oversimplify the world, reducing human learning and performance to a repertoire of manipulable behaviors. Reviews the cases against deterministic predictability and discusses hermeneutic, fuzzy logic, and chaos…

Considers well-structured problems versus ill-structured problems and presents models for how learners solve them, as well as models for designing instruction to support problem-solving skill development. Information processing theories of learning, an emerging theory of ill-structured problem solving, constructivist learning, and situated…

This case study examines the application of problem-based learning to the teaching of introductory instructional design (ISD). Suggests that ISD is a dynamic process of problem understanding and problem solution and that ISD instruction should therefore focus more on the problem attributes and not on the generality of the systems approach model.…