Various theories and models discuss how instructional designers can develop systems that allow learners to engage in problem-solving. To date, many of these theories and models that guide design often describe how learners engage in meaning-making within a situated context; however, they do not address strategies instructional designers can use to…

When instructional designers talk about what they do, they often discuss their outcomes rather than their process. Conjecturing during decision-making requires the instructional designer to build upon their prior knowledge of the situation and experiences and make assumptions based on available information to design an appropriate solution. This…

In organizational anarchies (i.e., public institutions) decisions are typically made by oversight or flight. Decision makers and choice opportunities exist simultaneously but on separate tracks resulting in few problems being solved. This paper presents the findings of a study surveying current literature on organizational anarchy as well as…

A number of studies have been conducted exploring competencies expected of instructional designers in the field. The results of these studies that have explored competencies and the alignment and discrepancies between instructional designers and their clients' and employers' expectations demonstrate the need for instructional designers to be…

Teachers' decisions for instructional design and technology integration influence their teaching practices and student learning performances. Technology-integrated learning environments have been widely leveraged due to the recent global health crisis and student learning needs (Polly et al., "TechTrends," 65(3), 240-242 2021). Teachers…

The majority of instructional design models have directed focus on instructional design activities such as analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. Criticisms regarding instructional design models have suggested that the use of these models provides instructional designers with a limited view of the design environment. This…

Designing within a system is ubiquitous to instructional design. In order to understand the systemic impact of design decisions within an organization, one must understand the interrelatedness of the objects within the system. Developing an understanding of context as it relates to the utility of instructional design solutions will position…

Digital learning environments are dynamic systems that require learning designers to leverage environmental conditions and the needs of their learners. While many frameworks and studies have explored pedagogical reasoning, little emphasis has been placed on the dynamic decision-making processes of learning designers. To advance the exploration of…

Despite the call for instructional designers to employ design thinking as a means to foster creativity in problem-solving, many students struggle with enacting creative risk. While several studies have been conducted studying how instructional designers engage in problem-solving to contend with project constraints, few have addressed whether this…

Needs assessment is a fundamental step in the instructional design process where instructional designers must determine the difference between the current state of affairs and a desired state. Throughout the needs assessment process, the instructional designer must feel comfortable making decisions and assumptions based on the information that has…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine how learning design and educational technology degree programs prepare students to evaluate in practice. This study involved the curricular mapping of 16 graduate instructional design programs and 29 semi-structured interviews with program faculty and recent postgraduates. Based on information…

While several studies have been conducted exploring teachers' pedagogical reasoning practices, few studies have explored the influence of learning audiences' impact on teacher's decisions related to technology integration in early childhood classrooms. The purpose of this study was to provide a systematic review of empirical studies that have…

Most of the prior research concerning instructional design (ID) education has taken place in the context of introductory courses. However, teaching advanced ID students differs from teaching novices because advanced students are capable of independent action, but also still need some targeted instruction to develop their own design skills and…

Research focusing on the complexities faced by instructional designers have called for pedagogical strategies to equip instructional designers with the ability to problem solve and make decisions. One of the most widely studied strategies for managing cognitive load is the use of worked examples, which provides an alternative to traditional…

This study explored the interaction of multimedia production competencies of expert and novice instructional designers on the design decisions made during the instructional design process/workflow. This multiple measures study used qualitative survey instruments to access and measure the production competencies of participants, then a design aloud…